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View Full Version : Picture of Steve in current Stereophile sitting in his studio.

JohnnyK
05-06-2002, 07:14 AM
Steve,

I have been on vacation, so I hope that I am not repeating someone else’s post. If so, please direct me to that post.

There is a picture of you in your studio, At least I think that it is your studio, in the current issue of Stereophile. Behind you are speakers that seem to be built into a wall. Can you shed some light in this? Are your studio monitors really built into a wall? How does this affect soundstage (I have read that wall mounted speakers have a negative affect on soundstage). Why not use conventional speakers? What kind of drivers are you using?

Thanks.
John Oteri
05-06-2002, 10:05 AM
Well, that's not Steve's studio. That is the studio that Steve uses when mastering LP's with Kevin Gray.

See this link:

http://www.recordtech.com/lp.htm

And these photos:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=398

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=471

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3227


Most all professional mastering and recording studios have speakers in the wall.
JohnnyK
05-06-2002, 11:13 AM
John,

Thanks for the info.

John
John Oteri
05-06-2002, 12:03 PM
You're welcome! :)
Steve Hoffman
05-06-2002, 06:35 PM
Remember JohnnyK, usually a mastering engineer doesn't need to hear a "soundstage" in front of him, just tonality and dynamics issues. The soundstage is built into the recording. Either it has it, or it doesn't.
Joseph
05-07-2002, 06:10 AM
Steve, can poor engineering diminish or screw up the soundstage?
Steve Hoffman
05-07-2002, 07:42 AM
Yes indeed, and good mastering can enhance it.
Pinknik
05-07-2002, 03:52 PM
But, for curiosity's sake, how do Kevin's monitors sound? They look interesting.
Steve Hoffman
05-07-2002, 04:00 PM
Well, Kevin has built his own monitors for years and years. I think I first heard them back in the MCA days. His setup was at Future Disc Systems as well.

It's a sound I'm used to. Powerful, clean, razor flat, unromantic, a tad clinical. Just right for a studio.
Pinknik
05-07-2002, 04:17 PM
Cool. They reminded me of the monitors at www.ampspeaker.com Visually, anyway.
Steve Hoffman
05-07-2002, 04:26 PM
Neato.

Most studio systems sound alike. Not much for an Audiophile to like. No subtle tones, just broad strokes. Not much top end extension. Slower sound (due to the big ol' 15" woofers.)

I'm used to the sound and can work with it. Others can't, and there stuff comes out sounding, er, too bright for my tastes.
JohnnyK
05-08-2002, 07:09 AM
Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Neato.

No subtle tones, just broad strokes. Not much top end extension.


Steve,

I read that the hi-frequency drivers in that system are by Dynaudio. If these are the drivers that I am thinking of, they are made of silk and tend to be "less forward" than metal or ceramic drivers. When the tweeters on my AR-3A speakers blew out for the third time I replaced them with Dynaudio tweeters. The top end from my AR speakers is much more subdued than the top end from my Linn speakers which have a ceramic tweeter.

Dynaudio speakers are nice for listening, but I do not think that they would make good studio monitors because of the laid-back top end. As you mentioned, most music mastered from Dynaudio speakers would have a "goosed" top end.

John