monitor stands - how critical?

tommy banana · 14th June 2006, 09:45 PM

I am getting PMC DBS1a+ and a REL subwoofer. how critical are the monitor stands?

I am looking at Ultimate Support MS45B2 or the ATacama Nexus 10 both around 1 metre high to get tweeters at ear height.

How important is it?

I am going for my desk to one side and big LCD screen so no console or reflections between me and the monitors.

cheers

Tommy Banana

Jax · 14th June 2006, 09:48 PM

Quite critical.

Short of soffitt mounting, you need monitor stands...

Do you mean to ask about speaker placement?

David French · 14th June 2006, 11:14 PM

Yes, stands are quite critical. The one most important factor to consider is weight. The heavier the stand, the better imaging you will have and the snappier your transients will be. I use a pair of DIY stands filled with lead shot. They weigh about 70 lBs each and sound fantastic. Look for a stand that can be filled and you will be well on your way.

mixboy bob · 14th June 2006, 11:20 PM

Don't even think of anything other than Sound Anchors Studio ADJR. Worth EVERY penny. I have 5 and what they do to the midrange is nothing short of mind-blowing.

as we say, though...YMMV

peace

mixboy

mixboy bob · 14th June 2006, 11:25 PM

Tommy,

Just say your thread about the LCD display. Sound Anchors made me a custom mount arm to hold my 32" LCD over my center channel speaker - super sexy! If you won't be doing surround, they make great LCD monitor stands as well.

peace

mixboy

sonixx · 15th June 2006, 01:41 AM

Sound Anchors... YES...

cramseur · 15th June 2006, 03:21 AM

Okay, I gotta ask...why are the stands so critical? Can't you just have the monitors on a shelf over the desk with some Auralex Mo'Pads underneath for separation?

Mind you , I'm not trying to be an azz, I really want to know.

Jax · 15th June 2006, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cramseur

Okay, I gotta ask...why are the stands so critical? Can't you just have the monitors on a shelf over the desk with some Auralex Mo'Pads underneath for separation?

Mind you , I'm not trying to be an azz, I really want to know.

Critical:

Well-designed monitor stands acoustically decouple the speaker from the floor or other surface. They also allow the speakers to be positioned where they translate best in the room.

Not as critical, but important-ish:

There are arguments that the more massive in weight a stand is, the less any frequency can travel through it and set the floor and walls vibrating. And there are arguments (although maybe less valid) for the weight acting as an "anchor" and stabilizing speaker and cabinet travel.

I think the mo'pads are a good idea if placed under a speaker that sits on a stand. They do a decent job of keeping the midrange from soaking into the stand.

Hopefully somebody like Thomas Barefoot will show up here and teach us all something else.

MattiMattMatt · 15th June 2006, 04:38 AM

The speaker is a motor and every time it pushes air forward, it pushes itself backwards, like the backwards jolt of shooting a gun. If the speaker stand is not secure, the rebound will distort the signal. Vibrations can also travel through the floor and jiggle the speaker on a flimsy stand.

Ideally, you want the speaker to be absolutely uninfluenced by any of its own vibrations.

Sound anchors

-matt

Cojo · 15th June 2006, 08:38 AM

Hello tommy banana.

I remember a long time ago (>10yrs) I had my (spkrs) monitors on a shelf behind the mixer and it sounded. Nothing more really. I didn't think about it that much until one day I came home from the shop with a pair of speaker stands.

The differerence between having the speakers on a shelf and having them on separate stands is almost like depushing the mono switch! The stereo image and the details were so much better.

Later I also learned that it's also crucial how the speakers are placed in the room but that's another story!

In short: Buy stands!

/Cojo

djui5 · 15th June 2006, 08:43 AM

One of the biggest changes I made in my mix room was filling my monitor stands with sand...

It was amazing honestly...

ben_allison · 15th June 2006, 02:07 PM

Monitor stands are supposed to "decouple" monitors from the floor, and by virtue of that, all other room surfaces, right? Essentially, reduce energy being transmitted from the monitors to the structure of the room.

It seems the best way to do that, on any stand, would be to eliminate as much contact the monitors have with the stands as possible.

Why not just buy a few of those 1.5" felt cymbal pads, and put 3 under each monitor (or just one centered, if you can). You then have close to minimum surface contact for a few bucks. And, don't forget, soundwaves lose energy each time they pass into another medium.

mixboy bob · 15th June 2006, 02:37 PM

It's not ONLY about decoupling - the description of a gun recoil a few posts up the the CRUCIAL point!

Movement of the speaker cabinet will cause it to create harmonic distortions against itself - this is where clarity starts to disappear.

The price of Sound Anchors may seem extreme, but when I bought my first pair and moved my speakers from their cinder-block stands, my eyes almost filled with tears when I had my first listen - it was like I just got new speakers.

DO NOT SKIMP HERE! You'll pay a price and wish you had just done it right earlier.

