Author Archives: David Bergmann

The Lake People MC100 monitor controller is available immediately from retailers and via www.cma.audio. The comprehensively equipped central listening station provides two balanced XLR inputs, one unbalanced RCA input, a 3.5-mm input jack for mobile devices and a digital USB input for PCM with up to 384 kHz at 32 bit or DSD 256. Three pairs of monitor speakers can be connected via XLR outputs, an additional subwoofer out is available separately. Metering instruments are integrated via two slave outs. Both inputs and outputs can be set up to work mutually exclusive or be active at the same time. A high-quality headphone amplifier with X-Feed circuitry adds listening comfort.

Diversity of sources, diversity of inputs

The Lake People MC100 offers a variety of different inputs for all sorts of sources. Two balanced analogue XLR inputs are the solid foundation for most studio applications. An unbalanced RCA input connects to an additional analogue source. Mobile devices can be spontaneously integrated via the stereo minijack on the front. A USB connector also allows for digital input of PCM signals with up to 384 kHz and 32 bit or DSD 256. All the inputs are conveniently selected on the front of the MC100. The users can decide whether the inputs should cancel each other out, or if multiple inputs can be active at the same time.

Flexible monitor routing

Like the inputs, the output section of the Lake People MC100 leaves nothing to be desired. Up to three pairs of monitor speakers can be connected to the XLR outs, selectable from the front plate. Again, the selection is either mutually exclusive (only one output at a time) or inclusive (multiple outputs active), as chosen by the user. To facilitate level-matching of different systems, the three outputs feature three-step attenuators up to 12 dB. An additional subwoofer output can be activated with every output. The MC100 remembers the subwoofer setting when switching between monitors. Two slave outs feed devices like meters or analyzers, whose input should not be affected by the listening volume setting.

Top-notch headphone amplification

Lake People is well-known to many audio professionals for outstanding headphone amplifiers, which is why a high-quality phones amp is also integrated in the MC100. A powerful amplifier circuit drives headphones connected via 6.3-mm or 3.5-mm output. In addition to the exquisite sound quality, the headphone amp also features the X-Feed feature, which simulates a more natural sound image that resembles speaker playback. This benefits long listening sessions in particular, as ear fatigue is mitigated considerably.

Full-service monitoring

The Lake People MC100 provides all the core features of a monitor controller. This includes muting and dimming the speakers, a mono switch, solo-buttons for left and right channel as well as the option to switch channels and phase-reverse the left channel. A high-quality Alps RK27 potentiometer with 41 steps controls the volume, available from the front through a massive 50-mm knob.

Price and availability

The Lake People MC100 is available immediately through retailers and via www.cma.audio. The MSRP is 1,799.90 EUR (including 19% VAT).

Lake People opens a new production facility in Gauting, Germany. In addition to the company’s headquarters in Constance, the team of experienced specialists in the new workshop manufacture Lake People products, the 2 series by Violectric and the Mogami cables for the European market. The other Violectric models, all Niimbus products and the entire R&D department remain at Lake Constance.

Gauting becomes new manufacturing site for Lake People

Lake People opens the new manufacturing site in Gauting in addition to its headquarters in Constance. The team in Upper Bavaria has been supporting the headquarter for some time, the opening of the new facility makes Gauting an official part of the Lake People production. The new location includes specialized workstations for the various steps of production and provide the well-trained personnel with an ideal working environment.

Outstanding quality made in Germany

The new location in Gauting follows the same Lake People policy of absolute quality. The team of experienced specialists manufactures the devices by hand with the same precision, picks the components with the same diligence and tests the results with the same rigour as the Constance-based manufacture. “There was no space for expansion in Constance,” Lake People electronic CEO Christof Mallmann explains. “That is why we decided to create a new facility here in Gauting and fully integrate the team that already supported the headquarter anyway.”

