Is the Barefoot Footprint 01 the real deal?
Sept 24, 2020 21:09:46 GMT -6
via mobile
Johnkenn, bartacusad, and 4 more like this
Post by ChaseUTB on Sept 24, 2020 21:09:46 GMT -6
Barefoot Sound Footprint 01 Full Review By ChaseUTB
MSRP: $3950
Link: barefootsound.com/footprint01/
Footprint 01 Features:
- Dual opposed 8” paper cone woofers, 9.5 mm excursion
- 4” Aluminum Cone midrange, 3.5 mm excursion
- 1” ring radiator tweeter
- 36 Hz - 45 kHz ( + / - 3 db ) 45 Hz - 40 kHz ( + / - 1db )
- 650 W per > 500 W for dual opposed 8”, 150 W for mid & tweeter
- 2 Way Active Dsp crossover @ 250 Hz for both Subs <-> Mids
- 3500 Hz passive crossover between mid & tweeter
- 18 L internal cabinet acoustically damped w/ long fiber wool
- MEME monitor emulation technology
- Sensitivity 90 dB @ 1 m w/ -15 dBv signal applied
- Monitor Protection system ( blue light lights up red when initiated )
- Built & tested In USA
The Review:
Setup:
I am one of the early adopters of Barefoot Sound FP01. I have been using them exclusively since 2017 & they are amazing monitors. I have mine on Sound Anchor FP01 stands that are made specifically for the FP01 monitors. My FP01 are calibrated w/ pink noise & a SPL meter in an acoustically treated mixing & mastering room. I’m actually in the process of adding new treatment & re measuring to reach sub 30 Hz as linearly possible for mixing & mastering.
Are the FP01 bright?
I don’t think the FP01 is bright like a focal twin. The FP01 has an evenly balanced bandwidth from 40Hz to 20kHz ( within 1 db ) which my previous monitors were not. I know my Yamaha HS8 accented the 1000-3000Hz but didn’t properly represent anything from 10kHz & up. First comparison, the HS8 & the FP01 made me feel like the FP01 was “ brighter “. In reality the HS8 is rolled off, not accurately reproducing past 10 - 12 kHz. The FP01 is providing more audible info from 10 kHz & up so it is more balanced throughout the frequency spectrum. Compared to a Focal Solo6, you will hear the high end balance I describe in the FP01. I hear well into 17,000 Hz still even at really low decibel levels. Hearing the same song on the HS8 after using the FP01 for awhile is eye opening.
Ear Fatigue:
The FP01 are not bright or fatiguing to me & I been working on them for awhile now. I can listen to the FP01 cranked ( full scale mastered songs, calibrated at 85db w/ pink noise ) for a long time sitting actually pretty close to them & not get ear fatigue. I actually have to set alarms when mixing to get up & take ear breaks b/c I don’t get fatigued whether listening at full scale ( 85 dB SPL setting on mon controller ) or say K14 (-6db down on the controller ) at low levels.
Playback/ Listening :
The FP01 tell me very accurately what is happening all the way down to 25 - 30 Hz. Dep on the bass content, I can hear the difference between a 15Hz vs a 20Hz HPF for mixing or mastering. They also tell me what’s going on past 20 kHz. At 48k sample rate, I hear the change in the highs when I enable a 25 kHz 12dB LPF w/ Pro Q2 ( yes the slope makes the LPF reach lower into the freq spectrum but it’s not going last 18 kHz )
The FP01 have amazing detail at low & loud volumes. Every person who has ever heard anything on them has been blown away by the sound & playback. From their own music or a song they know well. Music production is fun using the FP01. They can be turned up to vibe!
Pros & Cons Using FP01:
1.) I have a hard time finding faults w/ them. My mix efficiency improved greatly. Some mixes would be 10 revisions, w/ the HS8 or Solo6. With FP01 I maybe have 3-4 revisions max. Usually get mixes slamming & approved w/ 3 or less revisions.
