"95% of people get THIS wrong about Studio Monitors"

[nerdemoji]

This guy explains that having a dedicated mid-range is better and "less forgiving" in mixing contexts and that crossovers create "holes" in the sound.

Thoughts?

 

[mhardy6647]

I am not about to watch the video, but it is crucial to "get the midrange right".
Evolution has tuned our auditory processing to be midrange-focused.

 

[Chrispy]

I did click but would prefer someone posting a video at least give some background on who posted the video first....some simply don't deserve clicks. I didn't stay long as I don't have a studio. Getting midrange right is a good thing no doubt. That needs a video?

 

[sweetchaos]

100% click-bait title.

TL;DW?

 

[JSmith]

A transcript;

when I was putting together a video about why I used these three-way loudspeaker systems here I came across so many misconceptions about these systems especially when compared to similar traditional two-way systems that would just have one woer and a tweeter now a lot of these misconceptions come from the audio file world and community and I'm okay with that but they started creeping into the pro audio scene and I hear them repeated over and over again so in this video I'm just going to highlight the key benefits and drawbacks to a three-way system like this because depending on what you actually want to do with your music something like this might not be an upgrade at all and it might actually be worse for you the misconceptions that I hear over and over again are that a three-way system allows more frequency extension so both low and high they allow more volume they give a better stereo width and that they also are just more balanced across the whole frequency spectrum so this makes them better for pure audio file listening and sort of high res listening applications now I think all of these sort of completely missed the point I think a lot of it is just marketing to try and get you to upgrade they're just sort of hath trues and I think they just cause more confusion than anything else I think an example is probably the best way to show you where the actual benefit of a 3-way system lies so let's get right into it just so everyone's up to speed on a traditional loudspeaker with two drivers it plays back the full frequency [Music] spectrum this means that everything roughly below 2,000 Herz is reproduced by the woer here and everything above 2,000 Herz is reproduced by the Tweeter here now of course we have a left and a right speaker so that's four drivers in total to reproduce the music and for music production and listening that's really all you need but but it does present a slight problem when you're working with audio so mixing and mastering and this is because the mid-range basically has to be cut down the middle and the mid-range and a mix is really arguably the most important area it's where the body and tone of most voices instruments synthesizers all of that good stuff in a mix most of your instruments are right there in the mid-range and a two-way system effectively has to split this down the middle but on a three-way system like this the large cone only has to deal with everything below about 600 [Music] Hertz then from about 600 to 3K so all of that mid-range is handled by a dedicated [Applause] driver and then beyond 3K is all handled by the Tweeter now these crossovers do vary quite a bit from speaker to speaker but that's roughly about right and all this means simply is that the bass driver can be optimized only to handle those bass frequencies then the body and tone of most voices and instruments is exclusively dedicated to that mid-range driver and then the treble doesn't need to be overworked it can be reserved for that Tweeter and it doesn't need to try and reproduce sort of half of the mid-range this tends to give a better frequency balance if the system is actually designed well but when they are designed well and this is another big misconception they actually s unforgiving so if the music and mix is excellent and it's very good then these systems can sound great but anything up to that point and these systems just highlight so many issues that they're not actually always that Pleasant to listen to music on so as soon as something's not right in the mix it sticks out in quite an unpleasant way and that's why they're particularly useful for critical mixing and also mastering those sorts of audio finalization processes if you were however for writing music recording producing it would probably be off-putting if you record something or just start putting some tracks down and all these problems are jumping out at you it makes you think you're quite bad at it and in this case a two-way system can be a lot more flattering and actually just sort of keep you in the zone keep you in the process of making music and not worrying about every little issue or problem that could be cropping up in the audio this video isn't sponsored so I'd like to take 30 seconds to talk about my plugin BSA revor it's a transient shaper that distinguishes between transient and sustained material in the lows mids and highs of your mixes Masters or individual tracks it then intelligently brings some of those transients back which makes your mixes sound louder punchier and more dynamic in short it revives your tracks if you'd like to try it out for free I've got a link to the free trial Down Below in the description and it's also one of the best ways to support my videos so let's get back to talking about speakers what this means is that there's a lot less checking on other systems no car checking because the mid-range is handled so well and that's really the focus of most other playback systems that's where it's really important if you can get it sounding good on on a well-made three-way system if you just play it back on a two-way system it sounds good play it in the car tends to sound good there's not really the same issues whereas when I was working with two-way systems the mix checking process was a huge part of my job I would be checking on multiple systems always having to check in the car doing checks in different types of headphones because these sorts of systems are so unflattering present all the problems to you when you get it sounding right on this then they tend to translate a little bit better then the question could be if three drivers are good why not just go for four five six frequency splits and have six seven eight drivers on a speaker and there's a few reasons here one is obviously cost and size of the speakers but at that point you start experiencing diminishing returns poking more Hol in it and having more crossover filters things would become significantly more difficult to design and build keeping a system like this time aligned and actually working properly is already quite an engineering feat to do it with many many more drivers just make setting things up even more complicated and you're really getting diminishing returns at that point one of the first things I would do to improve your existing setup would be thinking about adding a dedicated subwoofer usually the way this works is you run from your interface into the subwoofers then they handle the low end and then from your subwoofers you go up to your main monitors and this way your monitors don't even have to worry about that extreme low end so maybe everything below 50 or 100 or even 150 Hertz is all taken care of by the subwoofers now you hear that I'm saying subwoofers and this is because most people get one sub but if you're serious about this I would strongly suggest you research using a duel subwoofer setup even though that sub is likely going to be mono in your mix depending on how those low frequencies add up or cancel out in your room and the shape and size of your room sometimes having two subwoofers can actually give a much more balanced and accurate bass response which is initially completely counterintuitive or you know it doesn't sound right you'd think it would just be an overwhelming amount of bass it's something I might make a video on but it's also quite well researched that although you'd expect one sub to sound better two often sound significantly better so just to summarize everything it's not that a three-way system inherently gives you more volume better frequency balance more low and high extension or some magical stereo field it really is just that when a system is designed with dedicated drivers for each frequency range as soon as something's not right in the mix it sticks out in quite an unpleasant way and that's why they're particularly useful for the finishing mixing or mastering on a mix but it's not necessarily very enjoyable I know there's a lot of marketing jargon and whatnots thrown around but that really is all there is to it it's not magic or anything too crazy do let me know if you found this useful and comment down below I I'm only making this video because I've had so many comments about these speakers maybe at some point I will make a dedicated review for these I'm not affiliated with this company I bought the speakers with my own money you know if you want a dedicated review of those speakers do let me know I usually base my videos off what people are asking for in the comments section anyway thank you very much for watching hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next one bye for now

