Innovative studio monitor design

Since their founding in 2006, Barefoot Sound has established themselves as a leading manufacturer of pro audio recording monitors. Their innovative designs can be found in top studios around the world and often out-perform more established high-end products. After leaving a career in computer tech, founder Thomas Barefoot applied his inventive ingenuity to the world of professional audio. His fresh perspective on the field led to a unique approach to monitor design. He rejects the traditional distinctions between nearfield, main, and mastering monitors. Instead he takes an all-in-one approach, believing that audio projects benefit from using monitors with the same sound quality, dynamic range, and frequency response at all stages of the production process. All Barefoot Sound speakers are designed and built in the United States.

The Barefoot Sound MasterStack12 in one take:

• 4.5-way active modular tower monitor system
• Extremely low distortion and unparalleled dynamic range
• 10 drive units in each tower: one 1-inch tweeter, two 2.5-inch midranges, three 7-inch woofers, and four 12-inch subwoofers
• MEME™ (Multi-Emphasis Monitor Emulation) technology uses advanced DSP to model the sound of classic nearfield monitors for familiar referencing

A new standard

The MasterStack12 is Barefoot Sound’s flagship reference monitor system. These 4.5-way active modular towers offer astonishingly low distortion, breathtaking dynamic range, and transparently flat frequency response. Each tower houses 10 drive units: a 1-inch tweeter, two 2.5-inch midranges, three 7-inch woofers, and four 12-inch subwoofers. With such unparalleled performance, power and specifications, it’s no wonder the MasterStack12 is used by top audio professionals such as Chris Lorde-Alge, Skrillex, and the team at Studios La Fabrique.

4.5-way system for low distortion and wider dispersion

In the MasterStack12 system, there are three woofers, but not all of them operate in all parts of the woofer range. They all extend to the lowest frequencies, but in the higher parts of the range, only two are used. This allows for a wider dispersion pattern as the frequencies approach the midrange while providing extremely low distortion in the lower end.

Four speakers in one with DSP monitor modeling

Like all Barefoot Sound monitors, the MasterStack12 feature MEME™ (Multi-Emphasis Monitor Emulation) technology, which uses DSP to model the sound of various classic nearfield monitors. This allows mixing engineers to hear how their mixes sound on familiar monitors and check how they translate to different sounding speakers. There are 4 different sounds available, with options for “Old School”, which rolls off the extreme highs and lows and brings up the midrange, like a Yamaha NS10M, “Cube”, which gives the sound of the classic micro-monitor, and “HiFi”, which warms up the mid-range and sweetens the highs to mimic home audiophile speakers. Of course, there is also a “Flat” setting that gives the true unaltered Barefoot sound.

Specifications:

• Description: 4.5-way active modular tower monitor with MEME™ Technology 
• Controls: Analog/AES3 input select, AES3 L/R channels select, Input level stepped attenuator, Subwoofer level, Emulation voice select 
• Input Impedance: 25k Ohm 
• Frequency Response: 18Hz – 50kHz (±3dB) 26Hz – 40kHz (±1dB) 
• Bass Response: -3 dB @ 18Hz, Q = 0.707 Slope = 12 dB/octave 
• Cabinet: 180 liters total internal volume, Sealed sub enclosures, Sealed woofer enclosures, Sealed woofer enclosure, Machined aluminum baffle plate, Aluminum subwoofer frames function as lateral cabinet bracing, Long fiber wool acoustic damping throughout. 
• Crossover Frequencies: 80 / 200 / 800 / 4000 Hz 
• Tweeter: 1″ ring radiator, Advanced geometry motor, Rear waveguide chamber. Amplifier: 250W Hypex
• Midranges: 2 x 2.5″ aluminum cones, Advanced geometry motor, +/- 2 mm linear excursion. Amplifier: 250W Hypex
• Woofers: 3 x 7″ aluminum cones, Advanced geometry motor, +/- 13 mm linear excursion. Amplifier: 500W Hypex
• Subwoofers: 4 x 12″ aluminum cones, Advanced geometry motor, +/- 25 mm linear excursion. Amplifier: 2400W Hypex
• AC Power Input: Nominal 115 VAC or 230 VAC selectable 
• Power Consumption: Idle: 100W, Maximum: 1800W 
• Weight: Weight: 280 lbs per tower (127 kg) – no handles
• Dimensions HxWxD: Cabinet: 63.0 x 14.4 x 21.9 inches (1600 x 366 x 556 mm)
• Footprint WxD: 23.0 x 21.5 (584 x 546 mm)