DO I NEED A SUBWOOFER?

Many monitor speakers only output low-end frequencies down to around 40-60Hz (depending nding on design), so the addition of a subwoofer can extend the overall frequency response of thehe entire monitoring system down much further – usually to 20Hz. This allows you to hear what’shat’s going on in the subsonic area, mix kick and bass better, check for rumble, and generally tidydy up the low end of a mix. What’s more, because we find it hard to determine the direction of lower wer frequencies (typically below around 80Hz), that rather cumbersome subwoofer unit can potentially be tucked away somewhere convenient, anywhere in the studio.

Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, it’s not quite that simple. First, adding a sub effectively creates another crossover frequency in your setup, and even well-set-up systems ms can sound annoyingly disconnected right at the all-important bass frequencies. Also, a sub b may reveal low frequency modes in your room, creating loud and quiet areas at specific frequencies – fixing this could require a combination of better room treatment (bass trapping), ing), moving the sub (trial and error) and inverting its phase (if your sub has this option). For all their potential trickiness, though, subwoofers can provide a low-end perspective that’s missing from nearfields, and in a worst case scenario, you can simply use the subwoofer sporadically to check your sub bass balance.