How/where do you place your monitors?

[Reichbaum]

I'm picking up a Roland VR09B soon, and was going to get a normal folding stand for it. If I get two monitors for audio, how would you recommend placing them? I want to take up as little space as possible. I'd love to see some photos of your home setups!

Thanks,

Eric

 

[b3maniac]

Start here, and experiment the best positions for you and your space. B3

 

[markmann]

It really depends on what you are going to use as "monitors." Actual studio monitors are very directional and the sweet spot is very small so the positioning for studio monitors is very specific. If you plan to use a normal hi-fi type speaker you have much more freedom for placement.

 

[delaware dave]

I'm a gigging musician and I use one monitor (I run mono) which I place behind me so that I can adequately hear myself. Although stereo seems cool when you are in a loud band stereo imaging gets lost. I play in a couple of bands, one band does not mic the instruments. That band also has two guitars; one with a Marshall 100 watt tube head and the other with a boutique amp (Fuchs) that is also a 100 watt tube amp. The volume becoming off the stage is incredibly loud. The bass player has a 1200 watt 8x10 cabinet. My EV speaker struggles to keep up and having it behind me simply crushes me. so I use a 2nd speaker with that band, and I put it in front of my rig. This allows me to be heard by the audience and since one of the speakers is in front of me it reduces the volume behind the players (stage volume). It's my equivalent to a personal keyboard PA, between the speaker behind me and the speaker in front of me I get enough volume out to the audience without it all being in my ears. So 1000 watts behind me and 1000 watts in front of me. It's crazy but the band is really good and that is why I still play with them.

 

[Reichbaum]

It really depends on what you are going to use as "monitors." Actual studio monitors are very directional and the sweet spot is very small so the positioning for studio monitors is very specific. If you plan to use a normal hi-fi type speaker you have much more freedom for placement.

Do you have any good examples of an affordable hi-fi speaker? I'm playing purely for personal entertainment at home, don't need anything to impress anyone, just want to hear what I'm playing. Thanks!

 

[happyrat1]

@CowboyNQ >>> That's why we have to scream everything at ya grandad.

But seriously, he's talking about home setup.

In my livingroom studio I simply have two Presonus Eris E5 powered monitors mounted at either end of my board, below, on the floor, on 12" risers.

The acoustics are excellent and the highs crisp and clear and the bass sufficient to disturb neighbours at max levels.

I usually run them at about a 20% volume setting and that's more than loud enough without becoming painful to listen to.

Gary

 

[Reichbaum]

@CowboyNQ >>> That's why we have to scream everything at ya grandad.

But seriously, he's talking about home setup.

In my livingroom studio I simply have two Presonus Eris E5 powered monitors mounted at either end of my board, below, on the floor, on 12" risers.

The acoustics are excellent and the highs crisp and clear and the bass sufficient to disturb neighbours at max levels.

I usually run them at about a 20% volume setting and that's more than loud enough without becoming painful to listen to.

View attachment 2552

Gary

ohh that's helpful! So they don't have to be up at ear level? The VR09 doesn't have any space for speakers to sit on it, and I want to avoid buying additional stands for the speakers. Those Presonus Eris's look good, and affordable!

 

[happyrat1]

The Presonus Eris speakers are very nicely engineered, particularly for the electronic styles of music prevailing these days,

I also have a set of 3.5's that I use as TV monitors in my bedroom.

Most people here on the forum agree that in their price range they are the best bang for the buck.

Gary

 

[CowboyNQ]

@CowboyNQ >>> That's why we have to scream everything at ya grandad.

But seriously, he's talking about home setup.

In my livingroom studio I simply have two Presonus Eris E5 powered monitors mounted at either end of my board, below, on the floor, on 12" risers.

The acoustics are excellent and the highs crisp and clear and the bass sufficient to disturb neighbours at max levels.

I usually run them at about a 20% volume setting and that's more than loud enough without becoming painful to listen to.

View attachment 2552

Gary

Might have been intended for Dave?

 

[happyrat1]

Might have been intended for Dave?

Whoops. Yer right.

I cringe at the thought of having to work with jet engine dB's.

 

[Biggles]

This was my setup, the speakers are yes, PreSonus Eris but the 4.5 version. Mounted a shelf behind the DP and speakers, music stand and mixer all resided on the shelf.

 

[paulmapp8306]

Do you have any good examples of an affordable hi-fi speaker? I'm playing purely for personal entertainment at home, don't need anything to impress anyone, just want to hear what I'm playing. Thanks!

wed need a budget... define affordable. My affordable ones cost £2k inc sub... thats not affordable for others.

Id definitely go "studio monitor" not hifi. Put them just behind the VR, to the left and right edge, and angle them to your sitting position. As in the picture above BUIT angle them inward not flat facing.

 

[paulmapp8306]

ohh that's helpful! So they don't have to be up at ear level? The VR09 doesn't have any space for speakers to sit on it, and I want to avoid buying additional stands for the speakers. Those Presonus Eris's look good, and affordable!

The speaker dont have to be at ear level - the tweeters (small cones) should be facing AT your ears, but they can angle up or down, left and right to do so.

Ideally in an equilateral triangle - so the gap between the speaker cones is the same as the distance to your ears at sitting./playing position. Thats not always possible, particularly if your against a wall - the distance between speakers would be too small. That should be around 1 meter minimum really for separation. You could squeeze them a little closer, and if the listening position is slightly further away than the speaker distance you'll be fine for casual playing (rather than critical listening of the stereo image and depth).