BLUE SKY ProDesk 2.1

Nov 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Nick Batzdorf

Overall EM Rating (1 through 5): 4

Although monitors with drivers less than six inches in diameter serve as an important reference tool, they cannot accurately reproduce the lowest part of the audio range on their own. To address this limitation, Blue Sky created the ProDesk 2.1 system ($1,195), which combines a pair of SAT 5 monitors with the Sub 8 subwoofer. The SAT 5's sealed “acoustic suspension” cabinets take care of the frequencies above 80 Hz, leaving the subwoofer to cover the 20 to 80 Hz range.

Setting the Atmosphere

The Blue Sky ProDesk 2.1 is a desktop monitoring systm that combines a pair of compact, active monitors with a subwoofer.

The SAT 5 satellite monitor is a biamped two-way speaker with a 5¼-inch woofer and ¾-inch tweeter powered by individual 60W amps. Blue Sky made the cabinet as narrow as possible while still accommodating the abbreviated woofer frame; narrow cabinets are often used to maximize a speaker's horizontal dispersion. The speakers use soft dome tweeters with a uniquely designed wave guide that results in excellent imaging. The SAT 5 also has an 80 Hz crossover filter, switchable on the rear panel.

The Sub 8 is powered by a 100W amp, and like the SAT 5 woofers, it has an aluminum-alloy cone and no dust cap. It includes stereo inputs and outputs as well as a sub input and output for using the unit in a surround system. The sub output, which has a 24 dB-per-octave lowpass filter at 80 Hz, is used for connecting a second subwoofer.

Each monitor has a rear-panel input-level control calibrated in 3 dB increments. Blue Sky offers the Functional Volume Control ($100), a wired remote-control attenuator for the system that attaches to the subwoofer. This is especially useful if you have the speakers plugged into the outputs of a DAW's audio interface.

Ears the Scoop

One of the first things I noticed about the ProDesk 2.1 system is that it has a good transient response and a wide sound field. In a close-field monitoring setup, it's important that the monitors are positioned so that they form an equilateral triangle — typically with 3-foot sides — with the listener's head. In my room, which is acoustically treated, the SAT 5s sounded best at a distance of 6 feet. The result was tight imaging, with an open sound that was live and punchy.

Although the monitors don't sound overly hyped, the SAT 5s do have a very gentle “smiley” EQ curve, with a slight boost in the lowest and highest ranges. The trough of the curve is at 1.8 kHz, just below the crossover point between the tweeter and woofer. The result is that vocals tend to sit further back in a mix on the ProDesk 2.1 system than on monitors that have a boost in the 1 to 2 kHz range.

On some instruments, the SAT 5's upper frequency range has a tendency to sound sibilant, due either to a boost in the monitor's 6 kHz area or to dips below it. For example, hi-hats sounded a little sizzly, some vocalists sounded a little thin, and spoken-word material especially tended to sound artificial. However, the effect isn't severe enough to make the system fatiguing to the ears.

Overall, the bass response on this system is tight, and you don't have to strain to hear bass notes. The Sub 8 is able to reproduce the bone-rattling frequencies below 30 Hz at a very respectable level without breaking up or sounding strained. And in the 60 Hz octave above that, you'll have no trouble separating the bass drum from the bass.

One nice thing about the ProDesk 2.1 system is that the balance of the sub and satellites remains constant as you reduce the level. You don't want a studio monitoring system to compensate for the Fletcher-Munson effect as you reduce the overall volume.

Forecast: Clear

The ProDesk 2.1 does a good job of maintaining its sound quality at high and low volumes, letting you hear the details of a mix clearly, especially in the lowest frequencies. And it's plenty loud for the typical personal studio.

With two biamped satellites and a powered subwoofer, the ProDesk 2.1 system sounds great and is very competitive in its price range. It's hard to find monitors that sound pleasant and are easy to work with, but this system fills both requirements.

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Blue Sky International
tel. (516) 249-1399
e-mail info@abluesky.com
Web www.abluesky.com