Advice on studio monitors
1. What are studio monitors?
Studio monitors are speakers with which you can mix and master your own tracks. When you mix, you balance separate audio tracks to get the best result. This way, the drums aren't too loud and the vocals and instruments sound good together. With mastering, you can correct certain sounds. Because a neutral sound is important, studio monitors produce a sound that as realistic as possible. Does it sound nice via the monitors? It'll sound just as the producer intended on other audio setups. Studio monitors are a must.
The studio monitors in our assortment have a built-in amplifier, so they're active. It also are nearfield monitors, which are speakers which you place within 2m of your ears. This speaker type is most useful for home use. But which studio monitors do you need at home? There are different shapes and sizes.
2. What size do you need?
Studio monitors range from small to large. Manufacturers indicate the size of studio monitors in inches. To be more specific: the inch size of the larges woofer. The smaller the woofer, the smaller the speaker case. Small active studio monitors mostly have a lower power than the large studio monitors. As a result, small speakers don't fill large rooms with sound and large speakers are too much for small rooms. Do you have a small home studio, or do you produce in your room? A 4, 5, or 6-inch size is most suitable. Do you have a larger semiprofessional studio? Choose 6, 8, or 10-inch studio speakers.
3. Do you need 2-way or 3-way speakers?
Studio monitors come in 2 types, which are 2-way or 3-way. A 2-way studio monitor has 2 speaker driver. It has a tweeter for the treble and a woofer for the mid and low range. A 3-way studio monitor has 3 drivers. It separates the mid and low range. A 3-way studio speaker has a larger frequency spectrum and they let you hear more details. Most studio monitors are 2-way. That's enough to mix dance music. If every detail is equally important like with complex movie soundtracks, a 3-way monitor speaker is more suitable.
4. What kind of connectors do you need?
You will find connectors for sound input at the back of the studio monitors. Connectors you might find are: XLR, jack, and RCA. Jack is also called TRS, and RCA is also called Phono connector. Jack and XLR are balanced. This means the signal is interference-free and free of white noise. RCA is unbalanced. You might hear a soft white noise at a distance larger than 5m. The studio monitors are usually close to your audio interface or sound card when you use them in small studios, so all three connectors work. Do you have a big studio or do you just want the best of the best? Choose XLR or jack. To make it easy, we recommend to match the inputs of your studio speakers to the outputs of your audio interface or the other way around.
5. Do you need 1 or 2 speakers?
Most studio monitors are sold separately. There are also studio monitors that are sold per set. You need a good stereo sound to produce, which means 2 speakers. That's why we recommend to buy 2 identical studio monitors, or to choose a set of 2 monitor speakers. For every studio monitor, we indicate if it's a separate speaker or a set of 2.
6. What's the best setup?
The sound quality of your studio monitors largely depends on where you place them in your studio. The best setup is a in a triangle with your head with 3 sides of the same length, at least 30cm from the wall. We recommend a listening angle of 60 degrees. Also make sure the tweeters of the studio monitors are at ear height. Use speakers stands if necessary. You're now in the 'sweet spot', which is the spot where the stereo sound is best. To get the best sound from your studio monitors, use monitor pads. There are pads of acoustic foam that mutes the resonance and vibrations of your speaker.
What else do you need?
In addition to a fast computer and an audio interface, you need more to complete your (home) studio. For example, think of audio software to product music. Producers also call this DAW or Digital Audio Workstation. But also don't forget cables for your studio monitors. There aren't included by the manufacturer. In addition to these essential accessories, we recommend speaker stands and monitor pads.
