What's the point of multiple studio monitors?

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Spaceboy108

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I look through pictures of studios and notice that many people are using multiple monitors for reference. What exactly would be the point of this? Also, sometimes there seem to be speakers that are around 3" in high-end control rooms. What are these miniature speakers, and are they meant to provide a higher frequency range that typical 8" monitors can't reach?
 
Good question. Several thoughts come to mind...
  • They may be consumer speakers. Harvey Gerst had a FM transmitter so that his clients could hear their mix on their car radio.
  • Marketing. They may be there to impress clients.
  • The studio owner may have more cash then God and likes the way they look.
  • None of the above.
 
The best way to tell what your mix will sound like on different systems than your primary monitors is to try them. I mix, then burn to CD, listen in my truck and on my stereo system.
 
I have multiple sets of monitors to see how the mixes translate to multiple real world systems. Not everyone has YOUR system. What sounds great on your system could suck ass on most other systems. I check mine on very small monitors that are more like the speakers in a small radio or TV, to my JBLs that have 12" woofers. It's to get an idea how your mixes do when played back in the real world. Then I burn I CD and listen to it on my car stereo for a few days to see how it sounds there before I feel I'm done with it. If I hear a problem, I go back and remix.
 
I use three pairs for working with different issues. Event TR8's are my main ones. Quite clear and accurate and don't seem to fatigue my ears. KRK Rockit 5's are hyped in the low end and make it known when bass is building up and getting muddy. The NS10T's are rarely used. I will fire them up when working with guitar tones mostly. They are quite harsh in the mids, and can reveal issues that get missed in the other monitors. The Event and KRK's are also supported with a subwoofer.

Plus I'm addicted and quite a thrifty shopper. $565 for all three over time. :)

The stereo in my vehicle is the final deciding system. Though the more I work with these monitors, the less I have to make changes after listening in the van.
 
Thanks for the answers. I normally burn finished mixes onto CD to check through home and car stereo, so it makes sense that higher-end studios would check through multiple studio monitors. I was thinking that these monitors were all used together to supplement each other.

I have a couple more questions regarding monitors.

- How necessary is a subwoofer in a moderately treated environment (in a spare bedroom/studio)? I'm currently using KRK Rokit 5s, but have been looking at upgrade options. I was initially going to stick with KRK, grabbing the 8" monitors and possibly the 10" subwoofer, but lately I've been leaning towards a more expensive route with some Adam A8Xs, then saving for a subwoofer. I could also grab Adam A7Xs instead of the KRK8/subwoofer combination for only a couple hundred more, which is a small investment than the A8Xs at a grand each. This would probably be the best upgrade for the money, if a subwoofer isn't really needed.

- How much volume is needed for 8" monitors? I've seen it mentioned more than once that large monitors need a considerable amount of power to get the best performance. I'm mixing in an apartment spare bedroom, so if I need to blast these monitors to get good sound, I need to rethink my options. I'm not getting enough from the KRK Rokit 5s, so if 7/8" monitors need more volume than a polite neighbor should make, I need to look at a higher quality 5" monitor instead.
 
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I have 3 sets of monitors and a sub. The reason is to see how the mix translates across different speaker systems. I have a set of NS10's a pair of old Auratone cubes (horror Tones) and a pair of Mission Pro's SM6P (not Hi fi actual studio monitors which were made by mission when manufactured in the UK, very rare not made anymore which is a shame). I also have a JBL LSR sub that can be turned on and off with the NS10's.

My mixing routine, get the mix happening on the NS10's, flick to the missions now and again, when the mix is happening turn on the sub to check the bottom end for mud or strange low action. When this mix is sounding good turn to the Missions and have a good listen at different volumes, what I find is that if the mix is good on the NS10's and I turn on the missions and it sounds great we are on the right track. When I think everything is good I turn on the Auratone's and have a listen at low volume to check everything can still be heard. I then mono the mix to check there are no phase issues (this is like an AM mono radio sound).

This is why there are several different monitors in the studio.

I reckon a good place to spend a few dollars would be on some something like the Behringer Beritone active cubes to check you mixes on, I would buy some but I have the original Auratone's.

Alan.
 
I mix on an old pair of YSM-1's. I'm on my second pair. My "horror tones" are a pair of Bose 101's. Three inch driver in each in a plastic case. I use a pair of JBL L7's for LOUD playback.
 
witzendoz said:
I then mono the mix to check there are no phase issues (this is like an AM mono radio sound).
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This is one aspect I think ALOT of new people forget about. I use PT 9 (PT 10 in less than a week :D ) and I use the built in phase check plugin (blanking on the name of it at the moment though). However, I will still mono the mix as well, just to make sure I am not being decieved by the visuals.
 
