Studio monitors

B

billabob

New member
Hello everyone,

Ive just sold my amp and am now in need of some studio monitors.

MY budget is £300 for the pair and i have limited room in my "studio" so i was looking at 5" models like the Yamaha hs5.

I have been warned off them and to go for a bigger size speaker but i am really tight of space.

Can someone suggest me a good set of small monitors in my price bracket. Atm im looking at the yamaha hs7 but would be ideal if i could get something smaller and abit cheaper.

I will be mixing mostly rock and pop music, as well as acoustic and will be doing full bands if it makes a difference?

many thanks.
 
Idk dude. I'm sure others won't agree but I'd rather mix on a nice pair of headphones than 5" monitors. At the minimum I'd try for a 6" one (they are usually actually 6.5").
 
Save some more money and get decent monitors, they are the most important piece of equipment in your chain. You need to start hearing mixes from good speakers if you expect to learn anything.
 
I will also throw in a recommendation for monitors with 8" drivers. Unless you have a sub, you will be pulling your hair out trying to get mixes to translate. And that would also be true in a well treated room. Without room treatment, well... enjoy the ride...
 
billabob said:
Hello everyone,

Ive just sold my amp and am now in need of some studio monitors.

MY budget is £300 for the pair and i have limited room in my "studio" so i was looking at 5" models like the Yamaha hs5.

I have been warned off them and to go for a bigger size speaker but i am really tight of space.

Can someone suggest me a good set of small monitors in my price bracket. Atm im looking at the yamaha hs7 but would be ideal if i could get something smaller and abit cheaper.

I will be mixing mostly rock and pop music, as well as acoustic and will be doing full bands if it makes a difference?

many thanks.
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That budget really is far too low for anything that could really be called a "monitor".

However, I would suggest you have a close look at the Equator D5 which seem to sell for £399 in the UK and, I hear, have exceptional sound for the price.

Being co-axial monitors, they also have a great stereo image and depth.

D5-2T.jpg

If you must have a larger 8" driver, then look at the Equator D8 - these are more expensive, of course, but are still a reasonable £599.
 
I really am no expert but I'm one of those that favours starting where you can and as you yourself discover limitations, upgrading.
While I respect what John Willett and Jimmys69 say and would pretty much always caution an enquirer to keep their words as an important part of the decision making process, especially in these kind of matters, I will also suggest these.
248030_m.jpg
They are actually made by Studiospares and should you choose to gamble on them, Wycombe isn't far from where Studiospares is located on the North circular road that connects to the A40.
I have a set and I find them really useful. I'm no great mixer, quite the opposite actually, but they are better than the the Gale speakers and headphones I used to use. Even my bass player ears can hear that.
The thing with monitors/speakers is that you can only really know if they're any good for you when you're in your space and you've had a chance to get used to them. What one person digs, another may feel is less than horse manure.
 
Three hundred pounds isn't all that bad a budget for monitors. Like others, I'd prefer something a bit bigger but size constraints can be difficult to argue with.

Therefore, I'd look at (or listen too) these TANNOY REVEAL 502 MONITORS.

Yeah, a bigger driver would be nice but if 5 inch is your limit then these at least make a good effort at a pleasant, neutral sound for mixing. There won't be much "thump" but at least you'll know you're hearing a pretty accurate sound--and you can add a sub later if you want more thump in your monitoring.
 
Laugh at me if you like, but I really like my Tannoy Reveal 501a's. My surround mixing monitors are 5 Adam A7's with the Sub7 and they sound great, but I wanted some cheaper monitors to check mixes on and the 501a's are amazing for the price. I tried the different Yamaha's (HS5's are bad, HS7's are just OK), KRK's (they are "OK" monitors - I guess a lot of rap guys like them, but it didn't sound "real" for me), even the Adam F7 (which I completely hated - it had terrible imaging and "squishy" sounding). Even with my Adam A7's or any great monitor, you have to tune your room. Make sure you make your bass traps! You won't need a large 8" monitor in a small space since it's near field. I even bought another set of 501a's to listen to music and movies upstairs. My wife could even tell the difference between all these monitors and she likes the 501a's (than again, she get's drilled about sound from me daily and she's a musician too). It does not have as accurate imaging in the "sweet spot" as my A7s, but it is close enough. I purchased the second set of 501a's for $100 US dollars each from Guitar Center on clearance. You might be able to find some online since Tannoy came out with an updated model.
 
