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Sonic LAB: Focusrite VRM Box Review

Virtual Speaker and Room Modeling 23-Jun-11
Focusrite VRM Box 10:34 mins
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We all know that checking your mix on various speakers and rooms is a Good Thing for getting your mixes right - especially if you don’t have the perfect room/speaker combination. Focusrite’s VRM Box aims to bring that to your ears without leaving the comfort of your own room.
 
What Is It?
A high quality (48kHz/24-bit) headphone output (108dB dynamic range) over USB audio, with room and speaker modeling in software (Mac/PC). You can monitor your mixes over headphones in a variety of virtual ways in three rooms (bedroom, living room and professional studio),  with a selection speaker, giving you up to 24 possible combinations.


Hey Ho, IO
Its USB  powered with a single connection - this needs to be hooked up wether you are usong the VRM Box as a sound card or with the S-Pdif digital in - which allows you to hook up an external audio source - say the digital out of your audio interface.
Headphone ouput  is on ¼ stereo jack. The only control is the volume knob.

Setup
install the VRM software and you get the option to use VRM Box either as your audio device or just to monitor the S-Pdif  digital signal through - handy if you want to check mix in progress. The VRM software can be bypassed, giving you a clean signal, or you can engage either of the three listening environs - which offer a selection of likely speakers for each.

The speakers have been sampled using dynamic convolution, with the room models mathematically calculated.

Speaker models include:
Genelec, KRK, ADAM, Yamaha NS10, Auratones, computer monitors, LCD TV, generic hifi speakers.

Parallel Universe
The S-pdif  input allows you to use the VRM Box purely as a separate set of monitors, just setup a separate mix bus out of your DAW to any available S-pdif output, hook that up to the VRM Box S-pdif input - it gives you a little lock symbol once it has synced. You can then apply the modeling to the S-pdif input and listen in real time to the alternative monitor setups via your headphones. If you dont have any digital outputs handy, you’ll need to set the VRM Box as your audio device in the DAW.


What Am I Hearing?
Actually its a bit strange to begin with, listening to a room on headphones, but it does help pinpoint troublesome frequencies  - especially in the bottom end. Once you get used to the sound its clear where the problems lie. Though of course you cant beat actually listening to physical speakers in various environments - the VRM Box goes a long way to giving you alternative reference monitoring without the extra expense of additional speakers.

You will need a decent pair of headphones to get the most out of this mind - forget the iPod earbuds, they just wont cut it.

Overall, this is actually pretty useful if you are still working on your mix techniques and dont have your ideal studio setup - or perhaps if you are working on musical genres that are unfamilliar  - you’ll want more than one or two references.

Price: £79/$99/€99 makes it pretty easy on the pocket and a useful tool for crafting the final mix.


 

More From: Focusrite




5 Comments...  Post a comment    original story
Brian from USA    Said...

It was nice to actually HEAR it (even with the limits of web audio). I can see where it would be very useful for me, thx.

23-Jun-11 09:46 AM

WaveFormTX    Said...

A practical review of a useful device! Professional judgements help a lot. Thanks for this y'all

23-Jun-11 03:01 PM

Benny    Said...

How does it compare to other monitor simulator plugs like TB Isone which cost only € 20 ? Which headphone would you recommend?

24-Jun-11 07:24 AM

Justin D    Said...

Ya good way to let us hear an example. Seems like a quality product.

Justin Bay Area http://bestheadphoneshq.com/earbuds/

25-Jun-11 03:10 PM

Flux302    Said...

just had a lengthy convo about this with some friends earlier. thanks for the review! for how cheap it is I have a feeling I may grab it up... could come in handy on the road.

28-Jun-11 11:20 PM

Post a comment 
29 comments | Watch Video on Youtube |

ArthurSk8r 04-Apr-12 09:11 AM

in my studio, i have a pair of crap speakers and a pair good. I thought that if i make my mix sound brilliant on crap speakers it'll be more realistic. as the listener will not KRK R8 or Yamaha NS10's most people just listening to music woudn't have a pair of either only crap ones. ?!?!?!?

smartwerker 21-Mar-12 04:08 PM

How I use it.......look for the 3 setups that shine and once you have them, use that workflow and save your hair.

jackstevensbass 11-Mar-12 11:52 PM

Comprehensive!!! We like. :)

MrPrendy5 16-Feb-12 05:31 PM

forget it ...all headphones lie..id rather be in a bad room with real monitors

SpindiscRecordings 02-Feb-12 09:43 PM

Great review

jmenace69 26-Jan-12 12:03 PM

why ath series and not the krk 8400 i hope they come with a mastering room and car emulation upgrae that would be the perfect setup..

jarooFLtutor 25-Jan-12 10:50 PM

yes :) the ATH series have nice cans that can be used for that purpose

limeyamos 17-Jan-12 09:21 PM

anyone looking for an audio interface, the focusrite 24 dsp comes with the vrm box built in and two headphone outputs.

jmenace69 08-Jan-12 04:56 AM

can you use this for mastering your tracks on heaphones like krk headphones 6400

MrAnuragindia 01-Jan-12 06:22 PM

can i use the VRM box for direct monitoring while recording vocals???

