mackie monitors

[btr31]

i have a question about monitors. at the moment i am mixing with headphones.....and not very good ones at that. so, i need something. i record mostly rock. and i was thinking about either some alesis, event, or maybe the low end mackies. although, i heard those catch on fire. heh. so, what do you think?

[ryanlikestorock]

Search all the threads for "mackie" and you'll find some good monitor threads. I'm in a similar position to yourself, looking for monitors. Searching the threads helped out quite a bit and I've decided to go for the M-Audio BX8s.

[Chibi Nappa]

Keep in mind that the monitors are probably the most important thing you'll use, so don't short change yourself when buying your first pair. Really save up some money (put off buying other gear) and research this. You can make a great recording with an SM57 and great monitors. You'd have a hard time making a great recording with a Neuman mic and crappy monitors (or headphones). If you can't hear what you're recording, how do you really know if you're recording the right thing?

[Massive Master]

Originally posted by ryanlikestorock
Search all the threads for "mackie" and you'll find some good monitor threads. I'm in a similar position to yourself, looking for monitors. Searching the threads helped out quite a bit and I've decided to go for the M-Audio BX8s.

And your making a fine choice. I've used both extensively, and I find my mixes translate much better on the BX8's. I even have a set in my mastering room as a "studio reference" set. Once those things are dialed in (as you undoubtedly know as a fairly easy task), they're fantastic.

I would assume that it's a "marketing" thing, but I truly can't understand why they aren't much more popular... Maybe they should increase their list prices...

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com

[ryanlikestorock]

Thank you. This is one of the first kind posts from a mastering engineer I've read on these threads.

[Stealthtech]

Originally posted by Massive Master
Maybe they should increase their list prices...

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com

Thats funny !

Perhaps out of your price range...but the HR824's are awesome !

[kylen]

...but the HR824's are awesome !

Stealthtech - what did you have before those. Also just out of curiousity what else changed at the same time you went to 824's, monitor positioning or anything else that would effect the sound or overall perception ?

I'm about 1 inch away from coveting a set of these...thanx

[Calwood]

Originally posted by Stealthtech
Thats funny !

Perhaps out of your price range...but the HR824's are awesome !

Ditto!!!!!!!!!!

Have had mine for a month or so. They occupy the same space as my old monitors and the upgrade has made mixing MUCH easier not to mention tracking. My old ones were Alesis Point 7's. They lack ALOT and made mixing almost a chore,..ya know. I saved and saved for the Mackies. I only wish I could have got them sooner. Excellent,..... excellent monitors!

Take 'er easy,..
Calwood

[Digidude824]

same here..... 824's ......... nothing but good stuff from using them.

[ryanlikestorock]

If money wasn't a big problem, does anyone have any opinion on a 824 vs BX8 comparison. If the 824s are a whole lot better, I'd rather save the extra money and do it right the first time, but I've read nothing but goodness about the BX8s.

[Stealthtech]

Originally posted by kylen
Stealthtech - what did you have before those. Also just out of curiousity what else changed at the same time you went to 824's, monitor positioning or anything else that would effect the sound or overall perception ?

I'm about 1 inch away from coveting a set of these...thanx

I have bought and sold at least half a dozen monitors over the years. The last set I had which I handed down to my daughter was a pair of KRK V6's.
They were nice but the HR's deliver much more power and low end and the clarity I find unmatched at this point. I'm not an expert on monitors but I have found this will more than likely be the last upgrade I need.

[btr31]

what do you yall think about the m-audio BX-5's? a little cheaper than the other ones.

[kylen]

Thanks for the info Mackie lovers !
I guess I'll have to consider the BX8 due to Massives' credentials too...trying to keep the list of possibilies down to 3 models - not too big.

[Capt Dunsel]

So compromise and get the Mackie HR624's.

They're also great! Like wearing headphones without wearing headphones!

[DAFFYDRUNK]

I'm not much of a monitor expert, but a buddy has the 824s and I will definately be buying a set of those if I can ever afford it. The main thing that got me when I took a mix over to his house was that all of a sudden I could hear what was going on in the really low end of my tune. I think they are a great all around monitor but the extreme lows those things had for their size were quite impressive.

[ebeam]

Originally posted by DAFFYDRUNK
The main thing that got me when I took a mix over to his house was that all of a sudden I could hear what was going on in the really low end of my tune. I think they are a great all around monitor but the extreme lows those things had for their size were quite impressive.

