Buzz Audio ARC1.1Reviews

ARC-1.1 Resolution Magazine Review click to read the pdf

Buzz Audio ARC-1.1 Analog Recording Channel
TapeOp Magazine Review
by Craig Schumacher

What has 22 switches and 18 knobs, is accented with the colors of the rainbow, and is more flexible than a circus acrobat? Give up? The Buzz Audio ARC 1.1 Analog Recording Channel! It's a mic preamp, instrument DI, multiband EQ, and dynamics processor with opto compression and FET limiting-all in one 2U mono box. And the cool thing is, the four subcomponents can be used individually, or they can be chained together in any combination to form a complete recording channel. I don't have room to discuss all its features here, so I urge you to check out the manufacturer's website for extensive descriptions and images. My review unit came courtesy of Atlas Pro Audio, Buzz Audio's US distributor.

The mic preamp is a natural sounding, Class-A, solid-state circuit that goes from +9 dB to +65 dB of gain. Input impedance can be varied from 220 ohms to 5500 ohms. And of course, there's phantom power. Next is the line input section, which has its own gain control and a switch to select the unbalanced 1/4'' front-panel instrument input or the balanced XLR line input on the back. The main output section that follows allows you to choose either the mic or line section and provides controls for output gain (with an additional 10 dB of gain), polarity reversal, clean vs. transformer output, and sidechain monitoring (for the dynamics section). A 13-element LED level meter on the far right of the unit can be assigned to show input or output level. The top most overload LED monitors the entire chain and will light if the signal exceeds +20 dBu in any of the ARC's subcomponents.

During our first test of the unit, we concentrated on the mic preamp and bypassed all the other subcomponents. The preamp sounded great and provided an uncolored and accurate picture. Nice and safe. But what about adding some color? Read on.

With so many features on the ARC, we decided to put it through its paces on vocal recording. We set up an AT4050 in cardioid and hooked that up to the ARC. I like the 4050 for the neutrality and smoothness of the mic. Great for vocals-especially for female voice and group harmony overdubs. The vocal track was a mid-tempo basic rock track that needed some close and up-front singing as the melody of the chorus was the hook of the song. The first thing we did was engage the "tranny" setting on the preamp. The manual states that the ARC's transformer is "designed to sound like transformers from the early years of audio and is made with a fairly low-grade steel core." Simply put, the more preamp drive you give it, the more harmonic distortion you get. By pushing the input to just below clipping, we got a nicely saturated sound, and the 4050 took on the characteristics of a tube mic. But the added harmonic distortion brought out more of the singer's sibilance than we wanted, so we started using the EQ and compressor to smooth that out.

The EQ has two parametric bands, both low and high shelves, and an adjustable high-pass filter. Each of these five EQ bands can be individually switched into the main signal path or into the sidechain of the compressor/limiter. By sending the high shelf to the sidechain, we were able to get the opto compressor to react more to high-freq energy, thus helping reduce the sibilance. We were barely into all the controls and already we were completely changing the sound of the mic and bending it to our will.

The ARC's opto compressor is adjustable with knobs for drive (threshold), ratio, and release time. Attack time can be switched slow or fast (1 ms). You can place it pre or post-EQ, or as mentioned previously, it can be used standalone. The FET limiter, which follows the opto compressor, has a threshold knob and fast/med/slow release settings. Although there's only one set of rear I/O connectors for standalone (external) use of the dynamics section, if the compressor is switched to use standalone I/O, the limiter can still remain in the ARC's main signal path. Same goes for the compressor if the limiter is being used standalone. We found that the limiter was very useful in controlling the vocal dynamics, and we were able to adjust it to grab just the portions of the vocal we wanted without sounding overly compressed.

It's important to note here that the manual is well laid out and explains all the features of the ARC in detail. We definitely kept it around as the options on each section are extensive. With every section engaged, the ARC is more than a channel strip. It's a recording channel on steroids. The sonic possibilities are endless, and you can radically change any signal sent into it. The other great thing about the ARC is that you can use its various subcomponents for mixing. I used the mid-band parametric EQ and compressor on a trumpet track that was originally very pinched sounding, and I was able to really warm it up; the ARC really saved the track. (You can hear the results on the muted trumpet in the song "Burn That Broken Bed" on the Iron and Wine/Calexico EP entitled In the Reigns.) In my mind, this doubles the value of the ARC, as it's a serious problem solver for both tracking and mixing.

