Auralex MoPad XL's for monitors...

[Yamaha Man]

I've been reading up on monitors and it has been suggested by many to use de-couplers for studio monitors. What this does is it isolates the monitors from your shelf or furniture hardware which can add to distortion and alter your bass response. Some people swear by them others think it's a ripoff. In my case I thought it would be a good idea. I'm currently using cheap 2" cushion foam, but the speakers don't sit evenly on them. So my speakers look like they are on a ship that's rocking back and forth. The Auralex MoPads I just bought will support the monitors better and keep them straight. They are also adjustable so I can angle the speakers down, which also sounds like a good idea, because my monitor shelf is a bit high. Angling the monitors down will improve my sweetspot with the tweeters. I bought the MoPar XL's which should fit my Yamaha HS8's very well.

I've been upgrading my studio as my budget allows. The cushion foam seemed to work good for the time being, but I wanted a more pro looking setup. The Auralex MoPad XL's seem to be just what I needed. For more information, google Auralex MoPads XL.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

I've been reading up on monitors and it has been suggested by many to use de-couplers for studio monitors. What this does is it isolates the monitors from your shelf or furniture hardware which can add to distortion and alter your bass response. Some people swear by them others think it's a ripoff. In my case I thought it would be a good idea. I'm currently using cheap 2" cushion foam, but the speakers don't sit evenly on them. So my speakers look like they are on a ship that's rocking back and forth. The Auralex MoPads I just bought will support the monitors better and keep them straight. They are also adjustable so I can angle the speakers down, which also sounds like a good idea, because my monitor shelf is a bit high. Angling the monitors down will improve my sweetspot with the tweeters. I bought the MoPar XL's which should fit my Yamaha HS8's very well.

I've been upgrading my studio as my budget allows. The cushion foam seemed to work good for the time being, but I wanted a more pro looking setup. The Auralex MoPad XL's seem to be just what I needed. For more information, google Auralex MoPads XL.

Like the entire width and breath on the bug-a-boo topic of room treatment and in particular when it comes to foam-type solutions (I use the word foam only as a descriptor) the discussions and solutions are usually the "horse before the cart" type of thing.

If your desk is resonant or is coupling with something in the room the Auralex may (and I use the word may liberally) do some minuscule de-coupling.

The problem of recklous frequencies in any recording environment is the single biggest impediment to a good sounding product. Save the talent of course. But there again you made it abundently clear you don't believe in such things. Only Peter Gabriel invests in such notions and he's rich. Fixing resonant room anomalies at the contact point of speaker and desk is as backwards an approach as I can think of.

The ideal approach would be properly identifying the problems and then systematically address and fix those problem (within budget). The money you've spent on microphones and auto-mastering software over the last couple of months would have covered a solid, pragmatic investment in good room design. Throwing anything Auralex on by way of some quasi-bandaid at the end of the signal chain is fools gold.

[Yamaha Man]

As I've said before, my room is small and packed with stuff. If I had a spacious room I'd agree with you, however due to space restrictions I have no control over I am forced to deal with my studio the way it is. I don't have a choice, what I have is what I have. I can't afford a bigger room. I've clearly demonstrated to myself that the de-couplers I'm now using definitely work, but some improvement is needed, the Auralex MoPads is a definite improvement on what I already have. Sorry my studio doesn't meet your standards but it is all I've got and I'm very happy with it. It's really a blessing to have what I have.

[Yamaha Man]

You have to understand something. Having a home studio is a hobby of mine, I don't have a stream of clients coming thru handing me cash. I don't have any tax write off benefits. It's totally funded by me. I'm the one who has to pay the bills, so what I say goes. This studio works for me by giving me the capability to write music, record it and make it available online. Sometimes I just use my studio for practice for learning songs for playing out at my gigs. I don't need a two million dollar studio. I'm quite happy with what I have got.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

You have to understand something. Having a home studio is a hobby of mine, I don't have a stream of clients coming thru handing me cash. I don't have any tax write off benefits. It's totally funded by me. I'm the one who has to pay the bills, so what I say goes. This studio works for me by giving me the capability to write music, record it and make it available online. Sometimes I just use my studio for practice for learning songs for playing out at my gigs. I don't need a two million dollar studio. I'm quite happy with what I have got.

We've had this discussion 3 or 4 times before so I sorta like I'm banging my head into a brick wall so I'm gonna goes short and to the point.

