[cooldude11]

I have been using Alesis Monitor One (non-powered) for about three years. I bought them used and power them using a high-powered amplifier. I spent months planning and experimenting to get a sound that would reproduce the same on any other outside system.

Its really a combination of things that make this happen. You can spend thousands on monitors but THAT wont get you the result. I know in the mastering world everything is debatable and purely subjective. But I use my experience as my own credibility and have been told by a large number of important people that my demos were comparable to store bought cds. No bragging intended here.

Understanding frequencies and how they respond to any given material is important to consider. Physiological factros MUST be considered. You dont hear the same way every day. So therefore, electronic equipment should be supplemented to help "create" a room that gives off a certain reponse that allows consistent results. Once you "get the hang" of working out a system customized for your particular setup, you learn to produce A1 material that translates well outside. But, remember that you can purposely compress the hell out of a recording and it might be unconventional to some people but cool as hell to someone else. If we get too caught up in convention we end up with demos all sounding the same, as has become so apparent in mainstream music. EXPERIMENT!!

The good ole days of analog is what gave us originality. But it is possible with the digital world. The biggest and best thing I have learned on getting results that translate well is all about LOW END. Dont be fooled by what your speakers tell you. Every room has a way of fooling your ears. But you can analyze your output over time by running the master bus through a big high quality EQ that gets tweaked over time to balance the actual sound out with reflections of the room. Eventually you start hearing the material for what it actaully is and you end up with a template of success. But it always helps to have a tv, walkman, small stereo, etc lying around to do comparisons. Over time your ears remember what they hear.

SOunds like a helluva lot? A master sound man wasnt born overnight.