The ARC is clearly designed to be a useful and creative recording tool. Once you get a handle on the many ways of tweaking, routing, and switching, the ARC 1.1 quickly becomes an important part of your studio's setup. It's great for DAW users as well since it offers so many analog tools in one box. I wonder what version 1.2 will do?
-Craig Schumacher <craig@tapeop.com>

Buzz Audio ARC-1.1 Analog Recording Channel
Pro Audio Review magazine
by Stephen Murphy

New Zealand's Buzz Audio released its first commercial pro audio product in 1993. Owner/designer Tim Farrant's unique Class-A preamp was originally inspired by an ultra low-noise moving coil pickup circuit Farrant had developed during his broadcast engineering years. Lynn Fuston of 3D Audio was one of the first stateside engineers to extol the virtues of the hard-to-find Buzz MA preamp, which was later featured on his 3D Pre CD. Buzz Audio's handcrafted products are no longer hard to find, thanks to their well-established high-end reputation and worldwide distribution.

Last year, Buzz introduced its ARC 1.1 analog recording channel ($3500) featuring a discrete mic preamp similar to that found in the MA series, a top-notch parametric equalizer, an optical compressor section drafted from Buzz' popular SOC 1.1 stereo optical compressor and a FET peak limiter. Outfitted with an immense array of controls and routing options, the ARC 1.1 is truly one of the most comprehensive and flexible recording channels available.

Features
The Buzz Audio ARC 1.1 is essentially comprised of four separate sections: a microphone preamp, an instrument/line-level preamp, parametric EQ, and compressor/limiter. With the wealth of I/O connections provided, the ARC 1.1 can in fact be simultaneously used as four separate analog audio amplifiers/processors. On the rear panel are Mic Pre In and Mic Pre Direct Out jacks (XLR), Line In and Line Loop Out jacks (XLR), and a line-level Main Out jack (XLR). A front-panel high-impedance instrument jack (TS 1/4-inch) is also provided. The Line Loop connection provides a hard-wired copy of the signal at the Line In jack for daisy-chain/parallel-path purposes. Also on the rear panel are EQ In and EQ Out jacks (XLR), and Comp In and Comp Out jacks (XLR), as well as a Sidechain Insert jack (TRS 1/4-inch) and a Compressor Link jack (TS 1/4-inch) for stereo operation of two ARC 1.1 units.

The front panel of the ARC 1.1 is logically divided into three main sections: input/output amplification, parametric equalizer, and optical compressor/FET limiter. The mic preamp section features a Mic Gain knob (+9 to +50 dB of gain), a +15 dB gain switch, a +48V phantom power switch (with soft-start circuit) and a continuously variable 220 ohm to 5.5 k-ohm Mic Load control.

The line amp input section features a Line Gain knob (0 to +40 dB of gain), -10 dB line gain switch, and a Balanced/Unbalanced toggle switch that selects between the rear-panel XLR line input and the front panel 1/4-inch instrument input.

The last part of the front-panel I/O amplifier section provides the controls that pertain to the signal sent to the rear-panel Main Out XLR jack. These controls are comprised of a Mic/Line selector switch, Output Attenuation/Gain knob (providing an additional 10 dB of gain if desired), a combo normal phase/mute/reverse phase switch, and a main path/sidechain path monitor switch. Also included in this section is a Clean/Tranny switch for switching in a custom-made audio transformer into the main path for added harmonic distortion and color.

The EQ section consists of a sweepable high-pass filter, semi fixed-frequency high and low shelving filters, and two bands of fully parametric equalization. Each of the five bands features a three-position In (main path)/Ext (external rear connection)/SC (sidechain path) routing toggle switch - see In Use for more on the ARC 1.1 routing options.

The high-pass filter attenuates at 12 dB/octave, and features a variable cut-off frequency range (3 dB down) of 25 to 450 Hz. The high shelf provides up to 17 dB of boost or cut in two modes: Broad or Tight. As its name implies, the Broad setting is a wide, gradual curve that starts at around 1 kHz and flattens out around 20 kHz. The Tight setting is a much steeper shelf that rises significantly starting around 4 kHz and flattens out around 20 kHz. The real inductor-based low shelf provides up to 17 dB of boost or cut in a fairly gentle curve at a 60 or 120 Hz turnover frequency. The two fully parametric bands provide for up to 16 dB of boost or cut at continuously variable center frequencies of 30 Hz to 7 kHz (Band 1) and 160 Hz to 34 kHz (Band 2) at bandwidths ranging from .25 to 1.7 octaves.

The final section on the front panel includes the ARC's compressor and limiter. The optical compressor features a Drive control (aka threshold), a four-position Ratio control (2:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1), a three-position Attack switch (slow, fast, auto), a six-position Release control (1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 x 100mS, auto) and a Comp Makeup gain control (0 to +15 dB). The compressor also features a dedicated 12-step LED gain-reduction meter, a Pre-EQ/Post-EQ/EXT path selector switch and a Mono/Stereo link switch.

The peak limiter includes a 0 to +20 dB threshold knob, a three-position Release switch (Fast-100mS, Medium-750mS, Slow-2000mS), a three-position routing switch (In, Out, Ext) and a Limit operational LED. Rounding out the front-panel controls are a 12-step LED level meter plus Over LED, and a mains power switch with LED. The level meter can be switched to monitor mic or line input level in the main path (as determined by the master mic/line selector switch), the main path output level, or switched off.

