M-Audio M3-6 User Manual page 9

The M3 line of monitors address all three of these issues with the following controls and Low
Cutoff switch:
High Control: This control allows you to boost or attenuate (reduce) your M3-6 monitors' high
frequency response by up to 6 dB.
To configure the HF Trim knob, begin by mixing a few songs with this knob set to the default "0
dB" position. If your mixes sound good in the studio and on other speakers (car stereos,
"multimedia" computer speakers, etc.), leave this knob in the default position.
If your mixes sound good in the studio but they sound "dull" and lack high-frequency "sparkle"
on other playback systems, set the knob to "-2, -4, or -6 dB."
Alternatively, if your mixes sound good in the studio but sound too "crispy" or "brittle" and
contain too much high-frequency content, set this knob to "+2, +4, or +6 dB."
Adjusting the high knob allows the M3-6 monitors to compensate for a mixing environment that
is either too "live" (i.e., too much high-frequency reflection from the walls and other surfaces) or
too "dead" (i.e., not enough high frequency sound is being reflected around the room).
Mid Knob: This control allows you to boost or cut the midrange at a set frequency of 1kHz. The
knob can be set in the following ways:
To configure the Mid knob, leave the knob set to the 12:00 position, where no boost or cut
occurs, and mix a few songs. If you notice your mixes sound good in the studio but the
midrange tends to be too prominent (e.g., the vocals/guitars are too loud) on other speakers,
adjust the knob to boost the mid-range by "+2, +4, or +6 dB." This will make the midrange of
your M3-6 monitors slightly more pronounced in the studio and will result in more balanced
mixes since you will be less inclined to "push" the midrange of your mixes.
Low Knob: This control allows you to boost or cut low-frequency sounds from the monitors, by
up to 6 dB.
To configure the Low knob, leave the knob set to the 12:00 position, where no boost or cut
occurs, and mix a few songs. If you notice your mixes sound good in the studio but the low end
tends to be too prominent on other speakers, adjust the knob to boost the low-range by "2, 4, or
6 dB." This will make the low-end of your M3-6 monitors slightly more pronounced in the studio
and will result in more balanced mixes since you will be less inclined to "push" the low end of
your mixes.
Tip: Many subwoofers feature a low-pass cutoff frequency of 80Hz. If you are not sure about
your subwoofer, use this setting as a starting point.
Tip: The Low Cutoff switch can can also be engaged if you wish to hear what your mixes would
sound like on speakers with smaller woofers (such as those found in most televisions).
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