2.) If anything the mids can be a little too accurate because I hear mouth sounds, & things normal speakers would never reproduce. Ends of edits that aren’t clean are obvious. Over limiting & too much compression is easy to hear. Hell I hear a mic cable moving on the mic stand if the artist grabs it while singing lol. The amount of detail could be too much for some.
3.) Reverbs sound a little too good, so sometimes I go a little heavy handed on them, but it is never a bad thing. More taste or creative preference. Verbs are easy to shape & blend. I hear the differences in the depth of different types of reverbs. Finding the right type of verb or verbs for the source is easy now. I never heard much of a difference in reverb algorithms ( Hall vs Room ) but on the FP01 it’s easy to hear the differences & nuances. Flipping from A to B to C on the UAD 140 plate w/ a 3 sec decay time on vocals was eye opening!
4.) I did learn these FP01 like any monitor in any room. I can’t say how long it took. It wasn’t 6 months but it also wasn’t overnight. I do feel these FP01!“ break in “ & sound more accurate & balanced than when I first unboxed & fired them up. Also play lower as the speakers suspension has loosened over time/ use. I would say once I learned them I began to really trust them. I never trusted a previous monitor b4. Always had to reference elsewhere to make sure. If the FP01 tells you the mids are muddy, or the kick isn’t punching, or the doubles are too loud, it’s all true! It’s a good feeling
5.) A lot of newer rap n pop has lots of distortion & saturation, esp on the low end. The FP01 lets you know when you are destroying the Fundamental sound/ mix/ master w/ distortion. I never heard that on previous monitors, the more distortion there was the better the mix and playback sounded, kinda scary lol.
6.) These monitors are power hungry at louder playback levels. I find I get the best performance when plugging them into their own respective outlet. Meaning left monitor into its own outlet & same w/ the right, 2 separate outlets, nothing else plugged in those 2 outlets but each monitor. They need it especially for 8+ hour days. I have had the signal cut out when both were plugged in the same outlet. Scared me when that used to happen.
Mastering :
Mastering is a lot easier on these than my previous monitors due to the wide bandwidth, low frequency extension, & low distortion. The tonal picture for mastering awesome. You can really hear the song as a whole. Kinda the opposite from the microscope they provide when mixing. May have to hear it to understand. I can sit back & view the song as a whole, from the outside in. My mindset & listening position changes when mixing vs mastering so maybe that changes how I hear the FP01. The FP01 also features a “ HiFi “ MEME setting ( explained in next paragraph ) which helps you define the balance of too much vs just enough low end. For mastering, the MEME offers several flavors for A/B playback referencing.
What is MEME?
MEME is a monitor emulation via DSP & a switch box that uses 3.5 mm cable to connect & control each monitor. There are four MEME settings: Flat, HiFi, Old School, & Cube. Each MEME setting offers a different tonal playback / picture. MEME + earbuds + car tests gives you lots of playback referencing.
Once I learned my FP01 in my room I began to appreciate the MEME tech. Being able to hear the same audio source level matched but reproduced differently was eye opening. Now I use MEME whenever I’m producing music, mixing, or mastering & find it very useful when b4 I rarely used it.
MEME Settings :
Flat : is the designers intended response of the FP01. I use this setting the most.
HiFi : This is more of a smiley faced response, slightly accented bass, slightly subdued mids, slight added sparkle depending on the high frequency content in the music. Useful for master A/B referencing, music production, listening enjoyment!
Old School: My favorite MEME setting emulating the NS10. This setting still offers surprisingly good bass but the balance & focus is excellent. I use this setting & Flat the most for mixing & producing. I have never worked on NS10’s for mixing so I can’t speak to the accuracy of the “ emulation “.
Cube : This setting emulates the small auratones/ avantone mixcubes that are more midrange focused. This setting is useful for referencing mastering translation & balancing elements of the mix like vocal to music & drum group to music.
