Advices choosing a budget studio monitors for voiceover/voice acting....

[chaoshead]

Now that i got most of the gear in place, i am missing a set of monitors for my voiceover/voice acting projects...

I have found these to choose from (im located in the middle of nowhere in north of europe, hence why the prices might be different), and yes, these are prices pr. set including shipping:
eris e3.5 = $110
alesis elevate 5 mkII = $140
pioneer dm40 = $165
mackie mr524 = $280
audioengine a2+ = $290
jbl 305p mkII = $300
yamaha hs5 = $340
ik iloud = $350

Since it's a budget set, i should probably just go for the e3.5? It seems to be getting good words as well... What you lot reckon? Is it that much of a difference between that and the jbl 305p mkII that seems to be a preferred choice for many?

Also, what else do i need to get with the monitors so i can hook them up to my audio interface? What sort of cables for example?

I have gotten a lot of help from this forum, and i appreciate everyone who's taken time to advice me through the many things i have been asking about.

 

[ecc83]

IK Multimedia iLoud Micro

Based on the above I would definitely go for the iLouds. My son has a pair of the Eris 3.5s and he is very happy with them (mainly classical guitar) but I would have bought the iLouds but for various reasons did not want to spend that much money.

Cables? Almost certainly 2 times TRS jacks but always download the makers user manual before you buy any audio gear!

Dave.

 

[rob aylestone]

I’m still mixing on a very old pair of larger monitors that are now 30 year old, maybe even 40, and while not the best when they were new, they’re a standard for me so I know them really well. In my other studio that is mainly for video, I can mix happily on the modern, smaller ones, but I never release anything produced there without checking back home. The reason is simple. I hear things I didn’t. Usually at the bottom. With synths, that I use a lot at the moment, it’s easy to pick a sound that works great, but to discover that it has a fundamental tone two octaves below that is way too high in the mix, but is totally missing in the small box mix. The fix is usually to just shelve it off to get back to the small box sound I deliberately wanted. This for me is the vital bit. The small speaker mix is not truthful. If you record bass guitar, piano, or other instruments it doesn’t matter because you played those notes so are aware they are there. With artificial sounds it’s not easy. I tried a sub but it was artificial, and better without. If you use synths, be careful, the smaller boxes can catch you out. If you don’t, the ones on the list would work for me.

 

[ecc83]

I’m still mixing on a very old pair of larger monitors that are now 30 year old, maybe even 40, and while not the best when they were new, they’re a standard for me so I know them really well. In my other studio that is mainly for video, I can mix happily on the modern, smaller ones, but I never release anything produced there without checking back home. The reason is simple. I hear things I didn’t. Usually at the bottom. With synths, that I use a lot at the moment, it’s easy to pick a sound that works great, but to discover that it has a fundamental tone two octaves below that is way too high in the mix, but is totally missing in the small box mix. The fix is usually to just shelve it off to get back to the small box sound I deliberately wanted. This for me is the vital bit. The small speaker mix is not truthful. If you record bass guitar, piano, or other instruments it doesn’t matter because you played those notes so are aware they are there. With artificial sounds it’s not easy. I tried a sub but it was artificial, and better without. If you use synths, be careful, the smaller boxes can catch you out. If you don’t, the ones on the list would work for me.

+1 Rob. I now listen to TV/radio almost exclusively on a pair of Mission 775s (~4ft high, twin 6.5" woofers) and these deliver really solid, well extended bass. Almost everything from Radio3 is fine but much of the stuff on TV has VLF you would never know about on 'lesser' systems. A lot of times I think "WTF was THAT!?"

The OP is doing voice overs (exclusively?) but still needs to check for out of band noise. A pair of modes headphones will do that. Cans are also invaluable for checking the noise floor of your system, low level hums can creep up on you!

*These are impressive and great for general listening but prbably a bit too "nice" for serious monitoring.

Dave.

 

[chaoshead]

IK Multimedia iLoud Micro

Based on the above I would definitely go for the iLouds. My son has a pair of the Eris 3.5s and he is very happy with them (mainly classical guitar) but I would have bought the iLouds but for various reasons did not want to spend that much money.

Cables? Almost certainly 2 times TRS jacks but always download the makers user manual before you buy any audio gear!

Dave.

