TK AUDIO / M/S Station

TK AUDIO / M/S Station is a processor equipped with a parallel insert that allows blend control with M/S, and independent Mid and Side blend controls.

■M/S blend control, 1U

Parallel insert that allows blend control with M/S
Independent mid and side blend controls
Equipped with Elliptical EQ for low-end manufacturers
Width control from monaural to extra wide
Advanced cue functionality to monitor almost every step of the path

TK audio M/S Station is designed with intuitive controls to cover all the needs of all producers/engineers who want to take full advantage of M/S processing to extend the stereo processing of their sounds. The advanced cue section makes step-by-step monitoring very easy.

Parallel insert with M/S function
The insert section allows you to connect external processors such as EQ, compressors, and distortion units to adjust the mix of processed (wet) and unprocessed (dry) signals.
For maximum precision, this blend control has 16 steps from dry to wet.
Enabling the M/S function will encode the signal into mid (L+R) and side (L-R). The mid signal usually contains all the center information such as the bass, kick drum, and lead vocal, while the side signal contains all the elements panned left and right. When the M/S function is turned on, the center signal and side signals can be processed separately by different types of processors.
The Blend Split function allows you to control the blending of the mid signal and side signal separately. In M/S mode, the blending function is performed before the signal is decoded left/right.
Both input and output of this section are balanced.

Elliptical Equalizer
This EQ will make all frequencies below the selected frequency mono.
Too much low end in the side channels can cause distortion, so this EQ is designed to concentrate the bass range without scattering it. This is a technique that has been used for a long time when mastering records.
This Elliptical Equalizer uses a 12dB high-pass filter to set the frequency at which the signal is treated as mono. Phase correction is added to the mono channels to ensure the best possible channel separation.
The selectable frequency can be selected in 16 steps from 36Hz to 302Hz, and the cue function allows you to monitor the signals mixed between channels.

Stereo width control
The Width control allows you to adjust the amount of side elements in the stereo mix, allowing you to gradually adjust the stereo spread from completely mono to extra wide. This control allows you to fine-tune the stereo image after using the M/S insert.

Cue function
The cue function allows you to monitor left, right, center, or side signals individually.
Insert Cue is a function that allows you to monitor the Mid or Side blend individually when the M/S function and Split Blend are active.
If no M/S stations are linked, the signal is sent directly from each blend control to the output without passing through the Elliptical EQ, width control, or other gear.
Select the EEQ switch in the cue section to monitor low frequencies fed from left to right or right to left.
This queue section is a passive design that uses relays to select the queue source.

“M/S Station unlocks the full potential of vintage EQs for mastering. It's great to be able to use them mid/side and blend them to your liking. Plus, the Elliptical Equalizer sounds great and the stereo width control is also very useful if you need to make adjustments after M/S processing.” Fredrik Kinbom, Madame Vega’s Boudoir ? Berlin

Product specifications
Max input and output: +26dBu
Dynamic range: 119dB
Frequency response: 20Hz ~ 80kHz +/-0,1dB
Insert section
THD+N Dry: 0,00022% @ +4dBu / 0,00015% @ +20dBu
THD+N Wet: 0,00025% @ +4dBu / 0,00015% @ +20dBu
THD+N M/S Wet: 0,0004% @ +4dBu / 0,0004% @ +20dBu
S/N Dry @ +4dBu: 103dB
S/N Wet @ +4dBu: 102dB
S/N M/S Wet @ +4dBu: 97dB
Elliptical EQ section
THD+N: 0,0004% @ +4dBu / 0,0004% @ +20dBu
S/N: 98dB
Crosstalk: Better than 70dB
Width section
THD+N: 0,0003% @ +4dBu / 0,0003% @ +20dBu
S/N: 98dB
All sections active
Dynamic range: 115,5dB
THD+N: 0,0005%
Power consumption：15VA
Voltage：115v or 230v selected via an internal volt selector switch.
Inspired by circuits designed by Wayne Kirkwood (used by permission)