Brand NEW Sky EXOS!! There's a problem *CRY*

[BORNintoMUSIC]

Alright I just broke out my new Sky EXO 2.1 set last night and I was loving it. UNTIL I started hearing pops in some of my favorite albums. I checked my system volume (because I was playing it through windows media player on my computer), and set it to about 75% (which should be more then capable for these monitors) and I still occasionally hear some pops in the music.

Are these bad boys defective?? =(

Any suggestions? Should I use them for a few more days? Maybe they just need to be broken in?


Thanks,
Brandon

[brandondrury]

Alright I just broke out my new Sky EXO 2.1 set last night and I was loving it.

Do you mean that the mixes you made on them translated well to the outside world? If not, what else is there to love/like about a studio monitor?

In regard to the pops, do your other computer speakers do this? Is it an issue with the cables? What audio interface are you using?

It could be a latency issue or be caused by a computer that is bogged down by junk.

If you think it is your soundcard, try this:
Soundcard Troubleshooting 101

[BORNintoMUSIC]

Do you mean that the mixes you made on them translated well to the outside world? If not, what else is there to love/like about a studio monitor?

The mix has translated very well to the outside world. One of the biggest tests I swear by is the car test. If it sounds good there, you have a good bet it's going to sound well pretty much anywhere else. Of course I've also tried this on other mediums including: a home theater system, an IPOD, and a boom box. Each of which stand true to the mix I made on the Sky's. Wow what a difference it has made! I can literally hear every nuance of EQing, decible, and compression attack and release. I was becomming so frustrated because people spoke of attack, release, 1db increase @ 250 frequency, and even CLIPPING! But when I tried so hard to listen for those differences, I was unable to hear them through consumer based mediums. I thought it was my inability to hear these difference, but now... holy crap I hear every DETAIL!

Now this is coming from a noob, so I'm sure there are monitors out there that smoke mine, but wow what a difference this setup has made for me! All of the sounds are crisp and responsive. Everything that I have recorded sounds natural. IE: no boosts to the low's or high's before I even start mixing. So now if I DO want to color the sound, I'm not trying to cut the frequencies that I should be boosting or leaving alone. My opinion to anyone looking for a low budget 2.1 setup is this: Blue Sky's are a big contender. Because of the added sub woofer, the SAT's themselves can concentrate on the mid's and high's. Then they leave the lows to a speaker who's only purpose is to play lows. Therefore you get a rich sound that you probably couldn't find for two SAT's at the same price.

In regard to the pops, do your other computer speakers do this? Is it an issue with the cables? What audio interface are you using?

It could be a latency issue or be caused by a computer that is bogged down by junk.

Well I JUST reformatted my computer this past weekend. The speakers are still popping. I spoke with their technical support and apparently they had a recent shipment that was mishandled. They will keep my credit card as a holder, send me the new speakers, and then I'll ship the bad ones back to them. They pay for the shipping!! Excellent prompt customer service!

[brandondrury]

It sounds like you had some REALLY bad studio monitors before or these Blue Sky jobs are pretty awesome. I'm thrilled to hear your excitement. You got lucky that they worked for you right off the bat. It took me 6 years to get my Mackie HR 824s the way I want them.

Make sure to post a mix in Recording Reviews when you get a chance.

Brandon