Just got a pair of Rokit 5's and they sound like...

[Rodd1000]

For those that are still interested in the rokit 5 saga, just thought i'd keep you guys up to date.

After bypassing my Guitarport, i connected the monitors straight to my iMac and played a few CD's, which sounded just as i expected, exactly the same.
So i had play around with the positioning of the speakers.

I stood the speakers on some of the packaging they arrived in, which was a rubberised foam material in an attempt to isolate some of the bass. Then pulled them 2 ft from the wall and loaded up some tunes. To be honest the bass did sound tight and punchy, i was listening to Rush Spirit of the Radio and it sounded great. It was a nice mix. Then i switched to Strokes Reptillia and it all fell apart again. Bass became over pronounced the mids sounded thick and blurry. Normally there's quite a gritty edge to guitars on this track but i couldn't find them.

I moved the Rokits to another room and plugged them into my laptop to try the acoustics there. While they sounded different, the critical elements remained the same.

I can understand the appeal for some music types, but i don't think they are very forgiving with a broader spectrum of genres. Electronic music generally sounds the best and gritty guitars the worst IMO.

It's a shame because they are very robust and construction is of a very high quality for the price. I've returned the speakers and the retailer has managed to locate a pair of BX5A Deluxe speakers for me, hopefully i will receive them by Friday.

Cheers guys.

 

[grimtraveller]

For those that are still interested in the rokit 5 saga,

I am. This is riveting.

Lemme ask a question. What is the focus of this forum? Is it how to build a professional studio in your home, or how the average Joe (like me) can make the most of what they have for recording at home?

Whether by secret design or default, it's both. We're at different places on a journey and like Lt Bob alluded to a few posts back, different aspects apply to different people at different times. And we grow, expand, progress, dry up, regress. And because we're all at different places at the same time it's natural that pros doing something every day are going to approach things from a certain perspective ~ after all, many of them have to compete in a

"Dog dog, dog eat dog"

world. So they've been through alot and if X thinks Y product is a heap of shit, chances are they'll say so. Obviously some are more diplomatic than others.
On the other side of the forest, it's also natural for the average Joe or Josephine to get kind of pissed off when it seems that a 'superior' attitude is being expressed, especially because it seems almost by implication to be a veiled way of saying 'I know more than you, therefore your opinion is worthless'. But I honestly don't think that's what is often being communicated. Posting on an open forum is a bit like an artist releasing a song ~ that artist ceases to have any say whatsoever over their song once it's in the public domain. People are free to love it, hate it, make fun of it, deify it, sing it in tune or out of tune or in hospital or at sporting events. And once we post, though we may not like certain words, attitudes, opinions or conclusions, that's the risk we take. People may love what we say and fawn all over it. Or we may be taken to task and strongly disagreed with. If someone asks a question, they are opening the door to something that goes beyond what they may want to hear. In the case of the Newbie, they don't necesarilly know what they want to hear ~ they're looking for info. I just hope they don't get scared off when all the big deal fallout ensues.
Nearly every day you'll find colliding circles on HR, one circle pushing the more

how to build a professional studio in your home

wing, while others veer more in the

how the average Joe (like me) can make the most of what they have for recording at home?

direction. It's there all around if you look for it. And I suspect that many people veer somewhere between the two. It is extremely difficult to hear someone that you perceive to be insulting or condescending or narrowminded or ignorant or inexperienced or stubborn. But we do pick up little bits here and there so in spite of the seeming muck, there's diamonds in that swamp.

To be honest the bass did sound tight and punchy, i was listening to Rush Spirit of the Radio and it sounded great. It was a nice mix.

All this machinery making modern music can still be openhearted !

 

[moresound]

Wow, that's the most diplomatic new guy post I have ever seen! You will go far young man.

This is a good forum. The only thing is that it's mostly populated by assholes, not pricks like me!

I have to say that I've been frequenting this forum I think for about 2 or 3 years and I have learned a lot and hopefully gave some back as well. It's just that they are all assholes! Maybe I should start a prick forum where assholes aren't allowed!

Yeah we all have personalities, best to tolerate/ignore that part and focus on the info. This is a good forum. Most of the information ends up very accurate because alot of guys are reading/checking the posts. Its a good forum.

