Music & Sound Retailer May 2020, Vol 37 No 5

Page 40

U N DER T H E HOOD

IK MULTIMEDIA’S iLoud MTM Compact Reference Monitors

By Brian Berk

IK Multimedia’s iLoud MTM is a compact reference monitor designed to be used by engineers and producers for nearfield monitoring while mixing tracks in a project studio, as a space-saving desktop monitor in home studios or as a secondary monitor for commercial studios. It builds upon its predecessor, IK’s iLoud Micro Monitor, which, when it was originally launched, produced loud, crisp, clear sound to a degree that was unexpected for a monitor at that size and price point, stated the company. iLoud MTM takes things to the next level by using a combination of design elements and technology advances intended to deliver pristine sound and unprecedented accuracy for its size and price point. The result is a monitor that offers balanced, uncolored, true-to-life sound that minimizes ear fatigue even when used for hours at a time, IK noted. “iLoud MTM was inspired by the success of our award-winning iLoud Micro Monitors,” Dan Boatman, IK Multimedia’s U.S. sales and marketing director, told the Music & Sound Retailer. “With the iLoud range of compact nearfield monitors, we’re very focused on addressing the realworld issues musicians can encounter, whether it’s working in untreated or makeshift studios, on the go or in a budget-conscious desktop setup. We didn’t see other manufacturers designing for these users specifically, despite them being the largest share of the monitor market. “After the honestly incredible response to iLoud Micro Monitors, we felt there was an opportunity to show what our speaker design and DSP team could do with a slightly larger volume,” he added. “Whereas iLoud Micro Monitors were aimed at the three-inch to five-inch speaker market, iLoud MTM aims to deliver performance as good or better than a six-inch or even eight-inch monitor, but with half the size for working in smaller spaces; again primarily for use in home, project or mobile studios. “Everything in the design process was focused on ensuring the absolute best-in-class performance for that usage,” Boatman continued. “From the MTM (midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer) speaker arrangement, to the onboard auto-calibration, even down to the range of degrees the included tilt stands allow for, every decision was guided by the question, ‘What issues will arise in the real world, and how do we minimize them through this product?’” iLoud MTM delivers unsurpassed clarity, 100 watts RMS power and 40 hertz to 24 kilohertz frequency response, stated the company. It also offers an ultra-flat frequency response, but more importantly, a truly linear phase response for “true-to-life sound,” which is a new feature available only on a handful of products costing considerably more, the company stated. Another feature is the symmetrical MTM design (two 3.5-inch high-performance woofers and one-inch highdefinition tweeter), which provides precise, point-source sound that can’t be achieved by two-way systems at close distances, for more natural sound that minimizes ear fatigue.

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“iLoud MTM was inspired by the success of our award-winning iLoud Micro Monitors. With the iLoud range of compact nearfield monitors, we're very focused on addressing the real-world issues musicians can encounter."

MAY 2020


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