You might want to haul your monitors over there and plug them in to compare. It would be sad to plunk all your money down on a set of monitors and find out it was just your room that sucked......

[lbcstudios]

the bx8s are nice from wat ive read... but if i have a chance to pick up some bx5s for 250 new... should i do it? or wait and get the 8s ? wats the diff. besides more wattage?

[Stealthtech]

Originally posted by lbcstudios
the bx8s are nice from wat ive read... but if i have a chance to pick up some bx5s for 250 new... should i do it? or wait and get the 8s ? wats the diff. besides more wattage?

Better low end....larger sound...I'd hold out

[DAFFYDRUNK]

Originally posted by ebeam
You might want to haul your monitors over there and plug them in to compare. It would be sad to plunk all your money down on a set of monitors and find out it was just your room that sucked......

Could be. I probably need to get them a little farther away since they are right in my face on my desk. My setup is what the dude with the 824s had before me. Spirit Absolute 2s with a Samson servo 240 amp. (Got em cheap by trading computer parts for them) He had his studio in a smaller room before he got the 824s though, so I've never A/B'd both in the same room. I still dig my absolute2s, although I have to admit they're the first monitors I've owned so I don't have much of a frame of reference beyond spending a couple days working with the 824s...

[ebeam]

Yeah, the reason I say that is because after spending about $300 to treat my room (built bass traps, panel absorbers) I now have much better low end response. Previously, I blamed it on my monitors - Yorkville YSM-1's - but I think my money was much better spent that on a new pair of monitors. The thing is, even though YSM-1's bass response tails off towards 40Hz or so, the frequency ranges that give us that low end thump are not really the low lows, but more the ~100-300Hz range where room modes can have a huge effect.

[COOLCAT]

Originally posted by ebeam
Yeah, the reason I say that is because after spending about $300 to treat my room (built bass traps, panel absorbers) I now have much better low end response. Previously, I blamed it on my monitors - Yorkville YSM-1's - but I think my money was much better spent that on a new pair of monitors. The thing is, even though YSM-1's bass response tails off towards 40Hz or so, the frequency ranges that give us that low end thump are not really the low lows, but more the ~100-300Hz range where room modes can have a huge effect.

yeah, makes two.
my monitors sounded different after doing some wall stuff.
you can this cheap too...highly recommend looking into
before going monitor shopping again, and again, and again.

my bass traps added rumble to the next room tho.....

but fhk? my room sounds better!!!

[ryanlikestorock]

Anyone have any experience with Roland DS90a monitors?

[Massive Master]

Originally posted by ryanlikestorock
If money wasn't a big problem, does anyone have any opinion on a 824 vs BX8 comparison. If the 824s are a whole lot better, I'd rather save the extra money and do it right the first time, but I've read nothing but goodness about the BX8s.

Money wasn't a problem. I got the BX8's.

I'm not saying that the Mackie's aren't good, I just couldn't get a mix to translate properly after a few hundred hours of use. With the BX8's, the first mix I pulled through them was just how I expected.

Lemme explain my problem with the Mackies - I've had a few e-mails on this..

When I play a good mix on the Mackies, it sounds great. When I play a good mix on the BX8's, it sounds GOOD. When I play a great mix on the Mackies, it still sounds great. BX8's, great. Bad mix Mackies, good. Bad mix BX8's, horrendous.

So essentially, I find the Mackies a bit hyped... Not nasty hyped, but not exactly natural, either. If were getting a set for sheer listening, it'd be the Mackies, hands down. But when a "good" mix sounds "great" through monitors, I'm no comfortable with that. I need an "okay" mix to SOUND "okay" - Anything more, and I'm fooling myself. If there's going to be a lean to either side, I want to lean towards "plain" - Make sense?

Again, just my two cents, your mileage may vary, etc...

JS

[ROCKNROLLRUSS]

I use the mackie 824's.They've been very really good monitors.A bit spendy.Do you read Pro Audio Review?In every issue they have a article called Single Slice.It tells how they recorded the music.And also tells the gear they used.VERY USEFUL.It's also a preference.Go to your local pro music store.They should help.Good luck!!!

[pashop]

I use the Mackie as well as the 12" Mackie Sub. The key to great sound was when I installed a DAC1. The new Tapco guys are cheap and sound pretty good to