the use of main monitors

[achtung baby]

how many of you guys have mains in your studio? of those that do, how often/do you use them? i have never once mixed on a studios mains, only nearfields, so when i started my own studio i never even considered it. i was just kind of curious as to how many people own expensive mains, if they use them, and for what? please give me some feedback on this. thanks.

[Fletcher]

We don't have "expensive" mains [unless you calculate the expense of building the room in which case they're moderately expensive]... but they will be used quite a bit when the room is done.

[Benny]

Making mostly bass driven music, I use a typical Club 15' Speakers for mains, to get a reference on how it would sound in a club. I dont think you really need expensive accurate ones for mains for the style Im doing but club speaker reference ones will do the job well if your using nearfields as your main critical listening monitors. You can use a CD as a reference point on your Club Speakers and work off that to match how your mix should sound on them but use the nearfields for getting the mix there first. Id never use the larger speakers to mix in, first of all, Id go deaf. Larger speakers to me I find harder to judge in regards to levels and balance compared to nearfields.

[gainreduction]

They are great for A&R guys visiting the studio.

[matt thomas]

Yup, I call them A&R speakers, I wouldn't spend alot of money on them..

[HDGuru]

Originally Posted by narco

Yup, I call them A&R speakers, I wouldn't spend alot of money on them..

Gotta agree here. Although Ausberger type mains are great to have not to mention look awesome, they don't really do anything that a pair of JBL PA speakers can't do for 1/20th the cost.

[robmix]

Agreed, we've got a pair of the big Tannoy's with additional 18" JBL subs. Stupidly loud, tons of bass - not very accurate. But it blows the heads of A&R people and deaf band members.

[jayfrigo]

I've actually been using the Boxer T5s a lot lately. When I've mixed in rooms equipped with Augspurger or Genelec mains, I've used them much less. In Urei equipped rooms back in the day, I tried to avoid them as much as possible. The better mains like ATC, Quested and Dynaudio (including Munro) can actually be useful if properly installed in a good room; and apparently the Boxers will work too. I certainly wouldn't eliminate reference speakers, but good mains in good rooms are finally getting to the point where you can actually accomplish something on them.

[superburtm]

I don't have them in my room and I wish i did cuz I like to reference on them when I am in a big sontrol room. Just to hear the relationship of what's going on down uner (bass,kik) even if your not eq'n on them they tell a different story than nearfields. I want them!

[MBishopSFX]

The ATC scm-300s in Blackbird Studios D & A have been outstanding to mix on. I'd switch to nearfields just for checking there. Equally outstanding is the scm-300 installation in the BackStage room at SoundStage Studios.

I agree though, usually you want to use the mains only for impressing someone. Not so at the above studios. I'm sure there are some other installations where the investment in quality mains was worthwhile.