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REVIEWED
REVIEWED: H|H TRM-1201
This year’s trip to PLASA Leeds was all about catching up with industry friends, meeting new customers and continuing to build relationships with existing advertisers for this very magazine.
As I was chatting with Headstock Audio’s Business Development Manager for UK & Europe, James Baker, and checking out the latest Tensor range, we got onto the subject of reviews and he suggested their new stage monitor: the TRM-1201. Immediately, I pointed out that the TRM-1201 wasn’t really a DJ product at all. Then James asked what I use for a monitor, and I just said, “Erm…my headphones?”
This exchange got me thinking. Initially, I’d dismissed James’ suggestion – I use headphones and always have. But what did my fellow DJs think? I asked a few if they used a monitor whilst DJing, and the response was pretty much 50:50. So I thought, heck, let’s give this monitor a look over and find out if it is a ‘DJ product’ after all.
If you aren't familiar with the back story of Headstock Audio – or HH Electronics, as they’re known – Andy Dykes provided a brilliant overview in his review of the Tensor TRE1201/1501 back in issue 100: “Founded in 1968 by Mike Harrison, Malcolm Green and Graham Lowes in the village of Harston near Cambridge, England. This is where its first solid state TPA and MA range of studio-quality amplifiers were designed and manufactured.
“The company also developed many high-quality instrument amplifiers such as the famous IC100 guitar amplifier and later moved into pro audio with products such as the V series power amplifiers complemented by their range of speaker drivers and cabinets. HH Electronics was a truly pioneering audio brand and by the ‘70s, their gear was being used by bands such as T-Rex and Van Halen as well as in the BBC studios and even for the London Underground’s Tannoy system.
“In the early 1990s, HH Electronics was purchased by Laney Amplification, which utilised the HH speaker driver manufacturing facilities for use in Laney instrument amplifiers. But in 2004, HH Electronics was re-launched, aimed at the live musician market and focussed on respecting the history of the brand whilst developing new products to compete in the current marketplace.”
One such product is the TRM-1201 monitor.
Now, your opinion may sit in the half of DJs I spoke to who don’t feel they need a monitor as part of their setup. As I said, it’s a question I asked myself initially. But I’ve since learnt that floor monitors are a special kind of speaker.
Many monitors look like any standard full-range PA speaker that’s set up to deliver sound to the audience. But since these monitors have a slanted back or side, they can be placed on the floor and angled upwards, pointing at the ears of the DJ. This means that when performing you aren’t depending on the PA speakers out front, which can often be difficult to hear.
Some standard PA cabinets also feature a wedge element to allow them to be used as a monitor. However, these monitor-lite offerings don’t usually have the FOH (front of house)/monitor button that helps with certain frequencies and feedback issues when you’re using a microphone behind the decks with a driver pointing straight at you. So, would the H|H TRM-1201 meet the needs of us DJs?
The monitor arrived in a large box, mostly filled with protective packaging. But that said, the speaker unit itself is still a fair size, measuring up at 605 x 540 x 470mm (23.8 x 21.3 x 18.5in) and sits on the scales at 17.7kg (39lbs). Made from acoustically optimised plywood, you won’t find any traditional handles, with H|H going for integrated carry handles instead. The design is well thought out and is lipped on both sizes all the way around, so it’s super easy to lift and move. Painted black with a reinforced steel grill, housing acoustic foam, and set off with the manufacturer’s badge, the TRM-1201 certainly looks the part (unless you have an all-white wedding setup!).
On one side you’ll find a 35mm pole mount that allows you to use the speaker for FOH applications, although I only used it as a monitor wedge (angled at 35 degrees) for the purpose of this review. At the other business end are all the controls and inputs: a standard IEC for power, with rocker on/off switch input, balanced female XLR/6.3mm jack combi socket, and a link out XLR with ground lift switch (for if you have multiple units).
After speaking with Headstock Audio, I found out that the volume knob (which reads 0-10), can be turned up to 10 (0db) and then controlled from your desk, as with most PA that don’t show where 0db is on the dial. The dial itself could feel a little tighter for me, but once you’ve set it you don’t really need to turn it up and down like a fader. You’ll also find push buttons for FOH/monitor mode and a ground/ground lift button with the XLR link out, as mentioned. Finally, there are two LEDs to indicate power and signal/limit.
