Monitor setup guide
2015
The right monitors.
The correct setup.
Proper sound.
2
Table of contents
Genelec Key Technologies 3
What is a monitor? 4
What is a reference monitor? 4
Selecting the correct monitors 4
Identifying your listening area 5
Monitor and listening location placement in a room 8
Back wall cancellation 9
Calibration 13
Acoustic treatments 14
Room acoustics improvements 18
Listening distance recommendations 20
Product selection guide 21
Sound basics 22
Sound radiation 23
Radiation space 24
Cancellation because of a wall behind the monitor 25
Genelec G • Stencil tool 26
Test signals 27
3
Monitor setup guide
Genelec Key Technologies
For over 35 years Genelec has been guided by a single idea – to make perfect
active monitors that deliver neutral and accurate sound in every kind of acoustical
environment. In our quest to improve all aspects of monitoring quality we
continuously develop innovative solutions in driver technologies, electronic
circuitry, signal processing, enclosure designs, and materials. Learn more about
our key technologies on our website at www.genelec.com.
Active Crossover
Dedicated Ampliers
Protection Circuitry
Room Response
DCW™
Directivity Control
Waveguide™
MDE™ Minimum
Diraction
Enclosure™
Iso-Pod™ Stand
Reex Port
LSE™ Laminar Spiral
Enclosure™
Versatile Mounting
Bass Management
ISS™ Intelligent Signal
Sensing™
MDC™ Minimum Diraction
Coaxial™
SAM™ Smart Active
Monitors™
LIP™ Laminar Integrated
Port™
NCE™ Natural Composite
Enclosure™
4
What is a monitor?
A monitor, by denition, observes, checks, controls, warns or keeps continuous
record of something. An audio monitor is more than a good-sounding loudspeaker.
It is a device used in the process of recording, mixing or broadcasting audio in any
environment where accurate listening is needed. A monitor is a professional tool.
What is a reference monitor?
A reference monitor shall reveal the truth about the program being monitored. It
shall not add anything to nor remove or mask anything contained in the program.
Such a monitor should be set up in an optimal position in the room with minimized
inuences from its environment. What we hear is the combination of our listening
ability, the monitor’s performance and the room acoustic.
Selecting the correct monitors
Genelec recommends monitors based on typical listening distances and sound
pressure levels. A matching subwoofer exists for every monitor. Refer to our online
selection tools or ask your local dealer or distributor for detailed advice. Here are
some tips to dene your listening distance and identify your optimal listening ar
ea.
5
Monitor setup guide
Identifying your listening area
Divide your room into three equal-sized areas; front, centre and rear.
For music productions place your listening setup in the front area. The angle
between the left and right monitors should be 60° degrees. Each monitor should
be aimed towards the listening position. For lm production, place your listening
setup in the rear area.
60°
L
R
110°
60°
+10°
-10°
RS
C
Screen
R
LS
L
Room resonances between room surfaces are called standing waves or room
modes. In the case of resonances, sound pressure maxima occur on the surface.
Place the listening position at least one metre from the walls to avoid the zone of
the pressure maximum.
60°
L
R
›1 m
6
For typical two-way systems, the recommended height of the monitor acoustical
axis is at the ear level, usually between 1.2 and 1.4 metres from the oor. Placing
the monitors higher with a slight tilt will minimise oor reections. For standard
stereo and multichannel reproduction, do not lift the monitors so high that more
than 15 degrees of tilt is required. Monitors should always be aimed towards
the listening position. The higher the monitor is from the oor, the lower is the
reection induced frequency response irregularities. However, half room height
placement should be avoided, as at low frequencies the ceiling is typically also a
reective surface.
Find the left-right symmetry axis of your room. Place the listening setup
symmetrically in the left-right direction.
60°
L
R
‹15° ‹15°
1.2-1.4 m
Monitor height (ITU-R BS.775-2 Recommendation)
Iso-Pod tilting
7
Monitor setup guide
Placement suggestions for a 5.1 monitoring setup in two dierent basic room
layouts:
110°
60°
+10°
-10°
RS
LS
L
C
R
110°
60°
+10°
-10°
LS
L
C
R
8
Monitor and listening location placement in
a room
Sound is reected by the walls, ceiling and oor. The sound level at the listener
increases when reected sound is in phase with the direct sound. The sound level
decreases when the reected sound is out of phase with the direct sound.
If the room surfaces have not been designed to diract the sound energy, most of
the reected sound energy leaves the reecting wall in the same angle as it arrived
to the wall. Avoid placing the monitors so that the immediate side wall, ceiling,
and oor reections travel towards the listening position.
Direction of sound
arriving at the wall
Angle
Angle
Direction
normal to
the wall
Direction of sound
leaving the wall, missing
the listening position
When room dimensions agree with the sound wavelength, sound energy
accumulates to form resonances. This resonance sound forms standing waves in
the room, with sound pressure maximums and minimums at certain locations in
the room depending on the resonance frequency.
Location of the monitor in the room aects how much the room mode resonances
collect energy and how audible they become. Moving the monitor locations may
help to reduce the levels of problematic room mode resonances.
The listening location may be unfavourably situated relative to the room mode
resonances. If the listening location is at the location of a null for some mode
resonances, the level of those resonances frequencies becomes very low and
9
Monitor setup guide
these frequencies appear to be missing. Moving the listening location can solve
the problem. Typically the listening location is moved forward or backward.
The most accurate stereo imaging can be achieved when the reections are
similar for the left and the right monitor in a stereo pair. This can be achieved by
maintaining the same distance to the nearest side wall and the wall behind the
monitor, placing the left and right monitors to the same height in the room, and
placing the listening location symmetrically in the room in the left-right direction.
Back wall cancellation
Monitor placement
To avoid cancellation of audio because of the sound reecting back from the wall
behind the monitor, follow the placement guideline below. This reection happens
at relative low woofer frequencies only. Avoiding the cancellation is important
because the reected sound can reduce the woofer output causing the monitor
low frequency output to appear to be too low. To avoid the cancellation, push the
monitor close enough to the wall. Typically the distance of the monitor front to the
wall should be less than 0.6 meters. This ensures that the low frequency output
is not reduced. The monitor needs a minimum clearance of 0.05 m to the wall to
ensure full output from the rear bass reex port.
Avoid
> 60 cm
Min
5 cm
O
V
L
O
N
GENELEC
Max
60 cm
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