A bit off topic, but this concept is exactly why the Enhanced Audio mic mount is so brilliant and makes an unbelievable difference - rigidity.

peace

mixboy

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14th June 2006, 09:45 PM	#1
tommy banana Gear interested Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 8	monitor stands - how critical? I am getting PMC DBS1a+ and a REL subwoofer. how critical are the monitor stands? I am looking at Ultimate Support MS45B2 or the ATacama Nexus 10 both around 1 metre high to get tweeters at ear height. How important is it? I am going for my desk to one side and big LCD screen so no console or reflections between me and the monitors. cheers Tommy Banana

14th June 2006, 11:14 PM	#3
David French Gear interested Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 9	Yes, stands are quite critical. The one most important factor to consider is weight. The heavier the stand, the better imaging you will have and the snappier your transients will be. I use a pair of DIY stands filled with lead shot. They weigh about 70 lBs each and sound fantastic. Look for a stand that can be filled and you will be well on your way. __________________ David M. French

15th June 2006, 03:21 AM	#7
cramseur Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cedarhurst, NY USA Posts: 505	Okay, I gotta ask...why are the stands so critical? Can't you just have the monitors on a shelf over the desk with some Auralex Mo'Pads underneath for separation? Mind you , I'm not trying to be an azz, I really want to know. __________________ :::: Craig Ramseur :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

15th June 2006, 08:38 AM	#10
Cojo Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden! Posts: 1,466	Hello tommy banana. I remember a long time ago (>10yrs) I had my (spkrs) monitors on a shelf behind the mixer and it sounded. Nothing more really. I didn't think about it that much until one day I came home from the shop with a pair of speaker stands. The differerence between having the speakers on a shelf and having them on separate stands is almost like depushing the mono switch! The stereo image and the details were so much better. Later I also learned that it's also crucial how the speakers are placed in the room but that's another story! In short: Buy stands! /Cojo __________________ Conny Johansson [ www.asteroidkiller.com ]

14th June 2006, 09:48 PM	#2
Jax Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: San Rafael, CA Posts: 3,659	Quite critical. Short of soffitt mounting, you need monitor stands... Do you mean to ask about speaker placement?

14th June 2006, 11:20 PM	#4
mixboy bob Gear maniac Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 181	Don't even think of anything other than Sound Anchors Studio ADJR. Worth EVERY penny. I have 5 and what they do to the midrange is nothing short of mind-blowing. as we say, though...YMMV peace mixboy

14th June 2006, 11:25 PM	#5
mixboy bob Gear maniac Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 181	Tommy, Just say your thread about the LCD display. Sound Anchors made me a custom mount arm to hold my 32" LCD over my center channel speaker - super sexy! If you won't be doing surround, they make great LCD monitor stands as well. peace mixboy

15th June 2006, 01:41 AM	#6
sonixx Gear maniac Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Clemson Posts: 164	Sound Anchors... YES...

15th June 2006, 04:38 AM	#9
MattiMattMatt Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 881	The speaker is a motor and every time it pushes air forward, it pushes itself backwards, like the backwards jolt of shooting a gun. If the speaker stand is not secure, the rebound will distort the signal. Vibrations can also travel through the floor and jiggle the speaker on a flimsy stand. Ideally, you want the speaker to be absolutely uninfluenced by any of its own vibrations. Sound anchors -matt

15th June 2006, 08:43 AM	#11
djui5 Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Phoenix Posts: 6,680	One of the biggest changes I made in my mix room was filling my monitor stands with sand... It was amazing honestly... __________________ _________________ "What is a crossfire hurricane & why wasn't I born in one?" Randy Wright http://www.myspace.com/djui5

15th June 2006, 02:07 PM	#12
ben_allison Gear maniac Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 261	Monitor stands are supposed to "decouple" monitors from the floor, and by virtue of that, all other room surfaces, right? Essentially, reduce energy being transmitted from the monitors to the structure of the room. It seems the best way to do that, on any stand, would be to eliminate as much contact the monitors have with the stands as possible. Why not just buy a few of those 1.5" felt cymbal pads, and put 3 under each monitor (or just one centered, if you can). You then have close to minimum surface contact for a few bucks. And, don't forget, soundwaves lose energy each time they pass into another medium. __________________ Benjamin Allison http://b2p.roestudios.com http://www.myspace.com/betweentwopoints

15th June 2006, 02:37 PM	#13
mixboy bob Gear maniac Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 181	It's not ONLY about decoupling - the description of a gun recoil a few posts up the the CRUCIAL point! Movement of the speaker cabinet will cause it to create harmonic distortions against itself - this is where clarity starts to disappear. The price of Sound Anchors may seem extreme, but when I bought my first pair and moved my speakers from their cinder-block stands, my eyes almost filled with tears when I had my first listen - it was like I just got new speakers. DO NOT SKIMP HERE! You'll pay a price and wish you had just done it right earlier. A bit off topic, but this concept is exactly why the Enhanced Audio mic mount is so brilliant and makes an unbelievable difference - rigidity. peace mixboy

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