A Beginners Guide To Studio Monitor Placement

You might think setting up studio monitors is a simple task.

Just plug everything in, put the monitors on your desk, and finally you are ready to start topping the charts.

Unfortunately, studio monitor placement will involve some planning and strategy to get an accurate sound.

In this article, I will be telling you some of the most common mistakes by newbies when setting up monitors and I will give you some solutions to fix them.

If you haven’t already picked out your studio monitors, I’d recommend that you check out my list of the best studio monitors.

The Equilateral Triangle Method

The most common way to arrange studio monitors is what’s called The Equilateral Triangle Method.

The first step to achieving this is to face your speakers at an inward angle so they are pointed at you.

It is called the Equilateral Triangle Method because both of the monitors should be an equal distance from your ears. This forms a triangle.

The tweeters should be just above your ears. You might have to elevate your monitors a bit to get this.

Another thing to consider is getting monitor isolation pads. They are pretty much just rubber pads that your speakers will sit on. Having pads reduces a lot of coloration and structural resonance while increasing the clarity of the sound. Isolation pads cost around $20. Here is a good example of what to look for.

Beware Of The Tweeters!

Tweeters are in charge of all the high frequencies. Unlike low frequencies, the high end tends to be more directional. It is very important to have your tweeters facing towards you.

Subwoofer Placement

Low frequencies aren’t directional like the highs are. That is why most people put their subwoofer on the floor, under their desk.

The most important part about sub woofer placement is to make sure the sub is NOT in a corner of your room.

Having a sub in a corner will increase the amount of bass the will be resonated throughout the room. All that excess bass will result in an inaccurate sound.

Make sure to keep your sub at least a foot away from the wall.

Move Your Desk!

Your desk should be as close to the center of the room as possible.

Why is this?

The closer the desk is to the wall, the more the bass frequencies will build up from your monitors. While this might make the sound appear better and more bassier, it will be less accurate.

Try to keep your desk AT LEAST a foot off the wall. More is better though!

You should also keep the distance from the back wall and the distance from the side walls different. The reason for doing this goes into how sound is reflected. You don’t want the walls to be too close to your desk.

Lastly, your monitors should point down your room long-ways. Sound will be reflected less when your monitors are facing down the length of your room.

Final Notes

These are just a few studio monitor placement tips that will improve the accuracy of your sound.

You should also look into sound treatment. I will be writing an article on that real soon, so stay tuned!

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