Which Monitors?

11811

I'm looking to get a budget set of near-fields for my home recording set-up, being a student tho, my budget is quite small, any one got any recommendations? i have an old 60 watt small pa amp would this do for driving a set of passives?

PaulBrewer

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

I'm looking to get a budget set of near-fields for my home recording set-up, being a student tho, my budget is quite small, any one got any recommendations? i have an old 60 watt small pa amp would this do for driving a set of passives?

That's a very difficult one Squire. In my experience the lower end 'monitors' tell you very little - so much so that a small hifi might be better insofar for X Euro you may get better value because of the scale of hi fi production. I remember buying a nice little Sony one a couple of years ago that was ok.

The big problem in cheap ones usually is the 'Bum- Tiss' issue i.e overemphasized low end to make the box sound 'bigger' (bum) and over emphasized top end to sound 'shiny' (Tiss) - you're left completely clueless about what you're hearing!

Some of the worst dogs I've tried are by Alesis and Tannoy. (Both brands I can sell!)

Maybe track down a secondhand pair of NS10Ms on Ebay? They will, without a shadow of a doubt, blow out any new competition in that price range.

fitz

Got a set of Yamaha HS50M's there recently.
Very nice monitors and not so pricey....

sei046

I have a set of Ns10s and they are top notch. Im not convinnced about them around below about 150Hz but thats almost definitely my room. Every time I mix on them I am spoiled for the mid/high definition!

Can you get cheap genelecs? I really like the sound of them. Or didnt adam bring out a budget line?

PaulBrewer

sei046 wrote: »

I have a set of Ns10s and they are top notch. Im not convinnced about them around below about 150Hz but thats almost definitely my room. Every time I mix on them I am spoiled for the mid/high definition!

Can you get cheap genelecs? I really like the sound of them. Or didnt adam bring out a budget line?

It's commonly agreed NS10s don't sound 'Good' but the information in the midrange they offer allows you to mix.

You may have noticed them on top of Trevor Horn's console in that Vid I posted yesterday?

He can have ANYTHING, and choses a 25 year old hifi speaker!

I'm also not 'convinnced' about Dave's spelling ....;)

sei046

There is nnothing wronng with two nns!
What I enjoy about it them is there is no bullshi*t. Your not getting this mad "Loudness" type sound. Nothing is super hyped and by god do they make you work! I hate sitting in front of a set of monitors and it sounds class. My first thought is "Something is wrong!"

ICN

I got a pair of Yamaha HS 50m's recently as well - Snap Fitz!.

I'm really enjoying the sound from them. Very clear & flat as Fcuk.


They were a great price of Musicstore.

My old pal Jens O was hard to beat - yet again! :cool:

mongoose

dynaudio bm6a
ok so there not so cheap 1300 euro a pair
but get them if you can in my oppinion there the best set of nearfield monitors your gonna get.....well maybe not if your gonna spend around 6000 but i think thats kinda being ambitious..

adam a7 arnt a bad pair either 700 a pair but find the low end a bit exagerated also take a look at the krk's theres a decent pair around for the same price as the adams which are also quite good.

and avoid tannoys

studiorat

M-Audio BX whatever's are popular.
Not sure if you even get a set of hi fi speakers for 60 quid. Altec Lansing had a set of computer speakers that used to sound good. My advice would be to just blag anything for free and save, save, save. Buy cheap, Buy Twice

seannash

studiorat wrote: »

M-Audio BX whatever's are popular.
Not sure if you even get a set of hi fi speakers for 60 quid. Altec Lansing had a set of computer speakers that used to sound good. My advice would be to just blag anything for free and save, save, save. Buy cheap, Buy Twice

had the bx5s.
dont get them.they colour everything fantastically well.i used to thin k my tracks sounded top notch on them,waqsnt until i got my genelecs that i found out what they really sounded like.horrible.avoid avoid avid

11811

been offered a second hand set of Alesis M1's fairly cheap...
yay or neh?
from what i've read they seem to perform pretty well. they're also within my budget!!