Capt Hair said:
Damn!....
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Yeah, the bad economy has it's benefits sometimes. Craigslist in Denver is my friend. :) My '78 DBX160x was in a filled rack I purchased for $100, so approx $14 for that piece. Picking up a Rapco 50' 16X4 snake and Koss Titanium PRO4AA headphones tonight for $100.

I keep Craigslist bookmarked, and check it every morning, and have a couple hundred in wallet for the occasion that someone needs cash quick. Happens all the time. :D

Feel free to keep an eye on Denver Craigslist. If you see something you like, Id be glad to pick it up and ship it for ya. If in the states anyway. :)
 
jimmys69 said:
Feel free to keep an eye on Denver Craigslist. If you see something you like, Id be glad to pick it up and ship it for ya. If in the states anyway. :)
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Don't kill me when I actually do that :D
 
jimmys69 said:
Yeah, the bad economy has it's benefits sometimes.

.........

...Koss Titanium PRO4AA headphones tonight for $100.
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Good phones, and yeah, it's a buyers market. ;)


One the monitor question...
I have three sets in my studio...but I only mix with my main pair, the Mackie 824. The other pair on my meter bridge are mainly backups, I rarely even power them up, and the third pair are my room monitors, mainly for playback listening, though I don't get to crazy with cross-checking mixes.

I think it's good to cross-check when you are initially getting your room (and mixes) dialed in, but at some point, it's kinda' redundant, and often leads to a lot of second-guessing and chasing mixes across multiple monitors and playback systems.
I mean...once you have the room dialed in and you know what to expect from your main monitors, most of your mixes will probably sound similarly in audio quality, but I guess there is some level of comfort in "checking" just to be sure.
Heck...we ALL go to the car at some point to at least listen to the CD... :D ...though I've learned the hard way NOT to put too much value in a "car mix". Check it, but don't over-react if the mix isn't perfect in the car or on some dinky boom-box.
If you listen to the radio for an hour, I can guarantee that no two commercial mixes will sound the same.

YMMV...... :)
 
@ Miro, It is not that one set of 'learned' monitors cant achieve a good mix, but different styles of music seem to give their own set of issues. Yes, I mix on my main monitors almost exclusively, but use the others to fine tune curtain areas. Call it a crutch, or indecisiveness if you will, but for me, a simple flick of a switch to another pair of monitors, can save me much headache later. Just my way of checking myself. I don't trust anything further than I can throw it. And do not intend on throwing away my extra monitors at this point. lol!

Might scrap my van tho.
 
Well...we all have comfort zones, so you have to go with that no matter what.

I'm just going from the perspective that if you have one pair of monitors that are clearly the "best" of the bunch AFA their sound reproduction quality...then checking mixes on less-than stellar playbacks isn't really revealing something more, but actually their deficiency may be coloring the mix in a certain way that is not as accurate as your primary monitors...which is why I say you can end up chasing the mix, though I don't think there is anything wrong with checking, I'm just saying you have to be careful not to overreact with mix adjustments for each check on each playback system.
That can have you going in circles if you are not careful.

I've known people who got obsessed with perfecting their mix for their car system...and ignoring what their HQ monitors were telling them. That makes no sense to me..... :D
 
miroslav said:
Well...we all have comfort zones, so you have to go with that no matter what.

I'm just going from the perspective that if you have one pair of monitors that are clearly the "best" of the bunch AFA their sound reproduction quality...then checking mixes on less-than stellar playbacks isn't really revealing something more, but actually their deficiency may be coloring the mix in a certain way that is not as accurate as your primary monitors...which is why I say you can end up chasing the mix, though I don't think there is anything wrong with checking, I'm just saying you have to be careful not to overreact with mix adjustments for each check on each playback system.
That can have you going in circles if you are not careful.

I've known people who got obsessed with perfecting their mix for their car system...and ignoring what their HQ monitors were telling them. That makes no sense to me..... :D
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I will give you a 'like' for "chasing the mix" comment. I do not use them that way, and do not second guess myself with listening on other systems. I know what I am looking for when I use them. Others reading my use of multiple monitors, might be led to thinking that it is necessary to have them. I just use them for particular articulation of certain things, because I can, and my brain works that way. Nothing beats spending a great deal of time, getting to know your monitors in a well treated room. I myself, will always be anal about giving a second listen. Guess that is leftover from paying high end studios a lot of money in my past, and being left with a project that sounded like utter crap! I would never allow a product to leave my studio that I am not proud of.
 
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