Violectric at Lake Constance, Lake People and Mogami in Bavaria

The two Lake People locations are separated physically as well as in terms of products. The new facility in Gauting manufactures all Lake People products, assembles the Mogami cables and produces the Violectric 2 series (V202 and V222). The entire rest of the Violectric portfolio, including the high-end brand Niimbus, is still manufactured at Lake Constance. The R&D department also remains in Constance with mastermind Fried Reim at the helm. “This expansion gives us the chance to hone and optimize all steps of the production for even greater focus,” Reim is delighted with the development.

Two locations, one team

Despite the physical separation, the Lake People brands remain closely connected. The development for all brands is still in Constance. And the team appears as a unit, as Christof Mallmann describes: “The people in Constance and Gauting constantly communicate with each other and act as one team. For most processes, the distance between the locations is not relevant.”

Lake People and Violectric employ relay circuits for immaculate volume control. Relays combine the best sonic and control properties, beating step switches, electronic switches, VCAs, DCAs and even potentiometers. Its superior qualifications justify its technical complexity. Relay-based volume control is available for Lake People MC100, Violectric DHA V5902, Violectric HPA V550 and Niimbus US 5.

Relays for volume in Lake People and Violectric devices

The developers behind the brands Lake People and Violectric use relay circuits for the volume control in their top models. Those circuits are comparably complex and expensive, but deliver a level of quality other technologies cannot achieve. A 256-step resistor network comprised of fixed resistors with low tolerances guarantees absolute precision. In other words: there is no better alternative to control volume than through reed relays.

Challenges for high-quality level control

Electrical engineering has a whole host of possibilities to realize volume control. A step switch delivers outstanding sound performance, but has only a very limited number of steps, is complicated to build and cannot be automated. Electronic switches are easy to automate and are very cheap, but do not fulfil the sonic requirements. A VCA (Voltage Controlled Attenuator) produces distortion and has problems with channel synchronicity; integrated circuits create considerable distortion and noise. A DCA (Digitally Controlled Attenuator) can yield decent results, but cannot quite satisfy high-end demands. However, DCAs are often used.

The classic: potentiometer

The most widely used alternative at least for analogue applications is the potentiometer. The sliding resistors are scalable in their sophistication, so they can be perfectly integrated into specific circuits – there are potentiometers for price-conscious applications and others for more demanding use cases like the Alps RK27. But potentiometers have weaknesses: they are mechanical components and hence subject to wear and tear. Particularly the special grease that is meant to facilitate frictionless operation can deteriorate over time, resulting in scratchy noise. Potentiometers also require buffer amplifiers for undisturbed operation, which means additional electronic expense. As useful as the potentiometer may be, it is not ideal.

The winner: relay

The RCA (Relay Controlled Attenuator) solves many of the problems mentioned. The relays switch between resistor combinations, similar to the step switch, but with more steps and automatable. The relays are operated via rotary encoders, buttons or potentiometers – Lake People uses the latter, as they display the current position of the controller. Lake People and Violectric employ reed relays, as they are encapsuled in a small glass tube with protective gas, making them particularly quiet and isolating them from environmental influences. With 256 steps at 0.4 dB per step, the accordingly equipped Lake People devices achieve a maximum of over 100 dB – more than enough for playback volume control. The low-tolerance fixed resistors allow for great precision, channel balance and thermal stability for discerning listeners.

Why RCA is the best way of controlling volume:

• no scratching, as there is no sliding resistor surface
• perfect channel balance
• ideal crosstalk resistance, as the channels are physically separated
• larger control range than with a potentiometer
• multichannel operation easy to realize
• long-lasting through hermetically sealing wear parts
• no additional distortion or noise, as there are only fixed resistors in the signal path
• perfect sound, as there is only one voltage divider in the signal path
• easy to automate through rotary encoders, buttons, or mechanical actuators

These advantages are offset only slightly by very low noise during volume changes and the high technical complexity and according price. 

