VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Rob Ellis]

I have Wharfedale Diamond Pro Monitors. They are evenly spaced, about 5 inches from the wall. Behind and above them are 5
24 X 24 4-inch thick acoustic panels from ATS Acoustics, mounted on the wall.

The room is about 10 X 12 and I have 2 X 1 X 1 bass traps stacked in each corner, almost to the ceiling.

Here's the question: These monitors can be set to either a flat bass response, or a "bass cut" switch. Which is a truer reflection of what end users will most likely hear? I know in my car the sound is closer to the flat bass response on the monitors.

Up until now I have been using them with the bass cut switch.

[Mike Sommer]

Depends on how you are using your monitors.

I assume you are using them for production. If so, you are using them as near-field/reference monitors. In this case, they should be uncolored- flat. If they are colored in the bass spectrum, you are likely to EQ and mix your projects to sound good on those speakers at that setting. When you mix on monitors that are bass heavy, your production will sound thin when played on another system.

This is why it is very important to understand how your monitors translate to other systems. This is why they are call "Reference" Monitors; how they sound in reference to other speakers.

The room you mix in can also effect your mix, this is why the mix area needs to be treated just as much as your booth. Which is why I prefer to keep the booth an mix area an all in one affair.

On your corner bass traps, you may not be getting all that you are bargaining for there. Bass traps that straddle corners need to be at least 6-inches thick, and should be at lest 2-feet wide. This is why I like super chunk bass traps because you use the same amount of material as you are with a flat panel -with an ceiling at 8-feet high.
_________________
The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

[Rob Ellis]

I have been using the bass cut switch, and that probably explains why most of my mics have always sounded a little thin.

I've now tried both of my mics in my car stereo player, and on that they both sound like the studio monitors in the flat bass mode and not in the bass cut mode.

So if a typical car CD player represents a typical listening environment, there's the answer.

[Mike Sommer]

You have that switched around. If you are using the bass cut that means the bass is not being enhanced at the speaker.

In this situation your ears tell you that you need need more bass at the EQ.

If you had a bass boost at the speakers your ears would telling you, you need less bass at the EQ.

If your mixes sound thin then one of a few things may be going on: 1) may need more bass tapes and broadband panels; 2) You are sitting in a bass peak -note the 38% position. 3) you need to learn how your monitors translate to other systems. [It would be helpful to know what you are mixing. Ar you just working with voice or full production. Post some samples]


It not just the car radio but ear buds, clock radios, TV's and the list goes on. THis is why I always check amy mixes with Auratone monitors. IF a mix sounds good on these they it will sound good on anything.
_________________
The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.