Wait a minute ..... I have to keep my score card correct.
Who are the assholes and who are the dicks?

Somebody is going to be shown a red card here! game on.

 

[Lt. Bob]

I think newbies and people new to forums can be a little hesitant when they first get here and so, a little defensive and quick to assume a comment like, "That's a piece of crap" is actually a comment on them and thus, an insult.

It rarely is ..... just some of the longer time members here don't really care about being super careful to word their comments in a way that couldn't possibly offend.

 

[guitaristic]

Hold up a minute.

So didn't the OP have his speakers in a bad position and with no room treatment originally?

I think that would be the problem more than the speakers. I've got the 6's and they're great...the 5's can't be that much different, can they?

 

[FunkDaddy]

I have the same monitors, and while I'll preface it by saying they're the only studio monitors I've ever used outside hearing my band's stuff in a pro studio, I really like them. The first CD I put in sounded excellent on them, and I just had to adjust the position a little bit.

Of course I'm still learning the finer points of mixing but they've been a great starting block for my productions.

 

[Lt. Bob]

Hold up a minute.

So didn't the OP have his speakers in a bad position and with no room treatment originally?

I think that would be the problem more than the speakers. I've got the 6's and they're great...the 5's can't be that much different, can they?

well, different tastes can vary widely and speakers behave differently, not only in different rooms but with different ancilliary gear.

For instance ..... in an audiophile home stereo you wouldn't want to mix a bright sounding speaker with a bright sounding pre-amp ..... the result would be harsh sounding.
Or you might have a speaker that's a little reserved sounding and if you pair it with an amp that's also a little rolled off you get a muddy sound.
There's all kinds of different things that go on with speakers and amps and the way they sound in a particular room.
You also can have issues with the speakers' impedance curve ..... you might have portions of the freq range where a particular speaker might be hard for some amps to drive ..... you might have phase shifts that require high current from the amp at those freqs.
It's actually a VERY complex subject.

That's why there's no one best speaker.
I'm not convinced that there's anything wrong with the 5's as a model ..... they just don't work well for that particular user.

ALSO ..... it's not impossible that there's something wrong with those speakers. A bad run of woofers or maybe a bad component in the crossover. I've read of stuff going thru a run with the wrong parts being installed.
He might have just gotten a bad pair. Who knows?
I'd like to hear them myself but I can't so ..... it's all speculation.

 

[p_wats]

Not adding much but personal experience here:

I recently picked up a pair of the G1 RP5s and have been incredibly pleased with them. Even poorly placed in an untreated room they have been very helpful in improving my mixes.

That said, there are likely 2 major factors contributing to my enjoyment:

1) The best I had before was a pair of crappy headphones and a crappier home stereo system.

2) They cost me $120 for the pair on CL.

I suppose it's simply that in my case they were a cheap step up...

 

[miroslav]

I have the same monitors, and while I'll preface it by saying they're the only studio monitors I've ever used outside hearing my band's stuff in a pro studio, I really like them.

I'm sure they work well for you...but the only way to really compare/pick speakers is to do side-by-side demos of several models all in the same space...otherwise when you just hear just one pair you have no immediate reference point to judge them against.
Ideally...pick the best out of a bunch at the store...and then ask the salesperson if you can have a couple of days to also demo the ones you picked at your studio/space, with the option to return them for a different pair...etc...that way you can be sure they work well for you.
I know that's not easy for some folks to do, and they may be just buying speakers on-line based on someone else's recommendation...
...but it's the best way to find the ones that work for you in your space.

 

[Gizzmo0815]

Got 'em

I've got a pair as well.

I've used several other monitors (including the famous NS10s) and frankly to my ears the rp5s sound very useable. The caveat is that you need to learn what they sound like. You can't sit around them for two days playing a bunch of CDs you may or may not know very well and and expect to make a snap judgement on ANY monitor. Having said that, if you just don't like how they sound then you won't feel inspired to use them. So find a pair you like (Miroslav's suggestion above is the best I think) and then...

Monitors generally will sound significantly different than your average entertainment speakers to begin with. So if you've spent your whole life listening on those types of systems then it would be silly for you not to expect a change in the sound once you switched to a pair of monitors.

