the word "reference"

everyone seems to use it now,or abuse it,but what exactly is it supposed to mean? And if someone states their speakers are "studio monitors",is this an opinion,or is there a recognised technical definition of the term?

why do these terms seem to be applied to speakers more than anything else?

 

I guess anyone's "reference" is their system at that time.

Other than that it's just marketing hyperbole.

 

thought so,i just wondered when i standmount becomes a reference studio monitor,possibly when it costs a bomb

 

reference usually means the best that a manufacturer can make and is therefore their own internal 'reference' however the the term has become so corrupt as to become meaningless. also as it's an internal reference the difference between a sanyo reference component and a levinson reference component is huge even though both could adhere to the above definition of reference.

studio monitors are used to master stuff so that it sounds good with ultra compression by radio stations on a standard ford car radio.

as to why speakers? well most speakers look very similar - a box with some round things in. they've got to have something to seperate them from the hoi poloi....

there - do you still want those studio reference monitors now?
cheers


julian

 

The only reference that matters is your own ears

 

I would think stand-mounts become studio monitors when they are used commonly in studios!

As for the term reference monitor.. in a studio it would generally be the monitors they do the bulk of mixing on, and would then listen of a few other speakers and adjust until it sounds reasonable on all of them. Although manufacturers all like to say their speakers are 'reference standard', which ones you use for you're reference is up to you.

As it happens, mastering is more likely to be done on very high-end Hi-Fi speakers so as to get a better idea how it will be listened too. Not only are they used to make things sound good in cars and on the radio but also to sound good on your system at home.. it strongly depends on the tye of music how it is mastered, in fact pretty much everything is mastered. B&W are quite common.

Mixing and recording is done on 'studio monitors'. PMC, Dynaudio, ATC, Genelec, ADAM, Earthworks or some sort of custom in-wall installation.

..and yes I still want those reference studio monitors. Oh look, I have some, how lucky!

 

It, like a lot of other words has been misappropritated and misused.

In mags, reference means simply refer.

Best definition I heard was that it doesn't matter what it does, as long as its a known quantity, and you can compare others with it.
Best for this is your own system, as you know it well and what it does and doesn't do.

true ,reference WRT makers usually means their finest, but just cos its one persons finest, doesn't make it THE finest, period.
just like tesco's finest cheddar say isn't necessarily THE finest cheddar there is.


Think of it in this sense as a kind of yardstick, THE definitive standard quantity by which all others are judged.

studio monitor is used to monitor mixes and masters, little ones usually for mixing, huge ones for mastering.

They require accuracy to hear it as it was recorded and mixed, though again one persons accurate is different to anothers. Usually, accurate means flat frequency response with no emphasized parts.

Contrast this to speakers used at lower levels, in domestic rooms, which have frequently boosted bass and treble. The sound fuller than flat ones which need volume to come alive.

Now everyone is calling small speakers monitors, I have even heard the term used for computer monitor ( screen) speakers.

 

best ones to buy are

Reference Studio Monitor Special Edition Signature Series with
5 Star Awards and Best Buy Recommendations.

 

yep,and then will be the Mark IIe ("E" for "evolution") then the Mark IIei.....etc etc

 

I have always taken reference to be related to the quality control applied to a production product.

A pair of prototype speakers are built for example and all the production versions are tested against this "reference" pair hence reference.

Thats what it used to mean but now it generally means 1000 quid more....

 

Reference?


I'd have to look it up!