Excellent volume control from Lake People and Violectric

Reed relay volume control debuts with the monitor controller MC100 PRO for Lake People. At Violectric, however, the relay has already built a tradition: hifi central DHA V5902 PRO and headphone amplifier HPA V550 PRO offer the 256-steps relay circuit for the outputs. In the high-end field, Niimbus US 5 PRO uses reed relays for absolutely accurate level control and uncoloured sound.

Lake People presents the MC100 – the first monitor controller with the exquisite workmanship from Lake Constance in Germany. Four analogue sources can be connected via XLR, RCA or 3.5-mm mini jack, while a USB-C input feeds the internal DA converter with PCM up to 384 kHz and 32 bit as well as DSD 256. The front panel holds switches for three pairs of monitors, a subwoofer output can be added separately. A powerful headphone amplifier drives most types of headphones easily via 3.5-mm or 6.3-mm jacks and provides a special X-FEED circuit for simulating speaker playback. The MC100 also offers mute, dim, mono, channel swap, channel solo and phase reverse functionalities. The large, solid volume knob adjusts the main level through an Alps RK27 potentiometer; in the MC100 PRO, the pot is replaced with a 256-step reed relay circuit. With its feature set and impressive sound, the Lake People MC100 provides studio professionals with optimal control of their monitoring setup.

Comprehensive control for sophisticated studio monitors

The Lake People MC100 combines everything required of a modern monitor controller: comprehensive connectivity for analogue and digital signal sources, multiple selectable monitor outputs with subwoofer option, monitoring functionalities for technical checks, and a headphone amplifier with X-Feed. The established Lake People sound quality thus benefits a studio’s entire fleet of speakers – with as little noise and distortion as technically possible.

XLR, RCA, jack, USB – the best input for every source

Studios often comprise a whole host of sources that need to be integrated into the monitoring system. The Lake People MC100 enables connection of very different devices and their choice via the front panel. Two analogue stereo signals can be plugged into the balanced XLR sockets, one more analogue input can be hooked up to the unbalanced RCA connectors. For the quick and easy integration of mobile devices, the front panel offers a 3.5-mm (1/8 inch) jack input. The fifth source option is a USB-C input with a DA converter that works with PCM up to 384 kHz and 32 bit as well as with DSD 256 in outstanding Lake People quality. The users can opt to have the input selectors releasing each other, or allow for multiple inputs to be selected at the same time, summing the signals. 

Three monitoring systems, a subwoofer and more

The output stage of the Lake People MC100 is equally well equipped. Three balanced XLR outs allow for switching between three different sets of speakers. Each output can be attenuated by up to 12 dB. Like the inputs, the outputs can mutually deactivate, or select multiple outs at the same time, as per user choice. The subwoofer output can be activated independently to enhance the selected output – its status is saved with the respective activated speaker out, so the subwoofer automatically activates or deactivates with the output selection. In addition to these speaker outs, the MC100 also features two slave outputs as balanced XLR. These carry the selected input signal with no influence from the level knob, so they can feed measuring devices like level meters or analyzers.

Headphone amplifier with X-Feed

The renowned Lake People headphone amplifiers have also found their way into the MC100. A powerful amp drives even more challenging sets of headphones via the 6.3-mm (1/4 inch) or the 3.5-mm (1/8 inch) jack outputs on the front. A switch activates the headphone output, a separate volume knob defines its level. An additional switch and knob control the X-Feed circuit that regulates the crosstalk between left and right cans to simulate speaker playback and counteract localization problems that often occur in headphone playback. The result is a very natural listening experience that allows for extended sessions with very little ear fatigue.

All monitoring features integrated

The Lake People MC100 offers all the features required of a monitor controller: mute and dim switches to immediately reduce the listening levels, a mono switch to check for mono compatibility. Left and right channel can be swapped and monitored separately. The left channel can be phase reversed to check the side signal or investigate phase alignment issues. The level is controlled with a proven Alps RK27 potentiometer with 41 steps and a solid 50-mm knob. The optional MC100 PRO variant replaces the Alps potentiometer with a 256-step reed relay control, adding advantages in terms of both sound and longevity.

