Since 1978, 4th Street Recording (formerly Sound Solutions) has been a home away from home to an impressive array of artists who value its staff, its vibe, and the studio’s acoustically savvy design (no parallel surfaces, a wavy ceiling, and floating floor). Situated near the Pacific Ocean and one block away from the world-famous promenade in Santa Monica, CA, the studio has recorded hit records for an extremely diverse artists including the Beach Boys, George Clinton, Fiona Apple, No Doubt, Nelly Furtado, Incubus, Hoobastank, The Neighbourhood – and many more.

Owner Kathleen Wirt and her team have recently begun using IK’s iLoud MTM compact reference monitors, which are in good company with the studio’s vintage API console, a bevy of top-name mics, mic pres and processors, as well as a Hammond Organ. During their daily tasks, the studio’s engineers are finding the MTMs useful as an additional reference source. Andreas Kvinge Sandnes, a mixer, engineer and producer at the studio, commented,

Having a pair of speakers with that vibe is really great, and the fact that they still have a ‘studio monitor’ sound profile makes it easy to jump from our other speakers to the MTMs because they won't throw you off even though they're a different flavor.

The iLoud MTMs also feature one-touch, acoustic self-calibration derived from IK’s award-winning ARC™ System, and each one includes a reference microphone to easily adjust to any room’s acoustics. Commenting on the calibration process, Sandnes noted,

The calibration was super simple and yielded great results, and along with the shelving EQs and LF extension controls they really came to life. They are now sitting comfortably next to our other speakers, providing a valuable third reference for my mixes. With their low end extension that defies their size, I can really see these guys working even better in smaller rooms too, where their low end would probably be sufficient even without a sub.

Overall, Wirt and her team were pleasantly surprised by what they saw and heard in the MTMs. They shared, "The MTM's pack a lot more punch than their appearance lets you believe! The adjustment controls are intuitive but powerful, and the calibration is so simple even your grandma could do it. Just really good, useable studio monitors with a surprising low end extension!"

Sandnes summed up his experience, saying,

The MTMs are really great for the size and price. For me, they're very useful tools that complement our other speakers and let me hear my mixes from an angle I couldn't before. What more can you ask for?

Visit www.4thstreetrecording.com to learn more about 4th Street Recording and their clients.