[Charlie_M]

I've been using my Behringer 2031A monitors for several months now and will say this based on what I see so far:

1. They do pretty much suck

2. It doesn't seem to matter!!

My mixes seem to translate to the outside world pretty well these days (car, home stereo, baby's boombox...that's the hardest test right there I think).

Two big factors account for the improvement:

1. Investing in a better signal chain. As I've made upgrades on the front end (recent preamp upgrade, and to a certain extent with better reverbs and other processing) my monitors are something I use to get the levels about right, and not much else. If the tone is there, a reaonably competent mix comes about pretty easily. Making it interesting for the listener is always going to be hard of course, but that's the creative aspect. You either have that or you don't - I don't think monitors will help me or anyone else in that respect. I'm talking here about getting the balance right. I feel that happens pretty naturally if I have a good track to start with.

2. Other thing I read recently was some bigshot type engineer was saying when he wants to test a mix he runs the track and goes and listens from down the hall. If it sounds like shit, from there, it is in fact shit so... figure out why and then go fix it.

But I really have been surprised at the degree to which just getting my raw tracks sounding better has moved me a pretty good ways down the road there.

At this point I no longer wish I had better monitors really. I do wish I had: a top shelf vocal mic (coming soon I hope) and a greater variety of preamps to play with, maybe more effects boxes. Monitors are low on the list these days...

Don't get me wrong I'd love to have some really tits monitors, and a nice acoustic space for them. I think of that as a luxury that comes later. I do expect that if I did that it would yield some benefit. For example I may be failing to realize as varied and interesting a stereo field as I might with better monitors - headphones seem to suck for that, and ou can't tell that from down the hall - but even that I think I'm getting an OK feel for it with these crappy monitors.

I recognize this is complete heresy.... YMMV.

Charlie