Maselec MTC-2: the pinnacle of master transfer consoles and the industry gold standard
Maselec MTC-2: the pinnacle of master transfer consoles and the industry gold standard
The heart of the room
Every signal that leaves Dimension Mastering passes through the Maselec MTC-2. It is not a "nice to have" in our chain — it is the chain. Prismsound's Leif Mases designed the MTC-2 as a mastering transfer console with one obsession: that the console itself should be inaudible. Ours sits at the centre of the desk and handles source selection, monitor feeds, insert routing, precision gain trim, M/S encode and decode, and the elliptical filtering we lean on for vinyl work.
Why it matters in practice
A mastering chain is only as transparent as the thing joining it together. Passive patching and consumer summing bleed detail at every hop; the MTC-2's discrete, fully balanced architecture means we can insert five or six pieces of hardware in series and still hear the source as the source. The gain trim is stepped in precise increments, so level-matched A/B comparison is genuinely honest — you hear the processing, not the loudness.
What we use it for daily
- Instant, click-free comparison between the unprocessed mix and the master
- Mid/side splitting into any insert, so an EQ or compressor can be placed on the centre or sides alone
- Elliptical low-frequency filtering for cuts destined for lacquer
- Clean, repeatable monitor switching between the PMC IB2 SE mains and the Angry Boxes
How it sits in our chain
The MTC-2's main DAC and ADC are the Prism Sound Dream ADA-8XR — that is the default path in and out of the console, and the same converters feed the Trinnov ST2 Pro for monitoring. From there the MTC-2 lets us switch conversion without repatching: the Crane Song HEDD, Violectric V800 and Benchmark DAC1 are selectable DAC options, and the Crane Song HEDD and Burl B2 Bomber are the alternative ADC options when a record wants a different capture.
Hardware info
The MTC-2 is a hand-built, low-volume British instrument, and prices sit firmly in the five-figure bracket before insert cabling and installation. It is the single most expensive line item in the room and the one we would replace first if it ever left.
Hear it on your record
Book a master
This chain is available on every stereo and stem master we deliver from Manchester.