What does "studio monitor" mean?

[mercanucaribe]

A music major once told me that it means that those headphones and speakers cover every frequency in the range, instead of just some frequencies like regular headphones and speakers. Is that true? Sounds like bunk to me.

 

[furie27]

I found this definition, not sure how much it helps: "studio monitors are speakers that have very high quality output and flat response, meaning the speakers dont colour or add anything to the sound. "

 

[DaTT]

Next time your at a live band.....look at all the speakers pointed towards the stage(generally on the stage), those are monitors. So the band can hear what they are doing.

 

[TwiceOver]

Originally posted by: DaTT
Next time your at a live band.....look at all the speakers pointed towards the stage(generally on the stage), those are monitors. So the band can hear what they are doing.

I believe those are stage monitors though. At least that is what we always called them.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: furie27
I found this definition, not sure how much it helps: "studio monitors are speakers that have very high quality output and flat response, meaning the speakers dont colour or add anything to the sound. "

A very good basic definition...correct too.

There's no such thing as the perfect speaker. You'll notice that what we call "a speaker" actually has two or three individual drivers (woofer, midrange and tweeter).

You can thank physics for that. I'ts physically impossible for one speaker to reproduce the entire frequency range of human hearing, which is generally accepted as being 20Hz-20KHz. Though it's typically more like 20Hz-15KHz.

Studio monitors typically have a flat freq response. This allows the proper EQing/mixing of the source material to be done.

 

[DaTT]

My bad.......didn't fully read post....or....errrr......tired.

 

[Viperoni]

Originally posted by: TwiceOver

Originally posted by: DaTT
Next time your at a live band.....look at all the speakers pointed towards the stage(generally on the stage), those are monitors. So the band can hear what they are doing.

I believe those are stage monitors though. At least that is what we always called them.

Correct.

 

[thirdlegstump]

Studio monitors are basically speakers that are designed for studio use: audio/video production enviroments. They usually either hype the midrange frequencies (total opposite of 'consumer' speakers) or try to accurately represent the audio by engineering them so that the represented frequency ranges are as flat as possible in terms of amplitude. This makes it easier for producers and engineers to hear what's really happening in the mix as flaws and trouble spots are easier to pinpoint. They are usually more expensive than regular speakers which tend to simply hype the upper and lower end frequencies (ala Bose.....) To the normal Joe, they make music sound more nasal and with less oomph. To the trained ears, they present music as it was intended. They are not really "Audiophile" speakers either.

 

[whattaguy]

Originally posted by: furie27
I found this definition, not sure how much it helps: "studio monitors are speakers that have very high quality output and flat response, meaning the speakers dont colour or add anything to the sound. "

I agree with this. HiFi loudspeakers (home stuff) color the sound...mostly in the low and the high frequencies...to make make the sound appealing. However, studio monitors give a flat response to give the engineer an accurate, level mix of the music. A good mix on studio monitors should then translate well and sound good on other systems.
If you mix on hifi systems which may accentuate the high and low frequencies, you will have difficulties translating a good mix on all systems.

Stage monitors, what Datt speaks of, are for a totally different purpose. Those are for musicians so that they can listen to themselves.

 

[Brutuskend]

I'm not real sure.

But NEVER buy any out of the back of a white van.

Yeah, I did that once, LONG LONG ago...

Well actually I set my roommate up...

No, he didn't KICK MY ASS either.

 

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I'm not real sure.

But NEVER buy any out of the back of a white van.

Yeah, I did that once, LONG LONG ago...

Well actually I set my roommate up...

No, he didn't KICK MY ASS either.

If i had a dollar for everytime i ran into one of those idiots, id have enough to buy their sh1tty speakers.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: DaTT
Next time your at a live band.....look at all the speakers pointed towards the stage(generally on the stage), those are monitors. So the band can hear what they are doing.

those are foldback monitors. completely different from studio monitors.

as people have mentioned, they are basically speakers designed to have very flat frequency response. it helps to have a wide frequency extension and low distortion, but the most popular studio monitors of all time (Yamaha NS-10's) have very little low end extension and pretty much sound like crap. they just have so little color and they are so ubiquitous that nearly EVERY pro studio in existance has a pair hooked up. people mix through them because they know what the result will be, there's no surprises. interestingly, the NS-10's, which you can pick out because of their famous white speaker cones, were originally designed for home stereo use. studios starting using them and laying them on their sides, and yamaha acknowledged this by flipped the "Yamaha" logos over 90 degrees.

most "studio monitors" are near-field monitors, which means you need to sit within ~6 feet of the speakers to get proper sound. basically they sit on top of the mixing console and you sit in front of the console.