Prices and availability

The Lake People MC100 is available from late May 2023 through retail and via www.cma.audio. The MSRP for the MC100 is 1,799.90 EUR, for the MC100 PRO with reed relay volume control 2,399.90 EUR (including 19% VAT). 

At NAMM 2023, Lake People will introduce an entirely new product from a category not catered to until now. The German company will also present its entire portfolio from headphone amplifiers and converters to mic preamps. The headphone amp G108 will be exhibited, providing the sonic advantages of balanced headphone connection to professional users. Fried Reim and the Lake People team look forward to interesting chats at booth 11110 (together with American Music & Sound). NAMM 2023 will take place from 13th to 15th April at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

Premiere: world first by Lake People

NAMM 2023 is a very special event for Lake People, as the German company will introduce an entirely new product in Anaheim – and one as has not been done before by the manufacturer. All attendees of NAMM 2023 are cordially invited to experience the exciting news for studio professionals at its unveiling on the first day of the show.

G108: balanced headphone amplification for audio professionals

While there is a lot of focus on the new product, Lake People still remains true to its strengths without forgoing innovation. Shining example of this approach is the headphone amplifier G108. It combines the virtues of professional studio head amps with the balanced headphone output predominantly known in the audiophile world up to now. By separating the ground for left and right channels, headphones in balanced operation achieve much better sound. Many established studio headphones can easily be adjusted to balanced use – the G108 opens completely new sonic dimensions to audio professionals.

Headphone amps, converters, preamps – the entire catalogue

Lake People will exhibit the entire product range at NAMM 2023, from the smallest headphone amplifier G103 MKII to G105 MKII with its clever split circuitry, to the F series mic preamps, to reference converter DAT RS 05. Due to its complete development and manufacturing in Germany, the Lake People products deliver outstanding sound properties, exquisite craftsmanship and great longevity. “Tools – not toys” is the company’s motto, and consequently the portfolio consists of high-quality tools for discerning professionals.

Lake People at NAMM 2023

Lake People will exhibit at NAMM 2023 from 13th to 15th April at booth 11110 with American Music & Sound in the Anaheim Convention Center. In addition to the comprehensive product catalogue, mastermind Fried Reim will be available for questions. The Lake People team is looking forward to great conversations. 

Lake People and Violectric have made a name for themselves among sound enthusiasts for the outstanding quality of their products. This quality is the result of conscious efforts made in development, manufacturing, and final control in the company’s workshop near Lake Constance. Every product undergoes quality control on three levels: first, the individual modules are measured, then the device is measured as a whole. Finally, the team takes on every single device in a listening test before sending it out to retailers.

Fine electronics made in Germany

The names Lake People and Violectric are synonymous with excellent audio electronics. In the company’s manufacture near Lake Constance, the team around mastermind Fried Reim develops sound components for audiophile and professional users who only accept the best. The headphone amplifiers, converters, phono preamps and audio tools are hand-crafted by experienced, well-trained specialists. This attention to detail is reflected in comprehensive measuring and testing during different stages of production.

Measure, build, listen – three-step quality control

All Violectric and Lake People products are checked and tested before they can leave the facilities. The first instance of quality control measures the individual modules before assembly. Once the device is put together, it is thoroughly measured as a whole. The final stage is a listening check. “I listen to every single device at the end,” explains Jochen Müller, co-developer for Lake People. “Some things you can only hear when the device is all done. That is why I double-check every item, even though it has been measured multiple times before.”

Eco-friendly production through high-quality products

The extraordinary quality of Lake People and Violectric products makes the production in Constance particularly sustainable. Users can expect to enjoy the headphone amplifier or converter of their choice for many years, which negates the necessity of a new purchase. The products from Lake Constance are built to last. 

Repairing instead of replacing: economical and ecological

Another factor that makes Violectric and Lake People products long-lasting and eco-friendly is repairability. Most defects can be resolved quickly and easily by the experts in the manufacture. As a result, products from Lake People and Violectric are both economical and ecological.