Studio Monitors Masterclass

Are you wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to studio monitors? Do you really need them? Why can't you use any speakers? How big do they need to be? If any of these questions sound familiar, you've come to the right place. In this studio monitor video course, studio wiz Alberto Rizzo Schettino will demystify the topic of studio monitors and separate fact from fiction. You'll learn the difference between nearfield and farfield monitors, what's best for your space, and how to voice your speakers properly, along with plenty of other tips to help you make the most of your space and speakers, both of which will result in mixes that translate better everywhere! These studio monitor videos are designed for those looking to purchase their first studio monitors or possibly upgrade and would like to know more on the subject.

Videos

• Introduction (01:11) - Join Alberto in his studio for an intensive but on-point course on studio monitors. Whether you use headphones and are looking for your first pair of studio monitors, are looking to upgrade to a new pair, or maybe want to add another pair of speakers to your existing setup, this master class is for you. Alberto will guide you through the fundamental concepts of getting to know your monitors, placing, correcting, and voicing them to sound at their best, and using familiar tracks to understand their sound.

• "Small" Nearfield Monitors (ADAM Audio A7V) (11:31) - What is a nearfield monitor, why is it called that, and what are its typical features? Let's use a pair of ADAM Audio A7V as our template and point out why this format is probably the most widespread. Why are even famous engineers in top studios still mixing through smaller speakers? Let's find out.

• Speaker Placement: Basic Techniques & Tips (04:34) - Alberto demystifies the concept of speaker placement by giving you the structural concepts to help you assess where to place your studio monitors in your control room and how to get the best sound from this important, first step.

• "Big" Farfield/Main Monitors (ADAM Audio S5H) (03:32) - Come to the back of the control room to take a look at the massive S5H Mains. What are "farfield" monitors and are they still relevant today? Why are there so many speakers on one? Are they more precise and better than a nearfield monitor, considering how expensive they are?

• "Medium" Midfield Monitors (ADAM Audio S3H) (06:06) - We go back to the assistant's table to take a look at one of the icons of midfield monitoring: the S3H, successor to the legendary S3X-H by ADAM Audio. Alberto takes this chance to get two important messages across: performance vs size and coherence in linearity at different sound pressure levels. There is a reason why specific projects are still today the absolute sweet spot for critical listening.

• Using Reference Tracks to Know Your Monitors (26:54) - Once our speakers are in place, we can use a number of familiar tracks to get to know them. Alberto guides you through a curated list of songs from his golden references, but most importantly, he shows you what elements of each song he's using to determine the monitor response and feel in the room. This way, you can use YOUR references to get to know any new loudspeaker system (or pair of headphones).

• Mixing for the First Time with Your New Monitors Pt. 1 (13:45) - Join Alberto as he approaches his first test mix with the new monitors. This is different from a normal mix, as Alberto will guide you through the tips and tricks he utilizes to create a long-term memory footprint of the speakers against the mixing choices he takes in the session. He'll mix entirely on nearfields, switch to the big mains, and comment on what he hears in terms of difference. Then he will make the necessary changes, switch back to the nearfields, and comment again. This is going to be a great method to ultimately get to know your monitors and the way they react in the room.

• Mixing for the First Time with Your New Monitors Pt. 2 (13:04) - Alberto continues his explanation by moving onto other instruments and showing you the mix bus and effects he used. Once we have a good grasp of this mix, we'll move to the big speakers, and Alberto will comment on what the mix feels like. Before doing so, he continues to share his experience to allow you to stay focused and maximize the amount of information you get for learning your new monitors.

• Mixing for the First Time with Your New Monitors Pt. 3 (14:54) - It's time to assess this mix from the mains. We switch to the big speakers, after having mixed it all on nearfields, and we take note of what we hear. Alberto will help you acquire a solid method to remain objective (and calm!) while investigating the elements that need improving. The trick here is "the fewest moves to get the most improvement."

• Mixing for the First Time with Your New Monitors Pt. 4 (18:28) - We work on the mix from the mains, make the necessary changes, and then finally go back to the nearfields. Has the mix improved on both pairs of monitors? Would we have been able to assess these changes on the small speakers? If so, how?

• Monitor Correction & Voicing Pt. 1 (11:20) - Speaker correction is extremely important, even for good rooms and expensive speakers, as it can really maximize the translation of the monitors in the room. Alberto highlights the importance of not over-correcting and focusing on the least number of aspects that can really open up and linearize the monitors in our room. Thanks to ADAM Audio's A-Control and Sonarworks SoundID, correcting speakers is much easier today, but there are a lot of perils along the road, and Alberto's tips and tricks will help you avoid common mistakes. On top of that, Alberto shows you how he worked on the correction manually, using measurements done in Room EQ Wizard (REW).

• Monitor Correction & Voicing Pt. 2 (12:46) - Alberto continues with his correction techniques and shows what the S-Series S Control Software by ADAM Audio offers. After the correction is done, it's equally important that you learn how to voice the speakers according to your taste and feel. Voicing your studio monitors is going to make the difference between a disappointing "car check" mix test and an exciting, satisfying one, where your mix translates exactly as you thought it should.