A Guide to Studio Monitors

monitors
When making and mixing music, you need a good set of speakers. The balance between filling an area with sound and exposing the right level of detail is essential. It is not always a case of bigger is better, as there are several components that make studio monitors fit the bill.

Low Frequencies

monitors The lower end of the frequency spectrum is handled differently depending on the loudspeaker design. The first factor is the diameter of the drive unit. Bigger drive units move a larger volume of air more easily than small drivers. The movement of air creates those boomy low frequencies, which is helped by the design of the speaker enclosure and the drive unit material. The KRK Rokit monitors are known for their hefty bass extension, and their design reflects that. There are four models in the Rokit line-up, each one with a different sized bass driver. The smallest is five inches, and the largest is ten inches, with the largest model benefiting from an extra mid-range drive unit. Each speaker delivers an impressive low frequency reponse which is still achievable against a surface due to their front ported design. The air escapes out the front of the unit making it easier to place them in your environment. This range of speakers is perfect for House, Techno, DnB, RnB and Reggae music as these genres are very reliant on that low end punch. If the bass is too much though, you get onboard graphic EQ to help customise the sound to your environment. No two rooms are exactly the same, so a bit of tweaking can go a long way.

Overall Control

Studio Monitor Speakers Loudspeakers have been manufactured since the very early 1900’s, with various different designs all achieving the same goal; Reproducing the sound fed in to them in the best way possible. Most modern day studio monitor speakers excel at this, but there is a lot of personal taste involved. The Yamaha HS Series provides a more balanced approach to sound reproduction, with aspects closely related to active HiFi bookshelf speakers. The rear ported design of the HS speakers means that placement needs to be taken into account. Too close to the wall and the bass gets messy, as there is not enough room for the air to escape effectively. Once these speakers are set up correctly, they really sing. The high quality amp and low resonance enclosure ensure that you get true sonic reproduction. The HS series is used with every genre of music due to its flexibility. The smallest in the series is the HS5, for small rooms that don’t require the eight inch bass driver available with the largest model, the HS8. The HS7 sits in between, with a 6.5 inch bass driver.

Single Driver Perfection

An alternative approach to getting a high resolution monitoring experience is the use of a coaxial drive unit. This design is put into practice commonly in the HiFi world. A single drive unit position produces both low and high frequencies. Pioneer utilise this design in their RM series of studio monitors. The coaxial drive unit (designed by TAD) puts all frequencies on the same axis so they hit you with pinpoint accuracy. Partenered with a powerful amp and sleek front ported design, the RM speakers are a tight and powerful choice. The two models in the series are the RM-05 and RM-07. All of these speakers are available from our website!