ARC 3 high end response

[tpamusician]

I have a question about my new ARC3 with MEMS mic. Just for reference, I'm running PT Ultimate with an Avid HD 8x8x8 interface. I've got Genelec 8030A satellites with a 7050 subwoofer and Yamaha HS-50's as monitors and just replaced my Presonus Central Station monitor controller with a Dangerous D Box+ right before I upgraded from ARC 2.5 to 3. I've got a purpose built control room with GIK panels and custom built bass traps, and although it's not perfect, it gets the job done.

I took fairly precise measurements with both the Genelecs and Yamahas in ARC 3 tonight and upon playback of any familiar material in Protools, with ARC 3 on the master fader, the high end is just incredibly overwhelming on both sets of monitors... so much so, that I had to roll off the correction down to 8.5kHz or so just to make anything tolerable to listen to. I never experienced any of this high end craziness with ARC 2 or 2.5 with the MEMS mic, but again I was using a different monitor controller. The fact that the program level drops about 5-6dB when the plugin is engaged also makes it hard to compare pre-and post correction.

Has anyone else had or noticed this extreme high end brittleness with ARC3 on their systems yet?

[Peter_IK]

That high end issue doesn't sound like typical behavior. I'd suggest working directly with IK Support on that one via http://www.ikmultimedia.com/contact-support

With regard to the levels, please note you can find more information about that in the ARC 3 FAQ

[frednaiko]

I have this problem too.
I compared corrections made by of ARC 2.5 with it's orange-ring mic, ARC 2.5 with MEMS mic, ARC 3 with orange-ring mic, ARC 3 with MEMS and ARC 3 with other measurement MIC with it's own personal calibration file. And I've made measurements in REW.

ARC 3 is really boosts high end in every correction (in comparison with ARC 2.5), not just in case of using MEMS mic. But with MEMS ARC 3 megaboosts high end. It is audiable. It's on measurement with REW, it's on the ARC3 plot, which indicates huge roll-off in highs on my monitors when I do analysis using MEMS mic. Problem is in wrong calibration data built-in ARC 3. When I use orange-ring mic situation is better and near ARC 2.5 results.

In ARC 2.5 with MEMS correction has more high end than with orange-ring mic.
But more or less it sounds normal.

ARC 3-orange has more high end than ARC 2.5-orange and sounds slightly unnatural and I need to make roll-off in highs, or boost wide mids.

I using ARC starting from it's first version. First version has megaproblem with balance of highs, mids and lows.In ARC 2 this was solved and I use it for many years without any problem.

But in ARC 3 problem comes again in other form and manner.

And using MEMS mic with ARC 3 gives bad results in highs and I cannot be sure that in other parts (not highs, but in mids in example) is not hidden some problem.

Now I can be confident in ARC 2.5 with it's orange-ring mic.

In few words.
There are 2 problems - ARC 3 boosts high end more than ARC 2.5
Correcting using MEMS mic gives wrong sound in high end - in ARC 2.5 this effect is light, in ARC 3 - huge.

At the moment, I can't say yet that I'm happy with the ARC 2.5 to 3 update and even more I'm unhappy with purchase of a MEMS microphone. So far, unfortunately, this has been a waste of money.

[Peter_IK]

ARC 3 doesn't "boost highs" it measures your room and makes changes accordingly. I'd suggest making sure your measurements were done correctly and see if that helps. Please also see my reply that IK Support can also assist with the behavior that is absolutely not the norm.

I can guarantee this is not a case of ARC 3 boosting highs artificially but something going wrong elsewhere. Please open a ticket as was suggested above to OP.

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