What will I need when...

andrushkiwt

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
...it is time to buy a pair of HS8's? Is it advised to let them "stand up" on your desk, without support of some sort? Do you use/need a sub with these? Of course, sound absorbing items and room treatment are ideal. What other things might I be forgetting to factor in?

New are around $300-350 apiece. Used, I'm seeing $200.
 
Hey man,
You'll need something to get them up to ear level. See all those pictures where guys have studio monitors right on their desk pointing at their shoulders? Don't do that. ;)

Whether you buy nice stands or just pile up some argos catalogues, it doesn't matter. Well, everything matters but you get the idea.

That said, I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest not buying monitors at all until your room is treated to some extent.
You've proven that your room isn't suitable for vocals so that's just going to be 10x worse monitoring in the same environment.

If you're DIY handy, buy up some rock wool and some lengths of 4" skirting or facia board...Something like that.
Staple cover with old bedsheets or whatever you want. Easy work for big results!

I'd make at least 4 x 4'x2'x4"...One for each corner and take it from there.
You can set them up and take them down when you're done, or hang them semi-permanently on small hooks. Very little will hold them up.

That's probably not an ideal studio recommendation - It's a half-way-house knowing that you're recording and mixing in your living space.
 
I have the older version of the HS8 (the HS80M) and you really don't need a sub unless you're doing a lot of sub-bass synth stuff. The 8" speakers in these monitors go plenty low for mixing kick and bass guitar. I did get the HS8S sub, and the fun-factor is there, but it makes a wreck of the low end balance in my room.

They're pretty bulky, so you might need stands for them if there isn't enough room on your desk.

Steve makes a good point though, I'd have to second his recommendation to get some treatment up. Getting the corners trapped is definitely a priority, else mixing low frequencies is nearly impossible. I've got a bunch of treatment, and I need about twice as much as I have. It's not a feel-good purchase like shiny new gear, so i keep putting it off. But every time my mixes turn into a big guessing game, I kick myself for not shelling out for more corner trapping.
 
well, i moved the vocals to another room. It''s much better there, and I took it a step further and hung (um, crammed?) bed sheets and blankets into the ceiling tiles, in addition to the blankets on the wall behind me, and the reflection filter around the mic. It looks like a fort. Yeah. That's what going on there.

So, my mixing would be in the regular room. The nasty sounding one. I see your point. But I'm also considering for when I buy something new this summer/fall. I'll make sure I have a condo that I can do vox in and a room to mix in.

What about a sub? Do these speakers need/benefit from one?
 
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