JPlush76 said:
what is the big difference with monitors compared to speakers/headphones?
I've been in studios where you mix on monitors, I go home on my boom box and it sounds like shit.
Your all right though, I mixed these down on my comp and it sounded fine when I got in my car I noticed many of the things you guys have said 
anyone have any good monitor recommendations for under $400?
Here's the deal... *good* studio speakers have a flat frequency response and little to no coloring of the outgoing sound... What you record is what you hear. Studios that have regular speakers (even GOOD speakers) as monitors color the sound... Go to a local Radio Shack or Circuit City. A/B all the speakers. Some sound bassier, some sound brighter... Some people like speakers A for rock, but others prefer speakers B for classical. Because they have different frequency responses...
Monitors give you an unbiased listen at what you recorded. If you have a pair of speakers that don't have a lot of bass but tons of highs, you'll mix in more bass/kick and tone down the crashes, perhaps squash the snare a bit... You go to play it on a home theater system with good response all around, and your sub drives too hard and your satellites don't get the full range of the cymbals 'cause you EQ'ed 'em down. Dude, I'll repeat. Listen to our mp3s. They sounded BADASSED in the studio, on the speakers we were using for monitors... Everything was TIZIGHT! And it sounded almost as good in my drummer's 2000 Chevy
Silverado stock system. On my TV through
the Dreamcast it sounded decent... my computer sounds like shit... most stereo systems (including some at my work) make it sound horrible.
However, if you mix on a good unbiased flat pair of monitors, then you'll get a good unbiased signal. If you're familiar with your monitors and how they sound in comparison to what your mix will sound like in the real world, then you can mix much easier. No more running to the car, boombox, walkman, and home stereo just to test out one mix as much. You get a good mix on your monitors, most likely, it'll sound very similar on most everything you've got... For the most part...
I think that's about all I was gonna' say... I'm gettin' all sidetracked and whatnot... But for under $400... check Ebay... look for some Event 20/20s... Tannoy Reveals... Yamaha NS10s... and i forgot the model of the Yorkies that a few others around here were enjoying...
Someone else who's much more experienced wanna' pitch in their two cents?
