Thoughts on audio system for video editing

Hi, I am a freelance video editor - for mostly fairly low budget documentary work. I have a home edit system - basically a mac running final cut pro, and I normally edit in my bedroom using headphones. However I have just ordered some cheapish monitor speakers ( Avid Studiophile AV40 version II UK - £94 from Amazon) which seem to have good reviews. I'm quite excited about trying them out when they arrive, and will use them when working in my bedroom. However I also sometimes have clients over, and then I set the edit system up in my living room and have up to now been using my Tannoy Cheviot speakers and Onix amp for sound.

I'm not completely clued up about speakers (the Tannoy cheviots were a lucky find - I'm not a audio geek ) but as I understand it, the desirable characteristic of speakers for video work (or sound production in general ) is a flat frequency response so that the speakers aren't distorting the sound you are creating. The Tannoys always sound lovely, but I have no real idea of how suitable or not they are as 'monitoring' speakers, and whether in this respect they would be performing better or worse than the Studiophile speakers that are much cheaper but designed specifically for this purpose.

Would be very interested in what people think on this!

many thanks,

Sam.

 

Good morning Sam,

Tannoy dual concentric models have a long history of use for studio monitoring, therefore you're in a fortunate position owning a pair of Cheviots. IIRC the Cheviot is part of the HPD range which used foam suspension rings on the drivers. These foams deteriorate with age so it's well worth getting them checked.

The Tannoys will sound very different to the small active monitors - fuller, warmer and richer but an excellent contrast.
Studios traditionally run different types of loudspeaker in order to check results across a range of likely replay systems. As a minimum this will be a small model to check output for replay on small home audio systems and a larger, fuller range loudspeaker for absolute quality.

Please let us know how you find the sound of the AV40.
Inexpensive small active/powered models have really improved in recent years.

 

The Tannoy speakers should be very good. Although the frequency response may not be so flat as the new active speakers they may well have lower distortion in other ways.

Their weak point for movies I think, is a lack of deep bass. Since you do documentary work though, I assume this is not a problem? If it is, you could get a subwoofer to make a really good reference 'show-off' system.

 

hi sam, like simon said those tannoy cheviots are super speakers both used as studio moiters as well as home use for two channel and i modified mine to higher specs, i will never part with them,

 

I would have thought the Cheviots an excellent choice overall - low distortion over a wide dynamic range and while they may not do first-octave bass, that is a very low priority for TV broadcast (i.e. would probably be compressed to heck anyway!). Put another way - I think you would have to commit very significant funds to better the Cheviots for your purpose, and only you can judge if such commitment makes business sense. I think any gains would be small.

The Onix amp will be easily equal to the task of the Cheviots - a good solid and quite clean enough 40-50w.

Sounds like a nice pairing to me, little need to spend more. Rob is right - if you feel the need to spend money, get your existing tools serviced. These are your bread and butter - don't fix that which isn't broken

 

Thanks for replies! Reassuring to know that the Tannoys are good for monitoring as well as just being lovely to listen to. The M-Audio AV40 speakers arrived today and I'm very pleased with them for the price - they are going to be really useful for editing in my bedroom as my housemate would be too upset if I tried to move the Tannoys out of the living room.

 

tannoy

hi, are you happy with your tannoy's ? there is a symple mode that an engeneer can do ,are the binding post's the ones that take bare wires on input?

 

Yes I'm very happy with my Tannoys - I actually found them in the street with broken cones a few years ago and got them fixed up, and I've loved them ever since. The mod you mention sounds intriguing, yes they are the ones with bare wire binding posts.

 

with my tannoy cheviot's i had them hard wired internally with L.A.T studio cables modified the x-over and changed the binding post with a 4mm input sockets amongst internal dumping, also on the base stand remoeved the feet and fitted 8mm spikes, superve they are.