Here's what I recommend with any monitors (it also works for headphones, or any other critical listening tool). Take a few songs that you know intimately (and I mean that you must know every note, percussion strike, and chord). Listen to the nuances of how the vocals sound, the kit, the guitars, synths etc. and go back to a stereo system and listen to the same songs there, listen in your car if you play music there all the time, listen in your headphones and see how it sounds there. Try to pick some songs that exhibit a range of sounds bass through highs with a variety of tonalities and compare the same songs on several different systems It's probably even better if you pick a few different genres with different types of instruments.

Take notes on what you hear on each of these types of speakers and try to remember what sticks out. Then go back to your monitors and listen to the same songs. Really pay attention to the differences you hear (use your notes!). Walk around your room and find the sweet spot. Stand out in the hallway and listen. Really take the time to learn the specifics of how your monitors sound and try to note how the monitors sound when compared to the other sources you listen on.

I think this type of aural exercise is one of the most ignored aspects of home recording but is one of the more important steps in learning how to LISTEN to what you're doing with the tools you have.

Here's the kicker, you can do it whether you're in your bedroom with a pair of KRKs, or whether you're in a studio with a pair of high end monitors. In either place the things you can learn are valuable.

Hope this helps

 

[FunkDaddy]

I'm sure they work well for you...but the only way to really compare/pick speakers is to do side-by-side demos of several models all in the same space...otherwise when you just hear just one pair you have no immediate reference point to judge them against.
Ideally...pick the best out of a bunch at the store...and then ask the salesperson if you can have a couple of days to also demo the ones you picked at your studio/space, with the option to return them for a different pair...etc...that way you can be sure they work well for you.
I know that's not easy for some folks to do, and they may be just buying speakers on-line based on someone else's recommendation...
...but it's the best way to find the ones that work for you in your space.

I did listen to other models in the store. But how does that tell me what they'll sound like in my less-than-ideal-listening-enviroment home recording studio? I did favor the KRK's because of reviews and comments I'd read online, the on-sale price certainly helped as well.

Either way I'd pick a pair of monitors and have to learn how they sounded in my current mixing environment. I have a long relationship with the store I shop at and made sure I would be able to return them if need be and it just so happened I felt no reason to. I "calibrated" myself on the monitors in my studio with a few favorite CDs and went on my merry way. I'm sure there's monitors out there that would enhance my mixes a bit but the fact that I record and mix in an acoustically untreated room is probably a lot more detrimental to my final mix quality.

 

[miroslav]

I did listen to other models in the store. But how does that tell me what they'll sound like in my less-than-ideal-listening-enviroment home recording studio?

Well...like I said...you narrow it down to the best sounding ones at the store...then see if they will let you demo them at home for a couple of days...and if they sound as good at home, you're set.
(Which is what appears you did. )

I think a lot of folks just buy whatever they can afford and/or what someone suggested (via reviews or forum comments). At least when you demo out a few pair yourself (and it's good to also try the stuff outside of your budget just for reference)...then your ears start to hone in on the differences that can be heard from monitor to monitor.

 

[grimtraveller]

The infamous Blackburn batch

ALSO ..... it's not impossible that there's something wrong with those speakers. A bad run of woofers or maybe a bad component in the crossover. I've read of stuff going thru a run with the wrong parts being installed.
He might have just gotten a bad pair. Who knows?

It can happen. This reminds me of the 'infamous Blackburn batch'. For about two years I heard rumours of this dodgy batch of blank CDs that were manufactured in Blackburn {the same one mentioned in "A day in the life"}. Myself and a friend were forever joking about it if something went wrong with a piece of equipment. Anyway, when my wife was expecting our second kid I decided to transfer my vinyl to CD and sell the LPs to make room and fund the VSTis I was discovering. I spent 8 months and alot of frost {!} recording hundreds of albums and when I did each one, I'd make sure all the tracks were on.....but I didn't listen all the way through. It was a couple of years later when I was playing one that at the 65 minute mark this awful scratching sound occurred and I discovered the same thing had happened to many of them. All one particular brand ! The Maxells were fine. What really rankled was that I'd recorded hundreds of albums a couple of years previous {1999/2000}to that with the same brand and they were fine ~ still are. Some cars rarely go faulty. Some just break down continually. One person's speaker wire is another person's shoelace, I guess.

