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Radial Nuance Select

STUDIO MONITOR CONTROLLER


The Nuance Select is a completely transparent studio monitoring system, giving you control over two sets of monitors and a subwoofer with zero sonic coloration.




Hear What You’ve Been Missing

The Nuance Select is a monitor controller designed with the belief that nothing should stand in the way of the sound that reaches your speakers. With exceptional sound quality, it sets new standards for audio reproduction, letting you hear the true, uncolored sound of your monitors with astonishing clarity. Reveal subtle details that might previously have been obscured, and enjoy a more authentic, immersive stereo field. By giving you the full picture, the Nuance Select empowers you to take control and make every mix decision with confidence.

Control without Coloration

The Nuance Select is a studio monitor controller designed so you can hear every single detail through your speakers, with a distortion profile so low that it cannot be measured by most audio testing equipment.

Complete audio transparency is achieved through our innovative Clarity Circuit that allows you to hear the true mix through your speakers without any sacrifice in audio quality, all while still providing you with total control over your monitor setup.


  1. SRC 1 & SRC 2: Determines which set of Source inputs will feed the Speaker and Sub outputs
  2. Mono: Sums the left and right channels to mono for the A & B Speaker outputs
  3. Mute: Cuts all signal to the Speaker and Sub outputs
  4. Dim: Reduces the volume by -15dB through the Speaker and Sub outputs
  5. A & B: Selects which set of Speaker outputs is active. Only one of these buttons can be selected at a given time
  6. Sub: Activates the mono Sub output when selected
  7. Level: Sets the overall output level of the Speaker and Sub outputs
  8. HP 1 & 2 Level: Sets the signal level at the two headphone outputs
  9. SRC 1/2: Selects the input source for each of the headphone outputs. When the button is illuminated, the corresponding headphone output will be fed from the Source 2 inputs
  10. Phones: Activates both headphone outputs when selected
  11. AUX: Selects the input source for the Aux output. When the button is illuminated, the Aux is fed directly from Source 2


Looking the Part

Housed in a robust steel enclosure with a milled aluminum faceplate, the Nuance Select will fit the aesthetic of any studio space and easily incorporate into your workflow, with a streamlined approach to the feature set.

Backlit monitor selection and control switches are complemented by oversized chrome knobs on the headphone and master level controls.


  1. Power: Locking connection for external Radial power supply
  2. AUX: Stereo unbalanced TRS output for connection to external headphone amps or other devices
  3. Sub: Balanced line-level mono output for feeding a powered subwoofer or power amp. This is a full-bandwidth output
  4. Speaker B: Balanced line-level left and right outputs for connection to a secondary set of powered studio monitors or power amps
  5. Speaker A: Balanced line-level left and right outputs for connection to the primary set of powered studio monitors or power amps
  6. Source 2: Balanced left and right inputs for connection to the secondary (or cue) outputs from an audio interface or mixing console
  7. Source 1: Balanced left and right inputs for connection to the primary outputs from an audio interface or mixing console



  1. Headphone Outputs: 1/4" TRS jacks allow two sets of headphones to be connected for local monitoring


Inputs, Outputs, and Useful Add-ons

The Nuance Select features two sets of stereo source inputs, along with two sets of balanced TRS outputs for powered speakers. A full-range subwoofer output is also included that can be activated with either set of speakers as desired. Two independent headphone amplifiers are available for monitoring or control room tracking – each headphone output can be assigned to its own stereo source so you can feed a cue mix to an artist while monitoring the main mix yourself. The headphone outputs are provided on easily accessible front panel jacks, and a stereo Aux output is available on the rear panel that can be used to feed an additional headphone amplifier for live room tracking.

REVIEWS & QUOTES



"It feels like it’s always been part of your studio — and sounds like it’s not there at all. The Nuance Select could prove one of those rare devices that’s both nice and essential."

— Sam Inglis, Sound on Sound



"The Nuance Select is exceptionally clean and absent of distortion to a degree you’ve likely not heard before. The difference is more clarifying than shocking, more transparent than unique, more revealing than introductory."

