Recording - March 2015 - 64

you are about to unscrew them too far for a
stable seat.

The clarity, depth, stereo width, and frequency balance are all exceptional. Even at high volume, the Avocet II retains its clarity and precision where other monitor controllers might start
to deliver a compressed or saturated sound, and even high-frequency-rich content comes
across without fatigue.
Conclusion
The Avocet II is not only the best monitor controller I have had the opportunity to work
with, but it's also one of the best D/A converters I have ever heard. If you have an original Avocet, the upgrade is worth the investment for the improved sound quality, and if
you're in the market for a serious and uncompromising monitor controller, this unit's combination of simplicity, flexibility, and transparency make it a masterful contender for any
mixing, mastering, or music production studio. It's not priced at a budget level for just anyone, but once you make the investment, you'll never outgrow it. Highly recommended.
Price: $2999
More from: Crane Song Ltd., www.cranesong.com
BY PAUL VNUK JR.

IsoAcoustics Aperta Speaker Isolators

In Italian, the word Aperta means
"open", making it a very fitting name for
the latest model of speaker isolation stands
from IsoAcoustics. We first looked at
IsoAcoustics back in our April 2012 issue
when Editor Mike Metlay reviewed the 155
model from the company's ISO*L8R line.
Since then the line has grown to
include additional ISO*L8R sizes, accommodating smaller mini-monitors, larger 8"
woofer 3-way boxes, and even guitar
amps. The company also launched a custom shop so you can have stands tooled
to your exact specifications.
New build, new twist
Most of the models in the ISO*L8R line
are a mix of metal and plastic with a
choice of 3" or 8" structural tubes for varied monitor heights. Each set also includes
small plastic end caps for the tubes so you
can tilt your monitors up or down to best
fit your listening position. However, the
new Aperta bodies are made entirely of
aluminum, which was previously only
offered in the custom shop line. Visually
64

RECORDING March 2015

they are a more compact design, with a
sleeker profile than both the previous
ISO*L8R and custom shop models.
The Aperta measures 6.1" wide by 7.5"
deep and 3" high; the 155 model has the
same width and depth but is 3.5" high. The
aluminum crossbars are almost 3 times thinner than the original 155's. The Aperta is
available in a choice of black or silver and
rated for speakers weighing up to 35 lbs. I
did try them with a pair of 8" 45 lb. cabinets and they seemed to work fine, but I do
not want to suggest this as the norm for
sonic, safety, and warranty reasons.
Another significant change is that the
Aperta stands no longer come with a choice
of tubes for multiple height choices. Instead
they are fixed at the abovementioned 3"
height. They do still offer a tilt adjustment,
however; instead of using insertable caps,
they now feature threaded aluminum
adjusters that extend out of two of the posts
up to an additional inch. Each screw's
threads are marked for easy height matching,
with indicators for 2, 4 or 6 degrees of tilt.
They also have a red line to alert you when

How they work
Unlike models from competing companies
that use built-up layers of dense foam, steel
and such, IsoAcoustic stands take an opposite approach. Dave Morrison of IsoAcoustics
says, "We manage the motion-or more
accurately manage the acceleration-to dissipate the secondary reflections with resilient
materials that provide mechanical isolation."
This serves to decouple the stands from desk,
console, or tabletop. As the folks from
IsoAcoustics put it, "Speakers are suspended
and allowed to breathe...".
This suspension effect is made possible
as each of the stand's tubular legs fits snugly inside a friction-fit rubberized sleeve on
both the top and bottom of the two platforms. These platforms sit on top of concave
rubber flanges that adhere to the speakers
and supporting surfaces. While the friction
mounts are tight to the touch, they actually
allow the speaker to move naturally with
the directional force produced by the
speaker drivers; taken together this facilitates the desired decoupling effect.
In use
I used the Aperta stands with all three
sets of monitors that I reviewed for this
issue (The Amphions, Sonodynes, and
Avantone Mix Cubes) as well as a few
other models. In each instance the benefit
was instantly and undeniably noticeable.
The low end became more open and controlled, and the sound overall seemed to
have a touch more depth and dimension.
If you have ever set your monitors on a
desk or flat surface, it may seem like you
are hearing more low end, but what you
are getting instead is more resonance,
reflections, and ultimately a false representation of the low frequencies. The Apertas
clean out all of that low-end mush and offer
more accurate mix results-it's that simple.
Bottom line: well-made speaker isolators are not snake oil, and when done
right, they are essential to any mix room,
big or small. In the past ten years, aside
from improving my wall treatments and
adding bass traps, the addition of speaker isolators has made the most significance in improving my room sound.
In my studio I already own a competing
brand of isolators that are made to fit my
70 lb. 8" monitors and which do a great
job. On my second and third sets of smaller monitors, the Apertas held their own in
every way. The problem now is that I only
have one review pair, and I want a set for
both of my small studio monitor pairs, as
well as for the editing suite in my office,
and for my listening room at home...
Price: $240/pair
More from: IsoAcoustics,
www.isoacoustics.com

http://www.cranesong.com http://www.isoacoustics.com

Recording - March 2015

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