I bought the wrong monitors?

[thirdrate]

I just recieved my pair of Event PS-6 studio monitors from Music123, on the basis of all the good comments I've read.
On the box it says they are Direct Field. I need monitors that I can sit in front of, I don't have much space, and I cannot turn these up loud.

So, I need Nearfield, right? I was pretty sure I was buying the right thing, but now I need to see if I can return them.

[bvaleria]

PS-6s ARE nearfields... but actually, the term "nearfield" has been copy-righted to someone (can't remember who at the moment), so Event substituted the term "DirectField" for "nearfield".

Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound

[thirdrate]

Great! thanks

So how far away should these be? Or maybe the question should be: how close can I have them?

[england]

You should be able to turn those puppies up plenty loud by adjusting the black "input sensitivity" screw on the back (I use a flathead screwdriver). I keep my PS6's about 4 feet apart and 4 feet from where I sit, making for the triangular configuration shown on page 2 of the manual. You did get a manual?

[c7sus]

Set them in an equilateral triangle in relation to where you sit. When you are in the "sweet spot" you will know it.

[SPINSTERWUN]

Yes, england and c7sus are correct.

Everything should be equi-distant.

Your head should be of equal distance from the left speaker.

Your head should also be of equal distance from the right speaker.

The left and right speakers should be seperated from each other by the same amount of space as your head to either speaker.

Thus, making an equilateral triangle.

You will be able to hear that "sweet spot".

SPIN

[music1csw]

Sorry to jump in, but should the monitors be pointed inward toward that "sweet spot", or should they point straight ahead?

[regebro]

Inward.

[SPINSTERWUN]

Inward.

Please, excuse me.

I made the assumption that it was understood to be a "given".

It should look like an equilateral triangle.

If you look at the left monitor, it should be looking directly back at you.

If you look at the right monitor, it should be looking directly back at you.

The distance between each object (your head, the left monitor, and the right monitor) should be of equal distance.

HEAD + L. MONITOR + R. MONITOR = SWEET SPOT

[thirdrate]

Yeah, but what about height? I suppose they should be at ear level, right?

[JC Lives]

Your assumption is correct. What you should try to do is to have the tweeters at ear level.

[SPINSTERWUN]

Yes, ear level is where you should have the monitors (again, I made another assumption ).

I have my monitors placed on their sides, so that the tweeters as well as the woofers are at "ear level".

peace.....

SPIN

[bvaleria]

Just an FYI - some manufacturers specifically say NOT to place the monitors horizontally, due to the phase alignment and dispersion of the tweeters. I've tried both positions on my PS6 (they don't recommend horizontal positioning for these ones) because I was curious as to there being a noticeable difference.

...And yes, there WAS a difference, and it wasn't even subtle (as I suspected it might have been!) Imaging was definitely clearer and more sharply defined with the monitors in the vertical (tweeter on top) position.

I'd advise to try both positions and see which works better for you.

Bruce

[SPINSTERWUN]

Sorry (about the semi-misinformation thirdrate), I wasn't aware of the facts that bvaleria just mentioned.

Peace....SPIN

[thirdrate]

Thanks all for shedding some light..

I would like to take this opportunity to sneak some possibly asinine questions about monitors without starting a new thread. It is about their proper use, since they are expensive and I don't want to risk damaging them.

Is it allright to:

1. Connect my guitar to a POD (amp modeler thing), and connect the POD's outputs to the monitors? In other words, using the monitors to play my instruemnt rather than a traditional amp.

2. Do the same with a bass guitar?

3. Is listening in a 3ft equilateral traingle too small?

[bvaleria]

1 & 2) ...possible, but be careful - nearfield monitors are not "cabs" and they can't take abuse. And "abuse" constitutes running raw instrument signals into them at even moderate listening levels. They just aren't meant to handle the dynamic peaks a guitar or especially bass's raw signals are capable of delivering. They ARE meant for the line-level signals running from a console, though.

3) ...3-ft is easily workable.

Bruce

[thirdrate]

Ouch. Bruce, you're right -- I did indeed hear those dynamic peaks and that's what got me wondering..

So, you're saying that it's allright to connect the monitors to my mixers output and route all instruments through it? (ie: guitar -> mixer -> monitors) Will the sound be more subdued (and safer for my monitors) in some way?

If not, how would someone typically use these monitors, especially in my situation, with computer recording?

thanks.

[bvaleria]

Well, the levels off the board are what they are designed to handle, but you still need to be careful. Keep the levels lower than normal.

In my facility, I'll use the monitors at a low to moderate volume to make sonic decisions during the tracking, but then switch to low-grade monitors if the talent is actually tracking in the control room, or use headphones.

Bruce