Music Studio Speakers

especially the ones from M-audio.

it doesn't make sense. what is the difference between them and Creative, Edifier or Sonic Gears amplifiers/speakers? they are much cheaper and have louder sound and bass.

The point of studio monitors (or headphones, etc) is not to sound "louder" or have "bigger bass", but to be *accurate*.

Studio speakers are built to have a flat frequency response, something that isn't really all that popular. Consumers prefer speakers and headphones that emphasize the bass and treble frequencies (louder, more bass). That's all fine and dandy, but if you're a recording engineer, you need to hear what's being recorded *exactly* the way it sounds. Without this accuracy the music would sound weak and dull... since the treble frequencies were being boosted by his headphones, he would hear weak treble as just fine, same thing with bass frequencies. You would pop it into your stereo and it would sound like crap.

I don't think you need an uber expensive set of studio speakers or headphones to record and mix, but you do need something that is pretty accurate and can reproduce bass frequencies well... not emphasized or exaggerated, but accurately. I've been very pleased with any number of <$200 studio headphones, for instance, but I always triple check my mixes against other playback devices - an mp3 player, a boombox, computer speakers, car stereo, etc. But that's mixing territory, and getting a little off topic.


Saul

2008-10-11 07:13:49 by Curtis Craig

Discussion of why a recording sounds different depending on the quality of speaker.

I have some great speakers (Bose) that don't have a stereo, but I am thinking they might be good as extra monitors in my recording studio. The "out" from the PA is a 1/4" and the connections to the speakers are loose +/-, so I will have to splice the cable. Is there a reason why this won't work? Is there something I am failing to consider??

It depends on the speakers. Some Bose speakers have incredibly low impedances (one of the reasons why they tend to sound the way they do, at least one of them) and hooking it up to a normal amplifier has a very high chance of blowing them.

Others, no problem at all.

I would look at the speakers and try to find the input impedance, it should be a number with an ohm symbol (a horshoe thingy) next to it. I think ideally it should be 8 or higher, but that will also depend on your PA... how many watts is your PA rated for, how are you hooking them up, and what kind of power does the PA deliver at the total impedance rating you're loading it down with?

For instance, a PA might be able to deliver 500 watts at 4 ohms but only 150 watts at 16 ohms (per channel, let's say). If you already have an 8 ohm speaker on each channel then you're getting somewhere around 300 watts to each. If you add the Bose speakers in series, and they're 8 ohms also, then you will be delivering only 150 watts to each side, which can result in a lower volume overall. Hook them up in parallel, and you're pushing 500 watts, and if your speakers aren't rated for that kind of power, then you risk blowing your speakers.

This is all incredibly speculative, since I don't know your setup, but the core concept remains the same, no matter what the watt rating or impedances values are for you.

The only thing that really ends up mattering in the end, as long as you do end up getting a good volume in the end and everything matches up safely, is that you have a decent balance of lows and highs. This is important for mixing and monitoring, you ideally want a relatively flat frequency response so that you hear what's actually going on with the recording or mixing.

The danger is that if you use home speakers and not studio monitors you won't mix properly. Home speakers are EQ'd to give more bass and more treble, because that's what we like when we listen to music. If you mix to that sound, then your end product will actually have *less* bass and *less* treble, so when you play it on a normal system it will sound weak and drab.

Now, I'm not saying you must go out and plunk down a fat wad of cash for massively expensive studio monitors, but I am saying to be careful! Listen to your favorite artists and albums over your speakers until you learn what to expect from them, and shoot for that sound. If I know that the band I want to sound like (Deftones, say) has a lot of bass (somewhat boomy in my car with the White Pony album) then I know that when I mix I want to make sure that my songs have approximately the same apparent sound as those songs (so I would want to make my bass sound more or less like theirs) so that at least I get a ballpark approximation of a good mix.

Hope that helped!


Saul

2008-11-20 04:39:47 by johnny4nuthin

Price: $199.95

It has 4" polypropylene-coated woofers for tight, accurate bass
Magnetic shielding for use near computer video monitors
Optlmage lll tweeter wave guides for superior imaging and detail
It has 15-watt-per-channel amplifier with Class A/B architecture
It has 1" ferrorfluid-cooled solk cone tweeters for clear, pristine highs

Preferably at a good price!!

PC speakers never work as studio monitors - ever.

Also, I do not know what your version of "a good price" would look like. My monitors cost me $26,000 and I thought that was a good price but it isn't necessary to spend that much to do some basic studio work.

I would suggest the Barefoot Sound Monitors if you really want to impress someone - you can find them on Vintageking.com and they run about $7500 for a pair. I'm also very partial to the ADAM 3A's which you could have for about $5500 a pair. If you really have to go low budget then I would suggest the Dynaudio BM6A's which you can get for about $1600 a pair. You'll have to spend a lot of time referencing other material on them to get their "relaxed" sound imprinted but you can do a pretty good mix on them if you are patient.

I would suggest posting your budget and how you specifically intend to use them (mixing hip hop? classical? rock?).

If you are just doing recordings for fun then disregard everything I said and go to Best Buy and get whatever junk they have on sale 'cause it will not make a bit of difference.

Good luck

2008-07-12 18:23:15 by lastdayofjune

Price: $349.99

Powered isolation technology actively cuts external noise
Advanced driver design for precise audio clarity; extra large speaker drivers for super deep bass
Included iSonitalk cable with answer button and mic lets you take calls with iPhone or other music phones
Spacious earcups with plush, breathable cushions for ultimate listening comfort
Monster headphone cable with Quadripole twisted pair construction for balanced sound and clarity

I'm trying to record on this new software magix music studio ten deluxe but when i play it back only comes out of one speaker... how can i record so it plays back on both speakers.

(the software is called MAGIX MUSIC STUDIO TEN DELUX)

It says U have a "task assistant" on the software.

2007-11-30 16:36:16 by cdlc

I use Pro-Tools and The MBox to record .. I use my head phones or connect my computer speakers to the head phone jack to hear the music .. I am looking to get more quality out of my the sound but I ma not syre how to go about it.

Is there a way to connect studio speakers straight to the Mbox? or do I have to buy a mixer or an amp or something like that to connect good speakers?

any help will be apreciated .. Thank you

Depending on the MBox you have, there should be two 1/4" (hopefully TRS) outs.

Unfortunately, you'll have to buy a couple of studio monitors (a fancy way of saying high-end speakers) to connect them with. If your MBox supports balanced outs (XLR/TRS), you should use those. I use Yamaha HS50s as my monitors. Though they don't represent the low end very well, it's a pretty flat and accurate monitoring system.

Most monitors are active, so you won't need to worry about a mixer or an amp, depending on how you're trying to rig your system.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at cremasterandroo@yahoo.com . I love talking shop, and would be happy to help in any way that I can.

2008-08-10 12:11:28 by talent4god