Home Studio Tips: #1 Monitor Placement
Jul 15, 2014 10:00:30 GMT -7
bluzman, The Bad Poodle Experience, and 6 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2014 10:00:30 GMT -7
Hello friends,
I'm starting a series of pontifications on recording for you guys.
Up first, Proper Nearfield Monitor Placement!
To give yourself a fighting chance your monitors need to be in the right place so you can judge what you are hearing.
I'm going to stick to the most basic ingredients here.
Symmetry
Proper spacing
Proper height
Symmetry
If at all possible do not put your setup in a corner or up against a wall on your right or left.
If you are in a corner it's going to do crazy things you won't be able to control to the bass.
If you have one side of your set up right next to a wall the speaker by the wall will sound totally different than the speaker
that isn't by the wall. The bass will be out of whack and you'll also be getting bad hi frequency reflections from that boundary wall.
With either a corner setup or your set up with a wall close on one side you'll never be able to get accurate feedback from your monitors.
Proper Spacing
When setting up your monitors the idea is to have equal measurements from all 3 points of the triangle (equilateral triangle). This is how studio monitors were designed to work.
So, start where you think they should go, then measure from the L speaker to the R, from the R speaker to your head and from the L speaker to your head. Keep moving them around until all 3 measurements are the same. I can't stress how important this is. You want to be measuring from your working position at your computer, where you sit to play and to mix (Not 3 feet back or anything like that). You can do it with a tape measure or even a piece of string.
It's not that hard to do right. Your monitors are designed to be listened to this way. The 3 points (L speaker, R speaker, your head) should be equidistant from each other.
Proper Height
This one is a little easier but still very, very important. The tweeters or high frequency drivers in your monitors should be at Ear Level. Get some stands or make some of out cinder blocks if need be. If you are counting on an angle to get the tweeters aiming at your ears you'll be introducing other problems (hi frequency smear and bass problems).
It shouldn't cost money to get your speakers in the right place. Until you get them in the right place they won't be doing their best for you.
Nobody asked but I'm here to help!
I'm starting a series of pontifications on recording for you guys.
Up first, Proper Nearfield Monitor Placement!
To give yourself a fighting chance your monitors need to be in the right place so you can judge what you are hearing.
I'm going to stick to the most basic ingredients here.
Symmetry
Proper spacing
Proper height
Symmetry
If at all possible do not put your setup in a corner or up against a wall on your right or left.
If you are in a corner it's going to do crazy things you won't be able to control to the bass.
If you have one side of your set up right next to a wall the speaker by the wall will sound totally different than the speaker
that isn't by the wall. The bass will be out of whack and you'll also be getting bad hi frequency reflections from that boundary wall.
With either a corner setup or your set up with a wall close on one side you'll never be able to get accurate feedback from your monitors.
Proper Spacing
When setting up your monitors the idea is to have equal measurements from all 3 points of the triangle (equilateral triangle). This is how studio monitors were designed to work.
So, start where you think they should go, then measure from the L speaker to the R, from the R speaker to your head and from the L speaker to your head. Keep moving them around until all 3 measurements are the same. I can't stress how important this is. You want to be measuring from your working position at your computer, where you sit to play and to mix (Not 3 feet back or anything like that). You can do it with a tape measure or even a piece of string.
It's not that hard to do right. Your monitors are designed to be listened to this way. The 3 points (L speaker, R speaker, your head) should be equidistant from each other.
Proper Height
This one is a little easier but still very, very important. The tweeters or high frequency drivers in your monitors should be at Ear Level. Get some stands or make some of out cinder blocks if need be. If you are counting on an angle to get the tweeters aiming at your ears you'll be introducing other problems (hi frequency smear and bass problems).
It shouldn't cost money to get your speakers in the right place. Until you get them in the right place they won't be doing their best for you.
Nobody asked but I'm here to help!