On the Rokit 5, 7 and 8, G4 and G5 alike, a small screen and a knob on the back open a menu with LOW EQ and HIGH EQ, five settings each, so 25 combinations. KRK's G4 manual says to start both at 3 (flat) and adjust for your room, but it doesn't say what each number does. The G5 manual shows the same list on its screen, and it matches the tables below.
What each LOW EQ setting does
| LOW EQ | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turns the deepest bass (around 60 Hz) down 3 dB | The monitors are close to a wall or in a corner |
| 2 | Deepest bass down 2 dB, plus a wide dip around 200 Hz | They sit on a desk near a wall, the most common home setup |
| 3 | Flat | They're on stands away from walls, or you're just starting out |
| 4 | Only the wide dip around 200 Hz | They're on a desk away from the wall and sound boxy or muddy |
| 5 | Deepest bass up 2 dB | Small monitors in a big room sound thin. Skip it if the room booms |
KRK calls the bass cuts in 1 and 2 boundary filters: they take away the extra low end you get near a wall. The dip around 200 Hz is a desk filter, for the thick low mids that a big desk or console bounces back at you. Setting 2 uses both. The screen draws a small graph of each curve, so you can check which one you're on.
What each HIGH EQ setting does
| HIGH EQ | What it does |
|---|---|
| 1 | Top end (around 10 kHz) down 2 dB |
| 2 | Top end down 1 dB, upper mids (around 3.5 kHz) down 1 dB |
| 3 | Flat |
| 4 | Top end and upper mids up 1 dB each |
| 5 | Top end up 2 dB |
HIGH EQ is about a bright or dull room, not about bass. Leave it at 3 unless a bare room makes cymbals harsh (try 2 or 1) or a soft, heavily furnished room sounds dull (try 4 or 5).
Set it up in this order
- Place the speakers first. KRK's manual says to put them 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5 ft) apart, aimed at you so you form a triangle with equal sides. Keep the desk in the front third of the room, centered between the side walls, with your ears at least 1 m (3 ft) from any wall. The spot between the tweeter and woofer goes at ear height.
- Set VOLUME to 0.0 dB. KRK calls it volume, but it sets how hard your source hits the amp. 0.0 dB suits an audio interface. Raise it only if you need more level, for example from a computer's headphone jack.
- Set LOW EQ and HIGH EQ to 3.
- Play a song you know well and change LOW EQ one step at a time. Keep the setting where the bass line sounds most even, not the one with the most or least bass.
- Copy the same settings to the other monitor.
KRK's free Audio Tools phone app has an EQ Recommendation tool. It plays noise through the monitors, listens with your phone's microphone, and suggests a setting. You still dial it in by hand on the back.
Rokit G5: same EQ, plus voicing modes
The G5 keeps the same five LOW EQ and five HIGH EQ settings and adds three voicing modes. Mix is flat, for mixing and mastering. Create is a shaped sound for writing and casual listening, and Focus pushes the midrange forward so you can check it. Use Mix while you set the EQ and whenever you mix.
LEVEL leaves the factory at 0 dB and moves in 0.1 dB steps. KRK says to change it by the same amount on both monitors. The G5 also comes with foam wedge pads, and KRK suggests using them even if you don't need the tilt.
Front port, but the wall still matters
The Rokit G4 and G5 have their port in front, a slot along the bottom of the speaker, so it's less fussy about walls than monitors with a port on the back. A wall behind it still adds bass, though. That's what LOW EQ 1 and 2 are for.
The boom LOW EQ can't reach
LOW EQ works on wide areas: all the deepest bass, or a broad patch around 200 Hz. Your room's boom is narrower. The room's size makes one or two bass notes much louder where you sit, and they rarely line up with these curves. Turn LOW EQ down far enough to tame them and everything else goes thin, while the boomy note still sticks out.
You can hear it first with the free Room Bass Test. Play the slow sweep and listen for the spot where it swells up.
Unboom finds that note and turns just that one down in your music and video apps. It plays a quiet sweep and listens with your Mac's microphone, or you can pick the boom by ear. It only cuts, never boosts.
FAQ
Which LOW EQ setting is best for a small room?
There isn't one best setting. In a small room the monitors usually sit on a desk near a wall, so start at 2. If the bass still swells on certain notes, that's the room, not the speaker.
Does this work for other Rokit generations?
The G5 uses the same LOW EQ and HIGH EQ list as the G4. Older Rokits have different controls, but the idea is the same: cut the deepest bass when there's a wall behind the speaker, and only touch the top end if the room is bright or dull.
Should I boost the bass with LOW EQ 5 for mixing?
Usually not. A boost makes your mixes sound fuller in your room, so they come out thin everywhere else. If the bass sounds weak, check placement first.