Why You Need a Subwoofer for Your Studio Monitors
Studio monitors like Mackie CR Series deliver high-quality sound across the frequency spectrum, so why would you need a studio subwoofer for the low end? The answer isn’t really about hearing as much as feeling. Subwoofers like CR8SBT reinforce the lowest frequencies in a way that studio monitors alone just can’t match. They rumble the floorboards and add that “punch” in your chest—the one that turns the music into a heartbeat.
What’s the benefit of feeling those frequencies? For musicians and producers, studio subwoofers give you much more insight into the low end, the part that can make or break your tracks when people hear them in the car or on the dance floor. For entertainment purposes like gaming, subwoofers create more immersion by engaging your senses. And for partying, well, that’s an easy one—it’s easier to dance when you can feel every downbeat.
Studio monitors have major benefits on their own, but they can’t stand up to studio monitors with a subwoofer. To learn about why, read on!
What Is a Subwoofer?
A subwoofer or “sub” is a speaker that specializes in the lowest frequencies, better known as bass. When you combine studio monitors with a studio subwoofer, the monitors handle the higher frequencies while the subwoofer handles the lowest, widening the overall response.
Subwoofers vary in size, with the larger ones usually getting a little lower and a little louder. There are also different kinds of subwoofers, including studio subwoofers (for studio monitors) and PA subwoofers (for PA systems). Mackie’s popular CR Series monitors are a perfect match for the CR8SBT subwoofer, or you can move up to a 10” sub with the MRS10.
Tech note: Fellow nerds might want to know how the subwoofer and monitors handle different frequencies. It’s called the “crossover” and it’s built into the subwoofer. The crossover splits the signal into two, sending the lowest bass to the subwoofer and the rest to the monitors. That way, the speakers and sub are never trying to play the same frequencies at the same time.
Benefits of Getting a Subwoofer for Your Studio Monitors
Subwoofers have serious tangible benefits over studio monitors alone, even larger 8” monitors like CR8BT. Here are some improvements you can get from a studio subwoofer:
1. Extended Frequency Response
Pairing a subwoofer with your studio monitors will extend the overall frequency response of your setup, getting much lower than the studio monitors can reach alone. This combination also ensures optimal sound quality, because the sub and monitors are able to specialize in what they do best. The subwoofer shakes the floor while the monitors reproduce those precise middle and high frequencies. Think of it as teamwork, with the sub and monitors working together—and teamwork makes the dream work! The result is that you hear more of what you’re listening to, including deep bass content that you would miss with just monitors.
2. More Control Over the Low End
Music makers: Ever notice how that kick drum and bass are always fighting for the same space when you’re mixing a song using studio monitors? No? Well, then it's no wonder if your mixes end up sucking—you can’t hear what’s going on!
Fortunately, adding a subwoofer into your home studio setup can help immensely with understanding how your elements below 120 Hz are working with (or against) each other, giving you more control when mixing. Mackie studio subwoofers also let you adjust the crossover frequency and polarity. Use these adjustments to get even more insight into your music and tune the sound of your setup to your space and preferences.
3. Bass You Can “Feel”
You know when you go to a club and you can actually feel the 808s hitting in your chest? That's not an illusion. It’s your actual physical interaction with the sound waves. Because bass frequencies are so large, they resonate in the body and add that extra physical component to the sound. Having a studio sub allows you to feel the frequencies in your studio or at home, the same way you feel them in a venue or your car. Whether you’re monitoring during a mixing session or partying with friends, sound is better when you can feel it.
4. Bluetooth® (Sometimes!)
Okay, most subwoofers will not magically add Bluetooth® connectivity to your setup. But Mackie CR8SBT will do exactly that—magically!
Just connect to CR8SBT over Bluetooth®, and the subwoofer will pass the signal to the speakers you connect to it. Functionally, that means your non-Bluetooth® speakers now have Bluetooth® connectivity, in addition to a subwoofer backing up the low end.
No Matter How You Use Your Speakers, They Sound Even Better With a Subwoofer
The secret is out—studio monitors aren’t just for recording studios. The high-quality sound of studio monitors is miles ahead of consumer speakers, and they often don’t even cost more! Monitors like Mackie CR Series even have features that make them equally good for making music, content creation, gaming and hi-fi listening.
