Can I do this with 2 powered monitors in my home studio.

[rolloman]

I have the 8" version of the monitor below. Cannot afford another one but could the 5". Is this a complete no no? I don't use the monitors for micing when I record my guitar to backing tracks for soundcloud or youtube. I mic my guitar amp cab. I'm Using them only to know what my recordings will sound to someone else listening on a pc with something better than the pc internal speakers. So I am using the monitors for tweaking my tracks in audacity to hear what it really sounds like vs my pc internal spkeakers which have no bass response. I don't even use them to just sit and listen to music either. If I did get the 5" maybe get by for a while then sell the 8" get another 5" and have money left to spend on other goodies.

JBL LSR305 5" Powered Studio Monitor Specifications:
Powered Yes
Power Configuration Bi-Amplified
Enclosure Type Ported
LF Driver Size 5"
HF Driver Size 1"
HF Driver Type Soft Dome
OK for use near to magnetically sensitive equipment Yes
HF Driver Power Amp 41W Class D
LF Driver Power Amp 41W Class D
Frequency Range 43Hz-24khz
Maximum Peak SPL 108 dB SPL C-Weighted
Maximum Peak Input Level +23 dBu
Input Types 1 x XLR, 1 x TRS Balanced
HF Trim Control +2 dB, 0, -2 dB
LF Trim Control : +2 dB, 0, -2 dB

JBL LSR308 8" Powered Studio Monitor Specifications:
Powered Yes
Power Configuration Bi-Amplified
Enclosure Type Ported
LF Driver Size 8"
HF Driver Size 1"
HF Driver Type Soft Dome
OK for use near to magnetically sensitive equipment Yes
HF Driver Power Amp 56W Class D
LF Driver Power Amp 56W Class D
Frequency Range 37Hz-24khz
Maximum Peak SPL 112 dB SPL C-Weighted
Maximum Peak Input Level +23 dBu
Input Types 1 x XLR, 1 x TRS Balanced
HF Trim Control +2 dB, 0, -2 dB
LF Trim Control : +2 dB, 0, -2 dB

 

[miroslav]

Your image balance will be off and the frequency response will be skewed.
If you think you can work like that....then do it.

Why not get just rid of the 8" now, and then get two 5" matching speakers if that's what you are goinf to do anyway...?

 

[witzendoz]

How do people get into these situations? Why did you buy 1? Wait a bit longer and save for another JBL LSR308 8"

Alan.

 

[rolloman]

How do people get into these situations? Why did you buy 1? Wait a bit longer and save for another JBL LSR308 8"

Alan.

Had 2. The used one took a crap. New one still goin strong. Lesson learned. How much difference 8's vs 5's be, considering what I'm doing.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Had 2. The used one took a crap. New one still goin strong. Lesson learned. How much difference 8's vs 5's be, considering what I'm doing.

Keep asking. Eventually someone will say they are the same.

 

[rolloman]

Your image balance will be off and the frequency response will be skewed.
If you think you can work like that....then do it.

Why not get just rid of the 8" now, and then get two 5" matching speakers if that's what you are goinf to do anyway...?

think I'll just get another 8

 

[rolloman]

thanks all

 

[rayc]

In case you were wondering ...folk weren't being glib, mean or flippant...just leaving you to work out the fairly obvious right way to go.
"Matched" is an oft used and abused adjective in audio but it really does apply to your monitoring setup.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Agreed. Any mismatch at all is going to be problematic, as Miro described.
I'd either buy another 8 or sell everything you have and start afresh with a new pair of something.

 

[rolloman]

yep. I really do appreciate it. Don't like learning from my mistakes. Looked again at those specs. that frequency response of 37Hz vs 43Hz is quite a bit

 

[mjbphotos]

yep. I really do appreciate it. Don't like learning from my mistakes. Looked again at those specs. that frequency response of 37Hz vs 43Hz is quite a bit

If you're only recording a miked guitar cab, then that low end difference makes no difference at all. Chances are your mic specs have little to no frequency response in that range either.
However the left-right matching on mixes would be really screwed.

