7enderbender
New member
Hi there, I know this is a matter of taste and something that probably has been beaten to death. I still want to bring it up to validate some of my impressions yesterday - or to rather see where I could be wrong since I don't really trust my judgement fully and suspect something may have been off.
So I'm looking to update and upgrade my home recording environment and clean up my desk in the process. For monitors I am currently using KRK ST6 passive monitors that I power with an old NAD Hifi Amp. I know...but it works really well. The old NADs are very clean and straight forward and the little speakers work really well for me. Very clean mid range, not much emphasis on bass or high end and I've been ok with my mixes for my needs.
I want to get rid of that amp tough for a number of reasons. So switching to active monitors is the idea here. Obvious choice would be to stay wit KRK. So I checked out the Rokit 6 yesterday at Guitar Center. Nice enough, good price range and I would hope that they sound similar to my current set up. Long-term I'd be adding a sub for those occasions where I'd want more bass.
Then the guy switched me over to the Mackie MR5 MkII. First impression: they sound like half-way decent hifi speakers. Lots of bass and high end. Surprising for 5" speakers really. And a lot louder than the KRKs. So far that's not a good thing for me. But given the company's reputation and the good reviews the little Mackies are getting, I wonder if just the setting could have been off.
So question to anyone who has used both: am I missing out on something by dismissing the Mackies yesterday? Maybe it's good that they seem to have more bass as I won't need a sub at all. I know that I should really buy both pairs and try them at home and then return what doesn't work. I might but wanted to hear what people have to say about these. I also will have to move them further apart going forward since I'm going to 2 24" inch screens. So I'd be at 4-5 ft apart vs 3 ft on my current ST6. In the store they were WAY to far apart.
I record mostly your average guitar driven rock music, maybe the occasional heavier stuff. No dance or DJ music. So I'm looking for a rather neutral sound.
So I'm looking to update and upgrade my home recording environment and clean up my desk in the process. For monitors I am currently using KRK ST6 passive monitors that I power with an old NAD Hifi Amp. I know...but it works really well. The old NADs are very clean and straight forward and the little speakers work really well for me. Very clean mid range, not much emphasis on bass or high end and I've been ok with my mixes for my needs.
I want to get rid of that amp tough for a number of reasons. So switching to active monitors is the idea here. Obvious choice would be to stay wit KRK. So I checked out the Rokit 6 yesterday at Guitar Center. Nice enough, good price range and I would hope that they sound similar to my current set up. Long-term I'd be adding a sub for those occasions where I'd want more bass.
Then the guy switched me over to the Mackie MR5 MkII. First impression: they sound like half-way decent hifi speakers. Lots of bass and high end. Surprising for 5" speakers really. And a lot louder than the KRKs. So far that's not a good thing for me. But given the company's reputation and the good reviews the little Mackies are getting, I wonder if just the setting could have been off.
So question to anyone who has used both: am I missing out on something by dismissing the Mackies yesterday? Maybe it's good that they seem to have more bass as I won't need a sub at all. I know that I should really buy both pairs and try them at home and then return what doesn't work. I might but wanted to hear what people have to say about these. I also will have to move them further apart going forward since I'm going to 2 24" inch screens. So I'd be at 4-5 ft apart vs 3 ft on my current ST6. In the store they were WAY to far apart.
I record mostly your average guitar driven rock music, maybe the occasional heavier stuff. No dance or DJ music. So I'm looking for a rather neutral sound.