Comparable Monitors :
Was looking at ATC or Amphion & Kii. To get a similar bandwidth as FP01 ( relatively flat from 40Hz - 20KHz ) it was going to cost me a small fortune as well as have to add subwoofers w/ ATC & Amphion. The barefoot really shine without subwoofers. I work in modern genres so rap, R n b, pop, so low end is essential to these genres & in my room I have no issues hearing what’s going on sub 30 Hz!
The only way I would have gone a different route is if I had more $, made more $ from music, & recorded, mixed, & mastered genres where 50 Hz & below isn’t as paramount to the overall impact of the sound. Even then I would still be considering Barefoot along w/ Amphion, ATC, Kii, ( $$$$$ )
Issues & Customer Service :
When I first set them up & calibrated the FP01 to 85 dB SPL w pink noise, the protection system was initiating on peaks of mastered songs. Made me afraid of damage. I couldn’t turn up my monitor controller past -18 ( 85 dB SPL w/ pink noise setting ) on my Apollo w/o the FP01 protection circuit fully engaging. The HS8 could be turned up to -14 on the monitor controller b4 distortion & being too dam loud.
Barefoot Sound paid for return & re shipping. They went out of their way to make sure I was taken care of. Thomas even purchased a pair of HS8 to make sure he could replicate the issue. I wish I had spoken w/ him sooner b/c explaining my issue to his other employees didn’t go as well, maybe I was confusing them w/ too much info. Thomas reset & recalibrated the internal amps in my FP01’s. I haven’t had an issue since I got them back. I can turn the FP01 up on my monitor controller but the protection still kicks in around -14 on my Apollo mon control.
Purchase & Personal Sidenote:
Monitors are very personal. The same pair will sound different in each room. I didn’t get to hear the FP01 before purchasing. Even purchasing w/ a CC, if I wanted to return the monitors there would have been a open box fee + a restocking fee + return shipping of 2 40 lb. boxes. Multiple 10-15% Fees & shipping cost add up on a $4000 purchase.
I have a good friend who just upgraded to MM26 & sound anchors & he is blown away. He has had an issue w/ one pair & got another pair on the way no questions asked. I also have another engineer friend who can’t stand Barefoot Sound mm45 or mm27 monitors so again this is all personal & room & ear dependent.
I thought it would be a good contribution to this forum, I was not told, asked, or compensated in any way to post this.
MSRP: $3950
Link: barefootsound.com/footprint01/
Footprint 01 Features:
- Dual opposed 8” paper cone woofers, 9.5 mm excursion
- 4” Aluminum Cone midrange, 3.5 mm excursion
- 1” ring radiator tweeter
- 36 Hz - 45 kHz ( + / - 3 db ) 45 Hz - 40 kHz ( + / - 1db )
- 650 W per > 500 W for dual opposed 8”, 150 W for mid & tweeter
- 2 Way Active Dsp crossover @ 250 Hz for both Subs <-> Mids
- 3500 Hz passive crossover between mid & tweeter
- 18 L internal cabinet acoustically damped w/ long fiber wool
- MEME monitor emulation technology
- Sensitivity 90 dB @ 1 m w/ -15 dBv signal applied
- Monitor Protection system ( blue light lights up red when initiated )
- Built & tested In USA
The Review:
Setup:
I am one of the early adopters of Barefoot Sound FP01. I have been using them exclusively since 2017 & they are amazing monitors. I have mine on Sound Anchor FP01 stands that are made specifically for the FP01 monitors. My FP01 are calibrated w/ pink noise & a SPL meter in an acoustically treated mixing & mastering room. I’m actually in the process of adding new treatment & re measuring to reach sub 30 Hz as linearly possible for mixing & mastering.
Are the FP01 bright?
I don’t think the FP01 is bright like a focal twin. The FP01 has an evenly balanced bandwidth from 40Hz to 20kHz ( within 1 db ) which my previous monitors were not. I know my Yamaha HS8 accented the 1000-3000Hz but didn’t properly represent anything from 10kHz & up. First comparison, the HS8 & the FP01 made me feel like the FP01 was “ brighter “. In reality the HS8 is rolled off, not accurately reproducing past 10 - 12 kHz. The FP01 is providing more audible info from 10 kHz & up so it is more balanced throughout the frequency spectrum. Compared to a Focal Solo6, you will hear the high end balance I describe in the FP01. I hear well into 17,000 Hz still even at really low decibel levels. Hearing the same song on the HS8 after using the FP01 for awhile is eye opening.
