Can you recommend a subwoofer for scoring film music?

nicholas · 04-01-2021, 09:35 PM

This on behalf of a good friend. I don't do film music scoring myself so would appreciate any advice.

Budget up to about $500 US (but flexible). Must deliver good clean bass.

Studio is double brick (good insulation) approx 5m by 6m (about 16 ft by 19 ft)

Current speakers are Yamaha HS8.

Any ideas welcomed, thanks!

Softsynth · 04-02-2021, 12:59 AM

If the aim is to genuinely be able to tell what is on the recording then I will throw you a curveball.
The main thing is to get a nice even frequency balance in the room. This is a tall order for a single subwoofer, regardless of quality.

https://mehlau.net/audio/multisub_geddes/

jrk · 04-02-2021, 01:13 AM

The Yamaha HS8S has to be worth considering?

nicholas · 04-02-2021, 01:21 AM

Thanks, that was my inclination too, glad to get confirmation.

beingmf · 04-02-2021, 04:35 AM

I really like (after some comparisons) the Yamaha Y-ST SW 300. Except for a continuous phase correction it features pretty much everything you'd need* and absolutely sounds clean enough for the little money you pay nowadays.

* including an i/o + crossover for the use with passive speakers

SMM · 04-02-2021, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholas

This on behalf of a good friend. I don't do film music scoring myself so would appreciate any advice.

Budget up to about $500 US (but flexible). Must deliver good clean bass.

Studio is double brick (good insulation) approx 5m by 6m (about 16 ft by 19 ft)

Current speakers are Yamaha HS8.

Any ideas welcomed, thanks!

nicholas,

I've got great results in my recording
studio when using either one of these:

Presonus Temblor T10

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...udio-subwoofer

KRK 10s

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...udio-subwoofer

The low frequencies when mixing/mastering
are excellent in my mixes and translates
well to all other systems outside of my
studio when using either one of these
listed.

Side notes:
I have no problems with either one.
I'm not recording film score music.
I have used those for mixing/mastering Rock music.

nicholas · 04-02-2021, 05:51 AM

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

Softsynth · 04-02-2021, 11:00 AM

If buying a single subwoofer I would suggest getting a sealed box unit, not a ported speaker.
Quality over quantity.

Leo777 · 08-22-2021, 09:47 AM

I'm in the same boat now. I read many good reviews about Yamaha subwoofers, though I know that Klipsch R-120SW is also supposed to be good. I've already got additional projects at work to earn extra money (fortunately, the Top Writers Review company agreed to help me). But I haven't made the choice yet. Some people think that Klipsch is better and even cheaper. Does anyone have any experience with it?

Lynx_TWO · 08-22-2021, 10:18 AM

This is a bit more novel of a solution; BUT if you have some woodworking knowledge and can use a miniDSP to include delay compensation, building one of these for $500 can offer a rewarding experience: https://billfitzmaurice.info/THT.html

Especially if mixing movie soundtracks. One or two of these set up correctly and EQd properly will blow the socks off probably any other subwoofer you’ve heard. However I cannot stress the importance of measuring, EQ, and delay, because these are big ugly beasts that are nowhere near flat without a MiniDSP or similar to get them under control. If you research them, you’ll find love/hate relationships, but the haters are generally people who built them thinking they could get away without EQing them.

ivansc · 08-23-2021, 12:49 AM

A + for anything from Bill Fitzmaurice.
I built a bass guitar cab using one of his designs years ago. Only problem in my case was that it weighed a ton, but it DID sound great.

Tod · 08-23-2021, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholas

Studio is double brick (good insulation) approx 5m by 6m (about 16 ft by 19 ft)

Hi nicholas, before throwing money into a subwoofer I'd advise to really check the room out first. He's got a good sized room, although we know nothing of the ceiling height. Brick is good, but only in respect to room size, shape, and existing room treatment.

The Yamaha HS8 boast a 38hz to 3.0Khz range, which is pretty impressive and is probably overstated some. But still, if your friend has the right room treatment, he should be able to hear the bass quite well. If not then he should be looking at his acoustics, which I think is far more important then just putting in a subwoofer, which could smear the bottom end.

nicholas · 08-23-2021, 08:21 PM

Thanks to everyone who has taken the trouble to reply. I'll pass these suggestions on to my friend .