Ableton Forum

do they make a big difference...quality of sound etc..

Yes, they make two major differences: firstly to the sound quality, secondly to people looking down at you on the forum . What kind of speakers do you have?

just small ones,tannoy 5a reveals..

well, the placement of your speakers can make a huge difference.... so, yes, having speaker stands that let you place your speakers properly, instead of ... say... too close to the wall because that's where your desk is.

some stands can double as bass traps, too.... but otherwise, i wouldn't expect 1 stand to be better than another stand as long as they don't wobble.

they do. you either want the speakers to be basically floating in the air or on something really solid. in between is crap.

think about what a speaker is, it's the cone pushing air, making pressure waves that hit your ears. the cone pushes against the speaker box, the speaker box transfers that energy into the stand.

floating - the speaker box isn't effected by what it's sitting on. BUT there's less for the cone to push against. cone->box->nothing. so, you get less bass, turn the bass up. because there's nothing effecting the cone, the cone still has a flat bass response.

solid - the box pushes against the solid object, making the cone more efficient, more bass. turn the bass down. because the base is a static object that does not move, it has no effect on the cone's bass response.

stands - let's pick on the speakers on a pole like they use in cheap PA systems. you have the case pushing against a pole that'll wiggle, it has an effect on the case, doesn't let it float, doesn't hold it solid. the effect is not only less bass but a non-linear bass response which is hard to adjust for.

how far out from the wall in general should the speakers be,i have everything setup in my bedroom so i dont have a huge amount of space..so it a bit hard trying to avoid corners and walls..

If you don't have it already, download the speaker manual - has a good starting point for placement. And after that, use your ears to fine tune...

depends on the room.... some people say 1/3rd rthe length of the room away from the wall is best.

If you can get a few feet away, thats good.
but even this guide, for instance, notes that you aren't always able to do that in a home-studio, since you have to remember its still a home, too.
peasky homes.
http://www.tweakshop.com/Speaker%20Placement.html

mja wrote:how far out from the wall in general should the speakers be,i have everything setup in my bedroom so i dont have a huge amount of space..so it a bit hard trying to avoid corners and walls..

use your ears. it's completely dependent on your flooring (hardwood or carpet or rugs), how close they are to windows and doors, how close they are to large absorbing things like a bed or sofa, the geometry of the room, blah blah blah blah, just use your ears and try not to psyche yourself out over details. they should sound best where your head is in normal mixing position, probably sitting in a chair in front of your computer.

if you put them on stands, I'd suggest getting some foam pads to put under them, such as Auralex pads.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MoPAD (yes, $40 for foam, I just but the bullet and bought 'em.)
go for the floating configuration, then bump up the bass a bit on your rear panel controls, if you have them. if not, consider a subwoofer, or just stfu and mix. people can take this stuff WAAAAY too seriously, get into Monster cables and stuff.

Tone Deft wrote: if you put them on stands, I'd suggest getting some foam pads to put under them, such as Auralex pads.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MoPAD (yes, $40 for foam, I just but the bullet and bought 'em.)

I once read on the internets (so it must be true!0 that a good, cheap alternative is