You are convinced beyond any shadow of any doubt that room treatment is something of a rich man's voodoo. The absolute undisputed fact is it is not. Again...for half the money you spent on self adjusting mastering software, a bevy of mic's, a quasi-mic stand mounted vocal booth and your harbor freight blankets you could be well on your way to solving problems at the root instead of slapping band-aids on stuff "post problem". What proper room treatment does require is first and foremost an adherence to the concept that nothing in your signal chain is more important than your room. Once one really invests in that truth spending money on new mics, while the room remains problematic is again putting the horse before the cart. Backwards

[Yamaha Man]

It's amazing to me that you can judge my room without seeing it. According to you, I have all these problems than need fixing, but you have never even been here. Will the MoPads help ?? Well they'll angle the monitors down so that the tweeters are more inline with my ears. That in it's self is a very good benefit. I want my HS-8s to sound as good as possible, and this is a quick inexpensive fix that many people are recommending. You won't shut up until I drag a bunch of 4" fiberglass panels in here. Ain't gonna happen.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

It's amazing to me that you can judge my room without seeing it. According to you, I have all these problems than need fixing, but you have never even been here. Will the MoPads help ?? Well they'll angle the monitors down so that the tweeters are more inline with my ears. That in it's self is a very good benefit. I want my HS-8s to sound as good as possible, and this is a quick inexpensive fix that many people are recommending. You won't shut up until I drag a bunch of 4" fiberglass panels in here. Ain't gonna happen.

Auralex MoPads are a form of room treatment. This is your post and you brought up the subject. You consistently appear to be working under the assumption that "I'm gonna post questions here on the forum but I only want answers that support my purchase decisions".

With all due respect you've been highly critical or in the milder alternative, downright dismissive of any opinion posted here that doesn't fit your narrative. That's not how forums work. If you post something that is fundamentally off kilter you need to be cognescent of the fact that some (many of whom been down this road professionally for years) may feel some compulsion, if not for you're own edification, certainly for the benefit of others here, to add some caveats concerning some obvious misconceptions and wives tales.

But for the record...I'll shut up now

[Yamaha Man]

Well that's the fun thing about building your own studio, you can customize it anyway you want. There's millions of studio options out there, and you have to ask the question, "Is it going to help my songwriting, my performances, my recordings ??" A few slabs of 4" fiberglass panels is not going to amount to a hill of beans in my studio. It would just add to the clutter. The MoPads however will straighten up my monitors, give them a proper angle and will decouple them from my desk.

I'm sitting here looking at my monitors resting on the current cushion foam, the weight of the speakers is pressing into the foam, which offers very little support. The monitors are tilted and look funky. That's because the cheap foam that I'm presently using squishes down un-evenly. The MoPads are quite a bit denser and will give support to the monitors. That my friend, is a worthy upgrade.

[Yamaha Man]

A picture can say a 1,000 words. In this picture you can see how much my monitor is tiled due to the poor structure of the cheap cushion foam. This is unacceptable to me.



The other monitor is just as bad but tilts up almost 3/4"of an inch from back to front.

[KevWind]

You would be better served with these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...VX75ZNXSP0MC9X

[Yamaha Man]

Thanks for the suggestion but no, with the MoPads, I can angle my monitors down either 4* or 8* degrees, which will be perfect for my application.

The rubber bumpers wouldn't give me that option.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

Thanks for the suggestion but no, with the MoPads, I can angle my monitors down either 4* or 8* degrees, which will be perfect for my application.

The rubber bumpers wouldn't give me that option.

A little wood piece under the rear pads would accomplish the desired angle, and trust me the sorbothane is by far a better isolator than the Mopads

[Yamaha Man]

This may be true, but it's too late now, the MoPads have already shipped and are on the way.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

but it's too late now, the MoPads have already shipped

Case in point although I know I said I'd shut up Instead of asking for "approval" post purchase, perhaps asking for solid advice "pre-purchase" may in fact yield better results, not only here on the forum, but more importantly better sonic results for your studio environment.

[philjs]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

Thanks for the suggestion but no, with the MoPads, I can angle my monitors down either 4* or 8* degrees, which will be perfect for my application.

I use a pair of Isoacoustics L8R monitor isolator stands. They work well and can angle the monitors if needed.

Phil