Why a three-way monitor makes sense
When it comes to making music, a few fundamentals will always matter most. The room you are in should be as acoustically treated as you can manage, and the speakers you put in that room will make or break your mixes.
The short answer is that a three-way monitor gives the midrange its own dedicated driver. On a two-way, the woofer and tweeter hand over somewhere around 2 to 3.5 kHz, right where our hearing is most sensitive. Splitting the job three ways means each driver works in an easier range, with lower distortion and a more accurate midrange, which is exactly where your mix decisions live.
Everyone needs a set of monitors, and everyone has a different set of parameters to fulfil, whether that is budget, room size, or the genre of music. Each of these can influence which monitor is right for you. Thankfully, there are a few design features that can help narrow down your choices.
What is a crossover in a speaker?
A crossover is the point where one driver hands the signal over to the next. It exists because no single driver can accurately reproduce the whole frequency range on its own.
Most speaker designs have a point at which the main driver hands off to the tweeter. To manage that hand-off, a speaker needs a crossover. Every speaker's crossover points are set around where each driver can accurately reproduce the frequencies it is asked to. For a two-way speaker, one woofer and one tweeter, they usually hand off somewhere around 2 kHz to 3.5 kHz. There are exceptions, of course, but let's keep it broad for now.
When you add a third driver to the cabinet, you introduce a second crossover point. Generally, the woofer will cross over to the midrange driver somewhere between 250 Hz and 800 Hz, and the midrange will then hand off to the tweeter at around 2.5 kHz to 4 kHz. This brings a few key benefits.
Why does a three-way design help?
Three drivers share the work, so each one runs in an easier range with less harmonic distortion. Crucially, the midrange gets its own driver, rather than being split at the point your ears are most sensitive.
By having three distinct drivers, you split the load across the monitor. That usually lets each driver work more efficiently, which means less harmonic distortion, which in turn means a more accurate reproduction of the material playing through the monitors.
In a two-way system, the crossover point can land right where our ears are most sensitive, which can make the midrange of a mix less accurate across different playback devices. Bear in mind that most playback systems are themselves two-way, so getting the midrange of your mixes as accurate as possible is paramount.
Because there are three drivers in a three-way design, there are usually three amplifiers. The benefit is that each driver gets the right amount of power to do its job, which again keeps harmonic distortion as low as possible. That, in turn, lets your mix decisions be as informed as possible, and makes translation between systems less of an issue.
Put all of this together, and you find yourself mixing faster, with less fatigue and fewer recalls.
Which three-way monitors are worth knowing?
Three that have proved themselves over time are the ATC SCM25A Pro Mk2, the PMC6-2 and PMC8-2, and the Genelec 8351. Each takes a different route to an accurate midrange.
When you start looking into three-way monitors, you will find a few industry standards that have proved themselves over time. Here are a few of them.
ATC SCM25A Pro Mk2
These are seen on the meter bridges of consoles, in production rooms and in broadcast facilities all over the world, and for good reason. ATC have built a reputation as masters of the midrange. Their soft dome midrange driver first debuted back in 1976, and it lets the critical listening area of 380 Hz to 3.5 kHz be represented as accurately as possible. Many of the top mix engineers swear by ATC, not only for the sonic signature but for the reliability. Because they use Class A/B amplification, ATC monitors are repairable, and it is not uncommon to see 30-year-old ATCs still working day in and day out.
PMC6-2 and PMC8-2
PMC is world-renowned for making some of the finest monitors out there, often seen mounted in the walls of some of the largest studios in the world, as well as in the production rooms of many top DJs and artists. PMC uses a combination of DSP, high-powered amplifiers, and their signature transmission line cabinet design to push their monitors to feel larger than their footprint suggests.
The 6-2 and 8-2 three-way range takes all of PMC's research and development over the years and puts it into a relatively compact and powerful package. Breathtaking bottom end, revealing mids, and a wide listening sweet spot. If you need a pair of monitors that can push some level while staying accurate, these are a solid choice.
Genelec 8351
Genelec has been a pioneer in speaker design since 1978, and their latest monitors show that the pursuit of pushing the limits has not slowed in the slightest. The 8351, 8341 and 8331 house two bass woofers behind the baffle and a dual-concentric midrange and tweeter in the centre of the speaker. The cabinet is made of recycled aluminium, and the amplifiers are highly efficient Class D units that switch off automatically when not in use. Sonically, these punch well above their cabinet size. The waveguide that the dual-concentric midrange and tweeter sit in gives a very wide sweet spot, and combined with Genelec's GLM DSP, these monitors perform incredibly accurately and match the acoustics of your room.
There are many more three-way monitors worth researching. These are just some of our choices from testing here in our showroom.
Are monitors the whole story?
No. Monitors are one of three pillars, alongside good room acoustics and solid converters. Get all three right and your mixes will translate.
It is worth remembering that monitors are one piece of the puzzle, not the whole of it. Good room acoustics and solid converters play a big part in what you are hearing. Get all three of these pillars right in your studio, and translation between systems should be a breeze.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a two-way and three-way speaker?
A two-way speaker has a woofer and a tweeter, with one crossover point. A three-way adds a dedicated midrange driver and a second crossover point, so no single driver has to cover the sensitive midrange alongside another job.
Are three-way monitors better than two-way?
For critical mixing, they have real advantages. Each driver works in an easier range, distortion is lower, and the midrange is not split at the point our hearing is most sensitive. Two-way monitors remain excellent, and a good two-way in a treated room beats a great three-way in a bad one.
What is a speaker crossover point?
It is the frequency at which one driver hands the signal to the next. On a two-way that is usually around 2 to 3.5 kHz. On a three-way there are two, typically around 250 to 800 Hz and 2.5 to 4 kHz.
What is a transmission line speaker?
A design where the sound from the rear of the driver travels down a long, folded, damped path inside the cabinet before exiting at a vent. It extends and controls the low end, letting a compact cabinet sound larger. PMC are best known for it.
Do you need three-way monitors to mix well?
No. Room acoustics matter more than the monitor spec. Treat the room first, then let your monitors, and your converters, do their job.
If you have any questions, or would like to come and try any of the monitors we have in stock, feel free to get in touch.
Alec Brits
alec@studiocare.com