— Rob Tavaglione, Mix Online



"The Radial Nuance Select is a wonderfully designed device with a simple yet well-chosen selection of source and speaker routing options, monitor controller features and top-shelf build quality. Best of all, it exhibits a pristine, high-fidelity sound that stays out of the way of your music, which is arguably the most important consideration in a monitor controller."

— Paul Vnuk Jr., Recording Mag



"Our workflows change, but the integral pieces are used repeatedly. I can see this controller outlasting my current recording interface, monitors, and at least two more desktop computers. It comes with a three-year transferrable warranty, so I know it's built to last. For my money (I ended up buying it), it's all pros and zero cons with the Nuance Select."

— Scott McChane, Tape Op



"The Nuance select is a beautifully clear and detailed monitor controller. One of the best I’ve heard."

— Nic Hard, Engineer




"With a company like Radial, you know you're gonna get quality. This box is a tank and I know it's gonna last. I'm really excited to be implementing this in my workflow."

— Math Bishop, Producer/Engineer



"I was really impressed by how easy the Nuance select was to integrate into my setup, and once I played music through it, that's when the magic happened. The transparency, the clarity and sound quality was something that I've personally been looking for in a monitor controller for a long time."

— Will Wells, Producer / Engineer / Musical Director / Multi-Instrumentalist

Clarity Circuit Explained

The Nuance Select is able to deliver remarkably low distortion and transparency through its patent pending Clarity Circuit. Every aspect of the Clarity Circuit was designed with an overarching goal of keeping distortion to an absolute minimum, so you can hear every detail of the mix without compromise. The Nuance Select uses 100% Class A circuitry (including the headphone amplifiers) to eliminate zero-cross distortions that are inherent to Class A/B op amps, and an ultra low noise internal power supply is also employed to further reduce the overall noise characteristics of the circuit. A true stepped attenuator is employed for the main level control, which is formed around a 21-position gold contact switch and paired with a string of carefully selected precision resistors. Last but not least, the Nuance Select has zero capacitors in the audio signal path, as these can act as high pass filters and cause additional distortion: in their place DC Servo’s are used throughout the signal path. The overall result is a level of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) that is so low it is difficult to measure – 0.00001%.




APPLICATIONS

Controlling your studio monitors image

Controlling your studio monitors

The Nuance allows you to switch between two sets of speakers while also having independent control over a full-range subwoofer output, so you can turn it on or off with either set of monitors. Switch between two stereo sources as well to compare reference tracks or monitor a cue mix.
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Dual assignable headphone outputs image

Dual assignable headphone outputs

Two reference-grade headphone amplifiers are also built into the Nuance Select, each with an assignable input. This allows you to check the main mix on headphones, while also feeding a separate cue mix to an artist in the control room.
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Adding the Aux output image

Adding the Aux output

The Aux output on the Nuance Select makes it easy to feed an additional headphone amplifier for live room tracking as well. The Aux out can be turned on or off using a local control, and it can be assigned to either input source just like the headphone outputs.
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The specs

Frequency Response: 2Hz - 200kHz ±0.25dB @ +4dBu
Maximum Input: +27dBu
Maximum Output: +26dBu
Input Impedance: 20kΩ
Output Impedance: 112Ω
Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.00001%, -140dB, balanced outputs 1kHz @ +18dBu
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.00012%, -118dB
Intermodulation Distortion: 0.00007%, -123dB
Signal to Noise Ratio: 125dB, 127dB A Weighted
Crosstalk: -125dB @ 1kHz, -110dB @ 10kHz

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.00012%, -118dB
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.0003%, -110dB
Signal to Noise Ratio: 112dB
Output Impedance: 2.5Ω
Output Power: 33mW x 2 @ 22Ω, THD+N<1%, 100mW x 2 @ 68Ω, THD+N<1%

GENERAL
Construction: Milled Aluminum faceplate, 18-gauge steel chassis
Size: 10" x 5.25" x 3" (254 x 133 x 76mm)
Power: +-15V, +5VDC, 29W max (included)
Conditions: For indoor use at temperatures between +5°C and +40°C