In today’s world there are many types and brands of studio monitors available, with many different manufacturers. Some manufacturers may even produce their own unique line of monitors. For those of us who have been in the industry for any length of time we know that what makes a good set of monitor is actually very basic. Sound levels, the quality of speakers, the size of the viewing area and whether the user has their feet on or not will all play major roles in the final quality and sound of a monitor. So it goes without saying that any monitor which falls short of your expectations will automatically fall below your standards.
When you are in the market for studio monitors you should be able to choose from several different brands, of different sizes and in many different price ranges. The quality of sound produced by the monitor will depend heavily on the amount of circuitry design that has gone into making the monitor. A lot of companies have spent a lot of money improving the way their sound waves interact with each other and the equipment that acts as part of this process.
As mentioned above there are many different technologies used in modern day studio monitors. Acoustic panels are one of the more popular technology being used today. These are special panels made of foam or semi-rigid material, these are then installed over the exterior of the speakers to eliminate external sounds. The problem with these types of monitors is that they can be fairly heavy and clunky, they also take up quite a bit of room as well.
Other common types of monitoring equipment include dynamic response monitors, which measure the level of “quoise” or “warm” tones in the sound, they work by responding to the changes in atmospheric pressure, holding the response of the speakers to ensure the correct tone levels are maintained. Dynamic studio monitors are also commonly referred to as “web-casters”. Other types of monitoring equipment that may be required to perform effectively in a studio situation include cardioid microphones, and phase monitors. Cardioid microphones allow a direct path from a sound source to the speaker allowing for accurate sound levels and a constant monitoring of any changes in sound levels.
A phase monitor is somewhat like a cardioid microphone, but instead the signal is sent to a speaker that is linked to the listener’s headphones so the sound is reproduced as sound. There are some advantages to using phase monitors, besides the accuracy of reproduction of the phase monitor will also provide a constant source of sound levels.
These types of monitors can be rather large and bulky, however they allow for the monitoring of change in sound levels. This technique helps prevent unwanted sounds from being introduced into the mix. Some of the newer versions of these types of monitors are very tiny and very effective, they can be used in a computer or mp3 player and can reproduce high quality sound.
There are also many types of computer software programs available that can be used to create a great sounding studio system. Many of the software programs available have pre-loaded sounds and musical tracks and have built in effects for a variety of music genres.
Using computer programs to mix and store your music can produce fantastic results, and most of the programs available are fairly easy to use. There are also mixer programs that can be used to control a large room of sound. Mixing and matching sounds is a great way to achieve the perfect feel and tone for any recording, whether it’s a live performance or recorded music piece.
