Your Digital Audio Swiss Army Knife
Imagine a device that not only functions as a master clock with ultra-low-jitter 1G-Clock technology and high-resolution Revive re-clocking, but also takes in digital audio streams from AES, S/PDIF, or USB, re-clocks them to perfection, performs format conversion, and routes them back out with audiophile-grade quality enhancements. The Mutec MC-3+ Smart Clock USB addresses the limitations of the most commonly used devices for digital audio transmission in a computer-based music playback environment. Serving as a versatile digital input switching matrix, an audio format converter, and a master clock, the MC-3+ Smart Clock USB is obviously a deep product, but its intuitive interface makes it easy to use. The Mutec MC-3+ Smart Clock USB is the digital audio Swiss Army knife your studio has been waiting for.
Audiophile-grade USB digital audio interface
For the the MC-3+ Smart Clock USB, Mutec developed a proprietary audiophile-grade, signal-isolating, asynchronous 2-channel USB interface that virtually eliminates electromagnetic interference — particularly that caused by audio computers and other IT devices — identified by the company's extensive in-house research as the primary culprit in the degradation of audio quality common to USB digital audio transmission.
High-resolution Revive re-clocking
At Sweetwater, we well know that a master clock can improve (or degrade) the sonic performance of digital audio equipment, such as CD players and music streaming devices or mixing consoles and DAWs, and that high-resolution re-clocking of your digital audio material is key to achieving optimum performance. This is precisely what Mutec’s proprietary Revive re-clocking algorithm brings to the party. The MC-3+ Smart Clock mightily impressed audio professionals across the globe, and now the MC-3+ USB ushers in the next generation of re-clocking by Mutec. Extreme oversampling of incoming data allows the audio to be recombined and merged with a newly generated ultra-low jitter clock signal with maximum precision, enhancing the re-clocked audio with unparalleled richness of detail, dimensionality, and musicality.
Next-generation 1G-Clock clocking
The world-class 1G-Clock technology that Mutec first introduced in the MC-3+ Smart Clock reset the bar for a generation of nearly jitter-free clock signals. Running a frequency synthesis on a specifically calculated high clock rate, Mutec's approach completely eliminates the typical jitter-inducing artifacts that are present in all traditionally implemented DDS (direct digital synthesis) processes. Further examination of the clock generation circuit caused Mutec to develop new ultra-low-noise power supplies and PCB design parameters optimized for high-speed communication technologies to virtually eliminate electrical noise. Bottom line: Mutec's 1G-Clock technology brings jitter down to ultra-low levels, which translates to unprecedented transparency for your audio recordings.
Ultimate flexibility and connectivity
The MC-3+ Smart Clock USB facilitates bidirectional (half-duplex) audio format conversion between USB audio streams, AES3, AES3id, and S/PDIF signals. In addition to offering a selection of digital audio outputs like many other devices, it also provides a full set of digital inputs for AES3, AES3id, and S/PDIF signals with BNC, RCA, and optical connectivity. Audio streams received via USB will always be converted and routed to five audio outputs, allowing for multiple destinations to simultaneously receive the same audio. Select one of the audio inputs, and the signal will be converted into a USB audio stream to be sent to your computer. At the same time, the source signal will also be converted to the digital outputs of the MC-3+ USB, to be used for monitoring or feeding a digital peak meter, while audio is being recorded in your DAW via USB. Regardless of configuration, the re-clocking process ensures delivery of your audio with the utmost precision.
In addition to transmitting standard PCM (pulse code modulation) audio, the USB bus is also capable of receiving native DSD and DoP (DSD over PCM) streams with up to four times the SACD (Super Audio CD) clock rate (DSD256). These streams are re-clocked and converted to PCM audio by the MC-3+ USB in real time and simultaneously passed on to the five audio outputs. You can select your desired clock rate (44.1kHz, 88.2kHz, or 176.4kHz) for the digital outputs on the front panel independently from the clock rate of incoming DSD or DoP streams.
The BNC hi-fi advantage
High-end D/A converters and music servers are often fitted with BNC connectors for the transmission of S/PDIF signals — an excellent choice due to their superior electrical properties, as compared with the venerable RCA connector. With the MC-3+ USB you can conveniently convert USB-PCM, DSD/DoP, or AES3 streams to the S/PDIF format and send it to commensurately equipped hi-fi receivers via BNC. Simultaneously, you can use four additional outputs in other formats to drive, say, digital headphone amps or other digital audio devices for monitoring and/or recording.
Four ultra-low-jitter word clock outputs
While the MC-3+ USB is transmitting your audio via the digital audio outputs, the four word clock outputs simultaneously supply phase-coherent clock signals. As those are derived from the internal 1G-Clock or re-clocked from incoming audio streams, they feature the same ultra-low-jitter characteristics. Furthermore, the clock outputs may be independently switched in pairs to scale to clock rates of up to FS1 x 512, which comes out to 22.5792MHz or 24.576MHz, respectively, making the word clock signals of MC-3+ USB ideally suited to clock a wide range of studio equipment and high-end DACs, CD players, and audio interfaces.
Mutec MC-3+ Smart Clock USB Features:
- Versatile digital input switching matrix, audio format converter, and master clock
- USB, AES/EBU, AES/EBUid and S/PDIF interfaces in one unit
- Intuitive user interface and easy installation
- Mutec's next-generation Revive re-clocking and 1G-Clock technology
- Proprietary bit-transparent Revive re-clocking without conventional sample-rate conversion for purest sonic quality
- Audiophile asynchronous 2-channel USB interface with ultra-low-noise audio clock oscillators and complete galvanic isolation up to 2,500 volts RMS (4,242 volts peak) for high-frequency interference suppression
- Converts DSD/DoP streams (64-256) to PCM audio with selectable output clock rate
- Locks to Mutec's REF10 master clock, as well as atomic clocks and GPS clock references
- Firmware update capability via USB
- Galvanic isolation in accordance with UL1577 (RMS) and DIN EN 60747-5-2 (VDE 0884 part 2) (peak)
- Transfers USB audio streams into AES3 and S/PDIF and outputs them to 5 digital audio formats simultaneously
- Converts between USB-PCM audio, USB DSD/DoP audio, AES3, and S/PDIF, as well as between AES11 and word clock
- Highly compatible USB audio class 2.0 driver for Windows supporting ASIO, MME, DirectSound, WASAPI, kernel streaming, PCM 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit, and float 32-bit at all clock rates between 44.1kHz and 192kHz
- Ultra-low-jitter word clock generation with clock rates up to 1,536kHz
- Scalable to FS1x512 clock rates, 22,5792MHz and 24,576MHz
- Locks to rubidium (10MHz), cesium (5MHz), and GPS clock references
- Generates word clocks, super clocks, AES3, and S/PDIF blanks simultaneously
- Uninterruptable, anytime fail-safe clock generation in all operation modes
- Eliminates digital clicks and pops
- Individual lock indicators for the clock or audio reference and the re-clock reference
- S/PDIF interconnections via BNC, RCA, and optical
- Front panel settings lock-out
- Space-saving 9.5" chassis
- Built-in universal power supply
- 3-year extended warranty
- Quality crafted in Germany