PaulBrewer

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

been offered a second hand set of Alesis M1's fairly cheap...
yay or neh?
from what i've read they seem to perform pretty well. they're also within my budget!!

If they're the Mark 1's they are , in my opinion, useless.

11811

AFAIK they're mark 2s.
any better?

PaulBrewer

Don't know!

empirix

I got these http://www.thomann.de/ie/tannoy_reveal_aktiv_5a_02.htm have thenm nearly 2 years and am very pleased with them, good bit cheaper these days too.

studiorat

seannash wrote: »

had the bx5s.
dont get them.they colour everything fantastically well.i used to thin k my tracks sounded top notch on them,waqsnt until i got my genelecs that i found out what they really sounded like.horrible.avoid avoid avid

That's because Genelics sound bleedin' horrible anyway!
They might be accurate and all that but I couldn't spend a day infront of them.

seannash

studiorat wrote: »

That's because Genelics sound bleedin' horrible anyway!
They might be accurate and all that but I couldn't spend a day infront of them.

isnt that the point,for them to be accurate?
id rather hear what my track sounds like exactly rathered than be lied to by a monitor.
am i wrong here:eek:

sei046

Ye i am with seanash. That sounds a little like blasphemy!

-PhreaK

I used to have a pair of the Alesis M1 MKII's and they work a treat for a budget setup. They haven't got the biggest low end response so it's worth your while double checking your tracks on an RTA to make sure you don't have mass's of LF energy they're just not producing.

If you can afford it I'd recommend saving up for a bit of acoustic treatment as it will do wonders to your setup.

studiorat

sei046 wrote: »

Ye i am with seanash. That sounds a little like blasphemy!

Glassy would be a word I'd use to describe some of the Genelics.
Personally I prefer a slightly "Browner" ;o) sounding monitor.

seannash

browner,does that mean ****

danjokill

I have a set of Alesis MKII and I hate them I only use them as a second pair to see what a mix might sound like on a Home Stereo (I would grade these as HI-Fi standards) .... I bought last christmas a Pair of KRK RP6's and these are super. 9/10


www.myspace.com/redcapprojectstudio

jtsuited

heretics badmouthing genelecs!!!!!!

i can understand where some people come from about them. When I was mixing rock music I preferred the Mackie HR824's.

Wouldn't trade my genelecs in for any other monitor though.

sei046

I havent done any mixing personally on them. Been AT mixes with them and like the punch out of them. Then again im coming from NS10s

dav nagle

I like my Genelec's but I don't like the way the steel grid in front of each speaker is curved. I like a flat wall as opposed to curved. Why do they curve them?

madtheory

PMC IB1S- sound fantastic AND you get a perfect mix. No ear pain, no brain pain, as with NS10s. Those will get you a good mix, but you pay for it in stress.

Now I'll wait for the posts about the cost of PMCs

PS Tannoy Reveals are actually pretty good for your needs. Just be careful to check your mixes on other systems. You're not going to get anything decent for less than 1000, so make do.

PaulBrewer

madtheory wrote: »

PMC IB1S- sound fantastic AND you get a perfect mix. No ear pain, no brain pain, as with NS10s. Those will get you a good mix, but you pay for it in stress.

Now I'll wait for the posts about the cost of PMCs

.

IB2SAs are much superior , new mid range design.

PMCs aren't more expensive than similar sized/powered monitors like Genelec or Dynaudio.

I love them.

However, they're not particularly fun to listen to , but will push you in the right direction.

madtheory

PaulBrewer wrote: »

IB2SAs are much superior , new mid range design.

I don't doubt it, but I haven't heard them.

PaulBrewer wrote: »

PMCs aren't more expensive than similar sized/powered monitors like Genelec or Dynaudio.

Yes but I think it's safe to say they're outside the OP's budget.

PaulBrewer wrote: »

I love them.

