I decided to make some new stands for my studio monitors recently. This is a pictorial on how I chose to construct them.

My goals for this project were to get my monitors off my desk bridge to make room for a second video monitor, make stands that wouldn’t compromise the audio response, and that were heavy enough my three year old son wouldn’t knock them over. It also gave me a chance to test out the stain color I’ve selected for the new construction.

I chose to make my stands out of pine since I had plenty of it on hand.  I’ve made these stands somewhat oversize to accommodate an anticipated future upgrade to 8 inch monitors.  This design starts out with a sealed box for the base.  The box is made from plywood, glued and nailed together and then caulked.  I filled each base with 25 pounds of sand and then added the top and sealed it up.  I wanted to make a hollow post design so the cables would be hidden. After looking at square aluminum tubing and a few other options I decided to make my own posts from wood and save some cash.  There are openings at the top and bottom of the posts for the cable run.  After construction I stained the stands, then applied two coats of polyurethane.  You may click each photo for a bigger version.

I’m pleased with the results.  It only took a few hours to build them spaced over a few days and my cost was zero since I already had all the materials on hand.  Now I’m not an acoustical engineer so I don’t know exactly what I did to the audio response but I’ve been testing the sound as I write this post.  The bass response seems to be a bit tighter but other than that I don’t notice much difference from when they were on the desk bridge.  Anyway, it was a fun project and I’m glad I made them myself instead of buying some.

]]> http://www.hartvoiceovers.com/blog/2010/03/15/diy-monitor-stands/feed/ 6 http://www.hartvoiceovers.com/blog/2010/02/25/dave-courvoisier-chirbit/ http://www.hartvoiceovers.com/blog/2010/02/25/dave-courvoisier-chirbit/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:07:17 +0000 Brian Hart http://www.hartvoiceovers.com/blog/?p=509 Tweet

My friend and excellent VO pro Dave Courvoisier has discovered a very promising new website/application called chirbit.  It holds a lot of promise for those of us that work in the audio industry, whether voiceover or radio.  Dave had an excellent back and forth with the chirbit developer and posted about it on his blog Voice Acting in Vegas:

The site struck me as a delightful use of the potential of audio and social networking.  I eventually asked the originator of the site – Ivan Reyes – if he’d mind responding to a few pointed questions about Chirbit, specifically the possibilities for voice-actors.

It looks to me like the future holds a lot of promise for this way cool application – Chirbit.  Check it out by clicking on the quote.

When I use a company that has exceptional customer service I like to pass that information on to my friends and clients.  Redco Audio is one such company.  Redco manufactures and distributes custom pro audio and video cables, connectors, patchbays, microphone boxes and custom panels.

Recently I ordered some wall plates from Redco.  They didn’t have exactly what I wanted so they custom made them for me.  I ordered on a Monday, they made them on a Tuesday and I had them in my hot little hands on Thursday.

Hart Voice Overs New Wall Plates

And to top it all off, Redco’s price was better than anything else I found on the net.  These babies are pretty and stout!  So I got exactly what I wanted at an awesome price.  I’ve only ordered from Redco a couple of times but you can bet I’ll order from them again soon.

I realize many of you are coming to my site and saying, “but where are the demos”?

Please bear with me.  The site hasn’t even been up a week yet and I want new demos to go with the new site.  It’s a work in progress and I had no idea how much excitement Hart Voice Overs would generate in it’s first week.  But I know you can’t decide if you want to talk to me without something.  So here is an overview of some of what I do from my other site, Brian Hart Productions.  Please ignore the phone number at the end, it’s no longer valid.  My new number is (251) 752-9221.

Brian Hart Overview

This demo is mainly showcasing my audio production but my voice is also featured throughout.  There are more demos on that site you can listen to as well.  I know you’ll like what you hear and if you decide I might be a good fit for your project please contact me for a free audition and quote.

Contact Brian Hart