Genelec 8010 User manual

Monitor setup guide
2015
The right monitors.
The correct setup.
Proper sound.

2
Table of contents
Genelec Key Technologies 3
What is a monitor? 4
What is a reference monitor? 4
Selecting the correct monitors 4
Identifying your listening area 5
Monitor and listening location placement in a room 8
Back wall cancellation 9
Calibration 13
Acoustic treatments 14
Room acoustics improvements 18
Listening distance recommendations 20
Product selection guide 21
Sound basics 22
Sound radiation 23
Radiation space 24
Cancellation because of a wall behind the monitor 25
Genelec G • Stencil tool 26
Test signals 27

3
Monitor setup guide
Genelec Key Technologies
For over 35 years Genelec has been guided by a single idea – to make perfect
active monitors that deliver neutral and accurate sound in every kind of acoustical
environment. In our quest to improve all aspects of monitoring quality we
continuously develop innovative solutions in driver technologies, electronic
circuitry, signal processing, enclosure designs, and materials. Learn more about
our key technologies on our website at www.genelec.com.
Active Crossover
Dedicated Ampliers
Protection Circuitry
Room Response
DCW™
Directivity Control
Waveguide™
MDE™ Minimum
Diraction
Enclosure™
Iso-Pod™ Stand
Reex Port
LSE™ Laminar Spiral
Enclosure™
Versatile Mounting
Bass Management
ISS™ Intelligent Signal
Sensing™
MDC™ Minimum Diraction
Coaxial™
SAM™ Smart Active
Monitors™
LIP™ Laminar Integrated
Port™
NCE™ Natural Composite
Enclosure™

4
What is a monitor?
A monitor, by denition, observes, checks, controls, warns or keeps continuous
record of something. An audio monitor is more than a good-sounding loudspeaker.
It is a device used in the process of recording, mixing or broadcasting audio in any
environment where accurate listening is needed. A monitor is a professional tool.
What is a reference monitor?
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
inuences from its environment. What we hear is the combination of our listening
ability, the monitor’s performance and the room acoustic.
Selecting the correct monitors
Genelec recommends monitors based on typical listening distances and sound
pressure levels. A matching subwoofer exists for every monitor. Refer to our online
selection tools or ask your local dealer or distributor for detailed advice. Here are
some tips to dene your listening distance and identify your optimal listening area.

5
Monitor setup guide
Identifying your listening area
Divide your room into three equal-sized areas; front, centre and rear.
For music productions place your listening setup in the front area. The angle
between the left and right monitors should be 60° degrees. Each monitor should
be aimed towards the listening position. For lm production, place your listening
setup in the rear area.
60°
LR
110°
60°
+10°
-10°
RS
C
Screen
R
LS
L
Room resonances between room surfaces are called standing waves or room
modes. In the case of resonances, sound pressure maxima occur on the surface.
Place the listening position at least one metre from the walls to avoid the zone of
the pressure maximum.
60°
LR
›1 m

6
For typical two-way systems, the recommended height of the monitor acoustical
axis is at the ear level, usually between 1.2 and 1.4 metres from the oor. Placing
the monitors higher with a slight tilt will minimise oor reections. For standard
stereo and multichannel reproduction, do not lift the monitors so high that more
than 15 degrees of tilt is required. Monitors should always be aimed towards
the listening position. The higher the monitor is from the oor, the lower is the
reection induced frequency response irregularities. However, half room height
placement should be avoided, as at low frequencies the ceiling is typically also a
reective surface.
Find the left-right symmetry axis of your room. Place the listening setup
symmetrically in the left-right direction.
60°
LR
‹15° ‹15°
1.2-1.4 m
Monitor height (ITU-R BS.775-2 Recommendation) Iso-Pod tilting

7
Monitor setup guide
Placement suggestions for a 5.1 monitoring setup in two dierent basic room
layouts:
110°
60°
+10°
-10°
RS
LS
L
C
R
110°
60°
+10°
-10°
LS
L
C
R

8
Monitor and listening location placement in
a room
Sound is reected by the walls, ceiling and oor. The sound level at the listener
increases when reected sound is in phase with the direct sound. The sound level
decreases when the reected sound is out of phase with the direct sound.
If the room surfaces have not been designed to diract the sound energy, most of
the reected sound energy leaves the reecting wall in the same angle as it arrived
to the wall. Avoid placing the monitors so that the immediate side wall, ceiling,
and oor reections travel towards the listening position.
Direction of sound
arriving at the wall
Angle
Angle
Direction
normal to
the wall
Direction of sound
leaving the wall, missing
the listening position
When room dimensions agree with the sound wavelength, sound energy
accumulates to form resonances. This resonance sound forms standing waves in
the room, with sound pressure maximums and minimums at certain locations in
the room depending on the resonance frequency.
Location of the monitor in the room aects how much the room mode resonances
collect energy and how audible they become. Moving the monitor locations may
help to reduce the levels of problematic room mode resonances.
The listening location may be unfavourably situated relative to the room mode
resonances. If the listening location is at the location of a null for some mode
resonances, the level of those resonances frequencies becomes very low and

