KAUSTUBH RAVI & SIVANESH BABU
TIME TO
MONITOR
YOUR SOUND !
Monkey Banana Baboon 6 Active Studio Monitor
WHY FIT IN WHEN YOU CAN STAND OUT ?
Studio monitors usually invoke a pretty boring and standard image of a speaker . There haven ’ t been many interesting design variations and while this works for most people , here are a few products that might add a little colour to your studio , a little aesthetic touch .
The Monkey Banana Baboon 6 , as the very name suggests , is quite the quirk in studio equipment . The case shape is unusual - and very embellishing for a home studio . The manufacturer ' s logo on the front is backlit in soft orange when the speaker is on . The rather oddly shaped active studio monitors have an Air Motion tweeter ( 7.4 inch AMT ) and a Kevlar woofer ( 6.5 inches ). It features a biamp module with 60 watts for the low-frequency range and 30 watts for the high-frequency range . The German com-pany is just making an entry into Indian markets as a midrange priced product .
On the input side , it features an XLR : 1 / 4 inch combo jack and S / PDIF inputs as well . These feautures are aimed at the hi-fi audio market , allowing them to digitally connect to high-quality audio interfaces . There is a continuous volume knob , which snaps at the median position , along with an LP filter adding between - 6db and + 6db at 100 Hz and an HP filter adding between - 6db and + 6db at 10Khz .
The frequency response maybe described as controlled and soft . Some may feel the bass could use some more oomph compared to other speakers in the price range , but otherwise the bass sounds quite tight and full . The ribbon tweeters bring quite some detail without being too harsh with some tweaks of the HP filter . The sound field was also impressive with a good deal of separation and clarity .
There are better speakers in this price range for those looking for more bass and oomph , but the Mon-key Banana does deliver quite a bit in the sound department while being quite the showpiece in a stu-dio . It is certainly an ideal monitor for professional recording and mastering .
Prodipe Pro 5 V3 Active Studiomonitor Active Studio Monitor
GREAT WAY TO BEGIN !
French company Prodipe surprise us on a regular basis with the quality , value , and pricing of their pro-ducts . Their latest contribution to the table is the Prodipe Pro 5 V3 Studio monitors . On our previous month ’ s issue , we had featured the overly impressive Prodipe TT1 Dynamic microphone for the quality that it delivers for the price . Have the French makers managed to level expectations with these moni-tors ?
Appearing fairly plain at first sight , the build quality is quite good with a well-finished exterior , making it ideal looking for a professional studio environment . The bass reflex port in the front finishes the look and makes it easier to position the speaker .
Moving on to sound , the speaker performs well for its price . A beginner-level producer is certainly going to enjoy these . They have a very non-fatiguing and soft sound profile . Ideal for programming , you can find yourself working on tracks for extended periods of time . The bass response is good but could be a little tighter .
The speakers may come off as too soft for mixing , with the top end being a little too smooth taking away some accuracy in those regions . We also noticed that the speakers don ’ t get too loud for their size , compared to a lot of the other products in the range .
To sum things up , these are great monitors for beginner producers . You can work on them for extended periods of time and makes for an enjoyable programming experience . However , if you are looking for a loud speaker with very tight bass and sparkly highs , you might have to look elsewhere .
The Score Magazine
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