Subwoofers in a monitoring system...

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Uladine

Uladine

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Hello. I hear from many different sources that you should always use a subwoofer when monitoring. How exactly do you use one in such applications? Whenever I listen to music with a subwoofer it always sounds unnaturally bottom end heavy. How many people actually listen to music with a subwoofer anyway? I think its cool to listen to music with them to feel the impact, but wouldnt mixing a recording with one make you want to remove the bottom end that the woofer is so actively bringing to your attention? Or is there a certain way to balance the level between the woofer and the main speakers?

Just curious.
 
in monitoring system, do you mean for mixing?...if so, a subwoofer is not a good idea...just a pair of decent studio monitors....you can check you mixes on a subwoofer system, but the majority should be done with monitors only.....
 
yea i suppose checking a mix on a woofer system makes sense. mixing with one would be insane.
 
It all depends on how you set you sub up....

I use a sub paired with Event PS6s and it works very very well... you actually hear what's going on (or NOT going on, as the case may be!) in the nether regions of the sound spectrum.

You are absolutely correct in syaing that if not adjusted properly, the sub will cause hyped bass response and throw off your mixes.

The idea is to do a sub setup so that it only EXTENDS the low frequency response of your monitors, and not to hype it.

In general though, especially for someone just getting their feet wet with mixing, it's probably best to stick with standard monitors.

Bruce
 
features and a point, but the other way 'round

Well, to add one point of clarification, a subwoofer would actually be explicitly called for if you were mixing/mastering for DVD but I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant.

What you would certainly want to do is give youself an easy way to cutoff the low end so you don't have to burn a CD and take a drive around the block to hear it the way most people would :)

Some speakers (Mackie HR824's come to mind) have a handy-dandy 3-position bass cutoff (even when using them without a subwoofer, because they have natural sonic extention under 37Hz) that allows you to set the rolloff higher; at 47Hz for a sound more similar to that you'd get from the Event PS6's or rolloff at 80Hz for that "common" sound-system sutoff. If only the switch were more accessible.....

I'd say if *YOU* need a subwoofer or not depends on: your ears, your current monitors, the quality of the woofer and crossover's you install, the music or other audio you are mixing, etc... For instance, if you are doing RnB or HipHop I'd personally consider it a must (or at least monitors with low extension, like the Mackies) but if you are doing folk music I can't see it being worth the trouble.

-Shaz
 
I think for someone like me who is :

a) a newbie
b) mixing in a piss-poor room

a subwoofer is not a good idea to mix with......

get a decent monitor and learn how to place the bottom end on them.......
 
If he gets a sub, odds are he'll be back in a few weeks looking for room treatment advice......
 
I use a subwoofer, but I think it is somewhat necessary when creating and mixing Hip-Hop and House/Dance music.

spin
 
sub smub

A sub is fine for monitoring. i have a sub and some ps6's. As long as you remember that it is not just a bass knob for you to set to impress your clients you will be fine with one. position and set it up properly according to your situation. that whole guessing whether the bass is there or not has never quite suited me. I had a friend pay a studio a gang of money to do his album and in the studio it knocked the doors off the hinges. bass for days when he played it any where else the bass just wasnt there. They used the sub just to impress him in house and was ready to recharge him for more time to fix the mix. as long as you read up on how to set it up you should be fine.:D :D :D :D :D
 
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