Budget monitors

[fumetas]

Hi there. I was just looking for some advice on studio monitors.

I'm not a professional, and I don't think it would be a good idea to destinate my money in top notch studio monitors when I don't even record in 24 bit (I use the BOSS BR1200 mainly for my recordings)

I just need some advice to help me getting started. Just looking for monitors around ?150 (would be like $300) that just do the job well.

The kind of stuff I record is kind of vintage style, with basic instruments like bass, guitar, vocals and piano, with machine drums and acoustic percussion (shakers and stuff)

The Behringer MS40 catched my eye but I haven't tried it yet.

http://www.turnkey.co.uk/web/product...40&context=WEB

Any recommendations??

Thanks very much in advance.

[brandondrury]

Recommending a studio monitor is about like choosing a wife for you in a lot of ways.

The relationship between the mixer/engineer and their studio important is more important than the brand or model. Spending enough time with the studio monitor to get used to how it really sounds is most important.

Hit records have been mixed on bookshelf home stereo speakers, although this is not the norm.

On top of all this, room acoustics makes a drastic difference in the sound of your studio monitors (an ENORMOUS difference in the low end!!). So, in the whole grand scheme of things, just buy something for $300 (if that's your budget). See if people who have used them for years are happy, first.

In 5 years, you may decide you need a different sounding speaker.

Brandon

[fleaguit]

I picked up a pair of KRK Rockit RP5's about a year and a half ago. They cost 300$'s for the pair, and they are powered. I've used them mainly for video editing monitoring, and since I started using them, the sound quality in my work has shot up tremendously. For the price point, if you set these guys up right, you'll get a good representation of the sound. Most important though is setting up these and your room right for listening.

[Hookani]

I'm not very experienced but I like the sound of the M-Audio BX5a.

Ho'okani

[brandondrury]

I'm not very experienced but I like the sound of the M-Audio BX5a.

Note: The point to a studio monitor has nothing to do with whether you like the sound or not. The point of a studio monitor is to make your mixes translate to other systems well.

So, are you happy with the way your mixes translate with the M-Audio BX5a?

Brandon

[Hookani]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

Note: The point to a studio monitor has nothing to do with whether you like the sound or not. The point of a studio monitor is to make your mixes translate to other systems well.

So, are you happy with the way your mixes translate with the M-Audio BX5a?

Brandon

Very true Brandon. But like I mentioned, I'm not experienced or very knowledgeable yet so I'm not keen to picking up subtle differences from the monitors to the mixes, but to my ears, there's nothing that stands out as being totally off. What I do have problems with (which I kinda expected) is the level of bass which maybe a sub would help in that area.

I'm still basically at the point where I'm recording just so we can listen to ourselves and make improvements where necessary and not trying to make a professional recording so for now, I'm really only playing with the levels to get some balance b/w the tracks.

Ho'okani

[brandondrury]

Okie Dokie. In your setting, studio monitors aren't really required at all, then. That's okay. You have them if you decide that you ever need mixes to translate elsewhere.

Brandon

[fumetas]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I'll check those monitors out.

Just one more thing. I suppose that under ?300 (or even cheaper!) almost any pair monitors will the do the job pretty much in the same way but, is there any particular brand or model that I really really shouldn't buy??

I'll probably buy them with eyes closed, 'cause I don't think I'll have the chance to try them out properly before I do, so maybe you can just give me some tips to disregard a particular brand or model straight away.

Cheers!

[DogpitStudios]

I mixed on a pair of old Yamaha NS-6s (the model right before the NS-10) for about 6 months until the tweater broke. Everytime I brought a mix somewhere else, Everything sounded scooped, or undefined. I feel like those moniters had a big bump around 500 hz. After about an hour of doing anything on those monitors I fealt like I couldn't hear anything anymore, meaning they tired out my ears way to quickly. I say don't go for the NS-10s unless you have an other pair of monitors to switch around with, they are only good as reference to me.

After those broke, I went to guitar center to try out some different stuff. The guy put me in a room with KRK Rockit RP8s, M-Audio BX8s, Behringer Truth 2031s, and Yamaha HS-80Ms or something like that. The M-Audio's and the Behringers both sounded "whooshy" and undefined in the low-end, but crisp up high. The Yamaha's sounded very defined, as in every seperate instrument was very clear, and the bass was a lot softer than the Behringer's and the M-Audios. The Rockit's bass was very defined and not too loud, while the high end was "smooth". I know none of these adjectives are that helpful. I noticed that the reverb on the in flames recording I tested with was a lot louder and more out of controll on the Rockit's and M-Audio speakers than the other two. I wanted the Yamaha's but didn't have the money, so I went with the Rockit's. After about half a year and 10 projects with these monitors, I've found that time-based effects (reverb, delay) on them are a lot louder than on any home-stereo, or car system. I Also find myself in need of a sub, because I usually have to turn down the bass sufficiently (enough that I can't even hear it on the Rockits) for it to not sound overdone on other systems. I feel like the $300 5 inch KRK's would be similar, but a little worse when it comes to bass, since the speakers are smaller.

Point of the story is, I've been through 3 different monitors (M-Audio BX5s, Yamaha NS-6s, and KRK Rockit RP8s) and my mixes have not translated well on any of them. Maybe I just don't like studio monitors, or maybe I haven't given myself enough time to get used to any of them, but they all sound different to me, and none of them have been helpful so far.

Ben

[brandondrury]

Point of the story is, I've been through 3 different monitors (M-Audio BX5s, Yamaha NS-6s, and KRK Rockit RP8s) and my mixes have not translated well on any of them. Maybe I just don't like studio monitors, or maybe I haven't given myself enough time to get used to any of them, but they all sound different to me, and none of them have been helpful so far.

This is all too typical. The room makes a difference too, but there is no way around just putting years and years and years into a monitor and getting a little closer to knowing how it will travel.

We all fight this. My Mackie HR824s are the same way.

Brandon