All-around Studio monitors?

G

Gillette

New member
Hello everyone :)

I'am looking for some kind of (studio monitors) speakers that can do both: mixing and listenig, nothing proffesional though..

A pair of speakers better than small PC-ones with enough bass (without subwoofer), for guitar playing trough DAW, for DVD-s, movies, recording something for youtube maybe, etc..

Some kind of compromise between profy studio-monitors and amateur recordings

That's my only PC, and I won't use it just for mixing but for music listening, waching movies

Speskers are some 5.1 Creative

Thank you
 
Gillette said:
Hello everyone :)

I'am looking for some kind of (studio monitors) speakers that can do both: mixing and listenig, nothing proffesional though..

A pair of speakers better than small PC-ones with enough bass (without subwoofer), for guitar playing trough DAW, for DVD-s, movies, recording something for youtube maybe, etc..

Some kind of compromise between profy studio-monitors and amateur recordings

That's my only PC, and I won't use it just for mixing but for music listening, waching movies

Speskers are some 5.1 Creative

Thank you
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There is no essential difference between high quality hi fi speakers and good, accurate monitors. Indeed, the recording industry has always used the best of hi fi speakers, if not for direct monitoring, certainly for quality checking (big favourite is the Quad ESL).

So choose a monitor from a top maker (I love my Tannoy 5as but they might be a bit small and quiet for you) and read as many reviews as you can. Look in those reviews for SMOOTH sounding speakers, avoid anything that is said to have a "forward" midrange since that could get tiring, there is a place for brash monitors but not I think for the double duty you envisage.

Most importantly you want ACTIVE monitors because you mentioned putting guitar through them? Actives have much closer drive unit protection than is possible with passive speakers.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
There is no essential difference between high quality hi fi speakers and good, accurate monitors. Indeed, the recording industry has always used the best of hi fi speakers, if not for direct monitoring, certainly for quality checking (big favourite is the Quad ESL).

So choose a monitor from a top maker (I love my Tannoy 5as but they might be a bit small and quiet for you) and read as many reviews as you can. Look in those reviews for SMOOTH sounding speakers, avoid anything that is said to have a "forward" midrange since that could get tiring, there is a place for brash monitors but not I think for the double duty you envisage.

Most importantly you want ACTIVE monitors because you mentioned putting guitar through them? Actives have much closer drive unit protection than is possible with passive speakers.

Dave.
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Hey, thank you Dave for your answer
This sounds good. I was afraid of lacking bass (because of the multimedia use, movies and so on)

therefore, maybe would be a good idea to look for some monitors with bass knob controller? (any recommendations?)

My room is small and a do have subwoofer now, but if I get a pair of active monitors, hopefully won't need a subwoofer anymore?
 
Gillette said:
Hey, thank you Dave for your answer
This sounds good. I was afraid of lacking bass (because of the multimedia use, movies and so on)

therefore, maybe would be a good idea to look for some monitors with bass knob controller? (any recommendations?)

My room is small and a do have subwoofer now, but if I get a pair of active monitors, hopefully won't need a subwoofer anymore?
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I would say that the subwoofer is where a monitoring rig departs from an "entertainment" set up?
It is very difficult to get a smooth very low frequency response in a small room. Yes, with a SW you can make some impressive noises and videos will sound more engaging perhaps (are you going for the 5.1 full Monty?) but it is very unlikely to be an accurate system to mix with. If you have the discipline to turn off the woofer for mixing, fine.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
I would say that the subwoofer is where a monitoring rig departs from an "entertainment" set up?
It is very difficult to get a smooth very low frequency response in a small room. Yes, with a SW you can make some impressive noises and videos will sound more engaging perhaps (are you going for the 5.1 full Monty?) but it is very unlikely to be an accurate system to mix with. If you have the discipline to turn off the woofer for mixing, fine.

Dave.
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I agree Dave, and that is why I would like to get just a pair of speakers with good bass (if it's possible), and to tweak it it depending of what I'm doing (mixing or listening music, movies..)
 
Take a look at the, iKey Audio M-505V2.

From what I can tell, they have pretty good reviews for 'all-around' purposes. The monitor focuses on being a hybrid replacement for stereo speakers and takes into account loudness and maintained clarity.

Just note bass though, as with ever monitor you will likely need a subwoofer as well.
 
Thank you SyDiko..just one more question as for subwoofer:

is it possible to keep this one I already have (I'm asking this because of connectors. My speakers are now connected direct to the subwoofer. An If I replace those little Creative speakers from 5.1 system with let's say iKey Audio M-505V - which are Active speakers as I can see, will it be possible to connect them to the sub? Or we're talking about some new subwoofer to..?)
 
Gillette said:
Thank you SyDiko..just one more question as for subwoofer:

is it possible to keep this one I already have (I'm asking this because of connectors. My speakers are now connected direct to the subwoofer. An If I replace those little Creative speakers from 5.1 system with let's say iKey Audio M-505V - which are Active speakers as I can see, will it be possible to connect them to the sub? Or we're talking about some new subwoofer to..?)
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No problem!