9
Monitor setup guide
these frequencies appear to be missing. Moving the listening location can solve
the problem. Typically the listening location is moved forward or backward.
The most accurate stereo imaging can be achieved when the reections are
similar for the left and the right monitor in a stereo pair. This can be achieved by
maintaining the same distance to the nearest side wall and the wall behind the
monitor, placing the left and right monitors to the same height in the room, and
placing the listening location symmetrically in the room in the left-right direction.
Back wall cancellation
Monitor placement
To avoid cancellation of audio because of the sound reecting back from the wall
behind the monitor, follow the placement guideline below. This reection happens
at relative low woofer frequencies only. Avoiding the cancellation is important
because the reected sound can reduce the woofer output causing the monitor
low frequency output to appear to be too low. To avoid the cancellation, push the
monitor close enough to the wall. Typically the distance of the monitor front to the
wall should be less than 0.6 meters. This ensures that the low frequency output
is not reduced. The monitor needs a minimum clearance of 0.05 m to the wall to
ensure full output from the rear bass reex port.
Avoid
> 60 cm
Min
5 cm
OVL
ON
GENELEC
Max
60 cm

10
Placement of monitors and subwoofer
At low frequencies, it is crucial that the most fundamental room modes are equally
excited. Using a single subwoofer, a placement along the front wall, slightly
o-centre from the room middle axis could be recommended. Using two or four
subwoofers around the room may be a good solution to even out room mode
excitations.
100 40020
40 (Hz) 80 200
Maximum
0.6 m
Distance > 0.6 m can reduce
the level of these frequencies
150
RS
R
LS
L
C
possible
subwoofer
placement
possible
subwoofer
placement

11
Monitor setup guide
The cut-o frequency for the low frequency eect (LFE) channel can be selected
separately as 85 Hz or 120 Hz. In certain subwoofers, the LFE content above
85 Hz may be redirected to the centre monitor, allowing full range LFE channel
monitoring.
Typical recommended distances from the wall behind monitors and subwoofer are
shown in the picture overleaf.
Placing a subwoofer at a wall or in a corner produces the highest low frequency
output. At low frequencies, the attest response can be achieved when the room
mode resonances are equally excited. A single subwoofer is usually placed along
the front wall, slightly o-centre from the room’s middle axis. Two subwoofers
may be a good solution to produce and even atter response. Note that during
level calibration, the subwoofer output level is set at the same level than the main
monitor system.
Genelec active 7000 series subwoofers have a crossover lter set to 85 Hz. The
subwoofer reproduces the frequencies lower than 85 Hz. Higher frequencies are
reproduced by the monitors.
Genelec Smart Active Monitoring (SAM) subwoofers enable selection of the
crossover frequency between 50 and 100 Hz. Set the subwoofer crossover to a
frequency where both the monitors and the subwoofer output sound.
Adjust the subwoofer phase at the crossover. Reduction of sound level may occur
at the crossover frequency if the phase is not aligned. The phase alignment is
described in the subwoofer operating manual.
SPL
frequency
subwoofer monitor
85 Hz

12
Post-production facility applications
In certain applications, such as large
post-production studios, subwoofer
placement along the front wall is
not recommended as this places
the subwoofer very far from the
listening position, and the subwoofer
frequency response will not be at.
In these cases, we recommended
locating the subwoofer close to the
main monitor setup along the side
walls. Using two subwoofers, one
along each side wall, may provide an
improved low frequency atness.
1.1 m>
Max
60 cm
Avoid
Avoid
Min 5 cm
110°
60°
+10°
-10°
RS
C
Screen
R
LS
L

13
Monitor setup guide
All Genelec active monitoring systems have room response adjustments to
compensate for room inuences and retrieve a at frequency response at the
listening position. Analogue systems feature DIP switch tone controls while
Smart Active Monitor (SAM) systems with digital signal processing can calibrate
automatically with Genelec AutoCal.
Calibration
The acoustic environment has a major inuence on the sound quality. Walls,
ceiling, and oor as well as large objects like mixing consoles, tables, equipment
racks, and furniture cause reections. Acoustic calibration minimizes room
inuences and retrieves at and neutral frequency response.
Example of compromised listening condition: excessive bass level in the
monitoring room may result in a lack of bass in the nal mix.
dB
Hz
0
Monitoring excessive basswith level
Results lack of bass in thein amix
dB
Hz
0
OFF
ON
1234

