The MC3 from Radial Engineering is a studio monitor controller that enables an engineer to quickly select between reference monitors, sub woofer or headphones and compare how the mix translates via various playback systems. The unit is 100% passive and delivers straight wire performance, eliminating any coloration and distortion that can be introduced via active electronics.

Several features make the unit stand out. The first is a switch that quickly sums the output to mono to check for AM radio compatibility. Secondly, the sub output can be switched to a 180° polarity reversal in the event help is needed to deal with room nodes in the mix position. Additionally, each output is equipped with a top-mount set and forget dial to fine tune outputs for the ideal balance.

Two 1 4 headphone outputs with a volume control allow for sharing mix monitoring. To facilitate the trend towards portable device listening, a separate 1 8 headphone output takes ear buds for checking mix levels. A separate Dim switch is also adjustable to enable the engineer to temporarily drop the playback level without affecting the mix level settings. The unit may be configured for either balanced or unbalanced setups.