In this guide, I’ll help you get your studio monitors set up and optimized for the best possible performance out of the box. You’ll also learn how to integrate a subwoofer if you choose to use one.
Thanks to Mackie for sponsoring this guide and supporting audio education.
I’ll be demonstrating the studio monitor setup process with the Mackie CR-X series monitors and subwoofer. You can find links to each of these products at the end of this post.
Basic Studio Monitor Setup (Without Subwoofer)
Let’s start with a basic studio monitor setup without a subwoofer. Then, I’ll show you a few ways to add in a sub.
First, you’ll want to make sure the studio monitors are turned off and the volume knob is turned all the way down. This step prevents loud sounds that could damage your speakers and potentially your ears.
The most basic way to connect your studio monitors to your computer or another playback device is to use the built-in audio output on the device (such as a 3.5mm or 1/8th inch output jack).
To do this, you’ll need an adapter with an ⅛-inch plug on one side and whatever connection your studio monitors have on the other side. In the case of the Mackie CR5-XBT monitors, we have the option to use either ⅛-inch, RCA, or ¼-inch TRS.
A stereo ⅛-inch TRS connector carries both the left and right channel through a single connector. If you’re using an ⅛-inch to RCA adapter, the cable will break out into separate connectors, one for the left (the white connector) and one for the right (the red connector). The same thing is true for an ⅛-inch to dual TRS adapter.
You can use the built-in ⅛-inch audio output on your computer if you’re just playing music back through your speakers. But there are several advantages to using an audio interface instead.
Some of these advantages include the ability to record microphones, to connect headphones and monitors simultaneously, more flexibility and control, as well as many other benefits depending on the interface you choose.
If you are using an audio interface instead of the built-in audio output on your computer, you will probably be dealing with either RCA, TRS, or XLR line outputs.
The cable you use will depend on the connections on your specific interface and your specific studio monitors. But there is one thing I want you to keep in mind here.
The stereo ⅛-inch connector and the RCA connector are only capable of unbalanced connections. This is completely fine at short distances below about 15 feet (or about 4.5 meters).
However, if you want the optimal connection, especially for longer cable lengths, you’ll want to use either the TRS or XLR connections. These two connectors are interchangeable. The shape is the only difference.
If you have ¼-inch TRS outputs on your interface and ¼-inch TRS inputs on your monitors (as is the case in this demonstration), you will simply use a pair of ¼-inch TRS cables between the interface outputs and studio monitor inputs.
If your interface has ¼-inch TRS outputs and your monitors have XLR inputs, you can simply use a pair of ¼-inch TRS to XLR adapters.
Keep in mind that there is a difference between a ¼-inch TRS and a ¼-inch TS connector. The TRS has a tip, ring, and sleeve for balanced connections. The TS has only a tip and a sleeve, which cannot support balanced connections.
Most studio monitors will be active (or powered), meaning they have an amplifier built in. This isn’t always the case. Some studio monitors are passive and will require an external amplifier between the interface and the speaker.
In the case of the Mackie CR-X monitors, the amplifier for both the left and right monitor is located within one speaker. The left and right output of the computer or interface go directly into the main speaker, and then the other monitor gets its power through a speaker cable between the two.
You’ll also find monitors that both contain an amplifier and therefore both require a connection to power. In these cases, you connect the left output of the interface (usually channel 1) directly to the left monitor and the right output of the interface (usually channel 2) to the right monitor.
Once everything is connected, ensure that the volume knob on the studio monitors is turned all the way down and that the volume knob on the audio interface is turned all the way down. Then, turn on the studio monitors and audio interface.
Basic Studio Monitor Setup (With Subwoofer)
Before moving on to monitor placement and actually sending sound through the monitors, let’s quickly go over the setup for those of you who are using a subwoofer.
There are a few ways this can be done. One way is to use a third output from your audio interface dedicated to the subwoofer. In that case, you connect a third line output of your audio interface to the input of the subwoofer and follow the setup from the previous section for the main monitors.
