MATT CD (test tracks)

Musical Articulation Test Tones (MATT)

Musical articulation is one basic requirement that must be met by nearly every Hifi and pro audio system. This test has been developed to record and display the “fast tracking” capability of the audio chain. If you listen to the test signal over headphones you will hear what the fully articulate signal really sounds like.

This graph is the analysis of the test signal:

In the following diagrams, the test signal has been played and recorded at various listening positions. Figure 2 and figure 3 show how the test signal was actually received at each position. Some portions of each graph will look and sound articulate. This is recognized by sections with a wide vertical “zig-zag” pattern similar to the articulate signature of the test tape printout.

Areas of poor articulation are evidenced by sections of small amplitude zig-zag. The room slurs and garbles the sound of the discrete test tones. Make a copy of each original recording and play it over headphones while studying the printout from the same test. You will quickly learn how the variations in intelligibility as shown in the printout are really very audible.

What does the test tell me?

The MATT test provides two pieces of information: how loud the sound is and how articulate the sound is. The maximum readout on the sound level meter during a tone burst is an indication, in decibels, of how loud your system is at that frequency. The difference in readout between the highest and lowest swing of the needle during a tone burst tells us how articulate the sound is at that frequency. Generally speaking, you can follow the following table to determine how articulate your sound is at various frequencies.

• 15 dB swing – excellent
• 10 dB swing – good
• 5 dB swing – fair
• 3 dB swing – poor
• 1 db swing – bad

The MATT Test is designed for critical music playback environments:

• Recording Studios
• Mix Down Rooms
• Control Booths
• Audiophile High-End Listening Rooms
• Dedicated / Custom Home Theaters

Listen to the tone scales of the MATT test, first over headphones and then in your room. The difference is astounding. Watch how your room turns musical clarity into dynamic blur and image stability into a wandering fog bank. Add acoustics and track the changes you make. Your audio system is great, it’s the room that keeps getting in the way.