Unity Audio The Rock MK II User manual
THE ROCK MK II
PROFESSIONAL TWO-WAY ACTIVE STUDIO MONITOR
Owner’s Manual
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1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves, or other apparatus that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or ground-
ing-type plug. A polarised plug has two blades with one wider
than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third
grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided
for your safety. If the provided plug does not t into your outlet,
consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particu-
larly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they
exit from the apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specied by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with the stand, tripod, bracket, or table specied by
the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. Use caution when
moving the apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused
for long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Servicing is
required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way,
such as power- supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus
has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally,
or has been dropped.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Prior to power-up for the rst time ensure that theTHE ROCK is set to the correct voltage (see‘Power’p.8)
Prior to power-up during day-to-day operation, ensure thatTHE ROCK’s gain level control knob is set to minimum (see p.12) and/or that the
audio source level from the mixing console, digital audio workstation, etc., is set to zero.
Failure to follow these instructions may result in damage to your hearing or to THE ROCK.
WARNING
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UNITY AUDIO
Unity Audio has been at the leading edge of monitor design for many years. We pride
ourselves in taking a fresh approach to designing and manufacturing products, using
different materials in innovative ways.
We source quality components from reputable companies, working with skilled craftsmen,
incorporating new ideas on traditional designs, in order to ne tune our products.
Every
Unity Audio product has been designed, built and tested all in the UK.
THANK YOU
Thank you for buying the THE ROCK by Unity Audio, one of the most accurate two-
way active studio monitors available. We wish you many years of productive, trouble-
free use from THE ROCK.
Please read this user manual and keep in a safe place.
- Unity Audio
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DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Company founder Kevin Walker decided from the beginning that a sealed
cabinet design would be employed exclusively to deliver fast transient dynamics
and super accurate bass reproduction.
Good amplication is paramount to monitor performance so Unity turned to one
of the best amplier designers in the business. Tim de Paravicini from Esoteric
Audio Research designed a custom discrete Class A/B amplier that
has become the amplication cornerstone of the Unity range.
USED BY THE WORLD’S BEST ARTISTS
Unity Audio active monitors are used by the world’s best audio engineers, producers,
Grammy award-winning artists, lm composers, broadcasters, universities, mastering
engineers and home studios.
Cementing Unity Audio’s position as the reference loudspeakers of choice. The best selling
British recordings of 2014, 2015, 2016 and the worlds best selling recordings of 2015, 2016 all
used Unity Audio studio monitors to help craft their sound, including albums by artists such
as Adele, Coldplay, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Iggy Pop, Royal Blood, Led Zeppelin, The1975
and Rhianna.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Speaker cabinets, manufactured in the UK, use high performance Baltic Birch
plywood rather than more commonly used and sonically inferior MDF.
Woofer and tweeter drive units have been carefully selected from European partners
that have outstanding design, build and quality control standards. This focused
approach to design and manufacturing has lead to the Unity name becoming
synonymous with high performance studio monitors.
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CAUTION
HUMIDITY
For a superior and consistent sonic performance, considerable care has been taken
in the manufacture of THE ROCK to ensure that the cabinet is acoustically sealed.
However, as with any electrical equipment, should you move THE ROCK from a cold
environment into a warm room, condensation may form on the components inside.
To avoid damaging the product please allow it to reach room temperature before
operation.
UNPACKING & HANDLING
Care should be taken when removing THE ROCK from its carton.
The speaker cone (diaphragm and surround) is a delicate component. Do not touch
at any time.
LISTENING LEVELS
THE ROCK is capable of sound pressure levels (SPLs) in excess of 105dB. Avoid listening
at sustained high levels, as this may cause:
• permanent hearing damage
• damage to the speaker.
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MAINTENANCE
RUNNING IN
Speaker drivers contain moving parts. It is good practice to run in new speakers
prior to normal use for improved bass extension, sweeter highs and a smoother
performance overall. This process is also referred to as ‘breaking in’ or ‘burning in’.
Unity has run in the monitor for a period in test. However we recommend a run-in
period of at least 12 hours or overnight.
Having observed the warnings on page 3 of the manual, connect an audio playback
device (CD, MP3 player, etc.) to THE ROCK speaker(s). Place the playback device in
loop mode and play dynamic music through THE ROCK at a moderate level; enough
to drive (move) the speaker diaphragm a reasonable amount.
POWER
THE ROCK voltage is factory set for your geographic region.
An arrow on the voltage setting label (see p. 12) indicates the voltage setting of THE
ROCK.
IMPORTANT: ensure that THE ROCK is set to the correct voltage for your region.
Voltage settings must be set by the factory and cannot be switched by the user. If
THE ROCK is set to the incorrect voltage for your region, contact Unity Audio or your
local distributer. DO NOT power it up!
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FUSE REPLACEMENT
The fuse is located on the rear of THE ROCK in the fuse holder between the power
switch and IEC mains input socket [see below].
Remove the mains lead. Prise out the fuse holder by placing a small slotted
screwdriver into the slot located on the underside and near the front of the fuse
holder.
Carefully pull the fuse holder outwards.
Replace the fuse {see ‘Specications’ (p.15) for fuse type.}. Push the fuse
holder back into position. WARNING: only replace the fuse with the correct value
fuse.
CABINET CARE
Clean the cabinet with a soft, lint-free cloth. The use of solvents or abrasive cleaners
should be avoided.
fuse holder
place screwdriver here
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POSITIONING
For best results, THE ROCK should be placed on a sturdy speaker stand such as THE
MONOLITH by Unity Audio.
If left untreated, room acoustics (room modes) can seriously affect the accuracy of
audio reproduction, especially at lower frequencies. The following guidance is here to
help minimise the effects of any acoustic problems.
THE ROCK is designed as a near eld studio monitor and should therefore be
positioned, ideally, between 0.75 and 2 metres from the listener. A stereo pair of
ROCK monitors should be equidistant from the listener and between 1.5 and 1.8
metres apart, placed upright and directed toward the listener with the tweeter at
around ear level.
Small adjustments to the speaker placement and/or their angle to the listener, and/or
the listener’s seating position, will help the listener focus the audio ‘sweet spot’, i.e. a
strong central audio ‘image’.
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