monitors, not cans, cheapo behringer Truth good enough.

[mst3k joel]

I like mackie products, but don't want to spend so much. I'd rather go jbl on layaway at sam ash.I'd also do the David floor stander , but I'm minimizing like a bhudist monk for my bedroom / man cave /laptop studio -using flat screen as my viewing monitor. I use cans for the mean time , which is a big no no. But, so far it translates well, but not precise. I do outdoor live and dj remixes ( not absurd music , cussing, putting down women, tasteless hippy hop, or obnoxious junk... just plain happy music electro dance without " bass by numbers ,1,2,3,4,/1,2,3,4 bar count crap ". For live -teenage garage band x1 and school plays.

which 8" monitors would work under 350$ each?

also presonus studio monitors , would yall agree that I could tactically use a pair of these for small basement gigs? Dual purpose?


http://www.fullcompass.com/product/440701.html

[mst3k joel]

Or, is there a cheaper way to do studio monitor speakers for pre-production. I RTA'd a Tapco / Mackie Thump TH215 using pink noise and whatever else terminology I'm missing sorry, perhaps sine wave? After I eque'd to as flat as possible in the listening position , I took a picture of settings on rear panel EQ and although this may not be a kosher utilization of a pro ,novice , portable ,powered speaker; especially since it will be more sensitive at various frequencies than an "authentic studio monitor", it's only for now. I dont think the room I'm in is the best for sound either. The speaker is on a scaffold and not coupling with any boundaries. Once it was eque'd I heard flaws within the recording, including tonal, separation, and even with a fifteen inch speaker there for low mids and bassi, there is a gap between 25hz and 40hz , but not overtly.

[Bruce Weldy]

Don't try to make PA speakers into studio monitors.

Get some small reference monitors built for that purpose. If there aren't enough lows, add a sub.

[CoronaOperator]

When EQ'ing indoors, most dips are room/speaker placement related, especially in the bass regions. You mentioned EQ'ing flat, to me this suggests boosts. Trying to EQ a cancellation only brings a bigger argument to the table. There are no winners, only losers on a cancellation and the loser is usually your speakers voice coil. Those thumps are very versatile speakers and incredibly lightweight, they will serve you well as stage monitors. As for the truths? Nowhere will you ever find a bad review about them.

[Hackomatic]

FWIW. . I'm using quite a number of the Truth 2030p monitors in radio station studios. They are amazing for their size and price. I had been using JBL Control 5s, but had one too many woofer failures for my tolerance level. I gave the Behringers a shot and have not been disappointed. I've put but a single pair of the 2031Ps in a studio and was equally impressed. They have much more low frequency extension, but are clear as a bell in the midrange and highs. I've read some reviewers who think the highs may be a little too pronounced but I've just not noticed it. Mine are all permanently installed via Omnimounts, but if you plan on moving theses around, I can tell you they are pretty darn heavy for their size . . 1" MDF I believe.

[Israel]

I have the 3030 active mons. the ones with the planar tweeters 6.75 drivers. if it is clarity and detail they are great if you need more bass extension (not chest thump) an 8 will do it. A well acoustically treated room is a must , if not maybe you'll be better with a pair of good cans sennheiser hd 280 (thats what i use for tracking/mixing ) or which ever you have or like.

[DJPhatman]

Quite honestly, build a pair of SLA (non Pro) and a Table Tuba. Forget those expensive studio monitors.

[BrentEvans]

Quite honestly, build a pair of SLA (non Pro) and a Table Tuba. Forget those expensive studio monitors.

Sorry, this isn't a great idea for studio monitoring in the traditional sense. SLA and TT are great sounding for music, but they are less than ideal for accuracy. There are inherent interference patterns in line arrays, and horns, while loud, aren't flat in response.

That said, you don't have to have an expensive box for studio monitoring. You can DIY and build something quite good for a fraction of the price of the commercial boxes.

[mst3k joel]

I don't know for sure, but it seems that when I go to a store to purchase a set of over ear sealed back headphones, I have the tendancy to purchase based on the mp3 or wave file I have on hand in my phone storage, but now I'm discovering that a fiio x3 player works best for this dreadfull task of selecting an over ear headphone. Well, I listen to 4-5 headphones and make a decision based on how much more detail is enunciated compared to the set of headphones I happened to bring in as a refference point. And, I'm fairly sure that my ears tend to lean towards something that may sound more tranquil to me or distorted in a warm way. NOW - that may be good if I was going to use these headphones for casual listening. But, for monitoring pre production use , hell no. So , since I'm aware of my prejudice and or prefference towards a warmer sound. THEREFORE- I must go into a pro audio store without one hint of slant and be aware that i will like a headset just based on clarity, punch, separation, and sound stage as part of my natural liking/ preference. (which is bad!)!!


