How the Instantly Improve the Sound of your Studio Monitors

Making good music is a lot about paying attention to details, taking care of every little nuance to achieve perfection. However, an issue that is frequently overlooked by a majority of recording studio owners is the positioning of their studio monitors. What most of us don’t realize is that the position of your monitors can cause a substantial difference in the frequency balance and stereo field which makes it the first issue that must be tackled right away. On the flipside, we leave it until later when something in our recording doesn't sound right. 

But with some experience and some expert advice, we have listed a few things to help you figure out the exact placement of your studio monitors. And we’re pretty sure you’ll be surprised to discover that those speakers you thought were lousy will suddenly come to life.

Distance between the monitors 

Keeping the monitors too close or too far will affect the audio quality. If they are placed too close together, the resulting stereo field will have a vague spatial definition. In case you have placed them too far apart, the focal point or "sweet spot" will be too far behind you and you'll hear the left or the right side but not both together. The golden rule is that the speakers like the Fluid Audio FPX7 should be as far apart as the distance from the listening position. So, if you’re sitting 4 feet away from the monitors, then move your monitors 4 feet apart. 

Placing the monitors the correct angle

An inappropriate angle can once again result in a smudged stereo field, which means you won’t be able to hear the instrument definition. However, choosing the correct angle is has a lot to do with personal preferences, with some sound engineers favor placing the monitors angled directly at their mixing position while others prefer the focal point anywhere from three to twelve inches behind them.

Mounting the monitors

Using Desktop Stands to lift your monitors up from your desk will help remove reflections as well put the monitors closer to ear height.

It will as well decouple the monitors from the desk, examples of Desktop Stands are Fluid Audio DS5 and DS8.

Check the desk or console itself. 

There is a lot of stuff that matters when it comes to the audio quality being produced. This includes the angle of the desk or console, what material is used for the panels, knobs, keyboards and switches, the type of paint and the size and composition of the armrest. All these things can have an impact on the sound due to reflections causing phase cancellation. If you’re unhappy with the sound of the monitors like Fluid Audio FX80 on top of the desk or meter bridge, try moving them towards you with extenders or put them on stands behind the desk or console.