Me too.

PaulBrewer wrote: »

However, they're not particularly fun to listen to , but will push you in the right direction.

It was the most fun I ever had!

11811

Think i'm going to try out the alesis monitors for a week or so, see how i get on, i just want something cheap to tide me over till i save up for something decent... im not really going to be doing serious mixing on them as such. thanks for all the input!
also what's the going rate these days for a set of NS10s?

seannash

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

Think i'm going to try out the alesis monitors for a week or so, see how i get on, i just want something cheap to tide me over till i save up for something decent... im not really going to be doing serious mixing on them as such. thanks for all the input!
also what's the going rate these days for a set of NS10s?

if you idea is to buy something cheap now and save up for better ones later id say just keep saving and get the better ones.dont get the cheap ones at all.its costing you more money to do that.

TelePaul

I mix through a hi-fi stereo. I'm guessing ANYTHING I buy would be better than what i currently have, yes?

Also, sorry to hijack this.

sei046

Well yes and no. A lot of monitors out at the minute are just hifi as far as im concerned. BUT dont buy something on that premise anyway, Save for the best within possible reach

PaulBrewer

TelePaul wrote: »

I mix through a hi-fi stereo. I'm guessing ANYTHING I buy would be better than what i currently have, yes?

Not necessarily!

In my experience lower end monitors are 'monitors' in name only - cheap components and amps probably used in the HiFis too.

If you've a workable hifi set up at the moment soldier on and save your beans till you can make a decent leap up the ladder.

4 or 500 quid yokes probably won't improve anything.

TelePaul

PaulBrewer wrote: »

4 or 500 quid yokes probably won't improve anything.

Jesus really? Wow. I trawl through auctions for old home stereo units - you know the ones with two tape decks, CD player and with the vinyl resting on top? They generally come with some nice big speakers too.

PaulBrewer

TelePaul wrote: »

Jesus really? Wow. I trawl through auctions for old home stereo units - you know the ones with two tape decks, CD player and with the vinyl resting on top? They generally come with some nice big speakers too.

My point is - If you have a workable system at the moment why bother making any changes unless they are productive ones?

'Big' monitors don't necessarily mean better!

Doctor J

My first foray into monitors was a set of active Alesis M1 MkII. The difference was astonishing, night and day over a set of hi-fi speakers. Now I'm using a set of Adam A7 and, again, there is a definite step up in quality.

Not everyone can afford to blow a grand or two on monitors and there are decent monitors out there for reasonable money which can be a step up for people with basic home studios. If a fella is talking about buying a used set of M1's then it's clear his budget is about €200 and surely responses should take that into consideration? Maybe, in time, he might go for something a lot better but, for the moment, suggesting monitors over a grand isn't helping the guy.

Sometimes I think this forum gets a little blurred between ideal world and real world. People have to start somewhere and what posters are actually looking for sometimes gets brushed aside, yeah some good recommendations of good gear, but a bit too far beyond what's relevant to what the guy is asking about.

Not directed at anyone, just based on observations over a period of time. It's great there are so many helpful responses but there are people operating on tight budgets, suggesting what's best within their means can be more helpful than just what is best.

TelePaul

PaulBrewer wrote: »

'Big' monitors don't necessarily mean better!

Oh yeah, I get that. Cheers.

condra

I got a pair of Event TR6 from Musicstore for 400 quid. I'm extremely pleased with them and would reccommend them whole-heartedly.

I suspect that coming from hi-fi speakers, you would notice a distinct difference IMO.

The KRK and Samson Rubicon monitors also seem to be popular in that sort of price range.

You often see M1 mkII monitors for decent prices on adverts/b+s. They have a good name for their price range.

Personally, I don't subscribe to NS-10 hype and have no interest in them.

sei046

But its really important that people realise that small small steps in a particular area can be very expensive

seannash

sei046 wrote: »

But its really important that people realise that small small steps in a particular area can be very expensive

yes progressively buying better and better will ultimately cost you more in the long run.

