Here on the Sage Audio mastering blog, we've provided a few tips for getting the best studio monitors for your studio , and even offered a tutorial on how to set up the monitors in your home studio for the best listening experience. As you might guess, we place quite a bit of importance on multi monitors, as these are some of the most important tools in your studio.
Since the world of studio monitors is constantly evolving, we like to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in monitor technology. Therefore, this article will take a look at three new monitors that have recently been released.
Because every studio has a different budget and different equipment goals, we’ll try to run the gamut when it comes to quality and price with these speakers, and the three models we’ll look at today do exactly that.
Yahama HS Series
Yamaha has just introduced the second generation of its HS series active monitors which actually includes three different models. We even featured a member of the first generation of the series the HS50m -- in our best monitors features. The series starts at about $200 per speaker, making it a great choice for many home studios.
That’s not to say Yamaha skips on quality. The distinctive white woofer has been a staple of Yamaha monitors in studios big and small for decades, and provides a great sound at a relatively low price.
We recommend going with at least a 5-inch woofer to generate accurate bass response, and even the smallest of the new models the HS5 meets this requirement. The main difference moving up the line are larger woofers: the HS7 has a 6.5-inch cone, and the HS8 has an eight-inch cone. All three have a 1-inch tweeter.
Genelec M Series
Moving up to the mid-range price level for home studios, we have the Genelec M Series featuring the M030 and the M040 active speakers. Again, speaker size is the primary difference between the two, with the M030 using a 5-inch woofer and a .75-inch tweeter, and the M040 employing a 6.5-inch woofer with a 1-inch tweeter.
One thing that sets these speakers apart is they are part of Genelec’s overall philosophy to create environmentally friendly speakers that don’t skimp on sound quality. The energy efficient monitors are built with what the company calls a Natural Composite Enclosure, which is made with wood fiber and recyclable material.
These speakers will be available in June, and the MSRP is $695 per speaker for the M030 and $995 for the M040.
Neumann KH310 A
On the high end of the monitor price scale for these three models is the Neumann KH310 A, which is a three-way active tri-amplified monitor. This means you get an extremely versatile speaker that the company says can be used just as effectively as a near-field monitor (usually the only monitor in a home recording space), a mastering monitor or as a part of a surround-sound system.
Neumann is best known for its microphones, but this new product is the latest in a growing lineup of quality studio monitors. However, you will pay for the versatility provided by the monitors, with an MSRP set at $2,249.95 per speaker.
So, Why A Membership?
Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.
That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.
The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"
There are 7 unique value-points included in your Sage Audio membership.
Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.
1. Sage Audio University
- SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
- SAU Flagship Mastering Course: 19-video in-depth modern mastering course that dives into every nuance of making professional-sounding masters.
- SAU Pre-Mastering Course: Concise pre-mastering course that details the latest industry standards for preparing your mixes for mastering.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
- Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.
Yes, I want to join the membership now >
2. Private 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
- Unlimited private access to us for advanced mixing feedback, where we provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Unlimited private access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve every aspect of your mixes and masters.
- Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
- Fast communication so you can improve your skills quickly.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
- Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.
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4. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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5. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with additional real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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6. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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7. 800+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into categories so you can easily take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your skills at your own pace.
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