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Review: Focal Twin 6 Studio Monitors
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| Eric J |
Is there such a thing as monitors being TOO accurate?
With the Focal Twin 6's, you might just find yourself asking yourself that question. This is not a bad thing in my opinion, because after all, how can you fix whats wrong with your music if you can't hear what is going on with it?
I've been using the Focal Twin 6's for about 6 weeks and I feel like I'm ready to post my long anticipated review. I upgraded from Mackie HR824's, so much of this review will also concentrate on the noticeable differences when upgrading from these particular speakers to the Focal Twins. Those who are considering upgrading speakers in the same range as the Mackies will probably find similar results as I did.
First, let me describe the speakers themselves. The Focal Twin 6's are a generation of speakers what are known as 3-way speakers. That means that the monitors have TWO bass cones and a single tweeter. Unlike many 3 way designs, both 6.5 drivers handle low frequencies but only one of the two (which is selectable) is passing lo-mid frequencies. The have a beryllium tweeter, which is the only metal on earth that does not resonate, which creates a super accurate highs thats are never bright or harsh.
So far I have used them in three different situations:
- Composing a track
- Mixdown & mastering
- Putting together a mixed CD (via Ableton Live)
The first thing you'll notice about the monitors when upgrading from lesser monitors is that the sound across the frequency spectrum is remarkable even. Everything sounds like its in its right place. This can be a bit disconcerting for people who make bass-heavy music, as I do, but after using them for a short while, you soon learn to appreciate where the bass needs to sit in a proper mix and that bass in any type of music does not necessarily need to be loud in order to be strong. This, of course, means that there is room in your mix for the other elements and makes for a more balanced mix overall, which is always a good thing.
When I re-mixed and re-mastered a track that was done on the Mackies, I couldimmediately hear all the problems and it was real easy to fix them because I could accurate hear what was going on with the track. I re-did two tracks (mixdown only) in about 3 hours on the second day I had the monitors and they sounded miles better once I was finished with them. One of the things I will do when checking a mixdown is to immediate put the track into Ableton Live and try mixing it with a different track to see wht the track will sound like in the context of a mixed set. I had absolutely no problems and pretty much got it right the first time on the Focal Twins, whereas on the Mackies, I would often have sometimes 4 or 5 attempts before I got anywhere close to that the more "professional" tracks sounded like.
Bass:
In many lower end speakers, one part of the speakers is often exaggerated, and in many cases this happens to be the low end. I upgraded from Mackie HR824's and the first thing I noticed was how much bass my tracks had when mixed on the Mackies, too much bass in fact. On the Focal Twins, the bass is not loud, but PRESENT. You can hear the bass in the context of the entire track. The bass is not loud (unless you make it that way), but it is audible and it sounds proper when listening to professionally mixed and mastered tracks. After using these monitors for a short while, it became immediately apparent to me what the "proper" level is for the bass in my tracks and many tracks from other producers.
This is not to say that the bass is diminished on these speakers, far from it. It is simply a case where the bass is at its proper volume, unhindered by overhyping or muddiness like it was on the Mackies. It can be a little difficult to get used to this, especially if you are used to monitors where the bass is hyped, such as on the Mackies.
Mids:
Here is where these speakers truly shine and where many lower end models fail. The mids are remarkably detailed on these monitors. You can hear details across the entire mid spectrum. From vocal nuances, to subtle EQ changes and compression. On my old monitors, a change of 2db in the mid range wasn't really all that noticeable, but on the Focals I can hear really subtle EQ changes. This even extends to compression, where even light compression is clearly audible on these monitors. It certainly helps to prevent overcompressing as well as giving each sound its own space by the careful use of EQ.
Highs:
The sound of the highs on this unit are bright and airy, but not in a harsh or brittle way. They sound smooth and present. Its easy to notice if your high end has too much air or needs to be toned down at all because the beryllium tweeters will bring out your highs and if its too loud, the Focals will clearly show that.
Stereo Image:
Another thing I noticed about these from upgrading from the Mackies was how wide the stereo field was. Things panned around the stereo field are clear and well placed.Any type of rhythmic panning dances across the monitors and creates a very nice swirling effect, which is what those types of effects are so often made to do.
Translation:
Here is where most speakers fail to meet their hype. The Focal Twins translate extremely well across a wide variety of systems. In the car, on a mixed CD compared to other tracks, in the club, everything I have made on the Focal Twins sounds exactly as I expect it to sound in each of those environments with almost no tweaking whatsoever. This, to me, is the #1 selling point for monitors of this caliber. It's nice to be able to mix a track in your studio and not worry about how it will sound on other systems. With these units, if it sounds good in your studio, it's going to sound good anywhere else. Period. That's peace of mind!
One of the interesting things about mixing CD's on these units, is you start to notice how poorly mixed a lot of dance music is that is being released nowadays. Its a shame really as there are a lot of good tracks out there musically, but you can clearly hear the mixing mistakes on monitors of this caliber. Bass drums that are too loud or too soft, muddy or too clicky. Vocals that are buried in the mix or stick out WAY too far. Mids that get super muddy, especially in some of the busier trance tracks, where certain pieces stick out more than others. I've actually had to apply some creative EQ and compression on the master bus of my mixed CD template in Ableton, just to simulate the sound of lesser speakers.
