Issue with Studio Monitor

[PowderPuff]

I'm supposed to set up a professional listening environment for a class I'll be taking and I'm having an issue with my studio monitor. It's a good monitor, but I will either hear the higher sounds of what I'm listening to, or the lower sounds, depending upon which jack on my interface I will have it plugged into. I need to hear everything. The monitor I have has its own ac; it doesn't use power from the computer or the interface. So if I would buy another one, I'm afraid of overloading the electrical outlet. I had also thought that I could use a split cable. That way I could plug the monitor into two jacks at once, but I really don't see any cables of that type that are split.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I have attached a pictures.

Thanks! from PowderPuff

[eeoo]

I don't see how you can have a "professional" listening environment with only one monitor, you need a stereo pair, right?

eo

[kclements]

I agree with eo - you need to have 2 speakers (monitors) to have a modern pro listening environment. You will check things in mono, but that's another thing all together.

But I don't understand how you are just getting the highs or the lows. What jack are you plugging your speaker into? I can see getting only some parts of each instrument, if they are panned hard L&R, but if you have a vocal that is panned center, you should still hear the entire vocal from the speaker, maybe a bit thin, but it shouldn't be just the bass or treble freq. Can you explain your setup a bit more?

cheers
kc

[PowderPuff]

I think I've got it! I turned on my studio monitor that I have, and plugged its cable into each available output jack on my interface, which is an M-Audio ProFire 610 with 6 inputs and 10 outputs, to see how it would sound when playing a Tom Petty CD. Only jacks number 1 and 2 were coming through the monitor; the others must have been for something else. Plugging the monitor into either of output jacks 1 or 2, the CD sounded the same. So I must have been panning wrong when mixing my own songs, when I had an issue with getting only high or low sounds, depending upon which jack I had plugged the monitor into. (I'm learning, okay?) And by chance, if I do get another studio monitor to add in with this one, I know where to put it.

Also, because I wasn't feeling right about plugging everything in to a wall tap, and plugging that into one electrical outlet, I got out - wait for it - an extension chord! And I plugged the studio monitor and my keyboard into that, which I plugged into different outlet on another wall.

KClements, thank you for being so helpful!

[kclements]

You're welcome. Happy to help.

cheers
kc

[MattCurious]

May be a bit late in the day to add, BUT: my monitors have hardwired switches on the back that give you the option to cut certain frequencies. If yours has similar and they are on, the monitors themselves may be filtering certain sounds. Ideally, the should be set so that the monitor is "flat"

[kclements]

May be a bit late in the day to add, BUT: my monitors have hardwired switches on the back that give you the option to cut certain frequencies. If yours has similar and they are on, the monitors themselves may be filtering certain sounds. Ideally, the should be set so that the monitor is "flat"

I think I know what you mean, but just for clarification - the room and monitors should sound flat - not necessarily the switches on the monitor should be flat, or in a "off" position. They are there to help compensate for placement and room issues.

In my room, I have the bass rolled off a bit on the monitors to compensate for my room. I did this after treating the room with acoustic panels and doing a lot of tests to get it as flat as possible. Of course, no room can be completely flat (with a couple of exceptions, I guess). But ideally what we are going for is good translation - the mixes you do in your room sound the best they can on a lot of different speaker systems - car, home theater, mono TV speakers... I still check my mixes on different systems, even though I know my room pretty well at this point and can get fairly close.

Another huge component of this is speaker placement and reflections. But, with just one speaker, this is less of an issue. Which brings me back to eo's comment - not sure how much you can do with one speaker.

cheers
kc

[Len911]

If you're running stereo into a mono-tor there certainly must be phase issues. Monitors are usually bought in pairs, if you do buy another one, you should consider buying the same model to match the one you have.

[Russell Landwehr]

Also, because I wasn't feeling right about plugging everything in to a wall tap, and plugging that into one electrical outlet, I got out - wait for it - an extension chord! And I plugged the studio monitor and my keyboard into that, which I plugged into different outlet on another wall.

Um.... I really wouldn't worry about plugging everything into the same outlet, actually I would recommend it.

First of all, you run the risk of ground loop or different potential to ground if you go to outlets on different breakers. This could even potentially cause dangerous voltage to be present between pieces of gear.

Second of all, there is no way your equipment will draw enough power to overload one outlet. SO, just plug them all into one surge protector and feel confident that all is well.

Russell

[MattCurious]

Kayle - thanks: I didn't explain myself very well. I meant that the monitor could be cutting frequencies in a way that isn't intended