ATC Introduces SCM16A Loudspeaker

Acoustic Transducer Company (ATC) engineers have made further advances in drive unit technology resulting in a huge increase in performance to their entry level active nearfield monitor—the SCM16A. Las Vegas Pro Audio, U.S. distributor of ATC, will introduce the loudspeaker, at the 123rd AES Convention in NYC. The compact SCM16A active loudspeaker is a robust monitor designed for the accurate reproduction of stereo and multi-channel audio in small to medium-sized studios or in remote locations.

Conventional loudspeaker design recognizes that stiff driver cones generate a desirable extended on-axis frequency response. However, it comes at a price: a poor off-axis frequency response and multiple high-Q resonances that color the sound. The conventional "fix" is to add damping materials to the cone structure, but this makes the loudspeaker dramatically less efficient due to their high mass.

ATC's innovation is called Constrained Layer Damping (CLD)—two lightweight driver cones sandwich a constrained damping layer. CLD is dramatically more efficient than conventional damping because of the way it shears adjacent cone sections when the cone flexes. The shearing causes unwanted vibration energy to dissipate as frictional heat, instead of as acoustic distortion.

Thus, ATC's CLD design reduces harmonic distortion between 300Hz and 3kHz, creates an extended resonance-free axial frequency response and improves the off-axis frequency response. As a consequence, the ATC SCM16A is a better sounding loudspeaker with an excellent frequency balance between direct and reverberant sound.

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In addition to the 150mm CLD mid/bass driver, the SCM16A features a neodymium 25mm soft dome tweeter. The SCM16A's upgraded on-board amplifier pack provides 200 watts to the mid/bass driver and 50 watts to the HF driver. Operating in Class A up to two-thirds of output, this ultra-low distortion design is capable of continuous sound pressure levels up to 108dB. The electronic crossover offers an exceptionally smooth and even frequency response. User controls include input sensitivity and bass boost.

Dimensions (H x W x D): 448 x 270 x 330mm (17.6" x 10.6" x 12.2") Weight: 17.5 kg / 38.5 lbs. MSRP: $3,995/pair powered

For more information, visit their web site at www.atc.gb.net.