Do I really need monitors?

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wombar

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Hi All,

I've got to a point in my recording now where I think it's going to be really useful to have some nice monitors but have some doubts. Before anyone asks, I totally understand a monitor is meant to convey the "true" sound of a mix and therefore give you a better chance of getting a good sound on a range of systems.

However, my dad has just invested in some pretty good home cinema kit(Kef Q series speakers and a high end Denon amp) and the music on this system sounds incredible and most importantly clear. This has got me thinking about whether I need monitors at this point in time.

Now instead of spending £1000 on a pair of Mackie 824's, could I get away with spending that money(more like £600) on a very nice amp and separate speakers? Am I right in assuming you can't really listen to monitor speakers as everyday speakers?

I've listened to a few hi-fi speakers with monitoring in mind and I've found some fairly good ones which appear to be nicely balanced with an amp for about £600 which is much more appealing because I can EQ them to be relatively flat when mixing and turn the EQ back on for films etc.

Basically my speakers need upgrading and I'd like some that I can use for everyday tasks(films, music etc) as well as recording. The Mackies and Genelecs sounded great but I don't think they'd be too happy with everyday tasks.

At the end of the day, whatever I end up buying is going to be an improvement over my creative speakers which are horrible, but I don't want to scupper myself without getting some opinions from other people who have already been in this situation.

I know there are going to be a lot of people saying I need monitors but I guess I really need a bit of convincing. If I bought the Mackies I could rest easy knowing I've got the only monitors I'm likely to need unless I start making some serious money out of music.

Anyway, it's up to you guys to talk me round I guess ;)
 
you are correct, monitors are supposed to make your music sound good on a range of speaker systems. Heres something you need to think about though, does everyone have that high price tag surround sound system your dad has? probaby not. Chances are, if you mix something to sound amazing on that particular speaker system, you might be very dissappointed when you hear it in your car audio system. I suggest getting some event 20/20 unpowered monitors and a good reference amp. I use them for exactly what you are describing, works like a dream.

One more thing, we are talking about nearfield monitors, which means the best sound is when you are close to them, not 10 feet across the room, keep this in mind too. Hi-fi's are meant for longer distance listening.
 
wombar said:
Am I right in assuming you can't really listen to monitor speakers as everyday speakers?
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No! I listen to lots of stuff through my monitors besides my own recordings. Why? They sound better than my regular stereo speakers (which admittedly are pretty crappy to begin with).

The monitoring chain is perhaps the most crucial part of any recording set-up. It's possible to use a hi-fi set-up to monitor with, of course, but the odds are good that your mixes won't translate well on other systems (as jjmanton2 said).
 
I have eight pair of monitors in the studio and controlroom, I've had Genelecs, KRK's, JBL's and a lot more. They're all gone, now I have the NS10's just for compairing to other monitors, a pair of gigantic Sony G7 hi fi speakers from the late seventies, great for rock, but the other monitors are all IMF, which are equipped with KEF drivers most.

Yesterday we were mixing a bigband recording and the conductor plus another guy from the band preferred the IMF ALS40II's. These are very detailed and flat, but warm sounding speakers. You can work with them for many hours without getting any fatique.

I suppose a pair of the better KEF speakers will work like a charm for you, they're on ebay all the time for little $$
 
Blimey that was quick guys :)

Good points all round btw.

I know all too well what sounds good on one set of speakers sounds awful on others. My first demo sounded okay on my crummy creative speakers but sounded appalling in my car.

Once I've mixed a recording I always try to hear it on as many systems as possible, this is one of the reasons I'm thinking of getting something to replace my current set up. I'm just not getting a clear picture of the mix at the moment which is why I worry about the hi-fi setup. Although the KEFs I'm looking at appear to sound clean, will they do as good a job as some Tannoy or similar monitors that didn't really seem to clear up the mix for me.

I think the crux of the problem is that I was only really impressed by the Mackies in the shop, some of the genelec stuff sounded close but lacked something that the Mackies had. I also assume you're paying a premium to get everything stuffed into the speaker cabinet, buying a separate amp/speakers is going to take up more space and therefore should cost a little less.

Anyway, please keep the opinions coming in.
 
You have to keep in mind that the monitors are a part of the equation. The space they're operating in also has an effect on what you hear.

If you don't mind, please share some details - your gear, the type of music you're recording, your recording/mixing space, etc.
 
