monitor placement...

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paresh

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HI - I finally got a pr of monitors - thanks for everyone's input. Hope this isn't too dumb, but... I often see them in pictures lying sideways instead of upright. Is there a reason for this? Is there a link somewhere to learn more about positioning? thanks.
 
Positioning depends on monitor type; are they near-field monitors or room monitors? If they are near-fields, you sould set them up to form an equalateral triangle with your head, with the monitors pointing in towards your head. If they are room monitors, that is a whole other story that depends alot of room dimensions and acoustics.

As far as placing near-fields upright vs sideways, some people place them sideways to spread the tweeters a bit farther apare and enhance the hi freq stereo separation (not necessary or even desired IMHumbleO). Others place them sideways for a more practical reason: so they can see over them ;)

G.
 
Try themn vertically (upside down and right side up) and then on their side with the tweeters to the outside and the tweeters to the inside. Listen to a few CD tracks that you are familiar with in each position. Take notes. Walk the room and take more notes. Then try spreading the monitors out a little, and moving them a little closer. Take even more notes. After about 2 hours of this you will know exactly where you want your monitors. Once you get them placed, if you decide to change your room acoustics, do the whole test over again:D
 
paresh,

> Is there a link somewhere to learn more about positioning? <

See THIS article. It doesn't address putting monitors on their side, but it does explain where to put them in the room.

--Ethan
 
Iv'e read on this forum that some moitors are made to sit sideways.
 
The only time that the monitor itself "cares" if it is upright or sideways is in those increasingly rare cases where the hi freq element is a horn or type of ribbon element with unusually bi-symmetrical dispersion characteristics (i.e. it's radiation pattern is stronger L-R than it is up-down.)

But if you have a monitor who's hi freq element is the more common circular dome or cone tweeter, then the speaker orientation is irrelevant in that regard.

Some engineers like to put their near-fields sideways with the tweeters on the outside to increase the stereo separation and resolution of the hi freq panning "stage". Personally I find that unnecessary and actually kind of contrary to the theory behind near-field monitors, but that's really just personal preference. If it works for them, who am I to disagree ;)

G.
 
my understanding on why monitors might be placed on their sides is because some monitors have their tweeters off to the side a bit...not dead center in the box like the LF speaker. for example the NS10s
 
How would that be any different just by tipping it on it's side? The Tweeter would still be off center, just in a different direction now:D i say do whichever sounds the best for your listening style and room and logistics:D
 
Well, if you lay them on their sides, then they can be even more off-axis than when you have the cabinets vertical (the height differential now becomes the distance off-axis.)

Not that the off-axis-ness itself really makes a difference. The LF from the woof disperses so wide off-axis as compared to the more directed HF from the tweet that any such off-axis-ness between the two is only marginally relevant.

G.
 
There actually is one more reason why some people put their monitors on their sides. It's the same reason that some thugs hold their handguns sideways; they think it looks "k3wl". :cool:

G.
 
hmmmm
well it may also have to do with keeping the speakers more in line to your head maybe?
so instead of having a more vertical field of sound coming from a speaker...you get a more horizontal one so the sound hits your ears on the same acoustical plane.

maybe??? :confused:
 
bennychico11 said:
hmmmm
well it may also have to do with keeping the speakers more in line to your head maybe?
Click to expand...
Yeah, there is that too. If the monitors are placed too high up relative to one's head, placing them sideways can bring the tweets more in-line with the ears. You're right Benny, I believe that is entirely valid.

G.
 
jeez guys

think about it this way... if you put your head close to the monitors, you notice big time the difference in balance as you move your head up and down (with the speakers places as they should be, vertically). if you place them sideways, anytime you move left/right you lose your sweet spot. also, you get wierder phase/lr placement because the speakers' relative distance to each other (not positive about that, but i think that's what i remember, I'm positive about the vertical placement, tho). you want your 'sweet spot' i.e. the place where you keep your head most of the time, to be in about an equalateral triangle, with your ears at about mid baffle level. this will give you a more consitant sound for your mix as you move about changing things, etc etc....

also, another REALLY UNDERSTIMATED factor in monitoring is placement on top of/in front of things... early reflections can REALLY fuck up your mix, causing comb filtering which CANNOT be compensated for with EQ (comb filtering is where the short/midrange frequences are phase cancelled out by the waves that bounce up from those nasty early reflections....



hope that helped.
 
thanks...

Good insights! Thanks. Do you guys put some foam or something underneath ea one to isolate fr vibrations? These are near-field monitors & will sit on a desk top.
 
The foam is optional, depends a lot on the rest of your setup. Many will just go with isolation no matter what , often using bass traps under the monitors.

As an illustration, my setup, for example, is a pair of Mackie HR824s sitting on the overbridge of a very heavy Mid-Atlantic workdesk that also has probably about 150lbs of sundry audio and video gear on it (besides the quite heavy 824s themselves). The desk, in turn, is standing solid on a padded wall-to-wall carpet.

Now with this setup, I - and my ears - feel no need for isolation under the monitors. The mass coupling of the monitors and the desk is solid and heavy, and is isolated from the floor well by the padded carpet. This means two things; 1) that there is not a lot of resonance happening in the desk from the vibration of the monitors that will affect the tone of the bass from them (in fact, I find the bass definition on these 824s to be stunningly sharp*), and 2) that there is good enough isolation between the desk and the floor that any such resonance that may otherwise "tunnel through" the desk and to the floor are absorbed by the padded carpet (good thing too, since it is a hardwood floor under the carpet which would otherwise rock like a van on prom night ;) ).

Now, if the desk that the monitors is sitting on isn't rock solid and have lots of mass behind it, and/or if there is a worry about the monitor/desk vibrations translating to your floor, then isolating the monitors would probably be a good idea.

* I can also owe part of the excellent response I'm getting from the 824s to the simple but effective treatment I've given to the wall beding my desk and monitors, but that's a subject for another thread.
G.
 
anothing thing that can really help (esp if you have a mediocre room) is learning your monitors... you may be very used to hearing consumer speaker's, where you hear the speakers instead of the music... AKA boombastic and shimmery sounds. These can hide the mid range definition... esp cause most people even EQ out more mids... I guess we all love smiley faces. heh
 
have you tried moving your monitors around yet? Have you tried putting something beneath them? The truth is that only a small percentage of your time should be spent asking about it here. You will learn much more about your room and your monitors if you experiment them a bit:)
 
Man I remember my first days on this board when I was quick to ask, "What should I get next?..." I kept hearing, "Get good monitors." Which I of course ignored. Once I got my HR824s I suddenly realized what everyone was talking about. Now the importance of good monitors is made more clear to me with every project I do.

I know that doesn't answer your question, but reading this thread reminded me of it. Now all I have to do is heed all that crazy advice about improving and treating my tacking/monitoring environment.
 
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