PRODUCT
PRODUCT
TESTS
Antelope Audio Satori Monitor Controller
By Adam Gallant
In a very short time , Antelope Audio has broadened its reputation and market share with a continuous stream of quality new products . If you haven ’ t had a chance to check out any of the company ’ s hardware , I strongly encourage readers to test out their audio interfaces . This fall , our studio was in the market for a monitor controller and for the past couple of months , I have been putting the NAMM TEC Award-winning Satori Monitor Controller through its paces on a mix project and some video game SFX design .
First Impressions Marketed as the playback core of your studio , the Satori ’ s sound is pristine , its routing is flexible , and the unit doubles as an analog summing mixer . It pairs brilliantly with other Antelope hardware and provides a noticeable improvement in sound quality when compared to my previous monitor controller .
The Satori has a talkback mic on the front panel , as well as a talkback microphone input via TRS on the back . The unit also has an optional RS4 remote that provides the same front panel controls in a compact , desktop format .
The software application that controls the unit has a simple layout , is easy to navigate , and has a bank of customizable presets . There is also an application for your and your clients ’ smartphones that can control headphone volumes , input and output sources , as well as engage the dim , talkback , and sub switches .
With eight stereo inputs via TRS and D-sub 25 , along with four stereo outputs via XLR and TRS , the controller offers a healthy amount of I / O . For our studio , the Satori makes for an ideal headphone solution when tracking with a full band . In addition to the stereo monitor outputs , the unit is equipped with four highquality headphone outputs – two headphone connections on the front panel and two on the back that are controllable via the app or desktop application .
Having clients control their headphone volume via the Satori app represents a good bang for the buck in my opinion . Having an isolated , balanced headphone feed with a volume knob within multiple clients ’ reach can be cumbersome and costly . Allowing musicians to swiftly change volumes or switch to an alternate mix without having to make a request to the engineer is a good way to save time , too . I suspect we ’ ll see other manufacturers follow suit with this type of
24 PROFESSIONAL SOUND smartphone-controlled system as it alleviates a lot of cabling and set-up time .
In Use Possibly my favorite thing about the Satori is its sound . I ’ ve been using a mid-level monitor controller / mixer for volume control and I can only dip so low before my mix pans to the right side – a common issue with low-quality volume pots . The Satori uses a relay-controlled stepped attenuator that retains crystal clear stereo imaging down to the quietest positions . It makes a very quiet clicking sound when adjusted , though as someone who mixes at a consistent volume , I don ’ t often touch my volume knob aside from a dim switch , so this isn ’ t an issue for me .
The Satori has a mid / side switch that is configurable in the software application . This switch defaults to being used for summing the left and right channels while subtracting the centre , giving the listener only what the side channels are outputting . The software controller can be used to customize this button ’ s job , as functions such as audition left only , right only , stereo swap , and more are available . This is a simple feature that will have engineers investigating their mixes and masters a little more actively . I recently installed a handful of mid side processing plug-ins and checking my sides has helped me push the left and right channels on my mixes . The results have been wider , louder , and more impressive sounding mixes .
Within the software , the user-recallable presets are a helpful way for engineers
with multiple playback sources to fine tune volumes between speaker systems or out headphone amps . The front panel also allows for quick tuning of volume between output sources by simply holding the monitor select button in while adjusting the volume knob .
The D-sub 25 in for stereo channels five through eight gives you an easy way to route stems for analog summing or four isolated stereo headphone paths for musicians . The back of the unit also has an analog output for the sum of stereo channels five through eight . This is a flexible way for anyone with the desire to sum stems analogously and send to a final hardware EQ , compressor , or other stereo mastering chain . The software controller makes this side of the summing process completely recallable – great for mixing and mastering workflows .
Summary Antelope Audio has continued the trend of releasing top-of-the-line , innovative hardware solutions with the Satori monitor controller . This has me very excited to see what Antelope has in store for new product releases in 2017 and beyond .
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production , from music composition to location and post audio for television and film . He currently owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown , PE .