Monitors on side -can the wrong way be right?

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Karl Engel <karlengel_AT_excite_DOT_com> wrote:
>My workstation setup requires me to use my monitors (HR824s) on their sides
>so that the tweeters are closer to ear height. Naturally I have them set up
>with the bass drivers on the inside, but this puts the tweeters at a greater
>distance from each other than they are from me. I got to thinking: since
>bass isn't very directional, is it really any problem to have them the other
>way around if it means creating an equilateral triangle with the tweeters
>and my listening position? Would it really mess with the power of mono
>kicks & basslines to have them emanating from a slightly wider soundfield
>than the higher freq sounds if it means I'm closer to the sweet spot for
>these?

Maybe, but now the tweeters are closer to the outside walls, which might
be a problem. Then again, they are also farther away from anything you
might have in front of the console. Get a recording with a good natural
stereo image, and try both ways. If you move it one way and all of a
sudden you can't hear anything outside of the speakers and the stereo
image collapses so all the instruments are between the speakers, move it
back the other way.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Tim S Kemp <news@timkemp.karoo.co.uk> wrote:
>Scott Dorsey wrote:
>> Maybe, but now the tweeters are closer to the outside walls, which
>> might be a problem. Then again, they are also farther away from
>> anything you might have in front of the console. Get a recording
>> with a good natural stereo image, and try both ways. If you move it
>> one way and all of a sudden you can't hear anything outside of the
>> speakers and the stereo image collapses so all the instruments are
>> between the speakers, move it back the other way.
>
>Surely you get more of a problem with comb filtering around the crossover
>point?

Not really, because the distance between the tweeter and the woofer is
still the same.

You might get more comb filtering issues on the top end, due to reflections
from the walls, though. If the room is big, that's not an issue but if
the speakers are close to the side walls it can be serious.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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In article <42e398e5@dnews.tpgi.com.au> "Karl Engel" <karlengel_AT_excite_DOT_com> writes:

> My workstation setup requires me to use my monitors (HR824s) on their sides
> so that the tweeters are closer to ear height. Naturally I have them set up
> with the bass drivers on the inside, but this puts the tweeters at a greater
> distance from each other than they are from me.

> is it really any problem to have them the other
> way around if it means creating an equilateral triangle with the tweeters
> and my listening position?

You have the monitors, try it. It's not an unreasonable experiment.

I'm not sure what that "waveguide" thing on the tweeters actually does
to the directivity patter, but I'm pretty sure the intent is to spread
it out horizontally (with the speaker in the normal vertical
orientation) and not worry too much about what happens in the vertical
plane. The idea is to create a wider "sweet spot" at the level where
you normally sit.

If your monitor platforms puts the tweeters too high with the speakers
oriented vertically, turn them upside down (woofers up). That way,
unless the waveguide is non-symmetrical in the vertical direction
(which would take some doing), you'll have the same horizontal
disbursion that the speakers were designed for. The woofers will work
just as well a foot higher, so that doesn't create a problem.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

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kellykevm wrote:
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I just notice about a thousand
> pairs of NS10's on their sides over the last...say... 22 or 23 years?
> I always thought they sounded better that way (on their side, woofers -
> in)
>
> Kevin

The original NS-10M were indeed a vertical design. But everyone was
using them on their sides (and sometimes hanging tissue paper over the
tweeters to cut down the icepicks)... so around '87 Yamaha redesigned
them to be placed horizontally, and modified the tweeter/crossover.
You'll notice the tweeter and woofer are offset, not on the centerline
of the cabinet. This is a typical solution for center channel speakers
as well, helps to minimize the phase shifting and comb filtering from
all-in-a-row speakers.

Steve

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I'm staring at a pair of the original NS-10M (not studio) right now.
They have the offset tweeters as well. I don't remember an NS10 model
with the tweets on the center line. I bought these for my studio when
they first came out. Ironically, I still have three pair of the
originals.
There was one engineer that used to come in and insist that they be set
up vertically. He felt that the meterbridge resonated the bass better
if the woofer was on the bottom. We did whatever he said since he
carried a monogrammed leather gig bag and brought gaggles of clients
with him.

PS. I mixed a lot of records on those "ice picks" and always knew where
I stood when stuff left the room.