I have a set of Fostex pm641 monitors and they are wicked loud. Is it better to have the volume on the monitors set low so they are as loud as you need to control them from the computer and software or have them loud and compensate within the computer? My thinking is that if the monitors are set to low then I may not hear everything. 

It depends upon your work flow.  I have an amped system, which is and easier reach, usually, than my interface.  Usually I run both about 1/2 up, which is a nice medium loud sound.  It really doesn't matter since you have several places to change the vol (sonar soft mixer, interface soft mixer, interface hardware vol knob, and amp vol if you have one).  I run soft mixers at 0 dB and use hardware for vol control.

standard volume for mixdown is between 85-90 decibels.
you will need a decibel reader, and measure where you sit between the speakers,
and calibrate your interface output with your volume control for your speakers.
once this is established, you have a range of volumes you can mix at,
always checking both low volume and at least as loud as your calibrated volume.

Thank you for the advise.

Rather than start a new thread I thought I would ask a question here because it is similar to the question asked here.
 
It seems like every set of monitor speakers I have seen for sale has a volume and a Bass Control Knob, should the Bass Control Knob be set to the middle position for recording and mixing? Or should it be turned all the way up?
 
I'm thinking the middle position about half way but thought I would ask to be sure? 
 
What is confusing to me is the Monitor speakers I got recently they have a volume and bass control knob. When I listen to music regardless of the player on my PC I do not use an EQ because I want to hear what the music sounds like without any altercations. If I listen to commercial music with the bass in the middle position It seems buried in all the mixes, but if I turn it all the way up it sounds about right. 
 
Maybe room size has something to do with this question? I dunno, so I thought I would ask. 
Thanks in advance. 
 

Serious_Noize!
Rather than start a new thread I thought I would ask a question here because it is similar to the question asked here.
 
It seems like every set of monitor speakers I have seen for sale has a volume and a Bass Control Knob, should the Bass Control Knob be set to the middle position for recording and mixing? Or should it be turned all the way up?
 
I'm thinking the middle position about half way but thought I would ask to be sure? 
 
What is confusing to me is the Monitor speakers I got recently they have a volume and bass control knob. When I listen to music regardless of the player on my PC I do not use an EQ because I want to hear what the music sounds like without any altercations. If I listen to commercial music with the bass in the middle position It seems buried in all the mixes, but if I turn it all the way up it sounds about right. 
 
Maybe room size has something to do with this question? I dunno, so I thought I would ask. 
Thanks in advance. 
 

you should not be confusing "studio reference monitor" with monitor for live performances.
 
studio reference monitors don't come with a bass volume knob (because they are designed to give a linear response), some of them come with means to adjust for room (dip switches, tiny knobs to adjust some frequencies) but as soon as it comes with a separate switch or knob to hike the bass up, it's not to be used for reference monitoring ...
 
and, of course, the room has a big impact on ANY speaker and you'll notice it the most in the bass range (usually an untreated room gives you too much bass i.e. you'll either hear certain bass notes enforced by room acoustic or all the bass range very undefined) ...

I grabbed a dB meter for my phone and was playing with it. Boy 85 - 90 dBs is really loud for me. Do some people mix lower? I'm happy at about 70dBs
 

this covers almost everything you need to know:
 
http://www.soundonsound.c...hniques/monitor-wizard

batsbrew
this covers almost everything you need to know:
 

Just a bit more confused then when I started. But it's coming together. Monitors loud, DAW set to -20dbs.
It's a good start, thanks for the link.
 

SkyDreamer
I grabbed a dB meter for my phone and was playing with it. Boy 85 - 90 dBs is really loud for me. Do some people mix lower? I'm happy at about 70dBs
 

I, and others here, also find 85 too loud even though it's supposed to be some kind of reference.  Just set things to a comfortable level for you.  Me, it's between 75 and 80 and my ears are not what they used to be.