operation manual
bass management controller
BMC-MINI
Miller & Kreisel Sound Corporation
9351 Deering Avenue
Chatsworth, CA 91311-5858
(818) 701-7010 fax (818) 701-0369
www.mksound.com
©2002 Miller & Kreisel Sound Corp.
2. INTRODUCTION
The M&K BMC Mini Bass Management Controller provides complete bass management, allowing for the proper integration of a
subwoofer into any system configuration from mono through 2 channel stereo to full 5.1 channel monitoring.
The BMC MINI accepts inputs from 5 full-range channels and a limited-bandwidth LFE subwoofer channel and redirects the bass
content of the main channels (low-pass filtered at 80 Hz) plus the LFE channel to one or more subwoofers.To the five main channels,
it delivers a signal high-pass filtered at 80 Hz.
3. WHY BASS MANAGEMENT IS NEEDED
Engineers mixing multi-channel audio (2 channel stereo, Dolby Surround, 5.1 Dolby Digital, DTS, and other surround-sound
formats) are faced with numerous challenges when trying to accurately monitor complex and dynamic material, and determine how
BASS MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER
1. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. READ INSTRUCTIONS - All safety and operating instructions should be read before this product is operated.
2. RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
3. HEED WARNINGS - All warnings on this product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
4. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS - All operating and use instructions should be followed.
5. ATTACHMENTS - Do not use attachments not recommended by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.
6. WATER AND MOISTURE - Do not use this product near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub; in a wet
basement; or near a swimming pool;and the like.
7. ACCESSORIES - Do not place this product on an unstable car t, stand, tripod, bracket, or table.The product may fall, causing serious injury to a
child or adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only with accessories recommended by the manufacturer, or sold with the product. Any mounting of the product should follow the manufacturer's instructions and should use a mounting accessory recommended by the manufacturer.
8. POWER SOURCE - This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are unsure of the
type of power supply to your home, consult your product dealer or local power company.
9. OVERLOADING - Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electric shock.
10. LIQUID ENTRY - Never spill any liquid of any kind on the product.
11. SERVICING- Do not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or removing covers, including any over bottom or side speaker driv ers , may
expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all service to qualified service personnel.
12. DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE - Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified personnel under the following
conditions:
•When the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.
•If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into this product.
•If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions.Adjust only controls that are covered by the operating instructions
as an improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the
product to its normal operation.
•If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way.
•When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance - this indicates a need for service.
13. REPLACEMENT PARTS - When replacement parts are required be sure the service technician has used replacement par t specified by the
manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original par t. Unauthorized substitutions may result in risk of fire, electric shock, or other hazard.
14. SAFETY CHECK - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine
that the product is in proper operating condition.
15. HEAT - This product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other products (including amplifiers)
that produce heat.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the
user of the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.
CAUTION:
TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).NO USER-
SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC-
ING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The lightning flash with arrowhead, within an
equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the
user of the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product's enclosure
that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
this material will sound in its intended playback space.These issues include reproducing up to 5 or more channels of full range audio,
plus an optional Low Frequency Effects channel (LFE), all of which have a bandwidth to 10Hz or below, with very high dynamic range,
and achieving consistent bass response from all the channels throughout the control room monitoring area.
Due to unavoidable room modes, five or more correctly placed full range speakers, (in even the most perfectly designed studio)
will produce dramatically different low frequency characteristics at the mix position.This is especially true for the very crucial center
channel speaker.Variations of 10 to 20 dB may be measured at frequencies below 80 Hz.
When the bass from all the channels is redirected into a single, PROPERLY placed subwoofer, then each and all of the
multiple channels exhibits the identical bass response at the listening position, and gives surprisingly even coverage in virtually
every control room.
By combining a carefully designed low frequency acoustic rolloff of all the main speakers, including the surrounds, and a
matching 2nd order electronic filter in the M&K Bass Management Controller, M&K achieves all the theoretical benefits of a 4th
order Linkwitz-Riley filter. In addition, to further create a seamless bass managed system, we use only non-por ted sealed cabinet
designs on all our speakers and subwoofers, eliminating ported speaker phase anomalies which would prohibit smooth transitions
at the bass managed crossover frequency.
