3" or 4" studio reference monitors?

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GBall
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Re: 3" or 4" studio reference monitors?

Post by GBall » Sun Jul 18, 2021 7:07 pm

There was a discussion a while back on the "The Womb" forums where a bunch of famous (and almost famous) mixers and producers hang out and they took up this very subject. The answer that stuck with me most was "Okay, but what are you going to recommend within the user's budget that is significantly better that the poster's KRK's?" That hit home for me. What they were saying is that you would have to spend a whole lot more than the amount of money we are talking about here to make a huge difference. I think the Adams or KRK's, etc. mentioned here are serviceable and fairly comparable 'less you want to spend the price of a car.

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Re: 3" or 4" studio reference monitors?

Post by Paulie » Sun Jul 18, 2021 8:55 pm

I think more mixes are harmed by an untreated room than by 'insufficient' monitors. The beloved NS-10s are low quality from an audio perspective, Quincy calls them the "truth tellers." Get to know your monitors by constantly doing A/B comparisons to mastered songs and you will be fine. There are plenty of acoustic foam options on Amazon, put some blocks in each corner of your room (floor and ceiling), and perhaps one the walls behind and across from your workstation to cut down on extra reflections.
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Re: 3" or 4" studio reference monitors?

Post by paulkearnsmusic » Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:40 am

I mainly use AKG Studio Reference headphones (which I've installed software to make "flat"). Until I bought these (sorry don't have the ref no to hand), I couldn't get my mixes to sound good on any set of speakers.

I have an old set of behringer truth monitor (I think they're 8 inch woofers).

When I had my big studio, I had then all calibrated and the sound was awesome - no need for sub woofers.
But, since my accident, I need everything within easy reach and I only use the monitors as a backup pair of speakers.
Properly setup though, they took some beating - and you can get a pair for £300 or less.

The VERY best studio monitors I ever had were made by Keff - with 15" woofers ( I bought them from our local radio station) - the year was 1986 with a Yamaha 4 track - and they were simply the best sound I've ever heard - before or since. As they were bigger than most modern studios, I never "set up the room".
They're long since gone - I sold then to someone who wanted something to annoy his neighbours :shock: :D.

Personally, I feel there's no way you can get a "natural" bass sound from a 3 or 4 inch speaker - it simply can't move enough air.
In my simplistic and I admit, old fashioned view (I'm allowed this at 68), once you have to add a sub to hear the bass response, then unless you spend a lot of time getting a "flat sound in your room, I think you're starting to wander away from "true" studio monitors and into the realm of "posh computer speakers".
But, as I said, I'm old.
But, a 3 inch speaker isn't going to match the "air moving abilities" of an 18" one.

I've always thought that "if it sounds ok on my TV and in my car, then it'll probably sound ok to a reviewer".

Paul :D

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Re: 3" or 4" studio reference monitors?

Post by superblonde » Thu Aug 19, 2021 12:13 pm

Paulie wrote:
Sun Jul 18, 2021 8:55 pm
I think more mixes are harmed by an untreated room than by 'insufficient' monitors.
Good info but it assumes there is a 'room'.

It seems one of the big sales product points of the 3" or 4" size monitors is that they can be used when traveling, i.e. work well in arbitrary settings.
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Re: 3" or 4" studio reference monitors?

Post by superblonde » Fri Aug 20, 2021 10:08 am

paulkearnsmusic wrote:
Thu Aug 19, 2021 10:40 am
I mainly use AKG Studio Reference headphones (which I've installed software to make "flat").
Yes it sure sounds like a better way to go than the expensive, tiny monitors. I haven't experimented with it. Maybe I should get a trial of some of the software. I guess if more than one person in the room also needs to listen to the mix then need to get a headphone amp which isn't a big deal either.

Maybe simple consistency is best option too? My setup and listening environment changes every year.
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