14
First set the measurement microphone at the ear height in the listening position
(typical height: 1.2 to 1.4 m). Ensure that monitors are at correct distances and
heights. Take a frequency response measurement. Analyse the measurement
results and adjust tone control DIP switches to retrieve a at and balanced
frequency response for each monitor.
For level calibration, rst set the rotary input sensitivity control on all monitors fully
clockwise. Then, adjust each level control so that all monitors produce the same
sound level at the listening position.
dBu
+12
+6
-6
+3
-3
-4
0
SENSITIVITY FOR
100 dB SPL @ 1 m
dB
-5
-6
BASS TILT
0dB
-2dB
-4dB
-6dB
-8dB
@~ 300 Hz
BASS ROLL-OFF
0dB @~ 100 Hz
-2dB
-4dB
-6dB
-8dB
@~ 8 kHz
TREBLE TILT
0 dB
+2 dB
-2 dB
-4 dB
-6 dB
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
LEVEL CONTROLS
BASS MID TREBLERANGE
Hz
dB
BASS SPECTRUM MIDRANGE SPECTRUM TREBLE SPECTRUM

15
Monitor setup guide
To achieve optimal sound reproduction we recommend to place two-way monitors
vertically. When a two-way monitor is placed horizontally, dierence in the
tweeter and woofer distances will cause reduction of sound level at the crossover
frequency when the listener moves sideways from the acoustical axis.
In the example below, the bass tilt control has been used to compensate for a low
frequency boost caused by a monitor close to a large wall.
8030 Bass Tilt -6 dB
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
50 100 300 600 1k
off axis-
Horizontal
positioning
0° on axis- 0° on axis-
notch
off axis-
Vertical
positioning
off axis-0° off axis-0°
Large table or mixing console in front of the
monitors may cause a boost around 160-
200 Hz. Some Genelec monitors have a
desktop control DIP switch compensating
for this boost. SAM systems’ AutoCal will
compensate for this eect automatically.
dB 4 dB @ 160 Hz/ 200
frequency

16
Acoustic treatments
Monitor calibration alone helps but may not be sucient to resolve room acoustic
problems.
Audio production rooms are designed for monitoring and should receive
adequate acoustic treatments to allow quality monitoring. Several room acoustic
improvements are suggested here. However, using services of a professional
consultant is highly recommended.
Wall surfaces, ceilings and oors can be reective, diusive or absorptive.
Combinations of these are often used.
Hard surfaces such as glass, concrete,
dry wall or MDF reect sound.
Soft materials such as rock/mineral wool,
sofas, heavy curtains or thick carpets
absorb sound energy. Thick layer of
porous materials are needed to absorb
lower frequencies.
Irregular surfaces scatter sound waves.
Spreading angle depends on the diusor
design. Diusion is usually not eective at
low frequencies.
A combination of diusive and absorptive
surfaces can be very eective in reducing
the audibility of reections.

17
Monitor setup guide
Reection-free zone around the
listening area
First order reections can have high level while subsequent reections become
smaller. Control room design minimizes the rst order reection level reaching
the listening area. Reections arriving very soon after the direct sound from the
monitor are called early reections. One aim of control room design is to reduce
or eliminate early reections, having mainly the direct sound from the monitors
reaching the listening area.
Flutter echo
60
0

18
Room acoustics improvements
Several acoustic improvements can be made in a typical rectangular room where
an audio monitoring setup is installed. Here are a few suggestions.
E
A
B
C
D
A
B

19
Monitor setup guide
A
Cut the room front corners at 30 degree angle using high-mass materials
(concrete, bricks, multi layered gypsum board, etc). In case building materials
have medium mass, be sure to ll the empty space behind these walls with
mineral wool.
B
Use a combination of absorption and diusion on the side wall surfaces. Note that
thin layers of porous absorbers only reduce HF reections.
C
If the room is large enough, use diusive and absorbing element(s) on the back
wall.
D
Control low frequency room resonances using a large amount of absorption
material for example in the back of the room and in the ceiling. Carefully designed
and located panel resonator absorbers can also be used.
E
Use a combination of absorption and diusion above the listening area to reduce
acoustic reections from the ceiling.

20
Listening distance recommendations
1238CF
1382
1234
1236
0.5 11.5 2510 15
(s
)meter
1.6 3.2 56.5 16.5 32 50 (feet)
8320
8030
8040 / 8240
8050 / 8250
1032
8260
1237
8351
95 92 90 85 84
98 94 92 88 87
97 94 90 89
98 96 92 91
100 98 94 93
103 99 97 93 91
104 100 98 94 92
107 101 100
102 97 95 94
111 105 103 102
115 109 107 106
121 115113112
96 93 91 86 85
92 89 87 82 81
8020
8010
8330 97 93 91 87 86
100
102
109
104
99
Recommended.
The long-term sound pressure levels (SPL) displayed take into consideration
an average room reverberation time (RT60) of 0.3 sec.
Note: at extremely long distances the SPL
may become too low for the application.
Not recommended.
When too close to the monitor, the drivers - tweeter or midrange/tweeter - are
not summing together properly at the crossover point, which affects the
perceived frequency response balance
95