Alesis MasterControl Studio Interface and Control System

Description of the Alesis MasterControl Studio Interface and Control System

Audio Interface + Control Surface + Control Room Manager = MasterControl

The Alesis MasterControl eliminates your need for individual analog and digital audio interfaces, speaker switching and routing units, mixing and transport-control surfaces, hardware volume controls, and more. The only piece of gear you need to input all of your sources into your DAW; the only piece of gear you need to control recording and editing; and the only piece of gear you need to run professional tracking and mixing sessions is Master Control. Alesis even throw in two powerful recording and production programs: Steinberg Cubase LE 4 and Ableton Live Lite 7.

Features of the Alesis MasterControl Studio Interface and Control System

• FireWire connectivity: one cable carries all audio and control data
• DICE II chip with JetPLL technology for stable clock sync
• Up to 192 kHz (highest available) recording / playback capability
• Eight analog inputs, expandable up to 24 simultaneous
• Nine Touch-Sensitive, 100mm, motorized, capacitive Alps faders
• Eight assignable knobs, three banks each
• Two banks of eight assignable buttons
• Dedicated transport controls with multifunction jog wheel
• Three pairs of independently assignable stereo outputs
• Dual, independently assignable stereo headphone outputs
• Flexible, direct monitor routing, assignable through any/all output pair(s)
• Dedicated talkback microphone with control surface or footswitch operation
• Preview button shows button parameters before sending them out to DAW
• Steinberg Cubase LE included
• Ableton Live Lite included
• HUI+ Control Surface
• Compatible with all popular DAWs, virtual instruments, and other audio software

Includes

• MasterControl Complete Studio Interface and Control System
• Template inserts
• Power supply
• Firewire cable
• Reference manual
• Quick start manual
• Software CD
• Safety and warranty guide

Video of the Akai APC40 Ableton Controller

Extended Description of the Alesis MasterControl Studio Interface and Control System

Master Audio Interface

The Alesis MasterControl is a 24-bit, 192kHz, high-resolution, low-latency audio interface. It is capable of nearly any input type and quantity, with a flexible and generous output section. It features low-latency FireWire computer connectivity for Mac and PC. The single cable carries all audio and control data from MasterControl to your DAW.

MasterControl contains eight analog inputs. Inputs one and two offer XLR connection, high-definition, discrete-design preamplifiers, 48V phantom power, and channel inserts. Inputs three through eight contain 1/4" TRS, line jacks. MasterControl’s input section can be expanded handle up to 24 simultaneous inputs, including dual ADAT Lightpipe, coaxial, and optical S/PDIF. Six analog outputs and 16-channel MIDI I/O further extend MasterControl’s impressive I/O capabilities.

Extensive Control Surface

The Alesis Master Control contains hands-on controls for confidently running tracking and editing sessions. Multiple banks of assignable controllers enable access over 50 software parameters in real time.

Nine touch-sensitive, 100mm, motorized, capacitive Alps faders deliver the hands-on mixing experience that mixing in software with a mouse simply cannot rival. MasterControl has eight assignable knobs that access three control banks each and two banks of eight assignable buttons that access two control banks each. Dedicated transport controls and a multifunction jog wheel complete the tactile control package.

MasterControl’s DSP-driven internal mixer enables hardware-direct monitoring with zero discernable latency. It employs the industry-standard HUI protocol for communication with all popular DAW software, and requires no mapping for seamless interoperation. Building upon the standard, MasterControl also enables editing of templates and presets for customization. A large, dedicated display provides real-time visual feedback of all actions, and preview button allows safe audition of controls prior to sending commands to the DAW.

Control Room Management

MasterControl’s built-in speaker switching enables you to easily switch between multiple sets of monitor loudspeakers for ease of mix-accuracy checks. An internal talkback microphone enables easy communication with musicians while tracking.

Three pairs of independently assignable stereo outputs with dedicated, active mute buttons place the engineer squarely in the driver’s seat. With flexible, direct monitor routing, sources are assignable through any and all output pair(s). Dual, independently assignable stereo headphone outputs with independent gain controls further extend the output capabilities of MasterControl. The dedicated talkback microphone can be engaged from the control surface or using an optional footswitch.

Superior Audio Processing

MasterControl employs an advanced DICE II chip with JetPLL technology for clock-stable firewire-audio streaming and routing. JetPLL nearly eliminates audio-band jitter, greatly improves imaging, and decreases digital noise, all of which combine to deliver peerless sync.

