Recording - March 2014 - 17

amplifiers at 50 and 30 Watts. Maximum output is 103 dB SPL, at 10
kOhm impedance, with a 58 Hz to 21 kHz frequency range. The cabinet measures 103/4" x 71/2" x 71/2" and weighs 8.8 lbs.
For input the M030 has a combo jack for 1/4" and XLR connection as well as an RCA input, all located on the back. Also on
the back are a power switch along with a trio of 3-position toggle
switches, complete with detailed explanations of setting options.
The first switch is Bass Level. This can be set flat or attenuated by -2 or -4 dB, recommended for when the speaker must
be positioned next to a wall. The middle switch is an EQ
switch that can be set flat or to Table Top or Bass EQ. Table
Top, as its name implies, is used to adjust low-mid frequencies
when the speaker is placed on a table/desktop and is fairly
close to the listener. When set to the Bass
EQ setting it attenuates the signal below
200 Hz, which helps when the speaker
must be placed in a corner. The last toggle switch is for volume attenuation,
with choices of 0, -10 and -20 dB.
In use
I put the M030 to use in my studio
alongside my much larger 8" KRK E8b
nearfields, and after burn-in and a few
days of auditioning mixes through them
to get my ears used to them, I put them
to work on mixing an indie-rock project
for a client. My room is fully treated,
monitor control was handled through
the Drawmer MC2.1 reviewed in our
September 2013 issue, and the speakers were placed upon Primacoustic
Recoil Stabilizers.
Despite its size, the M030 fills the room
well and had zero problems competing with my larger 8" speakers for volume. In fact, the M030 is a little powerhouse and it can
really crank! In my room I found the -10 dB setting necessary to
bring it in line with my other monitors. Since my mix position is not
right up against the wall, no other eq settings were needed.
While the M030's 5" speakers cannot deliver as much low
end as an 8" driver, the bass they do put out is tight and distortion-free even when cranked. While not a deep low rumbler,
it still thumps you nicely in the chest. The M030 allows you to
hear the tone of the bass in a mix rather than simply feel it, and
is useful for making reliable kick-drum and bass-guitar decisions.
In my opinion, the real magic of the M030s lives in the mids.
They have a critical forwardness to them that is quite revealing,
especially in the upper-mid range. This allows you to nail the
tone and placement of electric guitars and vocals well. Of
course this forwardness is what Genelec is known for, and
despite its small size the M030 does not disappoint.

The M030's high end can best be described as focused and
clear, but not harsh or biting. While it lacked some of the depth
and imaging of my E8bs, I enjoyed its laser-focused detail.
Overall, even with my much loved 8" monitors and sub at hand,
I still found the M030 highly beneficial as a secondary monitor in
my mix sessions for nailing the placement of midrange material.
At home
I then moved the M030s from the sublime to the ridiculous: my
small edit suite at home, where speakers must be located right
next to a wall in a tiny untreated room, where they sit on cubestyle shelves about 30" from my head. In this placement, I did
attenuate the bass by -2 dB to cut a touch of boominess caused
by the speakers' nearness to the wall.
Since my home life requires a more moderate listening level than that at my studio, I
came to appreciate that even at lower listening levels the M030 maintained its
solid, forward sound and chest-thumping
bass. Also, despite my closer proximity to
the speakers I never experienced excessive harshness or ear fatigue, even after
hours of editing and listening sessions. The
M030 held up well against a monitor
triple its price in a well-treated large
room... but in an impossibly difficult small
listening area like the ones so many of us
have to live with, it simply excelled.
Conclusion
Despite the new design and lower
price point, sonically these are
Genelecs through and through. By
design they are voiced to be critical,
revealing studio monitors and not pleasant audiophile speakers.
Despite that, they are not a hard monitor to get used to, and they
offer a great consistency that is not as room-dependent as many
monitors, thanks in part to the well-integrated eq controls that can
aid in taming common problems found in small edit suites and
bedrooms alike. Being light, they travel well, and could provide
great results in many on-the-fly tracking and mixing situations.
Bottom line-having accomplished the task of bringing the
Genelec sound into bedroom and project studios, and doing so
reliably and affordably, Genelec has a real winner here. If you
think you can't find a speaker that will give you the sound you
need in the room you're stuck with, don't give up hope... give
the M030 a listen.
Price: $695 each
More from: Genelec, www.genelec.com

http://www.genelec.com http://www.recordingmag.com

Recording - March 2014

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