JSmith

 

[Chrispy]

A transcript;




JSmith

Wow that's quite a block of text

 

[kemmler3D]

crossovers create "holes" in the sound.

That sounds bad, if crossovers are bad then why is he advocating for 3-ways over 2-ways? Or is it rather, keep the crossover out of the mids?

If so, In general that's not bad advice IMO. With 2-ways you typically have an xover close to 1Khz, with 3-ways you can usually push it up to 3khz or so, and give the midrange a nice crossover-free lane from perhaps 500hz-3khz or maybe even lower.

 

[JSmith]

Wow that's quite a block of text

It seems the main point of the video is;

I'd like to take 30 seconds to talk about my plugin BSA revor...

JSmith

 

[Chrispy]

It seems the main point of the video is;



JSmith

Even then....

 

[Rednaxela]

• Three-way loudspeaker systems are often misunderstood, with misconceptions about their advantages.
• The video emphasizes the crucial role of midrange frequencies in audio reproduction.
• Three-way systems excel in handling the midrange, offering improved frequency balance for critical tasks like mixing and mastering.
• Despite their benefits, three-way systems can be unforgiving, exposing issues in the mix.
• The author recommends adding a dedicated subwoofer to enhance the low end.
• Practical limitations are discussed concerning the challenges of increasing the number of drivers in a speaker.
• The overarching message is that while three-way systems aren't a magical solution, they prove valuable for specific audio tasks.

 

[sweetchaos]

This was ChatGPT 3.5's summary of the video:

The speaker enthusiast discusses misconceptions surrounding three-way loudspeaker systems compared to traditional two-way systems. He highlights common beliefs about three-way systems providing more frequency extension, volume, stereo width, and better balance for audiophile listening. However, he argues that these notions often miss the point and may be driven by marketing.

