Jessica Monroe

I remember the first time I A/B’d a mix on my bedroom Hi-Fi speakers and then heard it in the club. The kick was a muddy blob. The sub vanished. The hi-hats screamed. That was the day I realized consumer speakers lie to you, and the best studio monitors for electronic music aren’t optional gear; … Read more

A studio subwoofer is a specialized loudspeaker built to reproduce low-frequency content below 80Hz with accuracy and clarity. If you’re serious about mixing or mastering, adding a quality sub to your monitor system reveals low-end details your near-fields simply can’t reproduce on their own. After spending three months testing 12 different models in our own … Read more

I remember the first time I set up a pair of studio monitors on my desk and wondered why the bass sounded boomy and smeared. After two weeks of frustration, I finally ordered a set of stands and the difference was night and day. That experience is exactly why I put together this guide to … Read more

I still remember the first time I set up my studio monitors on a wooden desk without isolation pads. Every kick drum sent a low rumble through the desk, my coffee vibrated off the surface, and my mixes translated terribly to other systems. The fix was simple: monitor isolation pads. After testing dozens of options … Read more

I’ve been chasing accurate sound for over a decade, and let me tell you, finding the best powered studio monitors changed everything for me. Back in my bedroom studio days, I made every mixing mistake in the book on cheap computer speakers. Then I bought my first real pair of active monitors and suddenly heard … Read more

If you’ve ever finished editing a podcast episode that sounded great through your headphones, only to discover it sounds muddy or harsh on listeners’ AirPods, you already know why podcasters are turning to studio monitors for podcasting. After spending the last two months running ten popular models through spoken-word editing sessions in our home studio, … Read more

Your bedroom is small, your walls are bare, and your neighbor’s bedtime is approaching. Yet you still need to know whether that bass drop is too loud or your vocal sits properly in the mix. This is exactly the daily reality for the best studio monitors for bedroom producers who produce in untreated rooms under … Read more

I have been testing studio monitors on the road for the better part of a decade. Mixing in hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and tiny untreated bedrooms changes what you need from a pair of speakers, and my opinions have shifted a lot over the years. After three months of carrying, plugging, and listening to eight compact … Read more

I still remember the day I plugged a $50 microphone straight into my laptop’s headphone jack. The recording sounded like it was made inside a tin can during a thunderstorm. That was the moment I realized: if you want clean, professional audio at home, you need one of the best audio interfaces for home studios … Read more

Recording music at home used to mean renting studio time and saving up for sessions. Today, all you need is a laptop, a microphone, and one of the best audio interfaces for beginners to get started for less than a night out. I built my first home studio around a budget interface and a USB … Read more