anditz Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Now I know the difference can be huge depending on how whack your HiFi system is. However how much of a difference is there really between studio monitors and hifi speakers. I know most of you are going to say studio monitors have a flatter response curve and have less colouration, but can't you achieve a similar sound through a well equalised amp?Explain to me why it is worth my while in forking out 600 of my hard earnt on some monitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imadje Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Good q:)Monitors will show up every crackle, pop, glitch etc so you can polish your piece to sound amazing.But: most users will hear it through hifi speakers.All the producers I know use reference monitors to make the piece as good as they can get it... but then they switch and alternate between the reference monitors, several hifis, club P.A. car stereo and even laptop speakers during mastering/finalising so that they end up with the sound that is best overall for the end users.The studio reference just supplies a base level from which you can compare all the others. Hence why they are called "reference."I dont think any eq is going to help make a hifi reference quality. You already know there is too much colour in the sound already and doing anything to the EQ is only going to add more variation, not achieve a flat reference level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Near field monitors are designed to be listened to close to the speaker (hence the name), whereas your typical hifi system is usually designed to be listened to from further away (such as in a lounge room).No matter how well you EQ your hifi speakers, the frequency response curve isn't going to be flat like a pair of monitors. With Hifi speakers, as you mentioned, they will colour the sound, which can be a hindrance, particularly when producing/mixing. If your using hifi speakers as a reference, you then go to listen to the same track on a different pair of speakers, to find it sounds quite different, as those speakers colour the sound differently. By using monitors, your getting a better replication of what you are listening to actually sounds like. Then when your mix/production is played on different types of systems, they are going to get a better replication of the mix/track as you intended. As the monitors have a more accurate response, it is the best initial reference your going to get.Another issue some people find with hifi systems is the slight lag in the amp before the sound comes out of the speakers, which people find hinders their beatmatching.I used to use a Sony sound system before I got monitors with my new DJ package, was surprised to see just how different the music actually sounds. It is amazing just how much a different set of speakers colours the sound so much. Many consumer speakers tend to boost lower frequencies, as many people uneducated on the matter think more bass = better sound = better speakers.I rambled there a bit but is probably pretty much repeating what you already know though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
street Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 long story short, monitors highlight the flaws in the production, whereas speakers mask these flaws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonz Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 i dont need to rant....all of the above are spot on!go the monitors, get the right pair and youll never regret it.what models are you looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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