One of the true joys of these units is how PLEASANT and ENJOYABLE these speakers are to listen to. I spent a great deal of time listening to a lot of non-EDM on these speakers, and I was hearing details that I had never heard before, especially on music that I had been listening to for a number of years and knew really well how it sounded across a variety of systems. Even my wife, who is about as non-technical and non-EDM as you can get, spent about TWO HOURS sitting in the studio listening to all her favorite songs because it sounded SO good. Anyone who gets speakers like this, I highly recommend spending your first few hours with them just LISTENING to music, without trying to work on anything.
Once thing to remember here (read: newbies): If you do not know what you are doing these monitors are not going to instantly give your track a "professional" sound. No monitors are going to make someone who doesn't know what they are doing into the worlds greatest mixer or composer. Most of us on this forum know this, but I just wanted to reiterate that. In addition, you will also need a fairly decent audio interface to take full advantage of units of this caliber. A set of $3,000 monitors is NOT going to sound good when plugged into a $200 audio interface. Halfway decent D/A conversion is a must, so keep that in mind.
In conclusion, these monitors are probably the best purchase I have made for my studio in a LONG time. After taking the time to get used to them, I find mixing SO much easier and my tracks are sounding a lot better with less work. I attribute this all to the fact that I can actually HEAR what is going on with my music, and that makes it so much easier to mix problems and make intelligent decisions before it's too late. I spend a lot more time composing music and a lot less time fixing problems, and that it priceless. In the words of a famous movie: "if you have the means, I highly recommend picking them (sic) up."
Product: Focal Twin 6
Price: $2,990.00 USD /pair
Manufacturer: Focal Professional
Availability: Focal Twin 6 from AudioLot Professional Audio Solutions
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
Good review. I haven't tried these myself, but I enjoyed reading this and it's a lot better than the usual "Which DAW should I get?" type of threads. I have some Mackie HR-824s, but I can't really use them because my apartment creates a lot of nasty echoes. I should be changing apartments soon, though.
:clown: |
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| Beyer |
Outstanding review!
I agree on every point! :) Listening to well recorded music with them, is breathtaking.Sadly, I havenīt been able to use mine for quite a while now..
Gathering dust atm, but soon I will get a new place to live, and hopefully I have space to set them up again! |
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| DJ RANN |
I've been waiting for this one and great job Eric! Really well written an comprehensive review - you've really covered all the aspects of monitoring considerations.
I found it interesting that your old mackie mixes were bass HEAVY, as the speakers themselves are bass heavy, usually resulting in a bass light mix, but you must have known this so compensated the other way. (, it's sounding like the poison scene from the princess bride).
The most appealing thing about them is the translation - being able to trust them for transfer to other systems is a truly rare thing and cannot be appreciated enough, especially as these monitors, while to some would be expensive are not unreachable.
The only thing is the panning - you mention that the panning is very pronounced. Does this lead to the danger of a narrow mix (when played back on other systems) because it is over exaggerating the width of the stereo field?
I like that you picked up on the fatigue issue too - I did about three hours of CDJ/vinyl mixing last night and by the end I wanted to throw my monitors out of the window. It is again a rare thing to find MONITORS that are actually enjoyable to listen to, rather than mechanical or functionary.
Thanks and worth the wait! Now where to find $3k.......... :D |
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| palm |
do u have any idea how the solo6 is? the twin is abit big for me. and the solo is like half the price or even less!:eyes:
and how are those compared to yamahas again? |
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| Beyer |
The solos will have the same amazing clarity as the twins, but the mids are supposedly more detailed with the twins, and they have extended bass response.
I havenīt heard the solos, but the general impression is that they are better than anything else in their price class. Of course, how you like a speaker is very individual, but their ability to reveal flaws in mixes.
I have space problems atm, so I have had my twins on sale on finn.no. I figured I should move to the solos instead, but I pulled the ad after a few days. :) These babies arenīt leaving me.
PS: half the price?? where did you see that? I know theyīre a lot cheaper, but that was incredible. |
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| palm |
| sorry that was each. i found them to 700eur on thoman and thought it was a par price. a pair of twins where 2000EUR there. |
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| palm |
| do you know anything about the powersupply in the amp of focals? im having problems with 50Hz noise and also something in the highs which is HELL to have there. it has something to do with the computer too i think. |
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| Eric J |
| quote: | Originally posted by palm
do you know anything about the powersupply in the amp of focals? im having problems with 50Hz noise and also something in the highs which is HELL to have there. it has something to do with the computer too i think. |
Its just a standard 3 prong power supply, just like the one for your computer or some of your hardware. Interference like that is probably going to have more to do with your electrical system rather than the monitors themselves. |
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| palm |
| quote: | Originally posted by Eric J
Its just a standard 3 prong power supply, just like the one for your computer or some of your hardware. Interference like that is probably going to have more to do with your electrical system rather than the monitors themselves. |
yeah but i dont have the same problem with my hifi or anything else, its only the monitors and it seems to be only when the computer is connected to the TV somehow. strange as hell. |
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| Zombie0729 |
| quote: | Originally posted by palm
yeah but i dont have the same problem with my hifi or anything else, its only the monitors and it seems to be only when the computer is connected to the TV somehow. strange as hell. |
i use to get a strange pop in my monitors when i would turn on the ceiling fan in my old place... i tried putting it on a surge protector/battery thing but didn't help. it was only when i changed outlets that it helped. so that helped ya.. : / |
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| Lucidity |
| quote: | Originally posted by palm
yeah but i dont have the same problem with my hifi or anything else, its only the monitors and it seems to be only when the computer is connected to the TV somehow. strange as hell. |
I used to have this with my SP8's, what I did to solve it, is get balanced cables. It lets most interference bypass your monitors. |
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