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Hi-Fi speakers: floor or ceiling?

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(@taylorr)
Prominent Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 736
Topic starter  

Hey guys,

I just recently acquired some big ole JBL hi-fi speakers from my dad and I need to find how best to use them... I have a setup in my room for recording and listening but my speakers are crappy right now. The JBL's are huge though so I can't put them at ear-level. I can either put them on the floor on either side of the desk or I can put them on a shelf about 3 feet above my head. Which would give me a better sound?

Thanks

aka Izabella


   
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(@danlasley)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2118
 

Can you post a picture?

I'm thinking that imaging is most important, so I'd put them at ear level behind you. Next best would be up high pointed mostly down. I would think putting them on opposite sides would be the least desirable, but I'm not sitting in your space.


   
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(@scrybe)
Famed Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2241
 

Can you post a picture?

I'm thinking that imaging is most important, so I'd put them at ear level behind you. Next best would be up high pointed mostly down. I would think putting them on opposite sides would be the least desirable, but I'm not sitting in your space.

+1 on most of that (unclear on why placing monitors either side would be undesirable). Good imaging is the key to good monitoring. Well, that and accurate monitors. You basically want to set up the speakers so the sound from each intersects (usually at a 45 degree angle or so, if there's space), with your ears being at the point where they cross.

Putting them under your desk, and mounting them from the ceiling pointing down both suffer from the fact that the sound will likely be bouncing off lots of surfaces (esp the desk), before reaching your ears. This mean what you hear will be a less accurate picture of what you've recorded. For example, putting them under your desk might mean e.g. treble frequencies aren't heard as clearly. So, when mixing you increase the treble frequencies when EQing and mixing.. But when you play the final result on another system it sounds way too trebly. It's why studios pay a lot of attention to speaker placement, and why they invest in monitors which might not sound the best but which give an accurate picture of what is being sent to them from the recording desk (many monitors will colour the sound and will pronounce some frequencies more than others....studios will often have grot box speakers, e.g. Yamaha N10s IIRC, which don't do this as much).

You could build speaker stands for them. Here's a pic of my (in-progress) studio, with the speakers on stands I built from old furniture to illustrate. The pic was taken before I placed the speakers correctly, but I built the stands so the monitors would be at ear level. I built a "shelf" inside the stands, so I could then fill about 1/2 a foot from the top with sand, to help absorb vibrations. A "poor-man's" attempt at basic decoupling. I'd also recommend decoupling the monitors from any surface you have them mounted on (which makes a ceiling-tilted-down set up impossible, or difficult, at least). The best kit I've found for this are Chiina Cones, but a less expensive option is Auralex MoPads. Neither are pictured in my shot, fyi.

Hope this helps. The monitors might be a great upgrade, but if placed badly, you might not get the full benefit of them. It defeats the purpose of having better monitors. Obviously, we can only comment in the general without first seeing your monitors and your space.

Ra Er Ga.

Ninjazz have SuperChops.

http://www.blipfoto.com/Scrybe


   
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(@taylorr)
Prominent Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 736
Topic starter  

I like your Tele, and your light fixture.

Well the speakers are pretty damn big. I can't really make stands for them due to space constraints. I opted for up just because they are more out of the way there. They sound a lot better than the old speakers. I'm sure monitors would sound better but these will do for now.

aka Izabella


   
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(@danlasley)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2118
 

For both Scrybe and Taylor - can you move the desk away from the wall so the speakers can be more in front of you? Build a shelf behind the desk, which will allow you to sit further from your monitor as well. I've done that in my office, and it makes a big difference in the work area. It should also help you with your speaker placement.

Sara - you'd have more room if you moved the guitars! Hang 'em on the wall.


   
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(@scrybe)
Famed Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2241
 

Yeah, the light is groovy, as is the modded Tele (I love the new pickguard,heh heh).

Laz - the guitars were just posing for the shot, they love the camera. Will hang some/all, but I need to figure out how much sound-damping I'll be using and where before I start hanging guitars. The monitors otoh pick up a fair bit of interference from the comp screen, so putting them more central may not be an option for that reason. The desk is only a temporary, I do want something deeper, so will fiddle and see what I can do.

Ra Er Ga.

Ninjazz have SuperChops.

http://www.blipfoto.com/Scrybe


   
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