regular stero for monitoring?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wack
  • Start date Start date
"True" hi-fidelity loudspeakers coupled with a capable amplifier will tend to pummel most boxes that say "studio monitor" into the ground.

That, on the other hand, is a POS bookshelf stereo that will sound about as accurate as a set of computer speakers.
 
What if you have a nice home stereo system but the amp portion has the tone and volume controls,it's own preamp,would that work or not given the fact that you already have those controls on your mixer.If so then what would you set the levels and tone on it to get accuracy.
 
bluesallday said:
What if you have a nice home stereo system but the amp portion has the tone and volume controls,it's own preamp,would that work or not given the fact that you already have those controls on your mixer.If so then what would you set the levels and tone on it to get accuracy.
Click to expand...

As always, you want as neutral and 'out of the way as possible. Typically that means leave em' out, flat. Unless of corse the correction helps/is needed.
 
bluesallday said:
What if you have a nice home stereo system but the amp portion has the tone and volume controls,it's own preamp,would that work or not given the fact that you already have those controls on your mixer.If so then what would you set the levels and tone on it to get accuracy.
Click to expand...

The best thing is probably put on a CD from somebody that you respect and is in the type of music you like, and set the bass and treble controls to what sounds best to you, and then leave them there when you mix your stuff.

I remember 20 years ago in Mix magazine there was a major engineer who said he was real nervous when he took his first album in because he had mixed it on a home stereo, and he found out that it was fine.
 
I've been using a home stereo amp since I've been in this hobby. In fact I mix on some fairly accurate home speakers too that are about 15 years old. Mixes are fine and translate well to any system played.
 
Thanks for all the helpful answers,I will try them on my stereo system,can't hurt,might help.I am currently using an alesis 100 watt amp and some small monitor size speakers,I think the speakers are actually for a stereo system but they work good,sony or one of those,can't remember right off.
 
I used an old home stereo for a couple years when I first got going and it went pretty well.

Accuracy was a problem though...like the details of reverb tails and stuff like that but overall, not bad.

I found I had to burn quite a few CD's checking for translation to different systems. At first, my mixes were bass heavy. So I ended up bringing UP the bass on my amp which forced me to mix it lower. It had lo mid and hi mid pots as well so I set all of it up for best translation.
Took awhile and quite a few wasted CD's but worked out well.

Then...of course....my kid wanted to rock out on some his his metal and twisted everything around to suit it. :rolleyes:
Teach me not to mark the exact points on the knobs. :o
 
What you hear on a boombox is the same thing someone else will hear on theirs... or computer speaks, or car stereo. If your recording is transparent it's just a matter of who's speakers it's listening on. I would not try to adjust the sound on your very nice stereo to make it sound good though. Stereo speakers are usually built to make clear flat recordings sound better and their frequency response with the auto-eq or bass boost or whatever will make radio songs sound more thumping than they actually are. while 'studio monitors' are usually intended to be as flat as possible, so what you hear is what it is.
 
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