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. Key specifications for good studio monitors include a wide frequency range (ideally 50Hz-20kHz), low total harmonic distortion (below 0.1%), adequate power (50-100w), and a near-field design which places the speakers close to the listener for a precise sound. Studio monitors allow audio engineers to identify flaws and make corrections by revealing the good and bad in audio mixes.
2. NEED TO KNOW
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).
4. Here is what you need to look out for when
purchasing your monitors
• Wide Frequency Range
• Total harmonic distortion (THD)
• Power in Wattage
• Near, Far, or Mid-field design
5. 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.
6. 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%.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.