Immersive/Surround Sound with Monitor Speakers for Keyboards

[ChrisNabil]

Firstly, I want to make it clear that I am very happy with my set-up AT LAST! At the moment I have a Korg Nautilus 88 and a Yamaha Genos hooked up to a pair of Focal Shape Twins. I have both keyboards going through a Radial KL8. The sound from the Focal monitors is first-class, I know the nature of monitors means there is a sweet spot if your in that triangle but my only question is what would you do to keep the quality of the sound but make it more immersive?

The Focal twins put out some serious bass so I don't need a subwoofer but would that help it feel a little more like the sound is spread wider? OR do I have the wrong speakers for the job? I am perfectly happy as I have some really good equipment I just wondered if any of you had some thoughts on it.

Thank you!

 

[anotherscott]

Near-field monitors are designed to try to minimize the sound of your own room reflections. That's great if your room has negative sonic characteristics, or if you want a sound that is faithful to the source (including whatever ambience is in the source, but not that which might be added by your own room), or if you want speakers that will give you about the same sound no matter what room you are using them in. But the room reflections are generally also what would contribute to an immersive sound. It's also why your stereo never sounds the same if you bring it outdoors... no room reflections. It's also why top digital pianos with built-in speakers, like Yamaha's Avant Grand, have speakers at different points aimed in different way--and NOT at your ears--to better simulate what it would sound like if an acoustic piano were actually in the room, with its sound bouncing off other surfaces. So I think that's the explanation for what you're experiencing.

Possible solutions could be:
... additional experimentation with effects in your keyboard (i.e. reverb, which is used largely to simulate the sounds of different spaces)
... different speakers, as you suggest
... maybe additional (rather than different) speakers
... maybe some kind of additional sound processing gear, by itself or in conjunction with any of the other things I mentioned (one possibility, for example, is the use of additional speakers behind you, used in conjunction with some kind of surround sound processing)

That's just off the top of my head. I'll be curious to see what other people suggest, and may have tried themselves.

 

[delaware dave]

Firstly, I want to make it clear that I am very happy with my set-up AT LAST! At the moment I have a Korg Nautilus 88 and a Yamaha Genos hooked up to a pair of Focal Shape Twins. I have both keyboards going through a Radial KL8. The sound from the Focal monitors is first-class, I know the nature of monitors means there is a sweet spot if your in that triangle but my only question is what would you do to keep the quality of the sound but make it more immersive?

The Focal twins put out some serious bass so I don't need a subwoofer but would that help it feel a little more like the sound is spread wider? OR do I have the wrong speakers for the job? I am perfectly happy as I have some really good equipment I just wondered if any of you had some thoughts on it.

Thank you!

You'll think this is crazy but recently I played the new Yamaha and Steinway acoustic piano offerings that go in my Gemini module through a stereo mixer into a Yamaha home theatre stereo amp into my Mirage Omnipolar speakers. The Omnipolar theory is alot like the original Bose theory of surrounding the room by bouncing the sound off walls. The piano literally filled the room. I was like ..... Holy Crap.

Mirage Loudspeakers OM 10 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 4.9 out of 5 - 63 reviews - audioreview.com

Mirage Loudspeakers OM 10 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 4.9 out of 5 - 63 reviews - audioreview.com

www.audioreview.com

Mirage Om-10 Omnipolar Black Floor Standing Speakers - Pair for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mirage Om-10 Omnipolar Black Floor Standing Speakers - Pair at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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[anotherscott]

Yes, bipolar/omnipolar speakers are the "polar opposites" of near-fields. Non-traditional solutions, but that's not to say they couldn't give you just what you're looking for. The characteristics of the room can then really come into play, though. So it's possible that the same speakers could give you desirable results in some rooms but be less satisfying in others, since the dimensions of the room and the characteristics of its surfaces can alter the sound substantially. A good return policy might be advantageous. ;-)

 

[ChrisNabil]

You'll think this is crazy but recently I played the new Yamaha and Steinway acoustic piano offerings that go in my Gemini module through a stereo mixer into a Yamaha home theatre stereo amp into my Mirage Omnipolar speakers. The Omnipolar theory is alot like the original Bose theory of surrounding the room by bouncing the sound off walls. The piano literally filled the room. I was like ..... Holy Crap.

Mirage Loudspeakers OM 10 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 4.9 out of 5 - 63 reviews - audioreview.com

Mirage Loudspeakers OM 10 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 4.9 out of 5 - 63 reviews - audioreview.com

www.audioreview.com

Mirage Om-10 Omnipolar Black Floor Standing Speakers - Pair for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mirage Om-10 Omnipolar Black Floor Standing Speakers - Pair at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Thank you, Dave. That is an interesting idea! I will do some research.

 

[ChrisNabil]

Near-field monitors are designed to try to minimize the sound of your own room reflections. That's great if your room has negative sonic characteristics, or if you want a sound that is faithful to the source (including whatever ambience is in the source, but not that which might be added by your own room), or if you want speakers that will give you about the same sound no matter what room you are using them in. But the room reflections are generally also what would contribute to an immersive sound. It's also why your stereo never sounds the same if you bring it outdoors... no room reflections. It's also why top digital pianos with built-in speakers, like Yamaha's Avant Grand, have speakers at different points aimed in different way--and NOT at your ears--to better simulate what it would sound like if an acoustic piano were actually in the room, with its sound bouncing off other surfaces. So I think that's the explanation for what you're experiencing.

Possible solutions could be:
... additional experimentation with effects in your keyboard (i.e. reverb, which is used largely to simulate the sounds of different spaces)
... different speakers, as you suggest
... maybe additional (rather than different) speakers
... maybe some kind of additional sound processing gear, by itself or in conjunction with any of the other things I mentioned (one possibility, for example, is the use of additional speakers behind you, used in conjunction with some kind of surround sound processing)

That's just off the top of my head. I'll be curious to see what other people suggest, and may have tried themselves.

Thank you for your input. I often think about what it would be like using a PA system instead of monitors. I did look into it a while ago but came to the conclusion that I would not get the same quality of sound as I would with monitors. I have a Roland 900P organ in the living room which gives such an enveloping sound. The keyboards are in my office which is only small, 15ft square.