Ear Fatigue:
The FP01 are not bright or fatiguing to me & I been working on them for awhile now. I can listen to the FP01 cranked ( full scale mastered songs, calibrated at 85db w/ pink noise ) for a long time sitting actually pretty close to them & not get ear fatigue. I actually have to set alarms when mixing to get up & take ear breaks b/c I don’t get fatigued whether listening at full scale ( 85 dB SPL setting on mon controller ) or say K14 (-6db down on the controller ) at low levels.
Playback/ Listening :
The FP01 tell me very accurately what is happening all the way down to 25 - 30 Hz. Dep on the bass content, I can hear the difference between a 15Hz vs a 20Hz HPF for mixing or mastering. They also tell me what’s going on past 20 kHz. At 48k sample rate, I hear the change in the highs when I enable a 25 kHz 12dB LPF w/ Pro Q2 ( yes the slope makes the LPF reach lower into the freq spectrum but it’s not going last 18 kHz )
The FP01 have amazing detail at low & loud volumes. Every person who has ever heard anything on them has been blown away by the sound & playback. From their own music or a song they know well. Music production is fun using the FP01. They can be turned up to vibe!
Pros & Cons Using FP01:
1.) I have a hard time finding faults w/ them. My mix efficiency improved greatly. Some mixes would be 10 revisions, w/ the HS8 or Solo6. With FP01 I maybe have 3-4 revisions max. Usually get mixes slamming & approved w/ 3 or less revisions.
2.) If anything the mids can be a little too accurate because I hear mouth sounds, & things normal speakers would never reproduce. Ends of edits that aren’t clean are obvious. Over limiting & too much compression is easy to hear. Hell I hear a mic cable moving on the mic stand if the artist grabs it while singing lol. The amount of detail could be too much for some.
3.) Reverbs sound a little too good, so sometimes I go a little heavy handed on them, but it is never a bad thing. More taste or creative preference. Verbs are easy to shape & blend. I hear the differences in the depth of different types of reverbs. Finding the right type of verb or verbs for the source is easy now. I never heard much of a difference in reverb algorithms ( Hall vs Room ) but on the FP01 it’s easy to hear the differences & nuances. Flipping from A to B to C on the UAD 140 plate w/ a 3 sec decay time on vocals was eye opening!
4.) I did learn these FP01 like any monitor in any room. I can’t say how long it took. It wasn’t 6 months but it also wasn’t overnight. I do feel these FP01!“ break in “ & sound more accurate & balanced than when I first unboxed & fired them up. Also play lower as the speakers suspension has loosened over time/ use. I would say once I learned them I began to really trust them. I never trusted a previous monitor b4. Always had to reference elsewhere to make sure. If the FP01 tells you the mids are muddy, or the kick isn’t punching, or the doubles are too loud, it’s all true! It’s a good feeling
5.) A lot of newer rap n pop has lots of distortion & saturation, esp on the low end. The FP01 lets you know when you are destroying the Fundamental sound/ mix/ master w/ distortion. I never heard that on previous monitors, the more distortion there was the better the mix and playback sounded, kinda scary lol.
6.) These monitors are power hungry at louder playback levels. I find I get the best performance when plugging them into their own respective outlet. Meaning left monitor into its own outlet & same w/ the right, 2 separate outlets, nothing else plugged in those 2 outlets but each monitor. They need it especially for 8+ hour days. I have had the signal cut out when both were plugged in the same outlet. Scared me when that used to happen.
