.MONITORS


Monitors and Equalization

An inaccurate or unrefined monitor system not only causes incorrect equalization, but also results in too much equalization. The more accurate and linear your monitors, the less equalization you will apply, so it pays to talk a bit about monitor adjustment. The ear/brain must be used in conjunction with test instruments to determine monitor accuracy. For example, some degree of measured high-frequency roll-off usually sounds best (due to losses in the air), but there is no objective measurement that says "this roll-off measures right", only an approximation. Thus, for the high frequencies, the ultimate monitor tweak must be done by ear. Which leads us to the chicken and egg problem: "If you use recordings to judge monitors, how do you know that the recording was done right?" The answer is to use the finest reference recordings (at least 25 to 50) to judge the monitors, and take an average. The highs will vary from a touch dull to a touch bright, but the majority will be right on if your monitor system is eccurate. Try to avoid adding monitor correction equalizers; better to fix the room or replace the loudspeakers; my techniques include tweaks on speaker crossover components until the monitors fall precisely in the middle of the "acceptance curve" of all 50 reference recordings. Even with monitor brands that sound perfect elsewhere, your room, interconnect cable capacitance, power amplifiers, D/A converters, and preamplifiers affect high frequency response especially, so if you make any changes, you must reevaluate your monitors with the 25 best recordings!


Monitors and Stereo Imaging

The Finalizer provides powerful techniques for adjusting stereo imaging. But first, your monitors and acoustics must be up to the task. Separate your monitors to approximately a 60 degree angle. There is a test record that objectively evaluates stereo imaging, and detects comb-filtering caused by nearby surfaces, as well as defects in speaker crossovers. It's called the LEDR test, short for Listening Environment Diagnostic Recording, and is available from Chesky Records, (http://www.chesky/com) on JD37.
First play the announce track and confirm that the announcer's positions are correct. If not, then adjust speaker separation and angle. Then play the LEDR test. The beyond signal should extend about 1 foot to the left and right of the speakers. If not, then look for side wall reflections. Similarly, the up signal should rise straight up, 3 to 6 feet, and the over signal should be a rainbow rising at least as high as the up. If not, look for interfering objects above and between the speakers, or defective drivers or crossovers.


Adjusting stereo balance

Stereo balance must not be judged by comparing channel meters. The only way to accurately adjust stereo balance is by ear. Confirm your monitors are balanced by playing pink noise at an exact matched channel level. Sit in the "sweet spot". All frequencies of the pink noise must image in a narrow spot in the center of the loudspeakers.


If a film or TV actor wearing a microphone crosses his arms, do you immedeately notice the change in sound quality?


Quelle: Bob Katz