Choosing And Setting Up Your Studio Monitors

Studio monitors are an essential component of any studio setup, helping to enhance the quality of recorded music. They are typically placed near the singer or band to allow them to hear their own voice clearly. Setting up studio monitors involves connecting them to an audio interface or mixer, ensuring proper positioning and calibration for optimal sound output. The process includes determining the type of connection, adjusting volume levels, and considering the length of speaker cables. Calibration apps and techniques are also available to optimise sound quality.

Positioning studio monitors

The placement of studio monitors is critical to achieving optimal sound. The following guidelines will help you position your monitors for the best results.

Symmetry is Key

Place your monitors symmetrically in the room. This means centering your speakers on a single wall, preferably the shorter wall, rather than setting them up in a corner. This helps to reduce imbalances in the stereo field, ensuring that any imbalances are uniform for the left and right sides.

Avoid Reflections

Position your monitors to minimise reflections from nearby hard surfaces such as windows, drywall, or plaster walls. Reflections can cause comb filtering, altering the sound you hear. Use a mirror to check for reflections—if you can see the speaker's reflection, apply absorption to that surface.

Monitor Height

The ideal height for studio monitors is at ear level, with the tweeters pointed directly at your ears. This ensures you hear the full range of frequencies and provides the most consistent sound. The standard height for monitors is between 47 and 55 inches (120-140 cm), but this may vary depending on your setup.

Create an Equilateral Triangle

For accurate stereo imaging, position your monitors and listening position to form an equilateral triangle. Some sources suggest placing the third point of the triangle behind your head, so the tweeters are aimed directly at your ears. Others recommend an angle of 30 degrees from the direction of listening, creating a 60-degree angle between the monitors.

Avoid the Midpoint

Avoid placing your monitors at the midpoint of the room, as this can cause a dip in bass response. Instead, position your monitors along the longest wall, creating a greater distance between the rear wall and your ears. If your rear wall is reflective, aim for a distance of at least 10 feet.

Vary Distances from Walls

To minimise the impact of room modes, vary the distances between your monitors and the walls. Ensure that the distance from the back of the monitor to the wall is different from the distance to the side wall, and neither should be a multiple of the other. For example, if your monitor is 1.5 feet from the rear wall, place it 3 feet or 4.5 feet from the side wall.

Use Acoustic Treatment

Treat your room with acoustic panels or bass traps to minimise reflections and improve the accuracy of your sound. Prioritise treating the sidewalls, first reflection points, and the area behind your monitors. If your room has a low ceiling, consider adding treatment there as well.

Calibrating speakers

Calibrating your studio monitor speakers is critical to get the best experience in your listening environment. It ensures that your mixes sound consistent across different speakers and helps you hear the music properly so that you can mix it. Calibration also helps to preserve your hearing and enables you to listen to sound in your environment more accurately.

The main purpose of speaker calibration is to ensure that a specific metered audio level in your DAW or on your mixer equals a predetermined sound pressure level (SPL) in your studio environment. Calibration can help reduce unwanted noise, minimise the risk of damage to your studio monitors and ears, maximise the reference capabilities of different speaker types, and ensure you hear the audio as accurately as possible.

There are various methods for calibrating studio monitors, and the best method for your studio depends on the nature of your mix environment, gear, clientele, and audio mixes. However, nearly every calibration method uses test tones, and one of the most common types of test tones is full-bandwidth pink noise. Pink noise consists of every frequency band at exactly the same level, making it ideal for speaker calibration, room analysis, and acoustic measurements.

To calibrate your studio monitor speakers, you will need an SPL meter and pink noise. You can either purchase or download pink noise samples, or use a tone generator in your DAW to generate pink noise. You will also need to ensure that your SPL meter has a C-weighted scale, as this is more suitable for calibration purposes than the A-weighted scale.

• Turn the independent level controls on the back of each of your studio monitors all the way down.
• Set your interface output to unity if there is one. If your interface does not have a unity level, choose where you want your output knob to be when you reach the desired calibration level and mark the spot.
• Set up a track in your DAW with a tone generator to output pink noise at 0 dB VU (around -18dbfs to -20dbfs).
• Place the SPL meter in the listening position, typically at seated ear height, pointing towards the centre point between the left and right speakers.
• Pan the pink noise to the right speaker and adjust the volume knob until the SPL meter reads your desired level, typically between 78-85 dB SPL.
• Repeat step 5 for the left speaker.
• Play some familiar music through your speakers and fine-tune the speaker placement until the sound is balanced.

It is important to note that the specific steps may vary depending on your equipment and personal preferences. Additionally, if you have a subwoofer, you will need to calibrate it separately to match the full-range speakers.

