studio monitors

2009 Summer NAMM Show: Akai Professional has introduced the  RPM8 reference production studio monitors, specifically intended for use with the company’s MPC music production workstations and production controllers.

“There is so much low-end content in music being made today,” said Adam Cohen, Director of Business Development, Akai Professional, “we felt that a studio monitor specifically designed for extended low frequency playback would appeal to the people who already use our MPCs and production controllers.”

RPM8 studio monitors are sold individually and will be available from professional audio and musical instrument retailers Q4, 2009. Pricing is TBA. Read more…

At the 2009 Winter NAMM Show, Alesis introduced the M1Active 520 USB – a set of studio monitors with USB audio connectivity.

M1Active 520 USB is a pair of active, bi-amplified, two-way reference monitors that are designed to reproduce frequencies from 20,000 Hz all the way down to 56 Hz, covering nearly all frequencies audible to human ears. You can send audio directly from your DAW via USB to the speakers, for low noise, low-distortion signal flow.

The M1Active 520 USB monitors are designed around a five-inch polypropylene low-frequency driver and a one-inch silk dome high-frequency driver. The low-resonance bass-reflex cabinet features beveled edges to reduce edge diffraction and a tuned port for bass extension

M1Active 520 USB’s bi-amplified design delivers 50W to the woofer and 25W to the tweeter. The monitors are magnetically shielded so you can place them near computer screens and hard drives without concern.

The M1Active 520 USB’s large, front-panel, bi-color display indicates presence of signal in blue and clipping in red for instant feedback on system status.

In addition to USB playback capability, M1Active 520 USBs boast a pair of TRS-balanced 1/4″ inputs, so they can be used as a high-quality computer audio interface. Users can connect a stereo source or two mono sources including a mixer, keyboard, sampler or tape deck and record directly to their computer through the speakers.

“The new M1Active 520 USB studio monitors make getting low-distortion signal from your DAW to your monitors simple,” said Adam Cohen, Director of Business Development, Alesis.

M1Active 520 USB studio monitors will be available in Q3 2009, at an MSRP of $299.99 and an estimated street price of $199.99.

KRK Systems has updated its popular KRK10s to match the new RokitG2 monitors.

Description:

The industrial design of the KRK10s leverages KRK’s research and development into baffle design and fabrication. The subwoofer’s curved front now matches the Rokit and VXT monitors’ diffraction reducing shape.

Updated electronics include a ground-lift switch for combating less than perfect electrical and audio grounding and a bypass footswitch that allows the subwoofer and crossover to be easily enabled and disabled. The bypass footswitch allows users to easily switch a mix from stereo or 2.1/5.1 sound environments. Improved amplifier heat sinking results in lower distortion at high power levels and the KRK10s has a lower noise floor than its predecessor.

The voicing has been slightly enhanced to provide even better mix clarity and precision and the scientifically designed front firing port reduces wall coupling and port turbulence.

I use a pair of first generation Rokit 5’s, paired with a Rokit 10s and have been happy with them – but the bypass footswitch is a great addition, along with the other tweaks.

Pricing and Availability:

The KRK10s replaces the existing RP10s subwoofer and will be available to buy in the UK from all good pro audio dealers for £299 inc. VAT

M-Audio has introduced Overdub – a new series of comic book style guides to audio studio production.

Volume One: A Guide to Studio Monitors details everything you need to know when setting up a reference monitor system.
Topics include:

• How to select the right monitors
• Guidelines for monitor placement
• Dealing with room acoustics
• Using acoustical treatment
• Testing your system

There’s an M-Audio bent, but there’s actually a lot of good info in this issue. (pdf)

KRK Systems launched the second generation of their industry-standard Rokit monitor.

The second generation Rokit incorporates several technologies from the company’s flagship VXT and E8B lines, including radically radiused edges along the front of the cabinet. The new Rokits replace the current Rokit 5″, 6″ and 8″ models.

I’ve got a pair of Rokit in the Synthtopia studio, and have found them to offer great sound for their price.

The new Rokits leverage KRK’s research and development into baffle design and fabrication. The Rokit G2’s curved front baffle was engineered to minimize diffraction of high-frequencies, resulting in a sweet spot that is significantly larger than products with square or lightly rounded baffles. The baffle also houses a molded front-facing bass port that minimizes low-frequency phase distortion and unwanted frequency emphasis typical of rear-facing bass ports. The end result is a harmonious yet accurate blend of low and high-frequency components that result in a more accurate speaker. Additionally, the Rokit G2’s voicing has been slightly enhanced to provide even better mix clarity and precision.

The new Rokit G2’s have a MAP price of $149, $199 and $249 for the 5, 6 and 8 inch versions, respectively. They are available now.