I have a pair of Yamaha HS50M monitors, which rest on the Auralex Mopads. I build some bass traps and control panels myself with rockwool. When I listen to good commercial mixes they sound good in the studio so it seems that the treatment worked (everythng at low volume levels)
I asked about the subwoofer because I still can improve my way of handling low frequencies and wanted to know if you guys used them or recommended it. After the responses I am not going to use one. It seems it can help but the problems it can create are many. Iāll get more experience first, get used to the room and then consider it in the future.
I also use a technique similar to what @holster does. I got a pair of cans that rattle when the lows are too strong. It seems they are broken, but gives clear indication that somethingās not ok.
I have exactly the same monitors. I paired them with the HS10 sub. I must say, that improved the low end extension no end. I had the monitors without the sub for about a week, (the store didnāt have any in stock at the time I bought them) and the difference was night and day - I could suddenly hear a whole octave that was missing without itā¦
That said, I was in a good room with a decent amount of space, so bass nodes were not an issue.
I tried this for a while, but the highs sounded too blaring. I blame my monitors, but my highs got blaringly loud when I flipped them. And because my tweeters were closer to the flat desk, I also noticed more nasty comb filtering. If I had different monitors and a different setup, Iād probably try it again.
That makes sense to me. My monitors are more like mid fields. I have a 9 foot equilateral triangle with monitors about 3 feet behind my console decoupled on stands.
I think youāre looking at this the wrong way. The sub makes things worse if the room is out of control. If your room is NOT hurting for traps, then you can only benefit from having one, granted you know how to tune it. Now knowing that youāre using the HS50Mās, I would definitely recommend a sub. Like Andrew (Coldroom) mentions below, those particular Yamahas benefit from that extended low range. Donāt get me wrong thoughā¦ those HS50ās are some of my favorite budget monitors.
i have a sub in my mixing set up, ive only just started using it. i think it helps but i seriously think it has to be dialed in correctly. by that ensure the phase is correct, the position in the room correct, distance from listener, and most importantly level not too low or high. i had it set too high at first and my mixes lacked low end. i had it set too low and my mixes were fine till i tried them elsewhere and nearly blew my speakers lol. it takes time to adjust to a sub in the mix room but it definately helps to produce the low end and lets face it you are hearing far more of the frequency range when set up correctly. that can surely only be a good thing. deffo wouldnt have one if your room isnt treated though. they can sound wooly and lame
Lukas, I also have subs and find them useful for mixing. When I didnāt have subs, I paid more attention to freq. analyzers - filtering excessive amounts of bass. Also, I tried to listen to the mixes on different sets of speakers.