Connecting studio monitors to an audio interface

• Turn down the volume and equalizer knobs on both the audio interface and the studio monitors. This is important to prevent any damage to your equipment and your hearing.
• Connect the audio interface to your computer using a USB or Thunderbolt cable. Plug it into the USB or USB-C port on your computer.
• Open your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and select your interface under the audio preferences menu.
• Identify the output ports on your audio interface. These are typically found on the back of the unit and can be TRS jack sockets (marked as 'Main', 'Line', 'Monitor', or 'Outputs L R' for left and right outputs) or XLR outputs.
• Check the input ports on your studio monitors. These are usually located at the back and can be TRS jack or XLR inputs, or sometimes both.
• Connect the correct interface outputs to the corresponding speaker inputs using the appropriate cables. If your audio interface has TRS outputs and your studio monitors have XLR inputs, you can use a balanced TRS to male XLR cable.
• Adjust the volume and EQ settings on your audio interface and studio monitors. Start by turning the volume up to about two-thirds on your monitors. If there's a 0 dB volume option, use that for the most accurate sound. Adjust the EQ settings to suit your preferences.
• Position your studio monitors optimally. Ensure the tweeter (high-frequency) driver is level with your head, and you are sitting at an equal distance from each speaker to get a balanced sound. Place the monitors at least 30cm away from walls and corners to minimise the impact on the EQ response.

Connecting studio monitors to a mixer

Step 1: Understand Active vs. Passive Monitors

Before connecting your studio monitors to a mixer, it's crucial to understand the difference between active and passive monitors. Active speakers have a built-in amplifier, making them easy to connect using XLR or TRS cables to the mixer's aux or bus outputs. On the other hand, passive speakers require an external power amplifier, and you'll need cables like SpeakON, TS, or speaker wire depending on the connectors on the amplifier.

Step 2: Check Specifications and Compatibility

Improperly connecting speakers and amplifiers can cause damage, so always refer to the user manuals for your monitors and mixer. Pay close attention to connection types, impedance, and power ratings to ensure compatibility. This step is crucial for the safety of your equipment and to avoid any potential damage.

Step 3: Choose the Right Cables

The type of cables you use will depend on the connections available on your studio monitors and mixer. You can use balanced or unbalanced cables, and the most common connectors are XLR, 1/4" TRS (or TS), and RCA. Balanced cables, like XLR and TRS, provide better noise rejection and can handle longer cable runs without losing audio quality. Unbalanced TS cables are more susceptible to noise and have a shorter maximum recommended length.

Step 4: Connect the Cables

Now it's time to physically connect the studio monitors to the mixer. For active monitors, connect the mixer's monitor outputs to the inputs on the speakers using the appropriate cables. If you're using balanced cables, you can use Method 1 (1/4" TRS Cable) or Method 2 (1/4" TRS to XLR Cable) as described in the source. For passive monitors, connect the mixer's outputs to the inputs on the external amplifier, and then connect the amplifier's outputs to the monitor's inputs.

Step 5: Adjust Levels and Placement

Once the connections are made, power on the system and adjust the levels. Turn up the mixer's Aux output level and the stage monitor's volume to comfortable levels. Fine-tune each channel's Aux send level to customise the monitor mix according to the performer's needs and position. Place the monitors in an ideal location, typically 3-5ft in front of each performer, ensuring they are not pointed directly at microphones to avoid feedback issues.

Controlling studio monitor power and volume

Power Control:

Before connecting or turning on your studio monitors, ensure that the volume knobs on the monitors and the monitor knob on your audio interface are turned all the way down. This simple step protects your equipment from accidental damage caused by loud signals when you first power them on.

Volume Control:

• The optimal method for volume control depends on your specific setup. In general, it is recommended to maximise the volume on the last device in the audio chain to ensure optimal signal-to-noise performance.
• For example, if you are using a computer as your audio source, you can adjust the volume using the operating system's volume control or a dedicated media player application. This approach allows for more precise volume adjustments without sacrificing sound quality.
• Alternatively, if your studio monitors have built-in volume controls, you can use them to adjust the volume. However, this method may be less convenient, especially if your monitors are out of reach.
• Another option is to use a dedicated studio monitor volume controller, which can be placed between your audio source and the monitors. These devices provide convenient and precise control over sound levels and often include additional features like multiple inputs and outputs, headphone amplifiers, and speaker switching.
• If you are using an audio interface, it is generally recommended to set the volume on the interface to about halfway or two-thirds of the maximum level. This provides you with enough headroom to make both upward and downward volume adjustments as needed.
• It is important to ensure that the volume levels on all your monitors are matched to maintain a consistent listening experience. This is especially crucial in professional studio environments.
• Additionally, consider using volume control knobs or sliders that offer a smooth and precise adjustment range. This allows for more fine-tuned volume adjustments.

In summary, controlling studio monitor power and volume involves a combination of proper power-up procedures, strategic volume adjustments at different points in the audio chain, and the use of dedicated volume controllers. By following these guidelines, you can optimise your studio monitor setup for the best sound quality and flexibility during recording, mixing, and production sessions.

Frequently asked questions