Monitoring & Acoustics
Speakers, Headphones, Treatment, & Room Tuning
Welcome to the March 2026 issue of RECORDING Magazine, focused on Monitoring & Acoustics. A great mix is all about translation, and your monitors and monitoring environment are key tools in that task. As such, this issue takes a deep dive into speakers, headphones, treatment, and room tuning.
Reviews
We have four sets of monitors on deck this month. From Danley Sound Labs, we check out the new powered TDH3-P. From KRK, we take a listen to the Kreate 3, and we also spend time with the Evolution v.1 Studio Monitors from Magic Garden Pro.
In the world of headphones, we check out the new open-back Steven Slate Audio Immersion One and the latest VSX 6.0 software. We are also excited to share our experience with the new ARC On-Ear headphone correction tool from IK Multimedia.
Staying with room correction, we put the ORIA Mini from Audient through its paces. To help you collaborate and check mixes from almost anywhere, we also try out the latest iteration of the LISTENTO V3 app alongside the AirCaster app from Audiomovers
Rounding out software coverage, we review smart:comp 3 from sonible, along with the just-released ACE Studio 2.0, an all-in-one AI music studio from Timedomain.
Features
In Studio 101, Joe Albano continues his year-long exploration of essential audio terms and definitions with a collection of speaker-related concepts, including transducers, crossovers, bass ports, infinite baffle designs, and more. [GET IT HERE]
In Field Notes, Giles Reaves shares his speaker and acoustics considerations for a one-room tracking and mixing environment. [GET IT HERE] In Inside The Studio, producer and studio designer Mark Hornsby offers his thoughts on speaker choice and room design. [GET IT HERE] GRAMMY-winning engineer Jenso Plymnouth returns with a look at some of the tools he and his colleagues rely on for remote monitoring when tracking and mixing on the go. [GET IT HERE]
New for 2026, we present our third Studio Spotlight, showcasing the home, project, and professional recording spaces of our readers—this month we head down to Nightcrier Music, the home studio of MarQ Andrew Speck. In the also new, RECORDING Remastered, where we revisit updated and still-relevant articles from our nearly 40-year archive, acoustician Bruce Black discusses “Basic Acoustics: Five Big Problems, Four Excellent Tools.” [GET IT HERE]
In this issue’s RECORDING Techniques, Dave Martin returns to drum recording, this time focusing on drum parts and patterns in the studio. [GET IT HERE]
Finally, in our Fade Out, studio designer Carl Tatz shares his thoughts on monitor tuning.
Hear, Here!
Through in-depth reviews, features, and real-world studio perspectives, this issue speaks directly to anyone interested in the tools that shape how music is heard.