However, getting this to work properly is a bit more advanced because you will need to do some routing within your audio interface and playback engine to make sure that the right signals reach the subwoofer.
Another common setup, which is much simpler, is what we have here with this Mackie system.
In this case, the audio interface doesn’t connect to the studio monitors directly. Instead, we take the left and right outputs from the audio interface (usually channel 1 and 2) and connect them to the left and right inputs on the subwoofer. Then the subwoofer sends those same signals back out through the output connections to the studio monitors.
This setup ensures that the signals sent to the studio monitors will also come out of the subwoofer. There is no need to route all of that manually in your audio interface and DAW. There is also the added benefit of a built-in crossover, which you’ll learn more about in a moment.
If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable option to build a setup like this, the Mackie CR8S-XBT 8″ Powered Subwoofer works great alongside the CR-X series monitors. It offers easy integration and solid low-end performance, making it a great choice for small studios.
Monitor and Subwoofer Positioning
Whether you’re just using studio monitors or you’re using a subwoofer as well, getting the positioning right is one of the most effective ways to optimize performance.
The first step is to determine the room layout. Ideally, you’ll have symmetry from left to right, with the listening position centered between the two side walls. This helps ensure that the stereo image from left to right is as accurate as possible and not influenced by asymmetry in the room.
In addition to this principle, it’s usually recommended that you set up a rectangular room by facing a short wall with the long walls to your sides. This will place the back wall as far away as possible, reducing the impact of reflections off of the back wall.
I understand that you may not be working in ideal conditions, and that is totally fine. Do the best you can with the room you’re working with and start practicing as soon as possible. That will go a lot further toward improving your mixes than waiting for acoustical perfection.
Another helpful principle is to place the monitors so that the high-frequency drivers (called tweeters) are facing directly toward your ears. That’s because high-frequency sound is more directional than low-frequency sound, so we want the high-frequency drivers pointed directly toward the listening position.
This could include not only angling the monitors inward toward the listener, but also ensuring that the monitors aren’t too high or too low. You can place them on monitor stands to bring the tweeters up to ear level, or to angle the speakers upward or downward so the tweeters point toward your ears.
A final placement tip is to aim for an equilateral triangle between each monitor and the listening position, where the distance between the listener and each monitor is equal to the distance between the monitors.
This setup not only optimizes the stereo image to be wide enough without being too wide. It also ensures that each monitor is equally spaced from the listening position. And this is very important.
If the left speaker and right speaker are different distances from the listener, it can cause problems, including stereo image distortion and phase interference just to name a few.
We want to place the subwoofer with the same principle in mind if you’re using a subwoofer.
While a subwoofer gives you a bit more margin for error, it’s still important that we optimize the relationship between the subwoofer and the studio monitors.
For one, aim to place the subwoofer about the same distance from the listening position as the other speakers. Ideally, the sub will be in the middle directly in front of the listener. However, it’s not the end of the world if you have to put it over to one side, because we localize low frequencies differently than mid and high frequencies.
Optimizing Subwoofer Integration
The goal is to configure the system so that the sound from the studio monitors and the subwoofer reach the listener at the same time, specifically at the crossover frequency.
The subwoofer will only produce low frequencies and the studio monitors will only produce higher frequencies. The point where the subwoofer and studio monitors interact the most is the crossover frequency, which can be selected with the knob on the subwoofer.
To really optimize the crossover takes some listening and experimentation, and perhaps even some objective measurements. I’d recommend you start by playing a song you’re familiar with and listening.
Then adjust the crossover frequency and experiment with the polarity switch until you find a configuration that sounds best to you. You can even experiment with moving the subwoofer further or closer, as not all subwoofers and studio monitors will have the same phase response.
This guide covers the essential steps for getting your monitors and subwoofer connected, placed, and tuned to work together.
If you want to dive deeper into crossover tuning and advanced calibration techniques, stay tuned for future posts where we will go into even more detail about these topics.