Hard to answer to be honest with you, (perhaps someone with more knowledge can chime in...) But, from my experiences with home studios, you'll want to find a subwoofer that will pair nicely with your monitors (within brand seems to be the norm for best results.) Additionally, your creative subwoofer might not have the right connections to play nice with the monitors that you purchase.
 
here is my "studio" how it looks now

20131107_212240.jpg
 
For critical mixing and monitoring it is unlikely that a gash subwoofer would integrate successfully with those monitors.

This is because they are "full range" speakers and have a specified response (BADLY specified I might add!) to 55Hz. It is usual to restrict the main pair to about 80Hz and have the sub take over at that point. Then, does the sub woofer have a phase flip switch? You need one because there is only a 50-50 chance that the sub and the "strangers" will be in phase at the crossover point (which is wrong anyway!) .

Butty but, BUT! Boring old fart I might be but I shall continue to say this to noobs...LEAR THIS STUFF! And by that I mean audio connections, basic electricity (Ohms Law) and audio levels. Yours is a classic case of being stuck because of some very basic knowledge and until you buckle down and get some electrical knowledge you will always and forever be stymied by these basic matters. Even if you were very, very rich there would STILL be things you cannot buy and have to make/do them yourself.

Dave.
 
Very nice studio setup you have there!

ecc83 said:
Butty but, BUT! Boring old fart I might be but I shall continue to say this to noobs...LEAR THIS STUFF! And by that I mean audio connections, basic electricity (Ohms Law) and audio levels. Yours is a classic case of being stuck because of some very basic knowledge and until you buckle down and get some electrical knowledge you will always and forever be stymied by these basic matters. Even if you were very, very rich there would STILL be things you cannot buy and have to make/do them yourself.
Dave.
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Truth!

I have a degree in Computer Engineering from a 4 year college, and I'm currently going for my masters, but I also have a 2-year certificate/degree from a trade school in Electronics. Believe it or not, the information learned at the trade school far exceeds what I learned in college. That said, it definitely makes the difference and allows you to fully grasp recording, equipment, and all those numbers associated. :)
 
Hahaha it's funny how you ask a question about multi purpose monitors in a newb section and get a lecture from some know-it-all-holier-than-thou forum nerd about studying electricity.

I used to rely primarily on a pair of M-audio studiophile av 40s. By no means are they high quality studio monitors but they worked well for a little bit of recording (after checking your mix in a couple different spots) and were really good for stuff like watching youtube videos and surfing the web. They;re around 150 american. They sound good for what they are. They have a bass boost feature. check them out if you haven't already. Good luck!
 
TheBones said:
Hahaha it's funny how you ask a question about multi purpose monitors in a newb section and get a lecture from some know-it-all-holier-than-thou forum nerd about studying electricity.

I used to rely primarily on a pair of M-audio studiophile av 40s. By no means are they high quality studio monitors but they worked well for a little bit of recording (after checking your mix in a couple different spots) and were really good for stuff like watching youtube videos and surfing the web. They;re around 150 american. They sound good for what they are. They have a bass boost feature. check them out if you haven't already. Good luck!
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Yes I am holier than thou. I have been a staunch Cathode Follower all my adult life and always wish to garner Lost Sheep to the fold.

Dave.
 
I'd also like to suggest the JBL LSR305's. They're about 150 each so that fits the budget. Forget all the electronics crap these guys are throwing at you if you're not gonna use a sub. They're just trying to scare you away. The JBL's tho are surprisingly good for the price and the bass response is great for the size. I really like them, if only I knew then, what I know now, I would've saved myself $100 and skipped the Rokit 6's and gone with these when I got my first pair of monitors.

BTW, nice setup. I like your desk.
 
DSPDiva said:
I'd also like to suggest the JBL LSR305's. They're about 150 each so that fits the budget. Forget all the electronics crap these guys are throwing at you if you're not gonna use a sub. They're just trying to scare you away. The JBL's tho are surprisingly good for the price and the bass response is great for the size. I really like them, if only I knew then, what I know now, I would've saved myself $100 and skipped the Rokit 6's and gone with these when I got my first pair of monitors.

BTW, nice setup. I like your desk.
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Err? Without the electronic "crap"...Nothing works!

Dave.
 
DSPDiva said:
Forget all the electronics crap these guys are throwing at you if you're not gonna use a sub. They're just trying to scare you away.
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I'm confused by this statement? I say that because most reasonably priced studio monitors have excellent 'low' range sound output, but if you want booming bass, you'll likely need a sub-woofer - especially if you're producing modern hip-hop or electronic music that is bass heavy. Moreover, if your monitors are doubling as computer speakers for watching movies, playing games, or anything along those lines, then you may want to consider a sub as well.
 
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