Ok, so the 3.5s seems to be a good enough choice then, it seems. Ilouds seems to be a taaad bit too steep for my budget. Is there THAT big of a difference between the E3.5s and the ILouds for voiceover work? :O

I’m still mixing on a very old pair of larger monitors that are now 30 year old, maybe even 40, and while not the best when they were new, they’re a standard for me so I know them really well. In my other studio that is mainly for video, I can mix happily on the modern, smaller ones, but I never release anything produced there without checking back home. The reason is simple. I hear things I didn’t. Usually at the bottom. With synths, that I use a lot at the moment, it’s easy to pick a sound that works great, but to discover that it has a fundamental tone two octaves below that is way too high in the mix, but is totally missing in the small box mix. The fix is usually to just shelve it off to get back to the small box sound I deliberately wanted. This for me is the vital bit. The small speaker mix is not truthful. If you record bass guitar, piano, or other instruments it doesn’t matter because you played those notes so are aware they are there. With artificial sounds it’s not easy. I tried a sub but it was artificial, and better without. If you use synths, be careful, the smaller boxes can catch you out. If you don’t, the ones on the list would work for me.

Hmm, so...based on that, E3.5s would be a good choice for me since i am ONLY doing voiceover work?

Yes, voiceover and voice acting exclusively. NO instruments.

 

[ecc83]

I have not heard the iLs and the Eris briefly in a shop but my son is a very good musician of 48yrs and I trust his judgement.

So, go for those but also stretch to one of these? https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01...f8RkPqommJFpSUSukmHsfBKVynVv6pTAaAmtQEALw_wcB

Might seem 25 sovs you don't need to spend but an SPL meter can make your work much more consistent. Especially for voice, folks have a tendency to play back at too high a level which gives a wrong tonal balance.

Look up articles on "Monitor Calibration" from Sound on Sound or Massive Mastering. Your only extra cost is the meter. Any DAW, inc' Audacity, can provide the pink noise.

Dave.

 

[chaoshead]

I have not heard the iLs and the Eris briefly in a shop but my son is a very good musician of 48yrs and I trust his judgement.

So, go for those but also stretch to one of these? https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01...f8RkPqommJFpSUSukmHsfBKVynVv6pTAaAmtQEALw_wcB

Might seem 25 sovs you don't need to spend but an SPL meter can make your work much more consistent. Especially for voice, folks have a tendency to play back at too high a level which gives a wrong tonal balance.

Look up articles on "Monitor Calibration" from Sound on Sound or Massive Mastering. Your only extra cost is the meter. Any DAW, inc' Audacity, can provide the pink noise.

Dave.

Sounds like a good idea that, yes. Thanks for the link.

E3.5s it is then. It seems like they will do the job good for my purposes, yes.

So, for the E3.5s, what cables do i need to buy so i can connect them to my Behringer UMC202HD? You mentioned TRS-cable... i need 2 of them, or? There seems to be several TRS cables... do you have a picture reference, perhaps?

 

[ecc83]

https://pae-web.presonusmusic.com/d..._BT_E4.5_E4.5_BT_OwnersManual_EN_11102019.pdf

Ah, in fact the 3.5s come with all the cables you need as per above. However I think the UMC202HD has jack outputs and so you will need in addition a pair of RCA (phono) to 6.35mm jack plug adapters. Audio adapters are usually to be aoided like Covid but those are in fact very reliable. Will find a piccy, hang on...


Dave.MOBOREST 6.35mm to RCA Female Pure Copper Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Those are the fellers. Pic' just FYI you can get them much cheaper but not as blingey!

N.B. the Eris speakers are not 'proper pro' in that they don't have balanced inputs, that is rarely a problem at line signal levels in the home. The fact that the speakers are powered from a 2 pin mains cable means ground loops are very unlikely and so lack of 'balance' is really not an issue.

 

[chaoshead]

https://pae-web.presonusmusic.com/d..._BT_E4.5_E4.5_BT_OwnersManual_EN_11102019.pdf

Ah, in fact the 3.5s come with all the cables you need as per above. However I think the UMC202HD has jack outputs and so you will need in addition a pair of RCA (phono) to 6.35mm jack plug adapters. Audio adapters are usually to be aoided like Covid but those are in fact very reliable. Will find a piccy, hang on...


Dave.MOBOREST 6.35mm to RCA Female Pure Copper Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Those are the fellers. Pic' just FYI you can get them much cheaper but not as blingey!

N.B. the Eris speakers are not 'proper pro' in that they don't have balanced inputs, that is rarely a problem at line signal levels in the home. The fact that the speakers are powered from a 2 pin mains cable means ground loops are very unlikely and so lack of 'balance' is really not an issue.

Much appreciated for those tips, man! I actually have a couple of those adapters around here somewhere, so it's good that i will not need to buy extra cables. However, i will call the store tomorrow and check if i need anything else before i buy those monitors.

Thanks again for all the valuable tips and advices!