CBBeatsdotcom 12-Dec-11 11:22 PM

Can I use my Korg Triton Extreme with the VRM Box?

ArGyProductions 27-Nov-11 12:20 AM

I really want this tune but can't find it anywhere on iTunes.. How do you spell the producers name or the name of the track?

mobin11 11-Oct-11 11:16 PM

sweet i had HD650's. this will be nice

H4NDCRAFTED 02-Sep-11 12:21 AM

*that should read 'am looking to use them to reference elements'

H4NDCRAFTED 02-Sep-11 12:19 AM

I agree it would be ez to diss this, but I'm stuck in a tiny room with a set of Rocket 6s, and apart from going into the kitchen and out to the car, i don't get the chance to monitor. I'm getting this for £30 bc dig village have a deal if you buy maschine with it. I'm not looking at it as a tool to reference elements. I have a pair of Senn HD25s from when I used to DJ (10 yrs old now) They seem way too heavy at the low end, I'm guessing these are not marketed as studio more news reporter & dj ?

bigmartin3000 10-Aug-11 10:19 AM

Honestly you're much better off just running through a really nice pair of headphones. As opposed to playing through the weird EQ settings of make believe speakers and such. Trust the phones, you'll get better results. That's been my experience with this box. Save your money and just buy better phones.

DanViaz 26-Jul-11 04:33 PM

Is VRM BOX use same software plugin as Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP?

therealKINDLE 30-Jun-11 11:52 AM

It won't. Because a more Dynamic piece will always sound less "psychoacoustically better " than a track made to sound good with Resistance to SPL scientific trickery. Plus it will take more than that to scare Sony, Warner Bros, Island Records, Universal etc. into giving back Dynamics to Music. If I master at -4dBs, then just turn the Master Volume down, It will still sound LOUD & Compressed. It's a Good idea. They mean well. But we need to tackle the ROOT of the Problem. Not Symptoms

NotImune 30-Jun-11 08:28 AM

That's the exact point I was making. That standard will be used from the next year on in TV and radio here at least. It's basically loudness normalisation to -23 db percepted loudness as opposed to peak normalization as it's done now were loud may psychoacoustically sound better in the first moment. After the change material with a wide dynamic range will sound much better than material that's overcompressed. And this will make "them" want more dynamic music again. Get the point?

therealKINDLE 29-Jun-11 09:54 PM

What would make me happier is if everyone Mastered at -12dBs Minimum. Like Bob Dylan -12.dBs or Norah Jones -15.75dbs, Or Brian Eno -17.52 or Tori Amos -15.23 etc. Unlike these so called Artists: Katy Perry -4.76dBs, System of a Down -4.51, Oasis -4.45dBs, Avril Lavigne -3.93, Slipknot -2.65, or the worst of all... Venetian Snares -1.25dBs. Look up a Company called ''Turn Me Up whos working with respected artists to give back the choice to release more dynamic records. 

NotImune 29-Jun-11 02:46 PM

a propos Loudness War... have you heard about EBU R128? This should make you a little happier ^^

rawgenetics 27-Jun-11 06:07 PM

Yeah i thought so :) but respect.. nice review

delarich 27-Jun-11 05:41 PM

Hi, this is Rich, the reviewer. I believe they have built this into other products as well, not sure exactly which ones though!

therealKINDLE 27-Jun-11 01:48 PM

I think we're getting a Little too tied up with this! Although I must Admit that it IS rather impressive! But depending on which enviorment you play the mix in, it will sound Poor, or Good. It's all not too important now anyway concidering what the Loudness War is doing to Music anyway.. Bye Bye Dynamics!

Envergure 25-Jun-11 07:01 PM

How does one get that good at listening?

fimpson 25-Jun-11 12:11 AM

I actually use a hi-fi set up for my speakers, which that software probably doesn't emulate. Are there updates coming out with more simulated speakers? It would be great if they were constantly updating the library of speakers.

rawgenetics 23-Jun-11 08:45 PM

Didnt focusrite build this feature in the Focusrite Saffire pro 24 DSP?

kingofkeyboards 23-Jun-11 06:57 PM

Well this has sold it to me, not a lot of room and this suits my budget right down to the ground :) great review :)

MarctheDarc 23-Jun-11 03:04 PM

Very good review! Great Job! I was actually hoping for a review on this. Obviously it's not as good as the real thing, but there's a lot of us who do not have the room or money for the better solution. Seems like this actually does most of it really well for the low budget usage.

 
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