Choose country for shipment delivery

cookies

Consent to the use of cookies

We use cookies to ensure the functionality of our website. After giving your consent, we use them to analyze traffic and personalize advertising on third-party advertising platforms, always in accordance with the rules of the Privacy Policy.

I agree
Allow only essential
Detailed settings More information and settings Information and cookies
Audio

How to choose a studio monitor

09.02.2023
4 min. read
Juraj Haruštiak
Audio
Studio monitors are a standard feature of every professional or home recording studio. Quality studio monitors must reflect the recorded sound faithfully and without embellishment, and are an indispensable helper when mixing music recordings.
How to choose a studio monitor

Conventional hi-fi speaker boxes are designed to make the resulting sound more attractive by suppressing and picking up some bandwidths, so are therefore not suitable for sound monitoring during recording and post-production sound. On the contrary, studio monitors are designed to produce detailed, realistic sound that is balanced across the entire frequency spectrum. Warning! Studio monitors are sold separately or as a pair.

Passive monitors vs. Active monitors

Solving this dilemma further simplifies the selection process. Passive speakers can be easily identified by the cable clamps on the back, which are used to connect cables from the power amplifier. Unlike active speakers, they do not have an amplifier built into the body. Special categories of models are referred to as bi-amping or tri-amping. Each speaker driver is powered by a separate amplifier. The advantage of a passive monitor is the higher modularity of the connection.

Although easier to combine with other devices overall, the standard of most studies today is active monitor with built-in amplifier. They connect directly to a sound card or mixer. The amplification of the individual speakers is provided by either one common, or several separate amplifiers of different quality.

Closed construction vs. Construction with bass reflex hole

When making a selection, it is worth focusing on the type of construction itself. For models with a closed cabinet, the air inside, which moves under the influence of the membrane, also plays an important role. However, this air tends to put up more resistance, especially when the bass frequencies propagate, which then sound too flat. Professional studios therefore prefer monitors with a bass reflex hole, which is usually located on the front or back of the box structure.

Near-field vs. Far-field monitors and monitor location

The resulting sound perception is affected not only by the monitor parameters, but also by the room parameters. The sound echoes off the walls and also off of every piece of furniture in the room. It is ideal to position the monitor so that the listener is in the radius of the direct reverberation without the echo from the walls. The smaller the room, the smaller the reverberation radius.

The speaker should be positioned so that it is in direct earshot of the listener without obstructions. It is recommended to place the speakers on a stand or hang them on a wall. Ideal conditions are achieved by evenly rotating both speakers towards the listener's ear so that the rear edges of the speakers will form an angle of approximately 60 degrees from the inside. We arrange the monitors so that the listening takes place within the radius of direct reverberation, ie approximately 1.2 m from the listener's ear, and so that the monitors form an equilateral triangle with the listener's head. The monitors we use in this way are called near-field monitors.

The speaker size selection must be related to the size of the room. A speaker that is too large in a small room will cause more problems than benefits. The sound will be too loud and bounce off the walls and objects in the room uncontrollably, causing it to be significantly distorted. Our recommendations can provide basic guidance:

Speaker size (inches)Minimum room size (m)Speaker power (W)
3“ – 4“2,7 m x 2,1 m15 W – 30 W
4,5“ – 7“3,9 m x 3,0 m30 W – 60 W
8“ – 10“4,6 m x 3,0 m60 W – 100 W
10“ (+subwoofer)> 4,6 m x 3,0 m> 100 W

However, in finding the ideal position for the monitor in relation to the listener, we encounter a problem with bass frequencies. These spread through space much more uncontrollably. Apart from the direct reverberation of near-field monitors, the intensity of the bass frequencies will decrease with increased distance and the reflected sound will become too distorted. The ideal solution is therefore to combine near-field monitors with far-field monitors, which differ from near-field monitors due to their larger speaker diameter and higher power. Far-field monitors can be placed 0.6 m to 1.2 m behind the near-field monitors so that they form an axis with the near-field monitors and the listener's head.

Sound propagation is affected mostly by environmental parameter. Therefore we should try to improve the room conditions in which sound as much as possible. Unfortunately, the traditional rectangular disposition is not great in terms of assisting the propagation of sound, and the reflections show up in the form of considerable emphasis or suppression of some frequencies. We therefore recommend that you improve your room acoustics by using acoustic elements to install bass absorption trap, wall fit absorbent panels or diffusers and if we place studio monitors on a table, it should of course be appropriate isolation pad.

Flat frequency response

The ideal sound should be balanced and as clear as possible at each frequency. Does the recording have too much bass or can some of the notes cannot be accurately identified? The monitor is probably to blame. The flat frequency response reveals its natural essence best at mid frequencies. Vocals, guitars or, for example, a rhythm drum, will sound concrete and lively on high-quality monitors and thrive best in this space. The high frequency band is dominated by cymbal sounds and hi-hat cymbals. In this band, the sound must be sharp, but not "burnt." Every vocal touch should be recognisable in the sound from quality monitors.

Summary

Quality studio monitors should sound realistic and without embellishment. Their selection must be subject to room parameters and they must be correctly located within the room. Warning! Not all models are available as a pair, some are only offered as a single piece. The dilemma may be simplified by selecting a discounted set that includes additional compatibility with monitors studios and things such as pads, sound cards, headphones, cables, stands, or a microphone.


Studio Monitors

Studio Monitors
© 2004-2024 Muziker