PERSPECTIVE™ 

Squinting and mixing? Using a visual paradigm lets us take a different view of MCM (Midrange Centric Monitoring): PERSPECTIVE monitors are "squinting for audio" and designed specifically for MCM. Its very much like the "different lense" pictured above where simplifying reveals the front to back contrast of B&W

Artists often squint while painting because squinting helps simplify the visual information they see, making it easier to focus on key aspects of the composition. 

This is to emulate standing back from a much longer distance…where obscuration only leaves the important elements, This practice is useful for several reasons:

• Reducing Details: Squinting minimizes the amount of detail visible in a scene, helping the artist concentrate on larger shapes, values, and luminance relationships rather than getting lost in fine details.

• Improving Value Perception: Squinting helps to clarify the light and dark areas (values) by reducing the range of visible tones. This makes it easier to judge contrasts and ensure the overall balance of light and shadow in the artwork.

• Enhancing Composition: By blurring out unnecessary elements, squinting allows the artist to see the overall structure and balance of their composition, ensuring the focal points stand out effectively.

Unifying Colors: When squinting, colors (luminance) often blend together, making it easier to identify the dominant tones and adjust for harmony in the painting (for eq; allows broad brush vs tweaking visually or imaginging that 0.2db will actually be "seen")

MCM (Mid Centric Monitoring) does NOT replace high res speakers; its part of a workflow that begins the mix process (workflow explanation follows). Think of it as a zoom into the most critical range of music and there is a cliche that supports this: "Magic is in the Midrange".

Taking the "Pilot" image above; imagine the full range monitors are like the full colour; you see everything as its final product form; they are essential but the placement of elements in the front to back "Z Plane" (esp vocal placement) become so fast and natural once your ears can see the essentials so clearly

Subs and air are secondary to the initial picture (very important in the final push and pull of the groove of course) but for fast, spontaneous, creative and emotionally responsive mixing, nothing beats the gut feel of MCM

There are some great vids on  YouTube: a playlist can be  found here

A synergy of design and materials over many years materialised into the purpose built PERSPECTIVE. Finding the right driver, myriad simulations then test models, where measurements were not the final word.

The resulting DNA:

Speaker

• A single full range driver: point source

• Excellent time domain/transient visibility

• No phase smear. 

• 6 Ohm

Amp (passive available)

• 20w into 8 ohm, internally calibrated for max levels.

• Engineered into the rear cap of the enclosure and uses fluting to force cool air (via convection) around the heatsink for reliability over long sessions

• HP and LP built in and natural response of the driver,  to create a custom window into the sensitivities of our ears and keeping a familiar reference to the staple mid range speakers of yesteryear but improving in many aspects

Shape - Auraspherical 

• Tapered fusiform internal shape with no repetitive boundaries

• Present modern update and removal of cabinet diffraction

• Major attentuation of retransmission of enclosure resonance

Bezel

• Minimal bezel maximises point source performance

Enclosure

• Uses Wood Stone acoustic formula; a proprietary Cellulose Masonry Composite (CMC) and developed by the owner of Aurasphere originally for sustainable construction

• Acoustically gifted with superior STC performance and damping (tested to STC51 in wall products)

• Sustainably engineered from recycled timbers, sands and geopolymers (and various herbs and spices ;-)

Stand

• High mass masonry

• Cradles speaker with easily variable angle

• Decoupled from seating surface

Manufacture

• Locally sourced materials

• I piece hand casting made in house by dedicated artists

• Directly supplied to customer

APU TrueGain

Purchase of PERSPECTIVEs, includes a discount coupon for this amazing software. It revolutionises monitoring and keeping the 65db safe working level with real-time equal-loudness compensated gain control.

Check it out here

APU TrueGain is a frequency-compensated gain control plug-in based on equal-loudness contours like ISO 226. The plug-in’s filtering is meticulously designed to provide smooth, precise frequency compensation which adapts continuously over time using an Adaptive SPL algorithm that tracks the perceived loudness of the input signal.

To ensure its perceptual modeling is accurate, TrueGain features a straightforward calibration process that aligns the plug-in with the true Sound Pressure Level at your listening position. Using any standard SPL meter, you can match the plug-in to your physical environment, ensuring all loudness simulations are precise and repeatable.

A comprehensive, real-time spectral analyzer provides clear visual feedback on your source, target, and output signals throughout the process.

TrueGain can be operated in three modes:

Compensated Gain Control

• Adjust the True gain parameter to apply frequency-compensated gain or attenuation based on your calibrated listening level. 

• This allows you to maintain a consistent frequency balance as you adjust the overall loudness of your mix.

