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hey,
ive got a pair of the m-audio 5" monitors with an Alesis 1/3 octave graph eq to tune them(rented a room analizer). i treated the room(project studio)with auralx. i have some very nice pieces to complete the project studio except monitors! my question is, "in theory" wouldnt my tuned, cheap speakers, be the same as the high $ monitors? ( i know the answer is no. but i dont know why. so thats why I'm asking). should i upgrade my monitors( i know the answer is yes, i just want to know the reason behind it)! i cant get too loud. I'm actually at my max level(loudness) i want to go. thanks a ton in advance. its nice to be able to talk shop with what we all love to do!

Comments

Massive Mastering Mon, 04/04/2005 - 20:53

1. Small nearfields are not physically capable of reproducing what a large, full-range speaker will.

2. EQ won't change this. If you paint a green minivan with Ferrari red paint, it's still a minivan. If it did change it, everyone would have perfect frequency response.

3. EQ will NOT fix room deficiencies either. The problems are in the room.

Ditch the EQ - Get the speakers to sound as "natural" as possible in the room - And don't use too much Auralex unless you're using a LOT of bass trapping or you'll wind up in a worse situation than before. On the flipside, you can NEVER have too much bass trapping.

TeddyG Tue, 04/05/2005 - 10:43

"On the flipside, you can NEVER have too much bass trapping."

"not true imo..but it does make a good quote"

Of course not true, mathematically, but absolutely true in almost every case, for almost all of us. I know this because the bass trap manufacturers tell me so(Only a partial joke, couldn't resist... still, sadly, pretty much true.).

Inotherwords, most of us will never completely(Maybe even adequately), suppress our bass problems no matter how much correcting we "think" we do.

Consumer speakers(At least practically - as there are no "specs" to go by.). Buy them, like them. Don't like them?(Maybe they don't coordinate with the color "theme" of the sofa?) - Take them back for other speakers...

Monitors(At least theoretically, there are "specs" to go by, as FLAT is FLAT - right?). Buy them. Don't like the sound you hear? Modify the room and/or the mix until you do. Better yet? Build the room(The listening space) FOR monitors. Then buy ANY monitors(Now only "sizing them" and "placing them" in the "formula-determined" listening space) and they'll give you an accurate picture of what you listen to.

Uhhhhh... and, good luck. Maybe you'd be better off painting your mini-van Ferrari red and hoping people don't notice it's not a Ferrari?(Fortunately, most won't notice... maybe not even you and me?).

TG