Tips for Monitoring Sound when Editing Video

Monitoring sound can be a tricky matter. If you search the Internet for something like “Best audio monitors for video editors” you’ll get a million different recommendations. Then once you realize that the room you monitor in is also important, you could find yourself down a huge rabbit-hole trying to figure out the best way to affordably make your room sound better.  And can you use headphones to monitor sound for video? The answer to that from different people is almost like a religious debate. Oy vey!

In this episode, we cover three topics related to monitoring sound while editing video: 1) If you use headphones, work with over-ear, open back, reference headphones. 2) If you can afford it, bass traps are the best type of treatment to make your audio more accurate. 3) Which types of monitors should you buy if you cannot afford $1500 USD professional monitors?

Regarding bass traps, yes, they are very expensive. $2000 USD to outfit a small room?! As steep as that sounds, my point here is for those among us who drop $2000 to $3000 USD on new camera bodies every 12 - 24 months. You might improve your production value more by investing in things that will help you more in the long-term. Bass traps and panels may fit into that category.

This one is a pretty nerdy episode, so if you don’t really have the interest, you are now dismissed from class. ;-)