Let’s talk…Monitors!
One of the most important parts of any studio setup is the monitoring situation. Being able to trust what you are hearing is imperative to turning out quality recordings and mixes. At Drum Arsenal Productions, I rely on multiple sets of monitors to check various frequency ranges and balance music across the entire spectrum when mixing.
My monitoring situation revolves around my main set of speakers, the Neumann KH310s. These are 3-way monitors that are incredibly accurate and reliable across the whole frequency spectrum. Being a 3-way speaker, they have an incredibly tight low end and do very well without a sub. These are the monitors I spend about 50% of a mix on. They are incredibly hi-fi and really allow a listener to hear tones, nuance, and make musical decisions with clarity and confidence.
My secondary monitors are the legendary Yamaha NS-10s. These monitors can be found in every major studio around the world…and with good reason! If a recording sounds good on these monitors, then it should sound good on any (or at least most, ha!) playback systems. The NS-10s are not overly flat though. They have a pretty big boost in the upper midrange, and like most monitors of this size, the low end is limited. Because of the dominant mid-range, these monitors can be a little fatiguing to work on for long periods of time. I usually spend the beginning portion of a mix on these monitors, roughly 30% of the time.
For a final stereo reference, I use the Avantone Mixcubes. These are very small monitors that are pretty much entirely mid-range. They are especially dull compared to the KH310s and even NS-10s, but they are an excellent tool for balancing the low and high ends of a mix. Guitars and vocals can become overly bright rather quickly and the Mixcubes really help keep these frequencies in check. These monitors are also rather close to a consumer level playback system. You get a real-world view of what your mix will sound like. I also like checking phase on these monitors. I flip to these monitors throughout a mix, but generally only spend about 10%-20% of my time on them.
Last, but not least, I use a single Fostex 6301b as a mono reference. This single monitor is my main mono reference. Rather than send a mono signal to a stereo pair of monitors, I prefer to just use a true mono source. This monitor is excellent for checking stereo to mono compatibility and serve as a “car” test without having to actually go to the car! These monitors usually come in to play towards the end of a mix for me and I generally spend the start of a mix on these, as well as the end. Working in mono frequently can help make sure your mix is sounding the best it can across multiple sources.
It is worth mentioning that the only way to make monitors effective and useful is to have them in a room that is accurate and fitting for the task at hand. I worked extensively with Acoustimac and various acousticians to make sure my room is as accurate as possible. Having an accurate room allows one to switch freely between different sources and trust what is being reproduced. Having high quality cabling, monitor controlling, and proper power is also very important to your overall sound. Being that my studio focuses on both remote drum tracks and mixing, I end up using different monitors at different points in the process.
What monitors do you use? Do you have a favorite setup? Let me know in the comments!
