What volume should I set my monitors?

[iannetta]

I have an mbox2 and a set of M-audio BX5a's. The monitors have volume knobs on the back. Should I turn them all the way up or use the mbox to get more volume?

[Dism]

Originally Posted by iannetta

I have an mbox2 and a set of M-audio BX5a's. The monitors have volume knobs on the back. Should I turn them all the way up or use the mbox to get more volume?

The real question is: Do you want to blow your monitors?

Never max out your monitors. You never know if you're going to get a pop or loud noise burst from... well, anything.

You always want your monitor levels to be as low as possible while being loud enough to your ears. You'd much rather have the MBox cranked to full with your monitors being moderately loud, than the other way around.

[iannetta]

Can't believe I didn't think of that. I was more worried that turning them all the way up would add noise. Right now I've got then at about halfway open. They seem ok. Thanks for the help.

[tamasdragon]

I rather suggest to get a monitor controller. Even a passive one will do. This way, you can leave your active monitors at the optimal setting, but still have control over the volume.

[dubhdavidblack]

all good advice. I've been recording with PT and active monitors since the early '90s and yep it seems generally optimum to have your monitors at about 50%-- like Dism says, you never know when you'll get a 'pop' or 'BLAMMO' from someone plugging/unplugging something without warning you, or etc etc. Of course YMMV; you don't want your monitors to be so cranked that they're putting out a high signal to noise ratio themselves; and you don't want them so low that you can't get a good 85±dB*(or more) when you want it. (*85dB mentioned 'cos it's sort of an ideal level for mixing most of the time- our ears are most linear in perception around that level. google 'fletcher-munson curve' if you haven't heard of this stuff before...)

[Gothboy]

I have mine set at -10db. At 12:00 on the 002R it's about as loud as I would need it to ever be!

[nst7]

If you really want to be picky you should get a decibel meter and send white noise through them to make sure they're both exactly the same volume at whatever level you have the knobs at. You can't always assume that if both speakers have the knob at 12:00 that they're exactly the same volume.