In what might possibly be the sexiest review ever published in Tape Op, let’s talk about monitor mounts! I was recently in need of upgrading my Atmos monitoring, and I required a better solution for the four height speakers mounted on the ceiling of my studio (I mix Atmos in a 7.1.4 configuration). My previous solution was a crazy bespoke mount that included a König & Meyer bracket with some custom-cut neoprene and wood panels to place my former monitors in a usable, purely utilitarian way. Now, I knew I wanted a more solid, flexible, and isolated mounting method (up to 40 lbs.) for my new Genelec 8330A SAM monitors in the height position.
Since my friend, Aaron Murray, a former designer with Dusty Strings (now Boeing engineer) had put together my previous ceiling mounts, part of that design included perfectly cut wedges for my vaulted ceiling to provide flat surfaces parallel to the floor. I was able to reuse these custom blocks, which were exactly the right size for the new IsoAcoustics V120 mounts to be used on the Genelecs.
I’ve been well acquainted with IsoAcoustics ISO speaker stands and their ISO-Pucks [Tape Op #125] for years, so when they developed new isolation mounts for ceiling and wall mounting, I knew that was the right way to go for me. The V120 is the foundation of their new mounting ecosphere, and they are integrated with a ceiling plate into which the mount is threaded and locked with a lever once the final position is determined. The ceiling plate can also be eliminated from the setup, allowing the V120 to attach to a truss mount, an IsoAcoustics wall bracket, or with a channel nut for slotted mounting rails. The V120 ships with a bottom flange for mounting speakers directly to the main mount’s structure. Alternately, this is the route I chose. IsoAcoustics offers a C-bracket that can position the monitor to face downwards from the ceiling while enabling 45 degrees of upward angle tilt. A forward/backward adjustment via a “channel” on the V120 that the C-Bracket slots into (after removing the bottom bracket) adds even more positioning flexibility. IsoAcoustics also offers an L-bracket that allows for 45 degrees of horizontal adjustment. Adding the V120 T-Adapter to the C-bracket allowed me to perfectly attach my Genelecs to the mounts and made setting up my height speakers a piece of cake.
I now have unlimited rotational adjustment as well as 45 degrees of angle adjustment for my four height channels; setting up, mounting, and calibrating my Atmos monitoring has never been easier – I’m sold on the V-120s! IsoAcoustics has really put a lot of thought into these new mounts, while providing many accessories and options that will suit any studio and mounting situation you may encounter. Just get ‘em!
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