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studio monitors vs regular stereo speakers


SlagJones

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Many studio monitors are voiced to be very flat where many stereo speakers are colored ....usually bass heavy. Back in the analog days there was a little set of 5" cube speakers that everyone checked their final mixes on...because if they sounded good on a full range 5" speaker they would sound good on anything!:-

Posted
Many studio monitors are voiced to be very flat where many stereo speakers are colored ....usually bass heavy. Back in the analog days there was a little set of 5" cube speakers that everyone checked their final mixes on...because if they sounded good on a full range 5" speaker they would sound good on anything!:-

The 5" speakers were Auratones (or Horrortones as they were affectionately known) and just about every studio in the world had and probably still has a pair. There was a programme on TV recently about Quincy Jones and they spoke about them on there. Funnily enough I've just spent the afternoon making myself a pair of speakers loosely based on their design, I'm using a pair of car speakers in small wooden boxes I picked up at Ikea (they're actually plant pot holders!). The reason I want them is to see how recordings sound on a cheap system or a car stereo. I imagine a high proportion of music nowadays is listened to on iPod or car stereos or computer speakers and none of them are that good so it is really important to know how your mixes will translate to a similar system. I've also discovered lately the importance of checking a mix on iPod type earphones, if you mix on a pair of monitors with 12" or 15" woofers chances are the bass will be completely missing on an iPod.

In 1981 I recorded at BBC Maida Vale for a John Peel session and they checked ALL their mixes on a small mono speaker to emulate an AM radio, as well as the Auratones.

Just for information I use a pair of 27 year old Mission 717 Hi-Fi speakers as my monitoring system. They were never regarded as a great pair of speakers but I have had them from new and didn't see the point in replacing them. Oh, the amp is of the same vintage and is a JVC JAS22, I got it as a 21st birthday present 29 years ago!

Cheers,

Ian (UK).

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