How To Produce Music In Your Home Studio Part 3 |
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Aug 30 2022, 01:56 AM
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In part 1 and 2 we talked about selecting a DAW and selecting an AUDIO INTERFACE. Now, let’s move on to talk about another critical bit of gear. You will need a set of STUDIO MONITORS. You may have to start out with whatever is available to you, such as ear buds, headphones, etc. These things will work in a pinch but to create music that is of better quality, you will need a pair of actual, professional studio monitors.
So why do you need studio monitors? To improve the quality of your mix. It’s that simple. Monitors that are built for home studio use are very different to home stereo speakers that you may already have. Home stereo speakers, bluetooth speakers, etc., are designed to make audio sound good. Whereas studio monitors are designed to have a “Flat Response” meaning that they try not to exaggerate high or low frequencies. As a result, if you compare your home stereo system with real studio monitors, the home stereo may sound better. But that’s not what you want while mixing. There is an old saying, “Whatever you speakers are good at, your mixes will be bad at.”. This simply means that if you are listening on a playback system that accentuates bass frequencies, the mix will lack adequate bass when played on a system without that accentuation. What you are trying to achieve is a flat response with your monitors. As flat as possible. Entry level studio monitors are not always great at this, but they are much better than anything else at that price point. KALI AUDIO LP6 V1 & V2 So what are some good candidates? First off, I’d suggest the KALI AUDIO monitors of any size or description. From the generation one monitors (which I use and love) to the second generation from Kali. Every monitor set they offer is accurate and doesn’t fatigue the ears, even after long sessions. I sold my KRK monitors as soon as I got my Kali. I’ve had them ever since. The best part is that these monitors are not expensive relative to other offerings in this segment. The gen 1 LP6 is about $250 a pair. Shockingly inexpensive given how good they are. They also offer a subwoofer which is a great choice for adding later on. Here is a review of the GEN 2 LP6 which run about $350 a pair. KRK CLASSIC 5 You have probably seen monitors with yellow cones in various youtube videos in various studios, both home and pro. These are probably the KRK series. These are very nice monitors for the price, and as mentioned, I used to own a pair. They are preferred by some people over the Kali Audio monitors. As with all gear, it really comes down to the person using it. These are time tested to be sure. They run about $300 a pair. They have been improved since I had the originals, and now offer more settings on the back to get a better mix. PRESONUS ERIS 3.5 There are other options of course. If you want to get started with something that is more of a budget option, you can look at the Presonus Eris 3.5, which I also own a pair of. These have a small 3.5 inch driver which is not great for bass response, but they only cost $100 a pair and you can add a presonus matched 8 inch subwoofer later on for only $200. These are a starter set to be sure but they are still better than mixing on earbuds or headphones. They are small enough to fit on just about any desk, and are self powered as most modern studio monitors are. These are just a few choices. There are plenty of other brands to consider of course. What monitors are you using in your home studio and how do you like them? *Link to part 1 of this series (Getting started and software) https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...c=63185&hl= *Link to part 2 of this series. (Selecting an audio interface) https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...showtopic=63186 This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Aug 30 2022, 01:58 AM |
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