How to Buy Monitors for Recording

If you’re recording music at your desktop or in a studio, you’re going to want to have a good pair of monitors. These speakers are much different than standard home stereo speakers or desktop computer speakers. Here’s what to look for.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Multitrack recorder

1. Set your price range. Monitors can range from $100 to four figures. It’s possible to get a decent pair of monitors for relatively cheap.
2. Get nearfield (also called close field) speakers. Home theater or desktop speakers often have their own built-in EQ. This is exactly what you want to stay away from. The speakers should be an exact representation of what you’ve recorded, without any additional filtering or enhancement.
3. Stay away from subwoofers. Both desktop speakers and home stereo speakers come with a third subwoofer for enhanced bass clarity. A third speaker makes it difficult to set left and right balances in a recording. This, however, is also personal preference: some like the extra bass of a subwoofer.
4. Look for clear mids, highs, and clean, flat basses—not too bright, not too flat, but just right.
5. Turn the speakers up loud. You’re likely going to be mixing in close range, but you also want to hear what a mix sounds like across the room. High-tech studios will have both nearfield and separate room monitors, but you can kill two birds with one monitor.
6. Select active or passive monitors. If you’re recording via software, you’re going to need active monitors—speakers with an internal amplifier—as the computer can’t power up speakers. Home theater speakers, on the other hand, are passive, powered by an external amplifier.

Tips & Warnings

• If possible, try out a CD in-store—something you’re very familiar with. If the CD sounds accurate with no enhancements, such as one instrument strangely coming to the forefront, the speakers will probably work in the studio.
• Buy the speakers from a store with a 30-day return policy. If the speakers aren’t good, you’ll be able to exchange them for speakers that work for you.
• Monitors can sound much different in the store than in your studio as all rooms have different acoustics.
• Get speakers that crank as high as you need without distortion. You can blow speakers using their own volume knob. A good pair of monitors should take the abuse.