What is the deal with studio monitors?

[Dags]

I did have a neighbour ring one night to tell us the second verse of an offspring song the singer didnt remember, from 2 blocks away, they didnt seem pissed, she said it was one of her favorite songs, but we started the soundproofing the next week.

ROFL!! That's gold

 

[moresound]

I heard it over here. Your singer needs cheat sheets.

 

[James from Aus]

I heard it over here. Your singer needs cheat sheets.

We have cheat sheets, even for his originals our new guitarist sings, if i can keep him in front of the mic and not moving in and out so much, he might save us. i think i need better lighting near the mic stand

 

[Doctor Varney]

But seriously y'all, shouldn't my 501s and my Sansui AU517 integrated amp be more than sufficient for someone like me who just wants to write and record and maybe produce a few CD's or cassettes for family and friends?

I would say, going by instinct - yes.

I use a vintage solid state NAD 3020i integrated. I chose this little amp for music listening in the living room years ago, known for it's neutrality also a unit that can really rock. It ended up in my little studio when I upgraded, though it still remains a good enough benchmark for the sounds I'm creating. Doesn't need to go particularly loud, just needs to be revealing and clean with well balanced tone.

I can't speak specifically for the Sansui AU series but they are known for their quality and detail, so you you could do worse, I suppose.

NAD 3020i is hooked to a pair of JPW ML310s, which I believe you can get for around £50 or less second hand these days. I paid a tenner for the pair, as a friend was getting shot of them.

For what I'm doing right now, I feel the amp and speakers give me a good indication of how well my work's going to sound in an average domestic situation - which is the market I'm playing into. It pays to burn a CD and make an MP3 so you can test listen to your mixes on varying domestic equipment around the house and perhaps even in the car.

I think a lot depends on how high you're aiming with your production. If you were building a professional studio to record bands or intended having your own small record label, I'd say look elsewhere for advice - but if you're happy with what you're hearing with the Sansui and your mixes prove themselves with domestics and portables, then I'd say go for it. Whatever you have - enjoy it!

Whatever you're using though, one thing it does pay to always do is spend time positioning your speakers. Quite reasonable equipment can sound awful if not enough attention is given there. I've been into friend's houses to see great speakers and amps wasted by trying to shove the speakers somewhere 'convenient' - behind furniture and slung on shelves, to quote some extreme examples. One or two, I think might as well forget the speakers and mix on headphones!

 

[Slowrider]

Not all powered speakers are "studio" monitors", and not all "studio" monitors are powered.

Having said that, any company can put the word "studio" on their speakers and sell them, but it doesn't mean they're any better than so-called "hi-fi" speakers.

Just like Rami said. Always ask yourself....how did they make recordings in the past?

Think those guys used all that fancy, expensive, equipment; back then?

Look past the marketing hype.