Studio monitors are specially designed speakers for professional audio work. They are designed to have a flat frequency response to playback audio exactly as intended without coloration. This ensures the audio professional hears the raw sound to identify errors and make necessary changes. Key specifications for good studio monitors include a wide frequency range, low total harmonic distortion, and enough power for the studio size. Near-field monitors placed a few feet from the listener provide a precise sound without reflections, making them a good choice for most studio applications. Studio monitors allow for clear, precise mixes and help identify flaws to correct errors.

1. 2021
Fluid Audio
12/10/2021
Why Do You Need Audio
Monitors?

2. Studio monitors are loudspeakers that are specifically designed for professional audio production
applications, such as recording studios, filmmaking, television studios, radio studios and project or
home studios. They are essential in places where critical decisions regarding sound reproduction is
crucial.
Studio monitors are designed to have a flat frequency response, to playback the audio recording
exactly as intended without any kind of coloration or change to the sound. This is probably the #1
requirement in professional environments related to audio recording and mixing. This ensures that the
Engineer is hearing the audio in its most raw and pure form (with the actual speakers adding as little
coloration as possible). They are designed this way so that the audio professional may edit the music
or sound. It is essential to get to know the exact sound to be able to hear the errors in the audio in
order to make the desired changes.
Key Specifications for a good Studio Monitor:
Here is what you need to look out for when purchasing your monitors:
Wide Frequency Range: Since accuracy is highly prized in audio reproduction, one of the first
things you will want to confirm is that they can handle the full frequency range of your recordings.
Most monitor specs list the lowest frequency they handle in Hz (hertz) and the highest frequency in
kHz (kilohertz). For most recording work a frequency response of 50Hz-20 kHz is adequate. Anything
lower than 50Hz and higher than 20kHz will be even better for your recordings.
Total harmonic distortion (THD): THD lets you know how cleanly a monitor can reproduce
whatever audio you feed it. Most of the time the term THD really refers to THD+N, (Total Harmonic
Distortion plus Noise) so when you see THD, you can usually include noise in the equation. A clean
audio circuit should be very close to zero in the amount of distortion and noise it adds, i.e. about
0.001%. A poorly designed audio circuit will add quite a bit of distortion, in the range of anywhere from
0.3 to 1%.
Power in Wattage: Although it is usually not as much of a concern for studio situations, you
want to make sure you have enough power to drive your speakers and hear them at an acceptable
mixing level. Professional studios or mixing bays are generally bigger, so this is more of a concern.
However, generally, 50-100 watts per speaker should be plenty for a bedroom or home office-sized
studio.
Near, Far, or Mid-field design:
We often hear the term nearfield with reference to studio monitors speakers. But very few people
know what it means. In the simplest terms, “field” refers to how close the listener (in this case the
mixing engineer) is to the speakers he’s listening to. When you hear “near field”, that means they are
placed only a few feet away, providing a clear, immediate sound. The closer the speakers are to the
listeners ears, the less room reflections and reverberations come into play in the sound of the
monitors. Near field monitors usually provide a more precise, upfront impression of the sound mix.
Using a compact speaker design with relatively small speakers, near-field monitors are a good option
for most studio applications. They allow the engineer to hear the sound coming directly from the
speakers, rather than sound that reflects off the walls and ceiling.
Whatever your studio requirements, studio monitors are a must for seamless audio production. They
allow for clear, precise, and dynamic sound mixes, enabling you to identify any flaws in your audio
and allow you to correct them. Unlike standard hi-fi speakers for instant, they reveal the good and bad
in the audio your listening to, allowing you to correct errors, making them the best choice when your
creating professional audio.