Near field vs. far field monitoring

Introduction and definitions

In the audio mastering stage, quality and accuracy of the monitoring system is crucial to correct in a precise way the audio imperfections, and to obtain a well balanced and pleasuring sound for the mastered tracks. The monitoring system consists of different parts:

• DA Converter
• Amplifier
• Speakers
• Room acoustics

To hear the sound accurately in the mastering stage, every component of the monitoring system has to be of high quality. The DA converter has to minimize jitter and conversion errors. The amplifier has to deliver a flat, clean sound with detailed transients. The speakers need to have a linear (+/- 3 db) frequency response at least from 40 Hz to 20 Khz. The room must be sufficiently big and acoustically treated for reducing the sound peaks and dips caused by the room resonances.
Moreover, another important aspect in audio mastering is the choice between near field and far field monitoring. Here are two indicative definitions:

• Near field monitoring. The listener is at the center of the speakers, with a distance from the speakers lesser than 6,5 ft
• Far field monitoring. The listener is at the center of the speakers, with a distance from the speakers equal or greater than 6,5 ft

Near field and far field monitoring in comparison

These two monitoring systems present pros and cons:

• Near field monitoring
  • Pros: excellent perception of the micro details; low incidence of the reflected sound on the perceived sound
  • Cons: low perception of the complessive sound image ("big picture")

• Far field monitoring
  • Pros: excellent perception of the big picture
  • Cons: low perception of the micro details; higher incidence of the reflected sound on the perceived sound

Headphones monitoring is similar to near field monitoring, with more accentuated pros and cons. The following figure describes synthetically these three ways of music listening.

So, which is the best between these monitoring modalities? The answer is...it depends on the main goal of the listener:

• If the main purpose is to analyze the audio micro details, then headphones or near field monitoring are the best choices. This is what happens in the mixing stage, where micro details perception is very important
• On the other hand, if the main purpose is to perceive the sound image in its entirety, than far field monitoring is the best choice. This is the reason why, in the audio mastering stage, far field monitoring systems are used more then near field ones. Indeed, in mastering the big picture perception is more important than the perception of the micro details, to spot possible unbalances in frequencies, dynamics, stereo image etc.

I use a far field monitoring system, with a distance of about 6,5 ft between the speakers and my ears.