Using Surround Sound Speakers for Monitors?

Almost Human · 14th November 2005

I have a quick question...would anyone forsee any issues with using a set of surround sound speakers for monitors? This will basically be used for band tracking and making rock demos, not specifically trying to do anything "surround." The reason I ask is because I already have a set of Altec Lansing THX 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers with my PC. It contains a center speaker, a left and right front, a left and right back, and a sub. If there would be no issues using it for monitors for my projects, then it would just save me the expense of buying monitors in the meantime.

Any help or feedback is appreciated...thanks! thumbsup

Jonboy79 · 14th November 2005

There are more than a few guys on here who's eyeballs would probably explode reading this but, what you have will work if you can make it work. You can mix on pretty much anything, its just how accurate your source, room and ears are, and the source probably won't be that accurate so you'll have to rely on your room having good acoustics and most importantly your ears hearing everything properly. If you're really talented you should be able to get usable mixes, it may take going out to the car 20 times to really learn whats good and bad about the speakers but it certainly isn't impossible to make acceptable mixes on computer monitors. Probably better than headphones. That being said if you ever did make the jump to really decent nearfields you'll notice that it may only take one or two trips to the car to figure out your monitors thus making your life that much easier.

14th November 2005	#1
Almost Human Gear addict Joined: Jul 2005 Location: Germantown, MD Posts: 408 Thread Starter	Using Surround Sound Speakers for Monitors? I have a quick question...would anyone forsee any issues with using a set of surround sound speakers for monitors? This will basically be used for band tracking and making rock demos, not specifically trying to do anything "surround." The reason I ask is because I already have a set of Altec Lansing THX 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers with my PC. It contains a center speaker, a left and right front, a left and right back, and a sub. If there would be no issues using it for monitors for my projects, then it would just save me the expense of buying monitors in the meantime. Any help or feedback is appreciated...thanks! thumbsup

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14th November 2005	#2
Jonboy79 Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2005 Location: St. Louis MO Posts: 2,636	There are more than a few guys on here who's eyeballs would probably explode reading this but, what you have will work if you can make it work. You can mix on pretty much anything, its just how accurate your source, room and ears are, and the source probably won't be that accurate so you'll have to rely on your room having good acoustics and most importantly your ears hearing everything properly. If you're really talented you should be able to get usable mixes, it may take going out to the car 20 times to really learn whats good and bad about the speakers but it certainly isn't impossible to make acceptable mixes on computer monitors. Probably better than headphones. That being said if you ever did make the jump to really decent nearfields you'll notice that it may only take one or two trips to the car to figure out your monitors thus making your life that much easier.