do i need monitors?

[jcaverso]

Ok ever since i have been recording, I have been using my Yamaha stereo speakers as "monitors". They are big speakers and they sound excellent, and work pretty well for mixing. I am wondering if monitor speakers are really necessary. obviously the whole transparency thing is a big issue, stereo speakers arent meant for monitoring etc. All i want to know is what the difference is between monitors and stereo speakers. I really dont want to spend a grand on monitors and find they sound pretty much the same as my yamaha stereo speakers. PLus all my gear is crammed in my room along with my drumkit and bed and all that stuff, so i dont have space for immaculate placement anyway and its not the most amazing sounding room.
Will monitors help my recording immensely or should i stick with my huge expensive Yamaha speakers??

[savesilence]

The problem with monitoring on stereo speakers is that stereo speakers are designed to sound good, not accurate. While this is all good and well, if you mix on these, you will be creating a mix that only sounds good on badass stereo speakers. If everybody listening to your mixes is going to be listening on a system like yours, wonderful, but in all likelyhood this is not the case. Monitor speakers are designed so that you are hearing whats really going on in your recording. This way, you can make a baseline recording that is just as good or bad as the speakers its being played on. Additionally, a little big of room treatment goes a long way in helping you hear whats going on.

Check out Auralex.

Russ

[net0638]

jcaevro,

Do you listen to yourself through your stereo speakers while recording or only on playbacks?

Kyle in Florida

[jcaverso]

ok thanks for the replies. savesilence: how much more accurate do you think monitor speakers are than stereo speakers? is it a big difference?
net0638: when im recording i use headphones.

[fortyseven]

Speakers on a stereo system are designed to 'sound good' and spread sound over a fairly wide physical field. This is done so that everyone in the room can hear the sound resonably well. The problem with this is that the sound you hear is not only coming from the speaker itself but also reflecting off ceilings and walls. Thus you are hearing the reverberation of the room too. Speakers also tend to emphasise or de-emphasise certain frequencies.
Monitors are designed to give you an accurate representation of sound in a more narrow physical field. This is what is known as 'near field' I believe. You are not hearing the sound as it bounces off everything in your room but mainly as it comes out of your monitor. It also produces a relatively flat frequency response which just means it does not favour any specific frequencies. This gives a more accurate picture of whats going on sonically.
I remember someone once saying 'Speakers are built to hide the flaws in audio. Monitors are built to expose the flaws so you can fix them.'

[savesilence]

Long story short, it's a big difference. Get them if you are serious about recording. The first time I took some of my favorite mixes and plugged them into real monitors at guitar center, I was terrified. Of course, had I owned them, I would have mixed properly in the first place.

Russ

[jcaverso]

ok thanks. does anyone have any reccomendations for monitors under about $1200 - 1300?

[fortyseven]

Look at M-Audio. I've always used them and have been impressed. Its your choice at the end of the day though.

[JonPaulP]

What about computer speakers or headphones? Are those also designed to "sound good"?

I use these computer speakers which don't really have a good sound (sort of flat sounding with little bass).

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by JonPaulP

What about computer speakers or headphones? Are those also designed to "sound good"?

Cheaper computer speakers are designed for the average office Joe to have some sort of sound for his computer. It was not designed for quality sound. More expensive computer speakers are designed for gamers in mind and attempt to make games sound good for a 'better gaming experience'. Neither of which are any good for audio production.
Headphones are also made to sound good although there are a few 'monitor' models out there. I've never had much success with headphones.

Originally Posted by JonPaulP

I use these computer speakers which don't really have a good sound (sort of flat sounding with little bass).

If your speakers sound crap then you cannot expect your mixes to sound any better. I used to use a set of computer speakers for mixing a few years back and I would laugh at anyone who told me I needed to get monitors; I just could not understand the need. One day I managed to get a local nightclub to agree to play one of my songs. I cannot remember when last I've been so embarrassed. Everything sounded fine on my speakers yet in the club, it couldn't have sounded more amateurish!
If youre serious about music then you need monitors. Otherwise any speaker will do.