Mastering :
Mastering is a lot easier on these than my previous monitors due to the wide bandwidth, low frequency extension, & low distortion. The tonal picture for mastering awesome. You can really hear the song as a whole. Kinda the opposite from the microscope they provide when mixing. May have to hear it to understand. I can sit back & view the song as a whole, from the outside in. My mindset & listening position changes when mixing vs mastering so maybe that changes how I hear the FP01. The FP01 also features a “ HiFi “ MEME setting ( explained in next paragraph ) which helps you define the balance of too much vs just enough low end. For mastering, the MEME offers several flavors for A/B playback referencing.
What is MEME?
MEME is a monitor emulation via DSP & a switch box that uses 3.5 mm cable to connect & control each monitor. There are four MEME settings: Flat, HiFi, Old School, & Cube. Each MEME setting offers a different tonal playback / picture. MEME + earbuds + car tests gives you lots of playback referencing.
Once I learned my FP01 in my room I began to appreciate the MEME tech. Being able to hear the same audio source level matched but reproduced differently was eye opening. Now I use MEME whenever I’m producing music, mixing, or mastering & find it very useful when b4 I rarely used it.
MEME Settings :
Flat : is the designers intended response of the FP01. I use this setting the most.
HiFi : This is more of a smiley faced response, slightly accented bass, slightly subdued mids, slight added sparkle depending on the high frequency content in the music. Useful for master A/B referencing, music production, listening enjoyment!
Old School: My favorite MEME setting emulating the NS10. This setting still offers surprisingly good bass but the balance & focus is excellent. I use this setting & Flat the most for mixing & producing. I have never worked on NS10’s for mixing so I can’t speak to the accuracy of the “ emulation “.
Cube : This setting emulates the small auratones/ avantone mixcubes that are more midrange focused. This setting is useful for referencing mastering translation & balancing elements of the mix like vocal to music & drum group to music.
Comparable Monitors :
Was looking at ATC or Amphion & Kii. To get a similar bandwidth as FP01 ( relatively flat from 40Hz - 20KHz ) it was going to cost me a small fortune as well as have to add subwoofers w/ ATC & Amphion. The barefoot really shine without subwoofers. I work in modern genres so rap, R n b, pop, so low end is essential to these genres & in my room I have no issues hearing what’s going on sub 30 Hz!
The only way I would have gone a different route is if I had more $, made more $ from music, & recorded, mixed, & mastered genres where 50 Hz & below isn’t as paramount to the overall impact of the sound. Even then I would still be considering Barefoot along w/ Amphion, ATC, Kii, ( $$$$$ )
Issues & Customer Service :
When I first set them up & calibrated the FP01 to 85 dB SPL w pink noise, the protection system was initiating on peaks of mastered songs. Made me afraid of damage. I couldn’t turn up my monitor controller past -18 ( 85 dB SPL w/ pink noise setting ) on my Apollo w/o the FP01 protection circuit fully engaging. The HS8 could be turned up to -14 on the monitor controller b4 distortion & being too dam loud.
Barefoot Sound paid for return & re shipping. They went out of their way to make sure I was taken care of. Thomas even purchased a pair of HS8 to make sure he could replicate the issue. I wish I had spoken w/ him sooner b/c explaining my issue to his other employees didn’t go as well, maybe I was confusing them w/ too much info. Thomas reset & recalibrated the internal amps in my FP01’s. I haven’t had an issue since I got them back. I can turn the FP01 up on my monitor controller but the protection still kicks in around -14 on my Apollo mon control.
Purchase & Personal Sidenote:
Monitors are very personal. The same pair will sound different in each room. I didn’t get to hear the FP01 before purchasing. Even purchasing w/ a CC, if I wanted to return the monitors there would have been a open box fee + a restocking fee + return shipping of 2 40 lb. boxes. Multiple 10-15% Fees & shipping cost add up on a $4000 purchase.
I have a good friend who just upgraded to MM26 & sound anchors & he is blown away. He has had an issue w/ one pair & got another pair on the way no questions asked. I also have another engineer friend who can’t stand Barefoot Sound mm45 or mm27 monitors so again this is all personal & room & ear dependent.
I thought it would be a good contribution to this forum, I was not told, asked, or compensated in any way to post this.
