Flattest studio monitor for mixing and mastering

iqi616 said:
The one problem I have with the Mackies is the tweeters. They mush the highs together.
Click to expand...

I don't know what "mush the highs together" means, but Mackies are flatter and have less distortion than most speakers including some models that cost much more. Did you hear Mackies in a properly treated room?

--Ethan
 
Ok guys thanx for all your replies. Now to sum it all up one last question - if I were to mix and master a hip hop/r&b track in an acoustically treated room in the followin scenerios:
1. using a pair of yamaha hs80m's
2. using a pair of adam a7x's
3: using a pair of krk vxt8's
4: using a pair of mackies hr824 mk2's

which scenario would give me the best results and translate well on majority of systems in the outside world?

(Explanation for your answer not necessary but if you do explain, its better for me.)
 
Ok guys thanx for all your replies. Now to sum it all up one last question - if I were to mix and master a hip hop/r&b track in an acoustically treated room in the followin scenerios:
1. using a pair of yamaha hs80m's
2. using a pair of adam a7x's
3: using a pair of krk vxt8's
4: using a pair of mackies hr824 mk2's

which scenario would give me the best results and translate well on majority of systems in the outside world?

(Explanation for your answer not necessary but if you do explain, its better for me.)
 
Yung, It's probably better to pursue one of these threads instead of perpetuating both of them.
Maybe a mod will amalgamate?
 
I AB tested a few in my local shop that have a good setup to switch between multiple monitor pairs, they were: Mackie HR624, Adam A7X, KRK VXT6 (I think it was 6), Focal CMS40, Focal Solo 6 BE.

Before I went in I was really liking the Adam A7X as reviews and online opinion suggests that they translate very well to other systems. After trying all these, the Focal Solo 6 BE probably sounded the best, but they are in a higher price range than the others (they are £753 each). Ruling these out, I was still liking the Adams best by far, until I heard the Mackie HR624. The Mackies had a an enhanced low end that was very pleasing to listen to, so I kind of preferred the sound.

However, the sound of the Adams may well be a more truthful representation. Also, you can adjust the eq on the Adams (which I wasn't able to do at the time), so you might be able to get the same or even better sound out of them (I think the mid and top ranges on the Adam sounded superior, IIRC) - and you can therefore adjust according to their environment, which I don't think you can do on the Mackies (please correct me if I'm wrong here, Steeno).

The shop doesn't stock Yamaha, unfortunately, but a lot of people swear by the NS80s.

I'm pretty sure I've read that the larger Mackies (HR824) aren't as good as the HR624s. More important is the size of your room and how well treated it is. If you put a pair of 8 inchers in a small room, you will not get good results. I was talking to the pro-audio guy in the store and he uses the Adam A5X as he's in a room half the size of mine. He recommended against moving up to the next size (again, I think I've read the A8Xs aren't as good as the A7Xs anyway, although I would rather my ears be the judge).

Hope this helps. Bottom line is, you need to hear them, listen to some commercial stuff you know quite well on them and compare.
 
It was the 824s that I was used to from various studios/colleges. The only thing I wasn't sold on was the low end seemed a bit strong, but they were all set up in reasonably small, inadequately treated rooms.

I figured they were just overkill for the environment and took an educated punt on the 624s.
It really paid off!
 
Steenamaroo said:
It was the 824s that I was used to from various studios/colleges. The only thing I wasn't sold on was the low end seemed a bit strong, but they were all set up in reasonably small, inadequately treated rooms.

I figured they were just overkill for the environment and took an educated punt on the 624s.
It really paid off!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I loved the sound of the 624s. Kind of more than the Adams, but I think the more enhanced low end of the 624s fools my ears a bit - kind of hard to tell!

Do the 624s have any eq control on them? I guess one could always eq at the mixer (where present) if not.
 
I worked on HR824 MkIs for years. I still think they are not just some of the best "affordable" speakers out there, but some the best, PERIOD.

Cheers :)
 
I have used the HS80's frequently. Ok for mixing. Umm I wouldn't master with them. I would be afraid to master with a new/unknown near field monitor. The better and best option would be to aquire a mastering engineer. There not that expensive. Suggesting or giving the "ok" to master your music on those types of montioring is just wrong. You would hate me for it.
 
Ethan Winer said:
I don't know what "mush the highs together" means, but Mackies are flatter and have less distortion than most speakers including some models that cost much more. Did you hear Mackies in a properly treated room?

