Recommend me some monitors

120_Minutes

Hey there, after many years in the engineering wilderness i'm gonna slowly set up a small home studio just for my own entertainment. its a pc based setup running cubase sx. i'll be using ezdrummer for drums, a bass pod xt for bass, a line 6 ux1 for guitar (no vocals, its just instrumental stuff for now) i also have a little ashdown mini stack and vintage marshall half stack mic'd with an sm57 if i need to use real amps. i want a pair of active monitors adequate for this setup, and the room is your typical back bedroom (minus the bed!) in a 4 bed semi. i'm on a budget so i cant afford anything mental.....and i've never been fond of ns-10's.

any advice? anyone got fave budget monitors they can recommend?

brewer? you out there buddy?

PaulBrewer

Always out there .....

You don't have to like NS10s, you just have to accept them ....

What sort of Budget?

120_Minutes

as cheap as possible without being sheee-ite!

DamagedTrax

120_Minutes wrote: »

as cheap as possible without being sheee-ite!

to be honest this really isnt the best way to go with monitors. they're probably one of the most important parts of your set-up.

usually its better to dedicate as much as you possibly can to them.

as for recomendations - if you want to spend some money have a look at the new mackie 624 mk2. they're not a bad price and theres some good reports about them.

any cheaper than that and you're into really dodgy budget territory (im sure theres a few decent ones in the lower price range but i couldnt recommend any as i know little about them)

seannash

really need a figure.one mans cheap could be another mans expensive

120_Minutes

ok say 150-200 quid a side, max?

DamagedTrax

120_Minutes wrote: »

ok say 150-200 quid a side, max?

:eek:

dude you aint gettin much for that. a half decent set should set you back 1000 for a pair. and thats pretty much budget. in reality for a good set for a home set-up you'll be looking at 1600+

not trying to piss on your chips but a year down the line you'll be wondering why your mixes are still sounding like piss ^^ thats the reason.

you want advice on monitors? raise your budget to at least 800.

maybe someone else can help you out in that price range but i'm sorry i cant.

PaulBrewer

120_Minutes wrote: »

ok say 150-200 quid a side, max?

Ah, HEADPHONES you mean ....

seannash

surely theres something no
when he says a side does that mean his budget is 400.
im not down with the cool lingo these days.
i agree that there wont be much out there but surely theres something for that

DamagedTrax

there is plenty out there but they should all be up before advertising standards, cause you certainly couldnt do a mix on them -

m-audio BM - no thanks
alesis - bleurghhh
fostex - erm no.
studio spares ns-10 copies - they have white cones.. they must be good!

best bet would be to stick to a set of stereo speakers until he saves a decent amount. the results will basically be the same as monitoring with budget crap.

im not being elitist - i have behringer controllers , i understand the need for budget stuff. i just think that after your ears monitors are more important than all the other bells and whistles.

seannash

what about like a second hand pair of genelec 8030,s(i got them so go easy )

i know alot of producers(dance music mainly)who use those and the krk,s for producing.

PaulBrewer

DamagedTrax wrote: »

there is plenty out there but they should all be up before advertising standards, cause you certainly couldnt do a mix on them -

m-audio BM - no thanks
alesis - bleurghhh
fostex - erm no.
studio spares ns-10 copies - they have white cones.. they must be good!

best bet would be to stick to a set of stereo speakers until he saves a decent amount. the results will basically be the same as monitoring with budget crap.

im not being elitist - i have behringer controllers , i understand the need for budget stuff. i just think that after your ears monitors are more important than all the other bells and whistles.

Ha! I remember a few months ago a similar thread and I was nearly put up agin a wall and shot for saying cheap monitors, as a rule, are shyte.

How times change !

120_Minutes

was expecting answers like that! i'm only doing this for my own enjoyment....so i dont need nor can i afford 1000 euro monitors, i'm not building abbey road here!

PaulBrewer

seannash wrote: »

what about like a second hand pair of genelec 8030,s(i got them so go easy )

i know alot of producers(dance music mainly)who use those and the krk,s for producing.

For 400 Eurobucks? I'll take 10 pairs off you, I'll pay you when I have it...

DamagedTrax

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Ha! I remember a few months ago a similar thread and I was nearly put up agin a wall and shot for saying cheap monitors, as a rule, are shyte.

How times change !

wouldnt be me shooting you buddy. i have my 824's years now.

