Studio Monitor Options

Welcome back everyone!
We are now getting into the final stretch of creating the skeleton of the at home studio. The next essential step is to get a pair of studio monitors so you can listen to what you are working on. Working in headphones can be a great way to monitor, especially when working late and don't want loud sound, but headphones can often miss out of low frequency content and you may not be getting as clear of a mix as you think.
That's why we need a good pair of monitors to get accurate results when working on our projects at home.

When it comes to monitors there are two available types, active and passive. Active monitors are a designed so there is no external power amp needed to power the monitors. With active monitors, the amp is actually build in behind the speaker driver. This means the user can attached the supplied power cord, plug it in to the wall or power strip and the monitor will turn on.

As you can probably guess, passive monitors require an external power source to power the monitors. In this came we need a power amp, which will not only power the monitors, but in most cases will receive the audio signal and the monitors will receive the signal through the amp.

There are definitely some advantages and disadvantages to both designs. An advantage with active monitors is they will take up less space because the power supply is internal. There is also no need to spend extra money on a good power amp. However, since the power supply is build into the monitor housing, behind the speaker cone, there may be some hiss from the power amp that comes through the speaker cone. This may not be an issue to some, where as to others that are working with quiet sounds may need to turn their gain up on the monitors, which may cause more hiss to get through.

An obvious advantage to passive monitors is there is no hiss behind the speaker cone. Since the power supply is external, what comes out of the monitor is only the signal that's being fed into it. Another advantage to this monitor design is the manufacture can focus all their attention into the design of the monitor, and not worry about the amp that's going to power the monitor. With that, buying an external power amp can be very expensive. If the user doesn't have a high quality amp, even the best passive speakers will not sound good.

For the at home studio, being practical and saving money is the best option for us. One thing to consider when testing out monitors is there may not be a "best" choice. The best way to choose which monitor pair is best for you is simply to test the monitors before purchasing.

Here are some passive monitor examples:

Avantone Audio MixCubes

These passive monitors are 6 1/2" tall and have a 5 1/4" speaker, which makes these perfect for sitting on a desk. With a frequency response of 90 Hz - 17 kHz, these speakers are designed to mix in "real life" situations where bass is usually challenged. This can be when using an mp3 player, computer, car stereo and so on. With those missing frequencies you may not be able to get the most accurate mix as possible, but often times the frequencies not present with these monitors are never heard anyway.

These monitors are available through Sweetwater for $269.00 (pair).
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MixCubes/

Next we have a pair JBL Control 5 studio monitors.

The JBL Control 5 stands 15.25" tall and 9.875" wide. While these are a bit bigger than the Avantone monitors, these monitors offer a greater frequency response. Being able to reproduce sound at frequencies from 50 Hz - 20 kHz, these speakers will reproduce sound with great accuracy. With a tight design, these speakers can also fit in less than ideal areas to work and have the same great performance.

These monitors are available through Sweetwater for $338 (pair)
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Control5/

While there are monitor designs that feature higher quality materials in the construction, the Avantone and JBL monitors mentioned are more than enough to get great results in the at home studio. For the price, both these monitors are great for anyone working in small spaces or less than ideal monitoring areas.

Next let's move to some active monitors. These are going to be a bit different because of the build in power source. Here are a few designs of active monitors:

KRK Rokit 5

These active monitors have two build in drivers, one for the high frequencies and one for the low frequencies. These is what is going to give the power to the monitor. The KRK Rokit 5 stands 5" tall, has a frequency response of 52 Hz - 20 kHz, and has amplification of 30 Watts for low frequency and 15 Watts for high frequencies. These monitors also offer XLR, 1/4", and RCA inputs, as well as an input sensitivity control. These monitors also offer a very accurate response because it response to a large frequency range. These monitors also come in the Rokit 6 and 8 version, which a larger than Rokit 5.

These monitors are available through Sweetwater for $149.50 (each) so 299.00 (pair).
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rokit5G2/

Next we have the Yamaha HS50M.

These passive monitors also has two drivers, one for high frequencies and one for low frequencies. The high frequency amplification of 25 Watts powers a 0.75" tweeter while the low frequency amplification of 45 Watts power a 5" woofer. These monitors have a frequency response of 55 Hz - 20 kHz, which gives for an accurate recreation of sound. A great feature about these monitors is the EQ section on the back of the monitor. This allows the user to reduce or add gain to a set frequency built into the monitor. These frequencies are 80, 100, 500, 2000, and 3000 Hz. This gives the user more control over how the monitors reproduce sound.

These monitors are availble through Sweetwater for $199.99 (each) so $399.98 (pair).
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HS50M/

So while there are differences in both passive and active monitors, the active monitor is going to be a little bit more expensive up front because you are not only paying for the monitor but the power supply for each monitor.

Keep in mind however that the passive monitor is going to require a power amp in order for the monitors to work. This is going to be another purchase and may end up being more expensive than the active monitor.

Another reminder is to always test out the monitor before you purchase them. Just because a certain monitor model sound good to one person, doesn't mean that it will sound as good to you.
Please leave comments and feedback on any monitor you have used. There may be some monitors suggested that I didn't mention in this post. Stay tuned for my next post where I continue the development of the at home studio.

TTYL,
BCEB

*It's not about how fast you can pump something out, it's how efficient you can use your knowledge to create the best available product while delivering a professional experience.*