Those nearfield monitors you ordered arrived at last just yesterday. Those precise, active studio monitors you've been drooling over for months now… You tore open the packaging, and dropped them (oops, I mean placed them carefully!) on top of the mixer desk, same as we all see in the magazines.

Today, reality begins to settle in.."Why am I not getting the super-accurate sound I paid for?" you ask yourself…

The Comb Filtering Problem

What happens when you put nearfields on top of the mixing console?

You've just created 2 sound paths to your ears:

• direct from the monitors
• reflected from the console

The reflected sound arrives just a few milliseconds behind the direct sound, but this is enough to result in that undesired phenomenon known as comb filtering.

Frequencies are either cancelled or boosted, giving your ear a false impression of the mix. It's great for a phase shifter effect, but it's not what you want in a control room!

The Bass Response Problem

With your monitors on the desk, you have effective acoustic coupling from the speaker to the desk. Just like the effect you hear when placing monitors on a wood floor, bass response can also be affected.

The Solution - Positioning and Mounting

To overcome both the comb filtering, and the bass response issues, you need to find a different position for your monitors. I mean one that allows separation between the speakers and any other acoustic surface.

So…

• get them off your mixing desk
• place them a few inches above and behind the desk

How? On speaker stands, of course!

This simple action will not only eliminate or greatly reduce the comb filtering problem, it'll also improve bass response.

Here's the general rule of thumb for nearfield monitors:

With the speakers at about 6 feet apart, form an equilateral triangle, with your head as the focal point. Start there, and adjust to taste.

Individual manufacturers may have more detail on placement, so be sure to read the documentation. This will get you started.

Tags: Recording Studio, Home Recording Studio, Studio Signal Processors