Another good reason for using bass management in the control room is that even the least expensive Dolby Digital consumer
decoder, f ound in millions of homes, has bass management b uilt in, allo wing the bass from all channels to be f ed to a single subwoofer.
Also, all Home THX systems utilize an 80 Hz bass management system. Monitoring with proper bass management in the
professional control room insures proper playback translation into the "home theater" environment and into larger spaces such as
motion picture theaters.
Bass Management psychoacoustically works because the ear-brain mechanism cannot detect direction at low frequencies, but
takes its directional cues from the harmonics of the low frequency sound. In the monitoring process, frequencies below 80 Hz are
redirected to the subwoofer. Frequencies above 80Hz are sent to the desired speaker. During the hearing process, our hearing
mechanism integrates the sound into the correct spatial auditory image.
More information on the procedures for setting up Subwoofers, Bass Management Systems, and Surround Sound Systems may
be found on our website, www
.mksound.com; or contact the factory for personal assistance and recommendations.
4. USING THE BMC MINI FOR 5.1 MULTI-CHANNEL PLAYBACK
See Figure 1 for wiring instructions when you are using the BMC Mini for 5.1 channel playback. If you have an LFE signal or
output, use the LFE IN + 0 dB input on the BMC MINI.
SUB/LFE
SUB/LFE
BASS MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER
BMC MINI
A/V RECEIVER or AMPLIFIER
PREAMP,
PROCESSOR, or
MIXING CONSOLE
FIGURE 1
Powered Subwoofer
5. USING THE BMC MINI IN 2-CHANNEL APPLICATIONS
The BMC-Mini can also be used in 2 channel stereo applications as a two channel crossover. For stereo receivers, with preouts
and main in’s, see figure 2 for wiring instructions. For systems with separate components (preamp and power amplifier, see figure 3 for
wiring instructions. When using the BMC-Mini, a powered subwoofer is required in order to properly reproduce the full audio bandwidth.
6. ADDING A SECOND SUBWOOFER
If you would like to a secoond subwoofer, simply connect another shielded RCA cable to the “SUB OUT 2” terminal on the
BMC-Mini to the second subwoofer. The summed mono low frequency signal from the BMC will be sent to both subwoofers
7. USING THE BMC MINI WITH A
DVD AUDIO PLAYER
Most current DVD-Audio players do not have
built-in bass management, and controllers/receivers
with 6 analog inputs do not provide bass
management for these inputs (their bass
management circuitry is available through the digital
inputs only). For proper playback of DVD-Audio
discs, the BMC MINI is necessary to insure that
the bass content of all channels is properly fed
to the subwoofer.
When using the BMC MINI with a DVD-Audio
player , the BMC MINI should be connected between
the DVD-A player and the receiver/processor, see
figure 4. Make sure that you connect the LFE
output of the DVD-Audio player to the "LFE IN +0
dB" input on the BMC MINI. This will provide an
80Hz high-pass filtered output on the five main
channels, and a subwoofer output that properly
sums the five main channels with the LFE .1
channel. Do not connect the sub out jack directly to
the subwoofer. Connect it to the SUB/LFE input on
the processor or receiver.
BMC MINI manual
PN# 70073
01/14/02 pt qrk
BMC MINI
A/V RECEIVER,
PROCESSOR OR
AMPLIFIER
DVD-AUDIO PLAYER,
SOURCE, or
MIXING CONSOLE
BASS MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER
FIGURE 4
BMC MINI
2-CHANNEL RECEIVER OR
A/V RECEIVER
Powered Subwoofer
MAIN-IN
PRE-OUT
FIGURE 2 STEREO
FIGURE 3 STEREO
BMC MINI
POWER AMPLIFIER
PRE AMP OR MIXING CONSOLE
Powered Subwoofer
SUB/LFE
SUB/LFE
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