Thanks for the reply MadAudio.

Okay, I'm operating in a room about 20ft by 15ft. I don't really know how to sum up the room acoustically. The monitors would end up being about 4ft away from me. I have a fair amount of space to move things around which is why I'm not worried about having an amp knocking around.

Regarding my gear, I'm using a MOTU 896HD as the hub of all my recording setup which runs into a 2.4 Ghz PC which I run Sonar 4 on and use to mix as well. I use various mics to record drums, guitar and vocals. I'm also just about to invest in some higher quality mics, not sure which one(s) yet, been looking at Neumanns, Rodes and Shures. I'm intending to run a signal straight out of the MOTU into whatever I get btw.

I record a range of music from solo acoustic guitar to rock with my band so ideally I need something that is pretty good for a range of music.

If I end up getting some monitors then they'll have to be good ones that I won't need to replace any time soon. The Mackies impressed me but the price tag is way more than I want to afford at the moment and the Genelecs just seemed like a compromise. I think I'd always wish I'd bought the Mackies if I bought those.

Anyway, keep the suggestions and comments rolling in. They're much appreciated.
 
Go down to your local guitar center, and ask the salesman to compare the mackies and a pair of Event 20/20's powered by an alesis RS150 or similar amp. Then ask to hear some KRK stuff. Really, if your guitar center is anything like mine, they have a room full of monitors and you can switch each one on and off individually. My problem with the mackie's is that its hard for me to get good mixes on them. My friend owns a pair, and after about 30 mins or so im tired of listening to them. Hang out in the monitor room of guitar center for a long time, atleast 20 mins, and just make a decision, not thinking about the price or what people say about the monitors.
 
You may as well ask if you need ears to record. Yes you need nearfields, for exactly the reasons listed above.
 
I'm on the fence - Nearfields for mains, as far as recording goes, is a fairly "new thing." I've always been dissatisfied with the sound of 90% of them.

Studio monitors were always big, bulky boxes that sounded anything but "flat" most of the time. Nearfields - Auratones, NS-10's and now the dreaded 824's and the like used to be something you'd "consult" with - Not unlike the MONO button. You woudn't mix with them, you'd flip over to them occasionally to make sure you weren't in another world somewhere. They gained a lot of popularity among home and project studios because the room was made *less* important, as the proximity to the monitors was so close.

The experiment is simple - Move the speakers or your DAW and do some mixes on them. See how it works.

You can throw Events and Mackies at me all day - Then, I'll just go over to Farview and mix on the 813's with 4 or 500 watts going to each side. In a medium room, I'll take a pair of B&W 603's (maybe $1,000 a pair or so) and a used Bryston any day over almost any nearfield monitor out there.
 
as far as being a novice goes. i fought like hell thinking i didnt need monitors to get a good mix. i finally threw my trust and 300 bucks in the advice that i got from the bbs and bought some actual studio monitors. the whole idea of a flat/true sound threw me for a loop. i had only listened to my headphones, car speakers and home theater speakers. when i first listened to the studio monitors i thought "dont they need some kind of eq or something?" when i brought my samson 65as home, i took my mp3s and listened to them to see what everything sounded like flat (or in true sound). i was actually surprised by what i heard that i didnt hear using all the other mediums. i liked it. (i enjoy using critizism when listening to other people's music...kinda like say "that was good, but i can do it better.") when i had house parties and the party ended up migrating to my room, i played the mp3s on my monitor speakers and it seemed to blow people away. my room became party central. and as for recording playback, i was surprised at the fact that they sounded like they did on the monitor speakers when i played the same song on the home stereo speakers and the car speakers. i'm happy i put my trust in the people on this board. i built a new computer and havent installed the audiophile 24/96 soundcard yet but when i listen to a couple of mp3s on the multimedia speakers i have, windows media player stays at default so the eq is flat so i can pretend i have my monitors plugged in...it doesnt sound the same as having my monitors but its what I'm used to now. my samsons are about 4 feet away from each other with 2 computer monitors in between them and I'm about a foot and a half to 2 feet away creating the triangle method
 
Monitors For Hifi Listening

How do people find listening to music through their monitors? Im looking to get a pair of Event TR8XL's for monitoring and everyday listening to my CD's, but am worried I won't like the sound of my CD's through them as much? Will I get used to, and like the sound of the speakers with my CD's after a while?
 
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