monitoring questions

jeff sanders · Post by **jeff sanders** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:28 pm

hello group,
ive updated my 828mk3 firmware to 1.05 and now im looking to upgrade my monitors to powered ones. presently im using a pair of nady passive monitors:

http://www.nady.com/sm120_speakers_pg.html

to be honest i think they sound great even though they are budget oriented. i got an old stereo amp(120w) to power them. i use the audio out 1-2 instead of the main outs cause my amp has rca instead of xlr inputs.

i wish to purchase active monitors and maybe someday later get a subwoofer too. im not as concerned with volume as i am with accuracy in representing my recordings. i will travel to the big city(phoenix) to listen and compare models. i hoped some seasoned studioists might suggest a few types that may work well for my needs so i look less clueless when asking what kind to hear.

thank you for any suggestions

basstian · Post by **basstian** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:13 am

KS Digital C5 Tiny, if you can get them in the US. http://ksdigital.de/

Their accuracy is unbeaten for such a small monitor. There stereo image is perfect and they are good value for money.

If you can't get them I would say the Adam A7 will be a good choice.

Seb

jeff sanders · Post by **jeff sanders** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:33 am

thank you for sharing. i couldnt find any pricing on the site. would you know of a ballpark figure in us dollars? i may have to compromise quality on account of my low budget(sux).
thanx again

INMT · Post by **INMT** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:24 am

I'm waiting for those new Mackie MR5's myself. My application is mobile for those.
I'm still looking to replace my old event 20/20's here at the house.
So may choices these days.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:50 pm

Well, asking to listen to and hear monitors might make you clueless already

I say that jokingly, but I go on rants about that topic----listening to monitors will tell you squat about their accuracy, especially when it comes to listening to them in a store. Just listening to music doesn't show you the good or the bad in a studio monitor and how it relates to getting an accurate mix, it only shows you what that music sounds like through those monitors. You have to mix with raw tracks, EQ/Compress/Pan in the room through those monitors----listen to what happens in a raw mix, etc

What size is your room? Is it treated? What are you using right now? What kind of music do you do? What is your budget?

jeff sanders · Post by **jeff sanders** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:47 pm

my room is 10'w x 14'd with an angled high ceiling.
its smooth incline, no steps like my cheesy diagrams.
profile:
______-------
---------

==============

<--------14'---------->

facing room:

==========
= =
= =
= =
= =
= =
= =
= =
= =

<------10'----->

no treatment, im using nady 120 passives, i do lotsa dance and mideastern for my mas belly dancing troupe, i do some rock stuff with a couple friends, i did a couple hip-hop flavor sequences for my friends, friends son to rap on. kinda everything i guess. $1k give or take is all i wanna spend really.

i can understand why telling someone to choose a speaker to buy without listening to it or comparing its sound to others, would bring argument. heh

man my diagrams went whack when i posted, any how its 10 ft wide 14 ft deep and the ceiling gradually rises to from 8ft at the far wall to about 10-12 ft at the arched opening.
sorry for confusion
thanks again

jeff sanders · Post by **jeff sanders** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:52 pm

wow i went to guitar center in tempe, az. today. i listened to the 6" jbls with the room correction built-in thing, adam a7, krk 6" and 8" versions, 6" dynaudio or something like that. stuff for +/-$1000.00 us dollars a pair. i thought they sounded like crap at times and sounded great at times but eaches sound was so different. it seemed like even at low volumes there was bass distortion and overdriven frequencies. i couldnt imagine spending much time with annoying tone. i decided to get a cd with 4-5 songs mixed the way i would like to hear and then revisit. listening and switching between models i thought would make the choice obvious but no. i will train my ear on the mixed cd then take it to try another audio comparison and hope for a more conclusive outcome.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:24 pm

argh---that won't tell you about the monitor, only how a CD sounds through those monitors---which won't tell you anything about those monitors.

bolla · Post by **bolla** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:12 pm

You have to mix with raw tracks, EQ/Compress/Pan in the room through those monitors----listen to what happens in a raw mix

Agreed!
Also sometimes a speaker that matches your mixing tendancies can be more suitable than a supposedly accurate one. Heresy I know.

If you find most of your mixes lack mid range try mixing using a speaker with similar characteristics. Take the old NS10 as an example. With its barking midrange your tendancy to balance less mids would be exaggerated by also trying to compensate for the NS10s exaggeration in that area.

Just a thought,
Cheers, Bolla

[/quote]

jeff sanders · Post by **jeff sanders** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:49 pm

thank guys,
i had been thinking about the flawed logic in my cd theory even before i revisited the forum. by listening to mixes on my present monitors over and over id just end up buying another monitor that sounds like what im already using.
im not really a hands-on guy. i dont even do that eq/compress/pan stuff with the ones i got now. i set my passive monitors ext. amp flat, i turn the volume to a comfortable level and dabble in loops and sometimes recorded stuff through the macs line-in jack with garageband.
i havent had enuff experience recording to even possess a done 'right' recording to use as a source, thats why i thought to bring mixes on cd from music i admire to see if it clarified anything, no pun intended

whats a recording newb to do?
i would think my room setup is good because its only 3 walls, high ceiling and a huge opening. where i sit to listen is dialed in with a balanced sweet spot between my monitors. i paid $50.00 us +ship, brand new for the set im using now. i spent almost half that in gas to drive, just to look at the $1000.00 monitors and none impressed me in the least. right there is a freaking market begging for a product at $500.00 a pair.
thank again guys ill keep researching and try to improve my monitoring situation.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:29 am

Jeff, when you said nothing impressed you in the $1k range----no offense, but I don't think you understand how to select monitors. There are some options in that range that will absolutely blow your mind for mixing. Remember, we're not talking about a home theatre here about what sounds good---we're talking about listening to raw tracks, the stereo imaging, separate of EQ, clarity of compressors coming through, etc. The ADAM A7's are remarkable! There are quite a few here who have picked those up and have been blown away at the level of their mixes. There is also the DynAudio BM5A's which are excellent as well.

Phil O · Post by **Phil O** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:15 am

I second the Adam A7s. A while back Brad dragged me kicking and screaming to these monitors and I'm glad he did. My mixes translate better than ever using these monitors.

Phil

airtime · Post by **airtime** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:09 am

personally i'm still in love with my 10 year old genelec 1030as. clarity and dimension.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:10 am

Phil O wrote:I second the Adam A7s. A while back Brad dragged me kicking and screaming to these monitors and I'm glad he did. My mixes translate better than ever using these monitors.

Phil

And pretty soon Phil will be going boom boom thumpity thump thump ka boom boom

basstian · Post by **basstian** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:25 pm

basstian wrote:KS Digital C5 Tiny, if you can get them in the US. http://ksdigital.de/

Their accuracy is unbeaten for such a small monitor. There stereo image is perfect and they are good value for money.

If you can't get them I would say the Adam A7 will be a good choice.

Seb

just for the record

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