 

[leaningpine]

I'm listening to "Peg" by Steely Dan on my Rokit 5's right now and it sounds very nice. Kick Drum sounds nice and tight, Bass sits in the mix fine, the vocals are natural sounding, the cymbals and hi hat sound crisp but not overly crisp. Just an overall natural sound.

I don't know what to say, they sound good to me. A nice even, full sound. Before I bought these, I listened to Behringer Truth', M-Audio's, Yamaha's and then the KRK's and to my ears, the Behringer's were crispy, the m-audios were very mid-rangy, the yamaha's were bottom heavy but the KRK's sounded even and full across the spectrum. I listened to 5 CD's that were very well recorded or that I knew very well, Steely Dan's "AJA", Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", Rush's "Permanent Wave's"(Different Strings has a nice chest thumping Kick in it) Boston's ST and Todd Rundgren's "Hermit of MInk Hollow", Since they were recorded in what were considered home studios back in the day.

 

[miroslav]

Comments about monitors are not a personal attack on anyone's choice, but buying/choosing monitors should be a personal choice.

We all hear things differently...some like things brighter, some darker...one person likes very firm, round bass tones, another prefers more thicker, pillowy bass.

Just try a few and find the one that works best for your ears in your room. Don't just pick monitors 'cuz someone else likes them...though there can be at times a broad consensus that a given model is really good or really sucks...and there is also the reality that a $300 pair probably won't sound as good as a $3000 pair (no matter how much you wish they would).
Buy within your budget but don't live in denial and expect miracles if your budget is very small and your expectations very high.

 

[loveofjazz]

Everyone has their own preference. Hope the OP finds what works for his/her particular situation.

I've been using KRK Rokit 5's for half a year now. They sounded good on the Tascam and the Fostex, and they sound good with the signal coming out of the Delta 44 (through a Behringer mixer for volume control and easy on/off ) and into the Rokit 5's. I do run mine at a lower volume than some, but they get plenty loud when needed. For home recording use, they're nice playback monitors to have. I tend to mix things a little bass heavy at times, and these speakers really hang with those low frequencies well.
I will say that getting them onto their own surface got rid of some of the strange vibrations I used to get when everything sat on one big desk.

 

[Rodd1000]

Guys thanks for all of the replies, i eventually got the BX5A's delivered the other day and can safely say they are like a breath of fresh air. Much more detailed than the Rokits and i can actually hear what's happening in the mids now. The bass isnt as deep but it is much more natural sounding and minus the bloating. I can definitely recommend them!

 

[grimtraveller]

I'm almost sad, this thread has been so enjoyable. It's like coming home after a great holiday.



Seriously though, I'm glad for you.

 

[kcearl]

i just read this months CM magazine and they had an article on mixing something or another but they were reinforcing the importance of decent monitors...with a picture of RP5's above lol


good luck with those mid heavy mixes you're about to produce Rodd

 

[moresound]

It can happen. This reminds me of the 'infamous Blackburn batch'. For about two years I heard rumours of this dodgy batch of blank CDs that were manufactured in Blackburn {the same one mentioned in "A day in the life"}. Myself and a friend were forever joking about it if something went wrong with a piece of equipment. Anyway, when my wife was expecting our second kid I decided to transfer my vinyl to CD and sell the LPs to make room and fund the VSTis I was discovering. I spent 8 months and alot of frost {!} recording hundreds of albums and when I did each one, I'd make sure all the tracks were on.....but I didn't listen all the way through. It was a couple of years later when I was playing one that at the 65 minute mark this awful scratching sound occurred and I discovered the same thing had happened to many of them. All one particular brand ! The Maxells were fine. What really rankled was that I'd recorded hundreds of albums a couple of years previous {1999/2000}to that with the same brand and they were fine ~ still are. Some cars rarely go faulty. Some just break down continually. One person's speaker wire is another person's shoelace, I guess.

Hey Grim Have you had problems with CDs losing "it"?
I have some older CDs that I did years ago and they are starting to turn! that is some are flaking and just seem to be deteriorating with age.
Hope their not from Lankershire(sp).