Featured Gear

My friends noticed the difference after the very first mix I did with the Samson Rubicon R6a powered studio monitors. Everything else was the same – same i/o, same microphone, same out-of-tune singing – but everything just sounded better. The Rubicons provided a sound quality that I hadn’t heard in a long time – the last session I did in a major recording studio. You probably know what I’m talking about. It always seems that no matter how good the mix turns out, it never sounded as good as it did in the studio. Well that’s the kind of reference the Rubicons provide – no coloration to throw off the mix. That’s mostly due to the Velocity Ribbon high frequency drivers which, unlike a traditional diaphragm, has no added sound characteristics.

Time was when the thought of ribbon monitors in a home studio was financially out of the question. At around $400 the Rubicons have changed all that.

But the ribbons are not the whole story. The 6 1/2″ low frequency speakers have plenty of punch, but you would need a sub if you were punching out some real deep dance or dub tracks. That doesn’t mean the Rubicons can’t get loud – the bi-amped powerhouse (75-watts low/25-watts high) can push it out and still remain natural and true, which really cuts down on ear fatigue. There is a built-in 4 level high-frequency control which lets you tune the speakers to your room.

Even though the Rubicons have become an essential part of my home studio, I recently found out how versatile these monitors are when a friend called me in an emergency – he had no sound system for his daughter’s sweet 16 party! Unfortunately, my PA system was in transit so I tried out a few odds and ends but nothing really sounded good. I looked at the Rubicons and and the next thing I knew i was setting them up with a small Yamaha mixer, an iPod and a microphone. The room was pretty big and we couldn’t believe the sound quality. They handled the music and the live mic beautifully. You really owe it to yourselt to check out these montitors the next time you are in the store.