Website: www.krksys.com
It’s important when mixing your music to have audio monitors that are reliable and provide an even frequency response. For a music producer choosing audio monitors is a very personal thing, every producer and audio engineer has their favourite brand and set of monitors. Most new producers place a high importance on their studio monitors, however I agree with the philosophy that the monitors you use, are not as important as your experience with them. All studio monitors sound different, and the more you deal with a particular set of monitors, the more you begin to realize their individual characteristics, and learn how to compensate for their shortcomings. If you perform a google search of images of home studios you’ll find a great many pictures displaying KRK monitors with their iconic yellow woofer. Why are these monitors so popular?
I can’t answer why so many people use KRK’s, but I can answer why I purchased a pair. Yes I’m a KRK user, those iconic yellow woofers stare back at me on a daily basis in my studio. I purchased a pair because they sound great, are reasonably priced, and have a front air port which reduces bass frequency in small rooms. I would love to delve into a whole slew of technical jargon as to why I purchased them sounding really impressive, but I’d be lying, I simply like them. I also have a pair of KRK mixing headphones which I love. There are various products in the KRK line, Rokit, VXT, Expose, R6, and a subwoofer.
The Rokit series of KRK are powered studio monitors developed for superior imaging, have high frequency adjustment, radiuses edges and low resonance enclosure to reduce distortion. The VXT series of monitors has a ABS enclosure resulting in an extended low end resonance, front firing air port to avoid wall and corner coupling, silk domed tweeter, woven kevlar cone, high and low frequency controls, and other features. The Expose series has high-grade dual amplification, lighting fast for high sample rate computer audio systems, and increased cabinet radius edges to improve natural diffraction and provide a larger sweet spot. The R6 has many similar features but is passive, and the subwoofer lets face it is for picking up the low end. (I have one and it definitely does that).
While I like my KRK monitors they’re not for everyone, so remember when choosing your own studio monitors make sure to research the brands your interested in and learn about what features they offer. Its also a good idea bring a reference song to the store when buying your monitors so you can hear what the monitors actually sounds like. Take your time selecting your monitors and listening to them carefully at the store, let your ears be the guide. Remember you’ll be spending a lot of time in your studio listening to these monitors so make sure you like them so you can get down to producing your music.