When Your Speakers Suck

I've worked in many different studios. Some were extremely high dollar; some were barely past cassette recorder quality. Nothing truly replaces having a great set of monitor speakers. There are ways to work around this problem if you don't have the bucks to upgrade.

First, select a commercial release (CD or download) of your favorite artist which you know has a top tier sound quality. Play that on your system, memorize how the highs and lows sound. Hear the blend of the mid frequencies. Can you hear all the strings or vocals properly? if so, this will be your reference point. Try to match the overall sound of your recording to that commercial release of that artist. Bear in mind, if your favorite artist is B.B. King and you getting ready to record a hard rock tune, you might have some problems.

Next step is to do your recording and transfer it to a CD or thumb drive (USB memory stick) and carry it to your car or truck with a decent sound system. Listen to your favorite artist's song, then listen to your recording. How far off is it? Now try listening to the commercial recording using your headphones followed by listening to your recording on the headphones. Are they close? If so, you might have done a successful work-around.

This method also works when setting a new set of speakers in your home recording setup. KRK makes a very affordable set of monitor speakers, and they might surprise you. Remember, the goal of the speakers is not to "sound good" but to reproduce what you've recorded.

Recommendations for Monitor Speakers
(Assuming you're working on a budget)

This is the KRK Kreate 8
They sell for $183 each
You'll need two.

Presonus Eris 2-Way 5.25" Near-Field Studio Monitor $125 each.