CAN YOU USE A HOME CINEMA SYSTEM AS A STUDIO MONITOR SYSTEM

DIRTY69

Hey,

I am looking to sort out a good speaker system to monitor my music right:
I am a laptop musician. Just wondering what would work best to be honest, want a banging system! :cool:

The price does vary a bit in terms of monitors. I am looking to have a 2.1 : speakers and a sub i think

I have some studio speakers from sony and a pair of kef reference series monitors too so i might use a pair of those with an active sub. The thing is also that they need to be powered however the sub is active and doesnt.. but everything must go through the same amplifier is that right? And also I need a crossover to insure the right signals too.

Alternatively I could get a home cinema system, and use that. Would there be a huge difference to use that?

Let me know what you think!

:pac:

PaulBrewer

Very difficult to use a 2.1 system work well for 'monitoring' as opposed to just 'listening'.

DIRTY69

I'd say your right.

well its a 2.1 VS a home cinema system

Just wondering how much of a difference it would make.

The 2.1 i speak of is two studio monitors and an active sub.

Just not sure about the signal path because the signal goes into the
amp and i just dont know how it goes to the sub: the sub is active and
only needs audio, not power.

PaulBrewer

2.1 is rarely used for music.

Even in a professional 5.1 system the .1 is rarely used as the .1 was designed for rumble FX, not music. i.e the 5 are full range.

But whatever works for you I guess.

DIRTY69

thats true at the same time paul ya. Tbh I am focused on club play even for the more ambient tracks i do so i'd be keen to get the sound right for that.

studiorat

For ambient stuff the subs could be useful, but I don't really see a home cinema rig being up to the job, they are all tits and ass from what I've seen.
A few guys I know who do that kind of music do have subs in their monitoring set-up, genelec systems usually.
Though I suppose you could try it and just change the mix live to suit the venue. Each venue is going to be a bit different anyway.

Personally I'd go for a set of those baby genelecs or something similar. And hope to upgrade to a 5.1 system as you go on. Presuming you are going to be performing in a venue with 5.1 of course...

DIRTY69

yep good idea. Well i dont really even want to do things in surround, just to have decent monitoring is the thing now tbh.

Still trying to figure out how the crossover and amp would work with the 2.1 tbh

duploelabs

I really wouldn't. A cinema system (or any domestic system) has an eq built into it to make it sound more dynamic and punchy and the speakers you monitor off should have as flat a frequency response as possible.

The reason for this is, and by using your situation of a cinema system, simple.

Your cinema system has a sub, which boosts the low range of what you are mixing. So when you mix your track down, because you will cut down on the bass as the sub is boosting it, your track will sound tinny and lack the bass when played on any other system.

If you are going for a cheap system, have a look at the frequency response charts and choose one that has the flattest response in your price-range

I hope this makes sense....

DIRTY69

Sounds logical. Decision made: I won't go for the cinema system
I can use what I have instead.

I currently have 2 sets of speakers:

Sony E400 and also Kef Reference Series 102/2

The Kef's are passive and need a HF and LF input separately and work on 4ohms. The SUB i am looking at is 8ohms and is active.

So I need a crossover and an amplifier is that right?

And to have the crossover in the 'pre' sage to have a separate low frequency out for the sub, to take before the amplifier. Does that make sense?

duploelabs

DIRTY69 wrote: »

Sounds logical. Decision made: I won't go for the cinema system
I can use what I have instead.

I currently have 2 sets of speakers:

Sony E400 and also Kef Reference Series 102/2

The Kef's are passive and need a HF and LF input separately and work on 4ohms. The SUB i am looking at is 8ohms and is active.

So I need a crossover and an amplifier is that right?

And to have the crossover in the 'pre' sage to have a separate low frequency out for the sub, to take before the amplifier. Does that make sense?

Definitely use the KEFs but You don't need a crossover, just short both the inputs on the positive and likewise on the negative. i.e take a tiny piece of speaker cable and connect both terminals together. Those terminals are there just incase the user has access to an amp with a cross-over

PaulBrewer

So the speaker has an inbuilt crossover ?

madtheory

You don't have to use an external crossover. There's a passive crossover inside the cabinet, you just connect the terminals together (red to red and black to black) on each speaker.

An external (active) crossover would improve the sound, but before you invest in that, treat the room acoustics.

DIRTY69

Okay great, so maybe i could get an amp with a built in crossover to supply the HF and LF to both speakers. And then with regard to a sub i would not take a feed from the amp itself but the direct audio feed, because the sub is active, not passive.

They kefs are 4ohms and the active sub i am looking at is 8ohms.
Would this cause any trouble do you think?

duploelabs

DIRTY69 wrote: »

Okay great, so maybe i could get an amp with a built in crossover to supply the HF and LF to both speakers. And then with regard to a sub i would not take a feed from the amp itself but the direct audio feed, because the sub is active, not passive.

They kefs are 4ohms and the active sub i am looking at is 8ohms.
Would this cause any trouble do you think?

OK, back up a bit, your active sub (if it is active) shouldn't have a resistance as it has the amp built in and only needs a line level input into it.
But that's beside the point as you shouldn't be using the sub at all, as I refered to in my previous post, the sub will un-naturally boost the bass which you do not want if you're trying to properly mix down

madtheory

+1
if you actually need a sub, it should be a KEF sub to match your KEFs... but it doesn't exist, because they don't need it. You will have a completely in accurate speaker system if you add a sub.

jimi_t

Well I've a 5.1 Altec Lansing (DELL re-branded) THX certified system I'm looking to shift.

http://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=5817

Have used it for basic mixing with the sub turned to about 10%. A low sinewave put through the sub will have the windows rattling at 20% of its volume :rolleyes:. If you're committed to a 5.1 system feel free to PM me; 50 euro would take it away.

DIRTY69

I see what you mean.

Well, I am trying to immitate a club kind of set up and they have subs too. that is the reason for it. Perhaps your right, it is not necessary.

duploelabs wrote: »

OK, back up a bit, your active sub (if it is active) shouldn't have a resistance as it has the amp built in and only needs a line level input into it.
But that's beside the point as you shouldn't be using the sub at all, as I refered to in my previous post, the sub will un-naturally boost the bass which you do not want if you're trying to properly mix down