 

[BroKen_H]

I could understand your question if we were talking 6332's, but Sweetwater has those 308's for $250 each. Save a couple months and grab another. But I think I know the problem. When I bought my first pair of monitors, I saw the $250 price tag and assumed it was for the pair. Ended up with Rokit 5's for $150 each instead of the 8's for $250 each cause I was in the store and got immediate correction. If I had ordered them online, I would have been quite disappointed to find I only get ONE for that price.
Now that I have the 8's it's night and day, so yes, absolutely get the 308's 'cause they will give you a lot better representation of what you're recording.

 

[rolloman]

If you're only recording a miked guitar cab, then that low end difference makes no difference at all. Chances are your mic specs have little to no frequency response in that range either.
However the left-right matching on mixes would be really screwed.

Sennheiser 609 Silver. 40Hz. Right in the middle of the monitors difference. I get a stereo mix by recording the other channel of my Focusrite 2i2 from my Digitech RP355 multi effects pedal. Here's the only specs they give on it below. Also below are the Focusrite specs.

Digitech RP355
General Specifications
A/D/A Converter: 24-bit high performance audio
Sampling Frequency: 44.1 kHz
DSP Section: AudioDNA2™ DSP Processor
Simultaneous Effects: 11
Preset Memory: 70 User Presets (1-70) / 70 Factory Presets (F1-F70)
Phrase Looper: 20 seconds of record time
Drum Machine: 60 Patterns

Analog Input Connections:
Guitar Input: 1/4˝ Unbalanced (TS)
Input Impedance: 500k Ohms
Aux Input: 1/8˝ Stereo (TRS)
Analog Output Connections:
1/4˝ Outputs
Left/Right Outputs: 1/4˝ Impedance Unbalanced
Left/Right Output Impedance: 500 Ohms per side
Maximum Output: +10 dBu
XLR Outputs
Left/Right Outputs: Impedance Balanced
Left/Right Output Impedance: 1 kohm per side
Maximum Output: +16 dBu
Headphones: 1/8˝ Stereo (TRS) – 13.6mW per channel @ 50 Ohms

Digital Connections:
Universal Serial Bus (USB): Type B, supports USB1.1 Full Speed (12 Mbps Bandwidth USB 2.0 compatible)
RP355 USB Recording Specifications:
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
Bit depth: supports 16-bit or 24-bit (depends on setup in Recording Software)

FOCUSRITE 2i2 Specs.
2 in / 2 out USB audio interface
96 KHz, 24-bit conversion
2 Focusrite microphone preamplifiers
Red anodised aluminium unibody chassis
Front panel

2 line/mic/instrument combination inputs – high quality XLR/¼” TRS Jack Combo
2 Line/Instrument switches
2 Gain knobs
2 Gain halo signal indicators
48V Phantom power switch
Direct monitor switch
Large monitor level dial
USB Connection LED indicator
Headphone output - ¼” TRS Jack
Headphone level knob
Rear panel

2 balanced monitor outputs – ¼” TRS Jack
USB 2.0 Port
Kensington Lock slot
Included software

Ableton Live Lite
Focusrite Scarlett plug-in suite
Analogue Input Performance
Mic
Frequency Response 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1 dB
THD+N -100dB (minimum gain, -1dBFS input with 20Hz-20kHz filter)
Equivalent Input Noise (EIN) < -127dB: measured at maximum gain with 150Ω termination (20Hz-20kHz filter)
Gain Range -4dB to +46dB
Max Input Level +4dBu
Line
Frequency Response 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB
THD+N -91dB (measured at minimum gain with -1dBFS input and 20Hz-20kHz bandpass filter)
Noise -104 dBu (22 Hz/22KHz bandpass filter)
Signal to Noise Ratio > 100dB
Gain Range -21dB to +29dB
Max Input Level +20dBu
Instrument
Frequency Response 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB
THD+N -72dB (measured at minimum gain with -1dBFS signal and 20Hz-20kHz bandpass filter)
Noise -87dBu (22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)
Gain Range +4dB to +46dB
Max Input Level +4dBu
Analogue Output Performance
Nominal Output Level 0dBFS = 10dBu, balanced
Frequency Response 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
THD+N -100dB (measured with -1dBFS input 20Hz-20kHz filter, un-weighted)
Output Impedance < 10Ω
Power Output into 150Ω 15mW
Power Output into 50Ω
30mW

