Shockmounts for studio monitors (?)

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FollowTheMusic

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Hi all,

I am looking to properly mount my studio monitors, but due to space I really can't put them anywhere but on my desk. I was wondering if anyone has any experience using something like these anti-vibration mounts from McMaster-Carr. (Or you can go to http://www.mcmaster.com, search for "vibration mount" and browse catalog pages 1250-1257). There are lots of choices but basically they are all some sort of compressible material sandwiched between two mounting interfaces. I have a feeling that these could be used (possibly with some foam like the MoPads or McMaster's own damping pads?) to decouple the speakers very effectively. Almost like free-floating them. McMaster's a respected company, and I trust them to provide well-engineered products at reasonable cost (no affiliation). Any thoughts?

By the way, I found these shockmounts while browsing http://www.silentpcreview.com, a site that might help some of you here :-) I was looking for a way to stop my watercooling pump from vibrating against my computer case. Great site (I'm not affiliated).

Thanks for any input.
 
While I'm too tired to really get a detailed look at your links... I can relay an experience in this direction...

My monitors were recently sitting on top of foam pads to "isolate" them (which I believed to be a good thing at the time)... Then, while reading this, it dawned on my that I may be sacrificing real clarity by alowing the speakers to "float"..

My thinking is "hey... the speaker has to push against something solid to produce optimal clarity".

Basically I copied the link's ideaolgy and found 12 brinks to put under the monitors while they're sitting on my desk (which also solved my "you should have your monitors' tweeter at the same height as your ear" problem).

Let me cut this short(er) by just saying it made a BIG DIFFERENCE... I am convinced that my previous method was counter-productive...

Just a thought (haha.. or two)...
 
Neoprene under the monitors should help also. You could even try some mouse pads. You could always get a some 3 to 6in pvc and cut it to about an inch or so and stack the monitor on it with a mouse pad on top and bottom. I never tried it but it's pretty cheap if it dosent work :D
 
> I am looking to properly mount my studio monitors <

A pad of 705 rigid fiberglass 2 inches thick is a standard way to isolate speakers from the surface they rest on. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, and having bass traps is infinitely more important than isolating your speakers.

--Ethan
 
those McMaster isolators are designed for heavy, low frequency vibrations.

While one might argue that a subwoofer (or a woofer) generates low frequency vibrations, it's in a different scale than a pair of workboots in a dryer, for example. Or a machine with an imbalanced crankshaft churning 1000' long 12' wide paper rolls into a cutting machine...
 
peritus said:
I'm confused. Is my thinking incorrect? :confused:
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Reading that link, it seems they used the bricks to isolate the monitors from the table to avoid vibration, bricks being rather massive, they probably isolate well.

For the same reason it's probably not that the speakers need an immovable object to resist. They are pretty massive from the point of view of the cone, and even a foam pad has a good amount of friction, maybe more than a desk. But ignoring all that, the speaker frame and magnet are probably quite large enough. After all I believe speakers are tested unmounted and suspended.
 
frederic said:
those McMaster isolators are designed for heavy, low frequency vibrations.

While one might argue that a subwoofer (or a woofer) generates low frequency vibrations, it's in a different scale than a pair of workboots in a dryer, for example. Or a machine with an imbalanced crankshaft churning 1000' long 12' wide paper rolls into a cutting machine...
Click to expand...

Sounds like when my dad worked in a printing factory (and he had 3 back surgeries as a result of lifting large paper rolls).... :mad:
 
mshilarious said:
Reading that link, it seems they used the bricks to isolate the monitors from the table to avoid vibration, bricks being rather massive, they probably isolate well.

For the same reason it's probably not that the speakers need an immovable object to resist. They are pretty massive from the point of view of the cone, and even a foam pad has a good amount of friction, maybe more than a desk. But ignoring all that, the speaker frame and magnet are probably quite large enough. After all I believe speakers are tested unmounted and suspended.
Click to expand...

Now that last part is some invaluable knowledge. This place is cool.. :D
 
mshilarious said:
After all I believe speakers are tested unmounted and suspended.
Click to expand...

Usually by four hangers expoxied to the speaker cabinet, suspended from the ceiling by steel guy wires, rigidly mounted to the ceiling.

They are epoxied on to avoid drilling into the cabinet, which can alter the sound of the cabinet material, and possibly cause an air leak, as miniscule as it would be.
 
Hi,

Thanks for the input so far. Frederic, when you say they're designed for heavy low-frequencies, does that mean they will not be helpful for speakers, or that they are over-engineered? Because they are fairly cheap, so it's OK if they are overkill. And if they can absorb a lot of energy, they should be even better with small vibrations, right? Please correct me if I'm wrong, which I easily could be.

Ethan, I definitely agree that bass traps are good. I'm redesigning many aspects of my room right now. I asked specifically about isolation only because I don't understand it as well.
 
FollowTheMusic said:
Thanks for the input so far. Frederic, when you say they're designed for heavy low-frequencies, does that mean they will not be helpful for speakers, or that they are over-engineered? Because they are fairly cheap, so it's OK if they are overkill. And if they can absorb a lot of energy, they should be even better with small vibrations, right? Please correct me if I'm wrong, which I easily could be.
Well, they are designed for low frequency rumble (typically under 30hz) and to really isolate, they require a lot of weight, often 100's of pounds into the multiple ton range.

Essentially, if you put "whatever" onto them, and they don't squish down slightly like a radial car tire, they don't isolate. They need some "squish" to offer compliance, which is how they isolate. Too much squish and the metal studs will rub on each other, and transmit vibration (which is what happens when they age). Not enough weight, the rubber (or synthetic material) doesn't offer any compliance and therefore acts as a rigid bolt from the thing on top to the thing below.

It's like a body bushing in a pickup between the frame and the cab. If they are too soft, the cab wobbles on the frame, moving the driver and the steering column, reducing the "feel" of the road the driver has. Too stiff and the cab will torque apart and squeek and rattle in no time.

But these are lower frequency vibrations than the typical event 20/20 can provide.

I have used them in club installations with down-firing 18" subwoofer enclosures, and that's about where they start to be useful - in the 20hz and lower range.
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Click to expand...
 
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