--Ethan
Click to expand...
"mush the highs together" means that in particular it was hard to tell the air from the brightness. Not the worst of the ones I listened to by any means but in second place after the KRKs. In the highs I identify a number of general frequency bands (the following frequencies are for example, not definitive because that depends upon the material being listened-to): low brightness is in the 8-10 kHz range and then there's the high brightness which is in the 10-12 range and then there's the air which spreads above that. The Mackie tweeters just didn't give me the same amount of information as the KRKs in the highs.

The environment wasn't ideal- it was in the middle of a music store (first thing on a Tuesday so I was the only customer). No nearby walls or reflective surfaces. All the candidates had their EQ settings set to 0. I adjusted the speaker levels by ear for matching loudness and I used my K-20 reference CD (all tracks meticulously adjusted for appropriate relative loudness). I'm very familiar with my reference CD on all sorts of speakers and headphones.

Part of the problem with the Mackies was the brightness was a touch too bright so that I really couldn't hear the air properly above it. They were also a bit narrow in focus in the brightness. A lot better than the cheaper stuff like Behringer and M-Audio (which were frankly sizzling) but not the best of the bunch. Tweaking the high shelf EQ on the Mackies wouldn't have made any difference because a 10 kHz shelf wouldn't have changed the proportion of the air to the brightness in any meaningful way. Another issue is dealing with all those nasty LDCs with their 10 kHz bumps that have brightness but simultaneously lack presence and air - several times I've found myself combining a notch in the vicinity of 10 kHz with a broad boost to give nicer highs. To do that, I need to hear the highs clearly.

Anyway, the Mackies are nice speakers but not the best for my tastes.
 
YunG Clyde said:
Ok guys thanx for all your replies. Now to sum it all up one last question - if I were to mix and master a hip hop/r&b track in an acoustically treated room in the followin scenerios:
1. using a pair of yamaha hs80m's
2. using a pair of adam a7x's
3: using a pair of krk vxt8's
4: using a pair of mackies hr824 mk2's

which scenario would give me the best results and translate well on majority of systems in the outside world?

(Explanation for your answer not necessary but if you do explain, its better for me.)
Click to expand...
I've not heard the Yamahas or the Adams. When you audition the speakers make sure you have reference music that will highlight the capabilities in the highs, mids, and lows. Also make sure if you get to do side-by-side comparisons that you adjust them to equal loudness so you don't get fooled into thinking the loudest speakers are the best (turning up the volume on the highest-margin speakers is an old hifi sales trick). That way you will be able to listen to the different quality of the sound.
 
mjbphotos said:
How many stores that you know that sell reference monitors have a well-treated listening room for them? I think of the old days when I worked at a 'stereo store' where the speakers were placed, and the A/B switches set up, to be able to sell the speakers we made the most money on. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

When I was monitor shopping, I went to Guitar Center to test some out (it's the only place in Spokane that offers monitors in store aside from pawn shops). The most expensive ones to offer were the HS80Ms. When you tried to A/B them with the other speakers, everything else was WAY quieter, making it automatically seem like the HS80Ms were the best to people who aren't aware of Fletcher-Munson.

Sounds kinda like your stereo store, no? xD
 
I'm not the OP, but I have followed this thread closely, because I've been considering a second pair of monitors quite seriously lately. I've been mixing on a pair of (gasp!) Behringer B2031 (actives) for about 7 years now. I think they've performed above their pay grade, but even in my new studio--which is very well tuned for listening, I've still had some problems with translation--especially on the low end.

So I took some of the names bandied about in this thread, and researched elsewhere. I also listened to a couple in other rooms. As much as folks have praised the Mackies, I've mixed on them before, and my Behringers are supposed to be a "clone" (too strong a word, I know) of them, and between the two, I feel I get the same results. I was actually drawn to the pseudo-negative comments about the Yamahas: unforgiving, brutally transparent, unflattering, etc. And everyone who said something like that also said that once their mix sounded good on them, it translated well.

I like that concept. So I ordered a pair of Yamaha HS80m's. I'll keep the Behringers and A/B them with my control station to try to discern the difference. I'll compare some reference mixes of my favorite artists and see what the Yamahas reveal relative to the Behringers. I'll also go back to some of my old tunes (esp. ones that I had trouble getting to translate to my car, my family room, etc.) and re-work them. The new monitors should be here next Tues or Wed, so for the sake of adding to this discussion, I'll report my initial findings in a week or so.
 
jimmys69 said:
Are THESE in you price range?

lol
Click to expand...

BTW--I tried those. I actually bought eight of them and created an octophonic surround mixing environment. I found them to be painfully lacking in the upper-lower-higher-mids. Also, they don't feed the cats or change the litter box. So I sold them and bought a vintage Ferrari 308 (with a cassette deck!).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top