Well, only days into October and we’re already seeing the release of what will be the most talked about pair of studio monitors this month, and for some time.
M-Audio have successfully kept this one under wraps in the lead-up to their release, but now the curtains are drawn, and we’ve been made privy to the all-new Forty Series of studio monitors that many of you will be super keen to get your hands on, and get your ears in front of. I know from what I’ve seen and heard so far myself, these look like they’re going to be a standout in the M-Audio product line.
So, what’s it all about? I hear you all asking. This is a full redesign of a speaker housing, driver and concept from M-Audio, presented in two different models to suit the size of your workspace. The Forty Sixty and Forty Eighty offer a 6.5” 100-watt driver and 8” 150-watt driver respectively, creating a range of options for near and midfield monitoring that will work well with music producers, DJs and mix engineers. Whether you’re working on a critical mix, writing new tracks or just listening to a final product, you’ll find these speakers deliver a quality signal response for the task at hand.
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The combination of 1” tweeter matched with the 6.5” driver, and the 1.25” tweeter matched with the 8” driver creates a very balanced audio image in both models. Yes, you do get more bottom end in the Forty Eighty, but it is not overbearing, nor is the Forty Sixty lacking in that department either. M-Audio have done well to create two speakers that really respond just about on par with each other, so you need only select the one that is better suited to the size of the room you’re working in and the volumes you’ll want to runt hem at.
Let’s quickly talk about the aesthetic elements here. M-Audio have produced what can simply be described as a very good-looking cabinet, in my opinion. They’re a slick design, with smooth, soft curves, that still fall into a rectangular housing. The recessed mounting of the Kevlar woofer looks fantastic and allows it to operate without any unwanted cabinet resonance. This is aided by the inclusion of an isolation pad that comes in the box to keep your speaker off the hard bench surface. The gold colour of the Kevlar woofer is a bit of a lux touch, and isn’t too over the top. In short, I’d have no issues looking at these speakers all day long. And with that, I wouldn’t take issue in listening to them either.
Both models offer balanced inputs on TRS and XLR connections, as is to be expected. Plus, Bluetooth connectivity is also included with a few clever elements in its implementation that will work really well with the modern producer or musician. Once the Bluetooth connection is established, the units can be stereo linked in Bluetooth mode so that you can control which speaker retains stereo left, with the option to switch this if it defaults in reverse to how your speakers are set up. Once in the Bluetooth mode. You can access the M-Audio control app and take advantage of a range of EQ settings to adjust how you use your monitors. Flat mode is ideal for mixing as it offers no colour to the audio at all. Then, you can jump over to Hype mode and get a more emphasised sound that can be likened to listening on a car stereo or through earphones. This makes it easy to quickly reference how your mix will sound when heard in different environments. Then, Custom EQ settings can also be set and recalled, with the app also allowing you to adjust the sound to work with the acoustic space you have your speakers set up in.
What’s interesting to note, and this is a really simple, yet very clever design element is how the audio works when in Bluetooth mode. You will receive audio from your par Bluetooth device whenever it is sent, yet you still receive audio from the analogue inputs too. At first, this seems like a bit of a recipe for disaster, as you’ll no doubt end up with someone playing music from both sources and creating a ruckus, but that’s not the intended purpose. Your speakers will generally be set up for use with the analogue inputs from your DAW or mixing desk, and that’s how you’re going to work with them most of the time. However, when work stops and it’s time for a break, you can simply start streaming audio from your mobile device and the speakers continue to deliver pristine audio, without the need to unplug anything, or power off other inputs. Just stop playback on your mixer and start on your mobile device, and vice versa. This is going to be very hand when listening to comparison mixes from previous recordings on a device, then jumping right back into your current mix in the DAW.
Forty Series
With a lot of focus put into making these cabinets, drivers and DSP controlled crossovers sound just perfect as a collective, M-Audio have hit it out of the park with the new Forty Series powered monitors. Gone is the need for a quality set of monitors for critical mixing, and a separate set of Bluetooth speakers for easy listening. It’s all there in the one housing, with preset EQ settings to suit your different needs.
Check them out at your local M-Audio dealer in the coming weeks. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what M-Audio have brought to the party with the Forty Series monitors. With that, only two questions remain. You just need to ask yourself is which size does your studio need to fill the space? And how soon can you get your hands on a pair?
The Forty Sixty and Forty Eighty are available now. For local M-Audio enquiries, visit Electric Factory.
