Every professional audio engineer knows that accurate monitoring is the foundation of quality production, and Barefoot Sound‘s latest offering aims to revolutionize this critical aspect for smaller studios. The Footprint01 Gen2 brings Barefoot’s renowned sound quality to compact spaces without compromising on performance, featuring a tri-amplified 3-way active monitor system powered by an impressive 710 watts of total amplification.
Barefoot’s Footprint01 Gen2 delivers uncompromising studio-quality monitoring for compact spaces with tri-amplified power and precision engineering.
At the heart of this monitoring system lies an innovative driver configuration, with dual 8-inch Dual-Force aluminum cone woofers handling bass duties, a 5-inch aluminum cone midrange driver, and a 1-inch dual ring radiator tweeter. The unconventional placement of these components creates an acoustic focus point at the cabinet center, delivering precise imaging and soundstage depth. The monitor’s construction employs stress-assembly techniques to significantly reduce unwanted cabinet resonances.
Each driver receives dedicated amplification: 500 watts for the woofers and 150 watts split between the midrange and tweeter, ensuring headroom for dynamic musical passages. The Gen2 models represent a complete redesign with advanced technology compared to their predecessors, resulting in superior performance across the frequency spectrum.
The Footprint01 Gen2 extends its frequency response from 36 Hz to 40 kHz, providing both substantial low-end presence and airy high frequencies. The stress-assembled MDF enclosure minimizes unwanted resonances, while the sealed cabinet design eliminates port noise often found in ported monitors. These technical refinements translate to exceptional transient response and controlled dispersion characteristics essential for critical mixing decisions. For optimal results, positioning these monitors in your home studio environment requires careful consideration of room acoustics and speaker placement.
Perhaps most intriguing is Barefoot’s Multi-Emphasis Monitor Emulation (MEME) technology, which allows users to switch between four distinct voicing profiles: flat reference, Hi-Fi consumer, NS10-style, and cube monitor emulations. This versatility enables engineers to check mixes across multiple virtual monitoring systems without physically changing speakers.
Measuring approximately 14.25″ × 10.2″ × 13.63″ and weighing 40.4 pounds per monitor, the Footprint01 Gen2 offers a compelling solution for home studios, writing rooms, and post-production facilities where space is limited but sonic integrity cannot be compromised. For connecting these active monitors to your audio interface, using balanced cables will ensure optimal signal quality and minimize interference in your signal path.