As digital audio devices are added to a system, they increasingly create system-additive audio-band clock jitter. Variation between device clocks can actually fall outside the ability of some devices to cope, causing failure. JetPLL is extremely tolerant of wide variations in clock frequencies. Its hybrid design incorporates noise shaping to virtually remove audio-band jitter. This technology ensures the highest possible converter performance, resulting in better separation.

MasterControl contains 114 dB, 24-bit, 192 kHz stereo analog-to-digital converters. Sampling, analog-to-digital conversion, and anti-alias filtering are performed by MasterControl’s 24-bit, stereo ADCs at sample rates up to 192 kHz per channel. They employ a 5th-order delta-sigma modulator followed by low-latency digital filtering, eliminating the need for external anti-alias filtering and providing excellent noise rejection.

MasterControl also features 114 dB, 24-bit, 192 kHz multi-channel digital-to-analog converters. MasterControl’s uncompromising DAC system begins with digital de-emphasis, ATAPI channel mixing, digital-interpolation filtering, and an oversampled delta-sigma modulator. Audio is fed to the differential analog outputs through a multi-element switched-capacitor stage with low-latency IIR low-pass filtering.

Software and System Compatibility

MasterControl comes with a powerful software suite for recording and sequencing.

It includes Steinberg Cubase LE music production software with a full range of tools for audio and MIDI recording and mixing, and Ableton Live Lite, a production and performance program enabling you to create, produce and perform your music all in a single application.

MasterControl is an HUI+ control surface, meaning that it is uniquely programmable with HUI and Mackie Control compatibility for use with all popular DAWs, virtual instruments, and other audio software on Mac and PC.

Specifications of the Alesis MasterControl Studio Interface and Control System

• 114dB, 24-bit, 192 kHz Stereo Analog-to-Digital Conversion
• 114dB, 24-bit, 192 kHz Multi-Channel Digital-to-Analog Conversion

INPUTS

• Two XLR (1/4" combo) with preamps, phantom, and channel inserts
• Eight TRS 1/4" line inputs (including the combo jacks)
• Optional input expansion: Dual ADAT Lightpipe, Coaxial, and selectable optical S/PDIF

OUTPUTS

• Six 1/4" TRS
• Two stereo headphone

MIDI

• 16-channel I/O

CONTROLS

• Nine Touch-Sensitive, 100mm, motorized, capacitive Alps faders
• Eight assignable knobs (three banks each)
• Two banks of eight assignable buttons (two banks each)
• Dedicated transport controls with multifunction jog wheel

MICROPHONE PREAMPLIFIER

• Gain range: +9.1dB to +59.2dB
• Impedance: 3.67K @ min gain; 3.33K @ max gain

LINE PREAMPLIFIER

• Gain range: -7dB to +43.1dB

MAX INPUT SIGNAL LEVELS BEFORE CLIPPING

• Mic In to Line Out:
• At min gain: 9.6dBu in, 18.7dBu out (gain = 9.1dB)
• At max gain: -40.5dBu in, +18.7dBu out (gain = 59.2dB)
• Line In 1-2 Max input signal level before clipping (at midband frequencies):
• At unity gain: 18.7 to 18.9dBu
• At min gain: 25.7 to 25.9dBu
• At max gain: -24.4 to -24.2dBu
• Line In 3-6 Max input signal level before clipping: +17.8dBu typical

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

• Line Inputs 1-6 (Measured to Line Output at Unity Gain):
• .25dB at 20KHz, otherwise within ±0.1dB
• Mic Inputs 1-2:
• At min gain: +/- 0.1dB from 20Hz to 20kHz
• At gain= 30dB: +0dB, -0.25dB from 20Hz to 20kHz
• At max gain: Rolls off to -1.25dB at 20Hz, otherwise flat within 0.1dB

TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION + NOISE, SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO

Mic Input 1-2 to Line Out (measurement bandwidth 20-22K):

• At min gain with +10dBu output:
• THD+N: 0.0022- 0.0025%
• SNR: 103.3dB
• At 30dB gain, +10dBu output:
• THD+N: < 0.004%
• SNR: 102.7dB

Line Input 3-6 to Line Out (20 measurement bandwidth 20-22K):

• At unity gain, +4 to +10dBu out:
• THD+N: < 0.004%
• SNR: 104.1dB

System Requirements of the Alesis MasterControl Studio Interface and Control System

Windows XP (32-bit) or Vista (32-bit)

• Pentium 4 3.0GHz or equivalent
• 512MB RAM (1GB or higher recommended)
• 5400RPM (or faster) hard drive recommended
• Firewire 400 (IEEE1394) port

Mac OS X

• OS 10.4 or higher
• G5 or Intel CPU
• 512MB RAM (1GB or higher recommended)
• Firewire 400 (IEEE1394) port