Doctor J

In my experience the biggest step up was the leap from hi-fi to real monitor. Bear in mind your average home hi-fi isn't designed to sound accurate, it's designed to sound like a pumpin' disco in your sitting room. A lot of people aren't going to buy progressively better and better, they just want something better than home hi-fi and they can do that without missing a mortgage payment.

teamdresch

Focal Solo6. Best buy I ever made by a long,long,long distance.

Doctor J

And about €1400 over the OP's budget.

sei046

I reccomend second hand so. Just try and get the best possible value you can

seannash

sei046 wrote: »

I reccomend second hand so. Just try and get the best possible value you can

yep thats how i got my genelecs.they were mint condition too but got them considerably cheaper.
go ebay:D

teamdresch

Doctor J wrote: »

And about €1400 over the OP's budget.

Yes, and you'll find I wasn't the first to talk about monitors outside of the budget.

frobisher

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Not necessarily!

In my experience lower end monitors are 'monitors' in name only - cheap components and amps probably used in the HiFis too.

If you've a workable hifi set up at the moment soldier on and save your beans till you can make a decent leap up the ladder.

4 or 500 quid yokes probably won't improve anything.

Huh?! 400 or 500 won't improve anything? Of all the "expensive gear or die" posts you've made that has to be one of the ones I disagree with most. I'd strongly suggest anyone thinking of upgrading their monitoring to ignore that advice. Obviously it depends on what your hifi system is, but €400 or €500 can undoubtedly offer a large improvement on the average hifi and if you go used can offer a huge improvement.

sei046

Actually Paul you can get a set of NS10s for less than that and they would be an awful lot more useful than your average HIfi speaker

PaulBrewer

frobisher wrote: »

Huh?! 400 or 500 won't improve anything? Of all the "expensive gear or die" posts you've made that has to be one of the ones I disagree with most. I'd strongly suggest anyone thinking of upgrading their monitoring to ignore that advice. Obviously it depends on what your hifi system is, but €400 or €500 can undoubtedly offer a large improvement on the average hifi and if you go used can offer a huge improvement.

Ah Frobizzle I expected better from you - You do me, and yourself a disservice.

"expensive gear or die" me arse! I've never said that and by putting in in quotations implies I did.

Good gear or die, perhaps - I am the man after all who advocates a heap of 57s for drums after all - so it's GOOD gear, it's just unfortunate a lot of it is expensive.

400 Euro inc Vat - What new pair powered monitor sounds good for that money? Tell me, I want to sell them?

Anything I've heard in that bracket gives you fizzy top, a dipped midrange, 'one note' ported bass cabs that muck up the low end and amps that crap out at any decent volume? You can get that from any decent Hi - Fi ! (don't skip over the 'decent' )


I have a wee Sony Midi Hi Fi rig that's grand, 279 Euro in Xtra Vision
The top ends reasonable, the mid isn't too dipped and there's passable bass.

Criticize me by all means, but I'll only accept it on what I actually said.

With your experience I expected better ....

( Now I think of it where IS that Sony Hi-Fi??)

PaulBrewer

sei046 wrote: »

Actually Paul you can get a set of NS10s for less than that and they would be an awful lot more useful than your average HIfi speaker

Please read my post from the 23rd below ....


"The big problem in cheap ones usually is the 'Bum- Tiss' issue i.e overemphasized low end to make the box sound 'bigger' (bum) and over emphasized top end to sound 'shiny' (Tiss) - you're left completely clueless about what you're hearing!

Some of the worst dogs I've tried are by Alesis and Tannoy. (Both brands I can sell!)

Maybe track down a secondhand pair of NS10Ms on Ebay? They will, without a shadow of a doubt, blow out any new competition in that price range."

Lads you're killin me ....

sei046

Ah Paul will you relax! I was referring backing you up when Fro questioned the sub 400 euro comment.