A reference monitor shall reveal the truth about the program being monitored. It shall not add anything to nor remove or mask anything contained in the program. Such a monitor should be set up in an optimal position in the room with minimized influences from its environment. What we hear is the combination of our listening ability, the monitor’s performance and the room acoustic.

In this guide Genelec looks at the listening area and where best to place the operator position. The radiation space around a monitor is considered, along with the effects of walls adjacent to the monitor loudspeakers. Walls behind speakers can represent problems, with the solution explained. There are recommendations for LFE sub-woofer positioning.

Monitor calibration can help to minimise the influence of the room to give a flat and neutral frequency response.

Optimum results are achieved when the room has proper acoustic treatment. The guide identifies potential issues and suggests improvements.