Digital Performance
Clock sources Internal clock only
A-D Dynamic Range 105dB 'A-weighted' (all inputs). Converter chipset A-D dynamic range 114dB
D-A Dynamic Range 104dB 'A-weighted' (all outputs). Converter chipset D-A dynamic range 114dB
Supported sample rates 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
Crosstalk
Input to Input Better than 90dB
Output to Output Better than 90dB
Input to Output Better than 85dB

 

[Steenamaroo]

Sennheiser 609 Silver. 40Hz. Right in the middle of the monitors difference. I get a stereo mix by recording the other channel of my Focusrite 2i2 from my Digitech RP355 multi effects pedal. Here's the only specs they give on it below. Also below are the Focusrite specs.

The equipment may well be capable of capturing/processing/producing these frequencies, but I think MJBs point is that there is no important information down there in a guitar recording.
If you rolled a guitar track off at 60hz I bet there'd be no audible difference, especially when there's bass in the mix.
If anything it's ideal to get rid of unwanted information in those areas.

Anyway, the main thing I came back to say was that specs are almost completely irrelevant in the context of two mismatched speakers.
If you bought two different brand speakers with identical specs, I bet they'd sound different.

 

[rolloman]

The equipment may well be capable of capturing/processing/producing these frequencies, but I think MJBs point is that there is no important information down there in a guitar recording.
If you rolled a guitar track off at 60hz I bet there'd be no audible difference, especially when there's bass in the mix.
If anything it's ideal to get rid of unwanted information in those areas.

Anyway, the main thing I came back to say was that specs are almost completely irrelevant in the context of two mismatched speakers.
If you bought two different brand speakers with identical specs, I bet they'd sound different.

I think I understand. Just recording a guitar only those monitor LF specs would not matter much to my guitar recording work. Things change though when I use a backing track with no guitar, but has a bass along with drums and vocals though. The specs do become relevant when I start using the monitor to tweak my recording with my DAW software because the backing tracks bass is down there wouldn't they? Sorry if my questions are so elementary. I'm such a newb. Lol

 

[ecc83]

"If you bought two different brand speakers with identical specs, I bet they'd sound different. "
Steeny. If you bought two same model monitors six MONTHS apart in manufacture they would sound different!
Cones are the very devil to QC.

Dave.

 

[rolloman]

"If you bought two different brand speakers with identical specs, I bet they'd sound different. "
Steeny. If you bought two same model monitors six MONTHS apart in manufacture they would sound different!
Cones are the very devil to QC.

Dave.

So what your all sayin is,it don't give a rip if I buy the same brand and model of the one brand and model monitor that I have already. Just pick what I can afford to go along with my existing monitor, ignore the specs. and go with it? That sounds good since it will save me a lot of money trying to match specs. with what I already have. I was gonna get the same model# and brand of monitor, but I think you have all talked me out of that. Might as well buy a less exspensive monitor that I have and just go with it. Makes me happy.

 

[Steenamaroo]

So what your all sayin is,it don't give a rip if I buy the same brand and model of the one brand and model monitor that I have already. Just pick what I can afford to go along with my existing monitor, ignore the specs. and go with it?

No, I'm saying it's very important. I'm saying definitely use matched speakers.

When I said specs are irrelevant I meant you can't use them to create the argument that X speaker will sound just like Y speaker.
Just because two speakers have the same LF cutoff point does not mean they are, or will sound, similar.

 

[BroKen_H]

I never saw anything that sounded like mix and match will work. (Well, not that I took seriously).

But if you can sell your one for a reasonable amount and get a pair, that's a good solution.

But it IS important to have a good match. At the level of performance of the 308's (not that they suck), you could probably get away with buying another single.

If we were talking about the 6332's I mentioned above, definitely get you a pair. But we're not talking about $3k per pair 6332's

 

[rolloman]

I never saw anything that sounded like mix and match will work. (Well, not that I took seriously).

But if you can sell your one for a reasonable amount and get a pair, that's a good solution.

But it IS important to have a good match. At the level of performance of the 308's (not that they suck), you could probably get away with buying another single.

If we were talking about the 6332's I mentioned above, definitely get you a pair. But we're not talking about $3k per pair 6332's

Sorry, I misunderstood. Went back and re-read everything. Gettin ready to order another LSR308 match... Thanks to all.