He explains that the benefit of a three-way system lies in its dedicated drivers for different frequency ranges, specifically addressing issues with mid-range reproduction in two-way systems. While a well-designed three-way system can offer better frequency balance, it can be unforgiving, emphasizing mix flaws. The video emphasizes the importance of context, suggesting three-way systems are valuable for critical mixing and mastering but may not be ideal for casual music creation or enjoyment. Additionally, the speaker enthusiast recommends considering a subwoofer and discusses the potential benefits of a dual subwoofer setup.

 

[sweetchaos]

@Rednaxela

Is your summary generated using ChatGPT 4.0?
Or is it ChatGPT 3.5, but just presented as bullet points?

 

[fin]

The title is just typical clickbait on YouTube, offering zero information. I refuse to give my clicks, which might be worth around 1/500th of a dollar or so.
Thankfully, the transcript and AI have revealed the content. I believe he is discussing the benefits and drawbacks of using 3-way systems in studios. He suggests that 3-way systems reveal the mid-range more clearly, yet are unforgiving, highlighting flaws in audio production. On the other hand, 2-way systems are more flattering and don't overly emphasize imperfections. I couldn't get a clear point from his video. Why would anyone want a studio monitor that covers up mistakes in recording and mixing? Audio engineers perform critical mixing on revealing speakers so that listeners can also experience the creative intention as authentically as possible, from the same speaker.

 

[fin]

Here is the summary generated by ChatGPT 4 with a prompt "Summarize the following in 5 bullet points. (transcript)" if any one want to compare.

Here's a summary of the key points from the video "95% of people get THIS wrong about Studio Monitors" on YouTube:

1. Misconceptions About Three-Way Systems: The video addresses common misconceptions about three-way loudspeaker systems, particularly in comparison to traditional two-way systems. These misconceptions often stem from the audiophile community and include beliefs about increased frequency extension, volume, stereo width, and balanced frequency spectrum.
2. Benefits and Drawbacks of Three-Way Systems: The speaker highlights that while three-way systems can offer better frequency balance when well-designed, they can also be unforgiving, highlighting flaws in audio production that might not be as noticeable with two-way systems. This makes three-way systems more suited for critical mixing and mastering.
3. Comparison with Two-Way Systems: In contrast, two-way systems, which split the mid-range frequencies, can be more flattering for music production and may be better suited for recording and composing, as they don’t overly emphasize imperfections.
4. Subwoofer Integration: The speaker suggests considering the addition of a subwoofer to handle the extreme low frequencies, potentially in a dual setup for a more balanced and accurate bass response.
5. Diminishing Returns with Multiple Drivers: The video also touches on the concept of diminishing returns when adding more drivers to a speaker system. While three drivers may be beneficial, adding more can complicate design and setup without proportionate benefits in audio quality.

 

[Sokel]

Probably comes from the old folklore "300-2000Hz" rule that should be untouched.
I would worry more for lower than 300Hz,as that's where a small 2-way may suffer.

 

[Rednaxela]

@Rednaxela

Is your summary generated using ChatGPT 4.0?
Or is it ChatGPT 3.5, but just presented as bullet points?

The latter.

I also asked it to create the forum code to post it this way, but now realize the result is less clear than I had in mind, sorry.

 

[beeface]

 

[bfburkejr]

I am not about to watch the video, but it is crucial to "get the midrange right".
Evolution has tuned our auditory processing to be midrange-focused.

Video matters not, the human ear is far more sensitive in the mid-range, or the vocal range.. This sensitivity happened in evolution along with Spanish development , before that, I would imagine we were low freq tuned, to hear prey. I could go in for pages. Why, common sense and science.

 

[pseudoid]

Evolution has tuned our auditory processing to be midrange-focused.

With that mentality and argument, one would think that men would be more sensitive to higher frequencies... so that we can know when the opposite sex is screaming at us.
... or maybe... that is the reason that we are not so sensitive... so that we don't have to!

gulp

 

[mhardy6647]

With that mentality and argument, one would think that men would be more sensitive to higher frequencies... so that we can know when the opposite sex is screaming at us.
... or maybe... that is the reason that we are not so sensitive... so that we don't have to!

gulp

Natural selection is not pretty.