Midfield Monitors

Long before miniaturization made self-powered monitors with built-in amplifiers, crossovers and DSP chips a reality, passive speakers reigned supreme. In fact, active monitors have only become common in professional-level studios in the last few decades—and many, such as Blackbird, Power Station and Gold-Diggers Sound, still rely on passive monitors anyway. Certain passive speakers such as the Yamaha NS-10 have even gained a cult following among mixing engineers. Continue reading →

Each piece of classic studio gear has something that makes it instantly recognizable, i.e., the U47's shape, the 1176's ratio buttons, and the Neve 1073's red knob. In the land of speakers, there might be no better example than the yellow cones of KRK monitors. Continue reading →

As new players in the studio monitor game, Brooklyn-based Ex Machina has made waves by making some staggering choices with its designs. The brand has come out swinging for the fences and, after listening to these two current releases, it's obvious these decisions have worked for the best. Ex Machina made its big debut at NAMM 2020 with two monitor offerings for different sized studio spaces. Continue on in this Buyer's Guide to learn more about the brand's technology and these ultra-clear, transparent and focused studio monitors. Continue reading →

For over 40 years, Focal has been one of the preeminent speaker brands in the world. They have delivered countless innovations for all different kinds of listening experiences from home audio speakers and headphones to car speaker drivers and studio monitors. Throughout this Buyer's Guide, we'll be covering the history of the brand and taking a look at their product offerings for the recording studio. No matter your set-up, Focal has something that will meet your needs and exceed your expectations. Continue reading →

When it comes to listening back to our audio projects, studio monitors are an essential part of the equation. If you can't hear your recording, mixing, or mastering session through speakers that provide an honest assessment of your track, you'll never get the results that you desire. If you feel that your current monitors are deceiving your ears, we're here to help! In this Buyer’s Guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about studio monitors, including the differences between nearfield, midfield, farfield/mains, and subwoofers. Before we dive into that, it’s time for a quick history lesson. Continue reading →