Barefoot Sound hit a sweet spot when it introduced the Footprint01, the first in a new line of active 3-way speakers designed specifically for today’s evolving production workflows. Recording engineers, producers, composers, musicians and beat-makers as well as post-production professionals quickly recognized that the Footprint01 offered the sonic character and design features of Barefoot Sound’s high-end studio monitors, but in a smaller package and at a more affordable price.
Now, the best 3-way monitor in its class has been joined by the Footprint02, a similar but smaller active nearfield speaker at an even more affordable price, offering the same uncompromising audio quality and design characteristics as the Footprint01. But these two models don’t just share each other’s looks and quality, it also the same Barefoot signature designs — Dual-Force™ technology opposing sub woofers, dual ring radiator tweeter and Multi-Emphasis Monitor Emulation™ or MEME — Technology first featured in their flagship MicroMain and MiniMain series.
The Footprint02 looks a lot like its big sister: side-mounted dual opposing paper cone subwoofers; dual ring radiator tweeter and aluminum cone midrange driver set in an aluminum front sub baffle; sleek, rounded corners and edges, minimizing cabinet diffraction. The front baffle speaker configuration is instantly recognizable, with the tweeter positioned below the midrange woofer, an unusual geometry that generates the acoustic focus at the center of the cabinet.
Inside they are nearly identical. The Footprint02 houses 2-way DSP crossover feeds, dual Class D amplifiers modules, as befits its reduced cabinet dimensions which is about 60 percent the volume of the Footprint01. Dual opposing 6.5-inch opposing subwoofers offering deep bass extension. The Footprint02 may be small but it is mighty, offering all the characteristics of a Barefoot Sound speaker — exemplary sound quality, 3-D imaging and wide dynamic range.
Dual-Force is a core Barefoot technology, placing two subwoofers in opposition to eliminate cabinet vibrations, eliminating all vibration at the source. The only sound heard comes from the drivers, not the cabinet.
The dual ring radiator tweeter is another key design component. As the wavelength of high frequency information approaches the diameter of a tweeter diaphragm, the dispersion begins to narrow, adversely affecting the image. Combining a center waveguide with the dual ring tweeter ensures a wider high frequency dispersion pattern at the listening position.
Barefoot’s MEME technology enhances the versatility of the Footprint02, allowing it to fit into a broad range of applications: playback room, mobile setup, home, and production environments. MEME offers true emulations modeled on the performance and character of mix cube speakers, the infamous white coned speaker we all know well, and consumer hi-fi speakers, allowing the mixer the ability to reference all of those iconic monitors with a flick of a switch. No more need of multiple monitors cluttering up your bridge.
