KLANG Technologies is small, up-and-coming company located in Aachen, Germany. I’ve spent the last month with its flagship product, the KLANG:fabrik, which is described on its website as “3D In-Ear Monitoring.” My first exposure to KLANG actually came by way of one of my students, who showed me the Fabrik online. At the time, I checked out KLANG’s website and watched one of their videos. I have to admit that when I first heard the term “3D In-Ear Monitoring,” it struck me as a clever marketing phrase, and I quickly dismissed the Fabrik as all hype. In retrospect, having now used the Fabrik for myself, I don’t think I really understood it at the time. Fabrik truly is one of those products that you have to hear to believe.
What It Is
It took me a while to really wrap my head around exactly what Fabrik is. First and foremost, Fabrik is an eight-mix personal monitoring solution that allows artists to control their own mix, or an engineer to work collaboratively with an artist on their mix. In that sense, Fabrik isn’t unlike many of the other personal monitoring systems on the market. However, instead of using dedicated hardware controllers for personal monitor mixers, Fabrik relies on iOS, Android, OSX or Windows client devices. I was impressed right away by the fact that KLANG has client software for all of the major operating systems at such an early stage in the company’s career.
The “killer feature” of the KLANG:fabrik, and what sets it apart from all other personal monitoring systems, is the “3D In-Ear Monitoring.” As I said above, it must be heard to be believed. In what I consider a stroke of marketing genius, KLANG’s control application, KLANG:app, comes bundled with a set of multitrack recordings that can be used to demo the 3D in-ear mixing functionality. If you have an iOS, Android, OSX or Windows device, simply download KLANG:app and listen for yourself. Be sure to use headphones or in-ear monitors when demoing the functionality in order to fully understand the effect that their 3D processing has on an in-ear mix. (More on the 3D processing later.)
The KLANG:fabrik Hardware
The KLANG:fabrik system consists of three main pieces; KLANG:fabrik, KLANG:app and KLANG:vektor. The central piece of the system is the Fabrik hardware unit, which is a 2RU digital signal processor. Fabrik is a well-designed piece of hardware worthy of being taken on the road. The front panel of the Fabrik processor boasts a streamlined design, with only a USB port and touchscreen for configuration and signal metering.
The back panel of Fabrik is where things get interesting. Fabrik is well appointed with a range of I/O to suit just about any application, from the studio to the stage. For input, Klang relies on ADAT optical and Dante as its two main interfaces. Personally, I would have liked to see MADI included as well, and the guys at KLANG tell me that this is something they are exploring; look for it perhaps in a future version of the hardware.
The I/O possibilities include: two Ethercons for Dante primary and secondary; ADAT I/O (four TosLink optical ports); two optional, “zero latency” analog XLR inputs; Ethercon for connecting to computers, switches or Wi-Fi router; 16 XLR outs for the eight 3D in-ear monitor mixes (these can also be routed back onto the Dante network); BNC word clock in and out; and dual IEC connections for the two built-in redundant power supplies.
The Fabrik is an 8-mix personal monitoring solution. When using all eight output mixes, 24 source inputs can be mixed to any of the eight outputs. However, Fabrik’s configuration is flexible enough to adjust to different scenarios. For example, if the user only needs seven output mixes, the number of inputs is bumped up to 27. For six output mixes, the number of inputs is 32, and so on. I appreciated this flexibility, as not every user’s situation is the same.
The KLANG:app Control Software
KLANG:app (a free download for iOS, OSX, Android and Windows) is the control center for the Fabrik system. The application looks and feels consistent across platforms and is easy to navigate. KLANG:app is broken into four main user-selectable views: Stage, Fader, Meter and Configuration. The Fader View is where an artist (or engineer) would set up one of the eight in-ear mixes. It consists of faders, mutes and solos and meters for each input channel, as well as a handy +/- button on each channel for 0.5 dB increment adjustments. Fabrik’s input channel grouping capability works similar to a mixing console VCA. The Fader view has a second page that displays these logical groupings and allows for control and metering of their levels. This could be very useful for an artist who has the blend between individual instruments already dialed in, and just needs simple, overall level control of things like drums, keys, guitars, vocals and effects.
The Stage view, however, is where the real magic behind Fabrik happens. This is where the 3D spatial control is located. Ironically, Klang allows users to select between mono, stereo, or 3D in-ear mixes. Once you switch over to 3D listening, you’ll never go back to mono or stereo. Think of the Stage view as a top down view of your head. KLANG:app allows you to position input sources anywhere around your head in 3 dimensions. The Stage View is broken into two distinct pages. The first page allows you to position sources left to right, in front of and behind your head. The second page allows you to move sources up and down (think towards your forehead or towards your chin). The realism of the 3D spatial positioning is absolutely stunning, and real-time changes are fluid and smooth.
Our ears are incredibly adept at localizing sound in three dimensions. KLANG has exploited well-known facts about the human auditory system to mimic the way we localize and perceive sound using their proprietary processing. When we hear a sound arrive at our ears from one side of our head, we are able to localize that sound due to slight level and time offsets between our two ears. These level and time offsets are frequency dependent, and KLANG is modeling these complex interactions using the highest quality microphones, loudspeakers and a unique dummy head measurement system.
I was able to spend a good amount of time toggling back and forth between KLANG’s 3D mix and regular old stereo and mono in-ear mixes, and the difference is profound. The separation that I was able to achieve between individual elements in a mix allowed me to reduce the overall volume significantly. I didn’t feel like I was always struggling to hear one instrument or vocalist, because the separation and localization were so realistic. The sound I achieved with Fabrik’s 3D processing was truly unlike any in-ear monitor mix I’ve ever heard.
KLANG:vector Real-Time Motion tracking
The third component of the KLANG:fabrik system has yet to be released, so I was unable to demo it directly. However, I felt it was worth mentioning because it will be an important piece of the overall Fabrik system. It’s called KLANG:vektor, and it is a tiny, real time motion tracker that attaches to an artist’s in-ear monitor. Vektor is an optional component that will measure the head movements of the artist in real time, and adjust the spatial position of their mix according to their perspective. If the artist turns a full 180º, their mix will rotate around their head to maintain proper perspective based on what they are seeing visually on stage. Fabrik (and the 3D processing) is fully functional without Vektor, it simply loses the ability to adapt in real time to what the artist is seeing on stage.
Conclusion
KLANG:fabrik is one of the most unique pieces of equipment that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. Every so often a piece of gear comes along that challenges long-held perceptions about audio mixing, and I feel that Fabrik has ushered in a new era of in-ear monitoring for both the studio and the stage. Klang has a number of other products coming to market soon, so keep an eye on their website for future news.
At a Glance
Redefining the In-Ear Listening Experience
KLANG:fabrik is a hardware-based system that imparts a three-dimensional feel — with both front-to-back and side-to-side control — that users can apply to their in-ear mixes. And software control (tablet, laptop, etc.) provides easy access to tweaking parameters in real-time.
KLANG:fabrik
PROS: 3D in-ear monitoring is a profound upgrade over stereo in-ear listening; cost-effective 8-mix personal monitoring system when compared to other products on the market; external control via iPads, Android tablets, Macs and PCs
CONS: No hardware controller offered; lack of MADI I/O is limiting for some users
MSRP: KLANG:fabrik: $5,550; KLANG:vektor (ship date and pricing TBA)
Manufacturer: Klang Audio
More Info: www.klang.com
