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Yamaha NS-10M Studio Monitors

June 17, 2025 · 21 min

Show notes

David Mellor explores how the Yamaha NS-10M monitors became a studio staple and why, decades after being discontinued, engineers are still seeking out second-hand pairs.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:15 - Why NS-10Ms Became a Studio Staple
02:11 - Making Better Mixing Decisions
03:49 - A Second Pair of NS-10Ms
05:23 - Mixing With Missing Frequencies
09:11 - Reflex vs Closed Box Monitors
11:35 - Why Pleasant Isn’t Always Better
13:29 - Mixes That Translate
15:40 - Making Rapid Mixing Decisions
18:52 - The Case for Closed-Box Monitors

The Phil Ward Article - https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-ns10-story


David Mellor Biog
David Mellor got his start in pro audio through the Tonmeister course at Surrey University studying music, piano performance, acoustics, electronics, electro-acoustics and recording.


He went on to work at London's Royal Opera House, with responsibilities including sound design, front-of-house operation, stage monitoring and electronic design satisfying the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Karlheinz Stockhausen. David has also had over 600 works published in the field of production music. Notable uses of his music include the BBC's Horizon, Fahrenheit 911, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.


David has been actively involved in Audio Education since 1986, teaching students of City of Westminster College and Westminster University, also returning to guest lecture at Surrey University. From 2001 until recently David has offered courses in audio online with Audio Masterclass.


David now enjoys making YouTube videos for his 84,000 subscribers and releasing music on streaming services and Bandcamp for his dozen or so listeners.


YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@audiomasterclass

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6OkaDx4vB4O2ssUA5p4M8g

Bandcamp - https://davidmellor.bandcamp.com/


Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

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