DamagedTrax

120_Minutes wrote: »

was expecting answers like that! i'm only doing this for my own enjoyment....so i dont need nor can i afford 1000 euro monitors, i'm not building abbey road here!

lucky you're not, cause if you arrived with 1000euro monitors you'd be laughed at!

if you dont want to spend the money then buy a good set of stereo speakers. they'll be better quality than sh-it monitors.

120_Minutes

well i'm using bog standard logic pc speakers (2 satellite with 1 woofer) so i'll have to make do i suppose.

seannash

PaulBrewer wrote: »

For 400 Eurobucks? I'll take 10 pairs off you, I'll pay you when I have it...

ha ha well maybe not the 8030s but the 8020,s should still be good right


http://www.thomann.de/gb/genelec_8020apm_anthrazit.htm




second hand of course unless he can stretch his budget.
i know ideally we should all have fantastic monitors but surely we could recommend second hand ones

theres some krk in here that fit his budget
http://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?xsid=62ac91d03ee74af3fbd961aea21f7bd5&sw=krk&x=0&y=0&gk=&bn=

ive no idea what they sound like but ive seen some in studios on the interweb

are you making dance music by any chance?

danjokill

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Ha! I remember a few months ago a similar thread and I was nearly put up agin a wall and shot for saying cheap monitors, as a rule, are shyte.

How times change !

Just out of interest has anyone tried these "StudioSpares" ..... and before Mr.Brewer starts hoping mad I don't have a pair but am curious to know what they sound like. Studiopares "Claim" that they have improved on the yamaha design .... i find this a hard pill to swallow but reserve judgment till i actually hear them.

120_Minutes

not dance music per se, but there could be some electronica influences. i'm more a fan of your epic prog indie metal.....oceansize porcupine tree, tool, death cab, dissociatives, postal service....etc etc...

PaulBrewer

danjokill wrote: »

Just out of interest has anyone tried these "StudioSpares" ..... and before Mr.Brewer starts hoping mad I don't have a pair but am curious to know what they sound like. Studiopares "Claim" that they have improved on the yamaha design .... i find this a hard pill to swallow but reserve judgment till i actually hear them.

Well they looks like NS10s!

PaulBrewer

8020's are grand little lads

seannash wrote: »

ha ha well maybe not the 8030s but the 8020,s should still be good right


http://www.thomann.de/gb/genelec_8020apm_anthrazit.htm




second hand of course unless he can stretch his budget.
i know ideally we should all have fantastic monitors but surely we could recommend second hand ones

theres some krk in here that fit his budget
http://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?xsid=62ac91d03ee74af3fbd961aea21f7bd5&sw=krk&x=0&y=0&gk=&bn=

ive no idea what they sound like but ive seen some in studios on the interweb

are you making dance music by any chance?

danjokill

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Well the looks like NS10s!

lol ......... that didn't take long !!!

seannash

PaulBrewer wrote: »

8020's are grand little lads

would that be a recommendation then :D:D

PaulBrewer

seannash wrote: »

would that be a recommendation then :D:D

no!

Rockshamrover

I am no expert on monitors but X Music have a special offer on M-Audio BX8A monitors for 299 a pair.

These cost 415 on Thomann. Can one of you guys have a look at the specs online and give an opinion on them?

Thanks.

hexagramer

TRUTH is what everyone should be aiming for, not how bassy or tasty the mix might sound JUST through speakers, hence why there called 'monitors'.

i splashed out on some HS80's and there really nice, i can seriously tell the difference betwene 20hz and 23hz...

but yeah, those krk's, my freind had them in his bedroom and they were great. gt -rokits i think they were called.

seannash

hexagramer wrote: »

TRUTH is what everyone should be aiming for, not how bassy or tasty the mix might sound JUST through speakers, hence why there called 'monitors'.

.

weve been schooled lads :D (j/k)

bedbugs

I love my NS10s and my Adam A7s. Bit above your budget though. Seriously, try to stretch it as much as you can if at all possible.

sei046

hexagramer wrote: »

TRUTH is what everyone should be aiming for, not how bassy or tasty the mix might sound JUST through speakers, hence why there called 'monitors'.

Oooooh! Now I Get it !

hexagramer

jiltloop

I read recently that krk rokit 5s are meant to be very good for the price, I think they're about €140 each was thinking of getting a pair myself.