In Use
From both a design and use standpoint, this is an engineer's recording channel: it is designed by someone with an obvious passion for audio circuitry and all the possible options afforded at each stage in the audio path, and it is best employed by recording engineers who appreciate being trusted with such a full range of control. Despite its 18 knobs, 24 toggle switches and 12 I/O jacks, I can picture Buzz' Tim Farrant sweating over which features he would have to cut out to fit the single-channel ARC 1.1 into its 2-rack space chassis. The first thing I did when I received the ARC 1.1 for review was to wire all its rear-panel jacks to my patch bay to maximize its routing potential.

But before I get into the ARC's routing flexibility, I want to talk about how it sounds. In a word, fantastic. The preamp is extremely quiet and pure, and its 15 dB gain switch (plus additional 10 dB available at the output stage) provides plenty of gain for even the quietest sources. The continuously variable mic impedance knob always enabled an excellent match with my favorite ribbon, condenser and tube mics (as well as an odd-ball assortment of dynamics). The not-so-subtle "Tranny" transformer switch added yet another colorful dimension to the palette, and its placement before the output gain stage allowed me to drive the transformer with the input stage to varying degrees while compensating for level at the output.

The EQ and compressor sections are as thoughtful and musical as the preamp section. The EQ section's two parametric mid bands can craft subtle or surgical changes across the entire audio spectrum, and the more limited control of the shelving and high-pass filters proved to be the perfect tools to effect quick, overall changes.

The optical compressor section also yielded excellent results, most notably in its ability to intuitively track bass and vocal performances with nary a hint of pumping. In one of the most brilliant strokes of circuit-design creativity, the ARC 1.1 essentially features three discreet audio paths to which individual sections (and individual EQ bands) can be routed: main, external and sidechain. It is by virtue of this flexible scheme and the inclusion of dedicated I/O per section that this single unit can be used to independently amplify and process up to four separate sources. In the short space I have left, I will attempt a reasonable explanation here, but I highly recommend checking out the well-written manual found on the Buzz website (www.buzzaudio.com) for in-depth info.

The main path is for the most "normal" use of the ARC 1.1 - i.e. as an all-in-one recording strip. This path routes the mic or line source into the EQ then compressor (or compressor then EQ) sections and out through the output gain stage and meter to the main output jack. Choosing the external path sends the compressor and/or limiter output signal to the rear-panel compressor output jack, and likewise, the selected EQ bands to the rear-panel EQ output jack. Setting any or all of the EQ bands to SC puts that signal into the compressor sidechain circuit, allowing frequency-dependent operation of the compressor.

In an extreme example of the ARC's flexibility, one could separately use the Buzz mic preamp via its direct I/O, the line or instrument input (with, say, the "Tranny" option, the high-pass filter and a band of EQ plus the peak limiter) through the main path, patch another source in and out of (any or all of) the remaining bands of the EQ section, and a fourth source in and out of the optical compressor. If you really want to get crazy, you can also send one of the bands of EQ to the compressor sidechain to have one instrument affecting the compression characteristic of the other! Of course you could also do that without sacrificing an EQ band by making use of the external compressor sidechain insert jack.

For me, a more common simultaneous scenario was to use the mic preamp patched into the EQ input (with the HPF set to Ext.) then back out into the compressor input and out to tape, alongside a DI on the line input routed through via the main path into the EQ and peak limiter and through the main out (with "Tranny"!) to tape. The one ommission on the ARC 1.1 - believe it or not - is its lack of individual EQ band on/off switches. In most cases, this is not a problem since bands can be taken out of circuit by simply setting them to S/C or Ext (assuming you are not using the EQ I/O). The only possible time this would be a problem would be if you have an EQ setting you want to turn on and off for A/B purposes and both the sidechain and the external EQ I/O are in use.

Summary
The Buzz Audio ARC 1.1 is by no means designed for dumbed-down, streamlined set-and-leave use, but neither is it unintuitive or difficult to operate. At its most basic operational level, the user will be rewarded with an excellent-sounding preamp, musically intuitive EQ and a smooth optical compressor section - everything one could want in a top-notch recording channel.

For those with a more in-depth engineering sense (or those wanting to learn), the ARC 1.1 has the uncanny ability to instill in the user some of the same passion for audio creativity that so obviously went into its design.

PAR Studio Editor Stephen Murphy has over 20 years production and engineering experience, including Grammy-winning and Gold/Platinum credits. His website is www.smurphco.com

Fast Facts
Key Features: Single-channel analog recording strip; Class-A mic preamp with variable input impedance; parametric EQ section with high-pass filter, high and low shelves and two mid bands; optical compressor; FET peak limiter; gain reduction and output metering; transformer/transformerless output circuit.

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