I've found monitor stands to be a little on the pricey side for my budget. Will hi-fi speaker stands accomplish the same thing? Is it worth the investment for someone on a budget, or is it better to buy say isolation units (Auralex MoPad) and mount the monitors on a desk shelf? Also, I am considering the ESI (Ego-Systems) nEar 05s, with the SW8000 subwoofer for monitoring. I believe they were formerly known as the M-Audio SP5Bs and SP8S. I can get them for about 200 pounds here in London which is my budget. If anyone can recommend superior alternatives, I would love to hear about them. Thanks, Johann
Any stand that holds the speaker at the right height and doesn't ring or resonate will basically do the job. You can fill most metal stands with sand or lead shot to prevent ringing, same with some wooden stands. I use ASC tube trap speaker stands, but they're custom made and significantly more expensive. However, they don't resonate, and they do also work as bass traps. The Mo' Pads, which I also have, and use near my computer, will decouple the speakers from the desk or shelf enough to prevent transferring vibration, but they will not be as effective as placing the speakers on stands a foot or so behind the console, due to surface reflections/reinforcement, etc.
Thanks for the recommendations. I think for now, I will buy a pair of MoPads when I buy the monitors, and put them on my computer table shelf. I will borrow my housemate's QuikLok stands when I do mixing... but for the purpose of just monitoring recordings, I think this will be ok considering my budget. I will get a pair of proper speaker stands when I have a bit more cash - I'd rather plump for a better pair of monitors at this point. I would like to get the subwoofer with the crossover so that I can cover the proper frequency range (and also because the sub as an add-on is much more than the bundle price). Does this make sense?
>>Does this make sense?<< Depends on your monitors. Some need stands to sound their best, some don't.
I've got Ultimate Studio Monitor Stands ($100/pair), filled with lead shot and with spikes on the bottom 3 corners to go through the carpet down into the floor wood. They are 12" away from the back and side walls, and they form an equilateral triangle with my mixing position. When I mix, I always spread my 2 flat screen monitors to either side to provide an open, unobstructed path for the sound. Monitor stands are actually an important component in the overall setup of your monitoring environment, and most people overlook that. It makes a significant difference in stereo imaging and detail, etc.