No laughter from me...I always reckoned the 501A monitors punched well above their weight but they're getting a bit difficult to find unless you get lucky on eBay or something.

The 502 monitors (their successor) is, if anything slightly better again though they display the same positive qualities.
 
Bobbsy said:
No laughter from me...I always reckoned the 501A monitors punched well above their weight but they're getting a bit difficult to find unless you get lucky on eBay or something.

The 502 monitors (their successor) is, if anything slightly better again though they display the same positive qualities.
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Really good to know about the 502's. I always get questions about what's a good "budget" monitor from students, but I haven't had any experience with them since they're so new.
 
Search the forums, I know I've been involved in several of these discussions in the past few months.
 
Well.......as is often said in this community......everyone has their own opinion about things...........and I'd just like to say that I have a pair of Tannoy 501A's and a pair of Rokit 6 gen2 and...IMO......the Tannoy's are too bright and my mixes showed it. Even after using them for a year I could not get "used" to their results. Check out the reviews on line. The KRK's are fine........not world beaters but just fine and you can find gen 2's much cheaper now that gen 3's are out. If you go with 6" or less though......a sub may eventually be needed. My 2 cents.
 
There you go. Try out all these speakers side by side at your local store with your "mix tape" of sweeps, noise and tunes and compare with some of the more expensive ones. You might find all our suggestions are lame to your ears and go with Alesis Elevates.... Remember that your local store probably doesn't have their room tuned and frequencies and room modes will be greatly exaggerated. Then build some bass traps with Corning Owning 703, a couple pieces of wood and breathable fabric. If you don't treat your room, only room your mix is going to sound good in is those exactly like it.
 
I have the earlier Tannoy Reveal 5As and son and I have been very happy with them.
His music is mainly of a classical nature and we did not need high SPLs or deep bass, the latter is impossible any way in our 12.5x12x8.5 foot room. The Tannoys are just waht we wanted. "Honest" clean and clear. There is not a great deal of bass but I get surprised sometimes by the "heft". It is never overstated but when it is there. it is "there" if you see what I mean!

I picked the 5As because they killed couple of "giants" in a blind magazine shootouts but mainly because Tannoy have been making speakers for at least as long as I have been alive and should know a thing or three. They have a reputation to uphold and MOST of all they don't also make every other electronic audio gimmcrack they can!

Dave.
 
witzendoz said:
You know that asking for people to recommend studio monitors is like asking what colour I should paint my studio walls. It will all come down to personal choice. :eatpopcorn:

Alan.
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Sheesh...I thought you were a professional. Everyone knows the answer is light blue (except for heavy metal which is black and (c)rap which needs a puke pattern wallpaper!).

Yeah, despite the idea that the whole idea of monitors is accuracy, everyone has a different idea of what "accurate" is. It's interesting that somebody accused the Tannoys of being a bit bright--my personal taste in sound leans toward bright and detailed so my prejudices are coming out. Of course, the style of stuff you work on also affects it. What works for classical or my musical theatre stuff isn't likely to do a great job on thumping rock or techno.

As mentioned, if auditioning speakers is at all an option, it's a good one as long as the constraints of an imperfect shop are considered. Cynic that I am, I also remember that different brads yield a different profit margin and commission so I treat anything said by salesmen with a pinch of salt and trust my own ears.
 
Bobbsy said:
Sheesh...I thought you were a professional. Everyone knows the answer is light blue (except for heavy metal which is black and (c)rap which needs a puke pattern wallpaper!).

Yeah, despite the idea that the whole idea of monitors is accuracy, everyone has a different idea of what "accurate" is. It's interesting that somebody accused the Tannoys of being a bit bright--my personal taste in sound leans toward bright and detailed so my prejudices are coming out. Of course, the style of stuff you work on also affects it. What works for classical or my musical theatre stuff isn't likely to do a great job on thumping rock or techno.

As mentioned, if auditioning speakers is at all an option, it's a good one as long as the constraints of an imperfect shop are considered. Cynic that I am, I also remember that different brads yield a different profit margin and commission so I treat anything said by salesmen with a pinch of salt and trust my own ears.
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Well, with 7 different brands being mentioned up to now and multiple models within the 7 brands, I think my point has been made.

I could name a dozen brands that I would mix on easily. And I bet that my main monitors are a brand that none here would know exists.

Alan.
 
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