As far as desk monitors / corner/ whatever, everyone hears diffently and I will just have to make the best decision possible for a 12x12 foot room. My bed absorbs sound , I absorb sound, and I've heard that it only makes a huge differene in room where engineers and absolute (above my paygrade) total professionals if you are mastering for Hollywood and major acts, that a person would persue total sound isolation, baffle walls, isolation floors, bass traps, that perfect studio (for some), but, for us or just myself types/ commmon folks who do this as a hobby/ REMIXING , taking mp3's and decompressing ( you can't really do this , but I've turned shit mp3's into better airy mixes / I've brought back the "liveliness to junk mp3's. These mp3's couldn't find a home on some server that would allow me to legally purchase it and typically it was created or recreated by some unkown wonderfull tallent or remixer. So, one doesn't necessarilly need a mastering studio with a hallow floor, carpets all over , etc. bells and whistles of those saturated studios who may have saturated budgets. Sure, some sound that transmits to a low quality one pane window and is reverberating a certain frequency might be a problem, but, I use methods for reducing that phenomenon , quite a bit of reduction actually. For instance, true Persian carpet and those matts which are used in the gyms for yoga. I know that will only help a fraction of an octave somewhere along the typical spectrum of human hearing, but it sure helps with reverberations. AFAIK. Thanks.

[Grant Bunter]

Well, that may all be true, but honestly, if your remix doesn't sound good on a crappy old stereo in a garage, or a little ghetto blaster, it probably won't sound good anywhere else.

If you can get it to sound more than half decent on that crappy old stereo in a garage, chances are, it will sound better again in "better" rooms or on better sytems.

It is terribly subjective to mix only based on cans. The studios I've been in, the owner or the operators know pretty much the response of the room, and that, in certain listening positions, there may be response deficits. That means they as SE's don't colour it based on that rooms deficiencies.

You need to know if the bed made or unmade makes a difference for example. Since it is highly unlikely an unmade bed will be identical more than twice, it is best to test and then mix with a made bed if your bedroom is your studio.

I think, generally, it is an error to try and mix with studio monitors that involve subs. 50% (ballpark) or more of people listening to music in this world of ours don't have them. And it's so easy to tweak a bit of sub for "that" ooomph, but doesn't mean it's in the mix, only that you brought it out.
That's why, IMO, many studio monitors are half decent 2 way full range cabs. And it's no secret that many of those monitors are driven by amps that would normally be thought of as overkill in terms of the cabs power handling capability as it introduces significant headroom.
Same again, if it sounds half decent on a 2 way cab in the control room/bedroom/whatever, drag the song out to your loungeroom and put it on stereo there. If it still sounds good without altering EQ, you're getting to the right place...

[Hackomatic]

Well, that may all be true, but honestly, if your remix doesn't sound good on a crappy old stereo in a garage, or a little ghetto blaster, it probably won't sound good anywhere else.

If you can get it to sound more than half decent on that crappy old stereo in a garage, chances are, it will sound better again in "better" rooms or on better systems.

That's why, IMO, many studio monitors are half decent 2 way full range cabs. And it's no secret that many of those monitors are driven by amps that would normally be thought of as overkill in terms of the cabs power handling capability as it introduces significant headroom.
Same again, if it sounds half decent on a 2 way cab in the control room/bedroom/whatever, drag the song out to your loungeroom and put it on stereo there. If it still sounds good without altering EQ, you're getting to the right place...

Which is why so many studios over the years have had these two venerable monitors inside them . . .

[CoronaOperator]

Yamaha NS-10.jpg

If you can get your mix to sound tolerable on the NS-10's, your work is done. Soo many people see them in studio's and actually think they must be great speakers. They are I guess ... at making everything played through them sound horrible.

[Bruce Weldy]

Yamaha NS-10.jpg

If you can get your mix to sound tolerable on the NS-10's, your work is done. Soo many people see them in studio's and actually think they must be great speakers. They are I guess ... at making everything played through them sound horrible.

And that was the point. The original NS10s weren't supposed to be great studio speakers, but the engineers found that they were very representative of what the average listener had on their home stereo.....and that's who you were mixing for.

And for the youngsters.....there was no such thing as a sub.

[byacey]

That's some good advice that Grant, Bruce and others are offering. Some of the best speakers for mixing aren't meant to make the sound pleasing, but more brutally representative of the music content.

NS10/M are exactly that, brutal. But if you can get your mix sounding tolerable on them, in most cases it'll sound reasonably good on anything else. I've never had good success trying to mix on headphones. It is however good to check your mix in them to see how it translates.

The little Auratones are simply a full range speaker, about 4 or 5 inches. They sound better than the NS10s. What I really find them useful for is mixing bass. I find bass is the hardest thing for me to get right in the mix. If you can get it so it's distinct on a 4 inch speaker, but not overbearing, it always translates well on any other speaker. The frequencies of interest are not where you would commonly expect them to be, but in the 100 to 800Hz range.

I feel the German engineers mastered the art of recording and mixing bass decades ago. Listen to any production on the Polydor label anywhere from the 1960's up to the present; It's always a good full bass without washing over the other instruments and voices in the low mids.