Studio Monitors

Often referred to as near-field monitors, the sound monitors found here are designed to be placed close to the listener. This is to avoid the speaker output being affected by the acoustics of the room and the surrounding natural sound reflection/reverb. These speakers should be placed at a three-point equal distance from each other and also level with your ears, imagine an equilateral triangle from your most comfortable seated position.

Buy Studio Monitors

Monitors should be at the forefront of the mind of any aspiring music producer, the monitors found here are for those just getting started in their record production careers. They serve as an affordable basis to begin learning and practising the nuances of sonic engineering, eventually training the ear to understand how a song feels as well as how it sounds. This type of speaker naturally comes as a pair to serve the left and right channels of your music helping to build a stereo image of the music in the production.

With varying sizes and styles to choose from, the speakers help to reproduce the sonic decisions made during the mixing stage of individual songs. Every professional recording studio has one pair of monitors at the very least, some engineers like to work with multiple reference speakers to mix songs universally. What may sound incredible at the end of the mix may not sound too great on a mobile phone, for example, this referencing with additional monitors is a great way to catch any errors you may have previously missed.

Monitors are robust in their mechanical qualities, this is due to the requirement to handle raw and unmastered audio feeds. Feeds which often feature sudden loud bursts of sound, widely varying frequencies and high volumes, especially during the mastering stage. When engineering music, you can use EQs within your digital audio workstation (DAW) to control sound frequencies and where they sit in the mix of your music.

Studio Speakers

Once set up correctly, your sound monitors then work alongside your DAW of choice to give your mixes a realistic and professional sound. This is achieved through EQ placements and panning, a good rule of thumb is to imagine your client is performing on a stage in front of you and you are mixing the song in front of them. Hi-hats and snare drums tend to be on the drummers left side so naturally, you would pan these somewhat to the right side to match how an audience would hear it.

We supply affordable monitors for those that are just starting and do not need to part with hundreds for pro-grade sound monitors right now. As mentioned, all of the studio speakers found here are supplied in pairs, a dual system is imperative for sound engineers to work with a functional left and right channel in their music mixes. For example, if they pan a guitar signal all the way to the right, in turn, that guitar will come from the right side headphone, earbud or speaker.

Monitors are both very useful and look professional in most studio spaces, we also stock various monitor stands elsewhere in the store. There are shorter stands that are to be placed on either side of your computer monitor to keep them from taking up space on the floor. Alternatively, we have far taller and adjustable floor-based monitor stands that go beside or even behind your main desk area.

Sound Monitors

Studio monitors are available as both passive and active, most professional and home studio users will opt for active units as they offer the convenience of placement. The onboard amplifier and crossover system is specifically designed to work with the drivers and cabinet for optimum performance. The crossovers in most powered monitors are also active, and the internal amplifier units split into two or three outputs, namely bi-amp and tri-amp.

Each section power the woofer or tweeter driver through the crossover, which results in a much cleaner and defined sound reproduction. Some engineers do still prefer a passive setup with separate amplification, as they like to change parts of the system depending on the job. Some believe that having passive speakers gives a more neutral response than a powered unit, a subject still debated today.

These are specific decisions made from personal preference, but the modern market would suggest that active systems are now the industry standard. They are the best place to start if you are putting together a home studio but consider some sonic treatment for the room in question. Monitors can be very loud and some acoustic sound treatment will absorb some of the more erratic sound waves produced by the speakers themselves, improving your experience.

Are studio monitors necessary?

Studio monitors are not necessary if you just want to enjoy the music of other artists, monitors are specifically for production and engineering music into fully-fledged tracks. This type of speaker can indeed be used to enjoy music recreationally, but other less expensive speakers are tailored more for listening enjoyment.

In conclusion, monitors are imperative to achieving a balanced mix of your sound and should be placed either side of your computer screen equally, each monitor should be to be placed an equal distance from you on the left and right side. This is only really for home studios though as YouTubers and Podcasters tend to work with video and voiceovers only.

Take your time shopping for the right monitors for your setup, again these units are for those just beginning their production journey. Once you have learned the basics and practised mixing for a good while, we recommend upgrading your monitors to something a little more professional. There are more and more speakers on the market every day, this can be overwhelming but if you are confused at all do not hesitate to call our customer service department.