In terms of drivers, the TRM-1201 features a 12” H|H LF driver coupled up with a 1” H|H compression driver covering 80° x 80° at a massive 130dB SPL at 1m .
The rated power is quoted at 350w RMS, 700w continuous, 1400w peak… in other words, it’s definitely loud enough! Powered by a 1400w, high-performance, class D amplifier, the TRM-1201 packs a punch and feels solid and robust for life on the road with us DJs. Although the unit feels hardy enough, you would still want to store it in a proper case. As with much of the kit I own and review, buying the case can end up costing as much as the product that goes in it! But the ‘wedge’ shape is so unusual that I don’t think a normal stand slip-on cover would cut it (unless you had a custom padded cover made).
I tested the TRM-1201 unit in my home studio, connecting it straight into the monitor out of my Pioneer DJ XDJ RX2. Did I see an advantage of using it over headphones? Initially, no. In a party or wedding setting, I imagined trying to use this instead of headphones, but I just got it all wrong. I couldn’t cue up the next mix without using the screen on the controller as a guide, so it took me back to my initial point – this is not a DJ product.
But then the penny dropped and everything clicked into place. I told myself, use the headphones like you normally do, drop the mix in, then turn up the monitor and have a live feed of the FOH mix, which you normally can’t hear properly. Then you can keep the mix in time without concentrating on your headphone mix, which you may struggle to hear, allowing you to concentrate on the crowd more.
Freeing yourself up to focus on the crowd is a huge benefit of using a monitor. In fact, not having my face buried in a laptop screen the whole time was also a big reason for me moving away from my laptop to a built-in controller. The TRM-1201 had the chance to prove this theory correct when I took it out on the road with me. The gig was a wonderful wedding out in the Dorset countryside. Inside the marquee, the monitor gave me extra reinforcement on my FOH sound and allowed me to interact with the guests more.
So I guess you could say I’m a covert to this whole monitor idea. James, did you really need this back?
As I was chatting with Headstock Audio’s Business Development Manager for UK & Europe, James Baker, and checking out the latest Tensor range, we got onto the subject of reviews and he suggested their new stage monitor: the TRM-1201. Immediately, I pointed out that the TRM-1201 wasn’t really a DJ product at all. Then James asked what I use for a monitor, and I just said, “Erm…my headphones?”
This exchange got me thinking. Initially, I’d dismissed James’ suggestion – I use headphones and always have. But what did my fellow DJs think? I asked a few if they used a monitor whilst DJing, and the response was pretty much 50:50. So I thought, heck, let’s give this monitor a look over and find out if it is a ‘DJ product’ after all.
If you aren't familiar with the back story of Headstock Audio – or HH Electronics, as they’re known – Andy Dykes provided a brilliant overview in his review of the Tensor TRE1201/1501 back in issue 100: “Founded in 1968 by Mike Harrison, Malcolm Green and Graham Lowes in the village of Harston near Cambridge, England. This is where its first solid state TPA and MA range of studio-quality amplifiers were designed and manufactured.
“The company also developed many high-quality instrument amplifiers such as the famous IC100 guitar amplifier and later moved into pro audio with products such as the V series power amplifiers complemented by their range of speaker drivers and cabinets. HH Electronics was a truly pioneering audio brand and by the ‘70s, their gear was being used by bands such as T-Rex and Van Halen as well as in the BBC studios and even for the London Underground’s Tannoy system.
“In the early 1990s, HH Electronics was purchased by Laney Amplification, which utilised the HH speaker driver manufacturing facilities for use in Laney instrument amplifiers. But in 2004, HH Electronics was re-launched, aimed at the live musician market and focussed on respecting the history of the brand whilst developing new products to compete in the current marketplace.”
One such product is the TRM-1201 monitor.
Now, your opinion may sit in the half of DJs I spoke to who don’t feel they need a monitor as part of their setup. As I said, it’s a question I asked myself initially. But I’ve since learnt that floor monitors are a special kind of speaker.