Compensated AGC

• In this mode, you can set a target SPL level, and TrueGain will automatically adjust the output gain to maintain that level, automatically loudness-compensating the frequency balance as the input signal level changes. 

• Attack and release controls allow you to fine-tune the responsiveness of the gain and frequency domain adjustments.

Translation Check

• In this mode, you can use the target SPL parameter to accurately simulate how your mix sounds at different levels-from quiet home listening to loud club playback, without actually changing the monitoring volume. 

• Useful when you want to quickly make sure the mix translates well at various listening levels and still be able to hear the details clearly.

Gain Control

• This mode is identical to compensated gain control, but without any frequency compensation applied. 

• Parameters are still run through the ballistics engine, so gain and frequency adjustments remain smooth and musical.

60% / 30% / 10% is a 3 point perspective of listening, as a workflow following roughly distributed percentages (as guidelines)

The 60%  is based on the "magic window":
1000hz being the centre and a factor of 10 both ways , eg 100hz -10,000hz. This is the core of the image we are translating.
As the workflow progresses to the next 30% window, high res is now the lens for full range. The final 10% is just a check phase.

These 3 points "triangulate" balance, using the picture window as the focal point and subs + air to support the visceral and ether. 

Nothing new here really, just all assembled in a way that would have really helped me early on…as we journey in mixing, it becomes obvious and a lot of pros talk about the following but in different ways... you get out, what you put in.

After ear training using your favourite reference tracks (and burning the speakers in), here is a suggested workflow (time per ‘% window’ is context dependent). I really urge a calibration that you are use to and install TrueGain. Its up to you as to what feels comfortable but it seems reasonable to compromise for safety and  loudness curves;
65db as your main work position

Have your main monitor step volume in what is comfortable, I have roughly 3 step increments and 2 set points of 65db as above and 72db as I start moving into the "30%" territory but is only start sound better, not worse if its all set up properly. Finally I have my "10%" set around 82db and will do a single check at 90db right at the end just for the feel (low gig/club levels). If your genre calls for it eg EDM...FOH is always a good idea at a good venue.

Mid Range/Foundation - 60% - PERSPECTIVE SERIES

• Balance and understand the wider view (in both mono/stereo)

• The mix should completely carry itself within the boundaries of 100hz - 10khz and be intelligible at lower levels. 

• All about the core picture using the magic window

Extension - 30% - Hires Monitors

• Zoom in on the details and craft the top end gamut and subs

• These are the invisible and sub feel and ‘air’ which should nicely support the mids, this might need some microscope work so the levels tend to go up 4-6db (you will work it out over time)

• This is all about putting in the support to the core picture

Gig and Club levels - 10% - The Loud One

• Use your high volume studio monitors for overview and checking at higher db (use discretion) ONLY for short periods of time if you want to be mixing without the crickets in your ears. 

• PLEASE trust me on this...you just dont want to go there. If you DO want to feel it all the time, get a tactile transducer on your mix chair to zoom the low end...I do :-)

• This is all about a check...that is all...should all be super minor tweaks if needed

Over the last 40 years, my ears have been on a journey, just like yours. It took a long time to get to the place where mixes where fun and I felt like I had a system that was no longer voodoo. Unfortunately over that time, I had an ear injury, no not at a gig…at a party and It wasnt even music. I lost my hearing for a couple of weeks. it made me realise the fragility of hearing. I could honestly AB cables and 100% blind pick them but that has been replaced with ringing which masks the finer details

But

Over the last couple of years, I came back to recording/mixing and noticed I saw mixing differently. I wanted go deeper and despite having the usual array of NS10s, ATCs etc which all have a place, I bought an ebook by a well respected mastering/mix guy and he was reiterating what I had always thought but never followed to that detail

I loved how the NS10s and Auratones really made be work hard for the mix and then progressing down the workflow, you get that reward at the end (doing the loud check) and being satisfied that it was worth it.

However

I really struggled with long term listening through them and not having limits built in so my ears could get used to the sweet spot and decided to embark on a better mousetrap.

After a lot of testing, comparing and, well actually mixing…we decided to not copy nor reinvent the wheel, there is already a saturated marketplace  but rather build with what is now available based on the best from the past. 

The high quality paper cone, @ 70mm is lighter and more agile than many of the larger components used in the vintage products, took a while to find and even longer to dial in to the right cabinet.

Uniting this with a sealed enclosure offers the most robust transient visibility…it just works and has for a long time. 

Placement in the workspace was always with compromises with the other stuff so we designed a variable tilt base which cradles the enclosure safely (they are heavy, don't drop on your foot etc). The base is a higher mass materials and is the anchor. All this minimises transfer of energy and, reducing resonance on boundary surfaces and by decoupling the entire speaker using soft silicone feet.