However you’re using your studio monitors, pairing them with a subwoofer will take your setup to a higher level. Or, well, lower. You get what we mean.
Why You Need a Studio Subwoofer for Making Music
It's happened to all of us at some point. We work all night on the mix and take it to the car the next morning only to find that it lacks any sort of warmth or depth.
In many cases, this disappointment is due to a lack of low end, or even more commonly, a low end that wasn't properly mixed. And you simply can’t mix frequencies that you can’t hear. So, if you don't have a method to properly monitor your low end in the studio, chances are it won't sound as good as you'd like across various systems. One simple way of fixing this issue is by integrating a studio subwoofer into your monitoring setup.
Why You Need a Subwoofer in Your Gaming Rig
Most gamers don’t even think about getting a subwoofer. But you don’t have to be most gamers. Adding a subwoofer changes how you interact with the sound of your favorite games, taking it from “that explosion sounded cool” to “that explosion felt real.” Think of it like haptic feedback for your whole body.
Studio monitors are already a huge step up from the usual gaming speakers, and we recommend CR Series monitors in particular, since you can customize the sound. Pair these speakers with the CR8SBT subwoofer for a full-frequency, chest-thumping gaming audio setup that will make the whole squad jealous.
Why You Need a Subwoofer for Listening (or Dancing) to Music
Music producers put a lot of work into creating powerful, complex bass sounds in their music. That’s especially true for genres like EDM and rap. In these genres, the low end can be the most important part of the song. That’s why the songs tend to sound so much better in the car, at a live show or on the dance floor. Adding a subwoofer to your listening setup lets you experience that powerful bass at home, too.
Maybe you’re a hi-fi jazz listener who wants to hear the intricacies of an upright bass. Or you love to host parties and want to pump up the energy. No matter how you listen, adding a subwoofer to your setup will help you listen—and feel—better.
How to Integrate a Subwoofer With Your Studio Monitors
Studio subwoofers are made to integrate with studio monitors, so setting them up is easy.
Let’s say you’re pairing the CR8SBT studio subwoofer with a pair of CR5BT studio monitors. The process is simple: Place the sub beneath your monitors and in the middle of your setup for optimal sound. Connect your audio source (like a computer or audio interface) directly to the inputs of the subwoofer. Then, connect your speakers to the outputs of the subwoofer. From there, adjust the volume, crossover knob and polarity switch until it sounds just right. CR8SBT also includes a desktop controller for extra convenience.
Here, we even made a video for you on this process:
How to Connect Mackie CR Studio Monitors to the CR Subwoofer: Step-by-Step Guide
Do I Need to Treat My Room to Use a Subwoofer?
Low frequencies travel further and are absorbed less rapidly than, say, a vocal that's boosted around 8 kHz. They also tend to get trapped in the corners of a room, which is why you commonly see acoustic panels in the corners of a studio, being used as bass traps. These “room treatments” allow you to hear the sound even more accurately.
Does that mean you absolutely need to “treat” your room in this way before you can use a subwoofer? Not necessarily. An untreated room doesn’t doom you to an eternal fate of never getting a good low end. Your ability to hear the bass in a song will vastly improve with the addition of a sub, even in a room that’s less than ideal.
Even if you do decide to get some acoustic panels, it’s certainly possible to over-treat your room to something so dense and void of sound that researchers say you'll go crazy by just spending ten minutes inside of it. To learn about room acoustics, check out our guide.
Okay, I'm Sold on Studio Subwoofers. Now, Which Do I Buy?
Mackie offers two studio subwoofers, designed to integrate easily with Mackie studio monitors:
Mackie CR8SBT 8" Powered Subwoofer With Bluetooth® and Desktop Remote — Designed specifically for CR Series studio monitors, but can work with any monitors. Stream wirelessly over Bluetooth® and use the included desktop remote for extra convenience.
Mackie MRS10 10” Powered Subwoofer — Featuring a larger 10” woofer and more powerful amplifier, MRS10 will get your bass a bit lower and louder, minus the wireless connectivity and remote that you get with the CR Series subwoofer.
Enter for a Chance to Win CR Series Studio Monitors
You can’t pair a subwoofer with your studio monitors if you don’t have studio monitors, now can you? Fortunately, you have a chance to win a free pair of CR3.5BT monitors. We’re giving away a total of 50 pairs, and the giveaway lasts until February 25.
Enter now for your chance to win!
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