Many monitors look like any standard full-range PA speaker that’s set up to deliver sound to the audience. But since these monitors have a slanted back or side, they can be placed on the floor and angled upwards, pointing at the ears of the DJ. This means that when performing you aren’t depending on the PA speakers out front, which can often be difficult to hear.
Some standard PA cabinets also feature a wedge element to allow them to be used as a monitor. However, these monitor-lite offerings don’t usually have the FOH (front of house)/monitor button that helps with certain frequencies and feedback issues when you’re using a microphone behind the decks with a driver pointing straight at you. So, would the H|H TRM-1201 meet the needs of us DJs?
The monitor arrived in a large box, mostly filled with protective packaging. But that said, the speaker unit itself is still a fair size, measuring up at 605 x 540 x 470mm (23.8 x 21.3 x 18.5in) and sits on the scales at 17.7kg (39lbs). Made from acoustically optimised plywood, you won’t find any traditional handles, with H|H going for integrated carry handles instead. The design is well thought out and is lipped on both sizes all the way around, so it’s super easy to lift and move. Painted black with a reinforced steel grill, housing acoustic foam, and set off with the manufacturer’s badge, the TRM-1201 certainly looks the part (unless you have an all-white wedding setup!).
On one side you’ll find a 35mm pole mount that allows you to use the speaker for FOH applications, although I only used it as a monitor wedge (angled at 35 degrees) for the purpose of this review. At the other business end are all the controls and inputs: a standard IEC for power, with rocker on/off switch input, balanced female XLR/6.3mm jack combi socket, and a link out XLR with ground lift switch (for if you have multiple units).
After speaking with Headstock Audio, I found out that the volume knob (which reads 0-10), can be turned up to 10 (0db) and then controlled from your desk, as with most PA that don’t show where 0db is on the dial. The dial itself could feel a little tighter for me, but once you’ve set it you don’t really need to turn it up and down like a fader. You’ll also find push buttons for FOH/monitor mode and a ground/ground lift button with the XLR link out, as mentioned. Finally, there are two LEDs to indicate power and signal/limit.
In terms of drivers, the TRM-1201 features a 12” H|H LF driver coupled up with a 1” H|H compression driver covering 80° x 80° at a massive 130dB SPL at 1m .
The rated power is quoted at 350w RMS, 700w continuous, 1400w peak… in other words, it’s definitely loud enough! Powered by a 1400w, high-performance, class D amplifier, the TRM-1201 packs a punch and feels solid and robust for life on the road with us DJs. Although the unit feels hardy enough, you would still want to store it in a proper case. As with much of the kit I own and review, buying the case can end up costing as much as the product that goes in it! But the ‘wedge’ shape is so unusual that I don’t think a normal stand slip-on cover would cut it (unless you had a custom padded cover made).
I tested the TRM-1201 unit in my home studio, connecting it straight into the monitor out of my Pioneer DJ XDJ RX2. Did I see an advantage of using it over headphones? Initially, no. In a party or wedding setting, I imagined trying to use this instead of headphones, but I just got it all wrong. I couldn’t cue up the next mix without using the screen on the controller as a guide, so it took me back to my initial point – this is not a DJ product.
But then the penny dropped and everything clicked into place. I told myself, use the headphones like you normally do, drop the mix in, then turn up the monitor and have a live feed of the FOH mix, which you normally can’t hear properly. Then you can keep the mix in time without concentrating on your headphone mix, which you may struggle to hear, allowing you to concentrate on the crowd more.
Freeing yourself up to focus on the crowd is a huge benefit of using a monitor. In fact, not having my face buried in a laptop screen the whole time was also a big reason for me moving away from my laptop to a built-in controller. The TRM-1201 had the chance to prove this theory correct when I took it out on the road with me. The gig was a wonderful wedding out in the Dorset countryside. Inside the marquee, the monitor gave me extra reinforcement on my FOH sound and allowed me to interact with the guests more.
So I guess you could say I’m a covert to this whole monitor idea. James, did you really need this back?
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 115, Pages 86-89.
