Getting used to my HR824s

  • Thread starter Thread starter wes480
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wes480

wes480

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Hey, looking for a little feedback from people that use these monitors.

I am trying to get used to them, and wanting a "head start" on how to mix with them.

What I am noticing about the music I am listening to on them:

They definately show you what's there...so, thats a great thing.

-Everything seems to sound a little "dull" compared to what I am used to. Vocal tracks esp, don't seem to have that "brilliant" sound that they do when played in the car or on my home stereo.

-The depth perception is weird...I've mixed a couple things on them and ended up with my vocals being really set back. It seems like maybe things that you want to be forward in the mix need to be *really* forward on these monitors.

-Confused on how to interpret the bass. I've listened to stuff that I know to be very bassy in the car and such, and it seems like the bass is just at an average level on the monitors. So, i at this point I am thinking just mix the bass so that it is right about neutral with the mids or so - on the Mackies...and you'll end up with a pretty rich low end in a home stereo.

i could just be smoking crack here...so, input from people who use these monitors would be great. When you mix on them...what are you listening for - to let you know your mix will kick elsewhere.

-Wes
 
Well,

don't forget.....that *MONITORS* are not supposed to 'colour' the sound in the way that HI FI stereo systems do....what you want is a good flat response, so that you can actually build up your mixes from ground zero, so to speak....

IF you want vocals or tracks to stand out, etc...then its up to YOU to create this during the mix - "to make it so" - as Picard would say :-)

They are not supposed to sound NICE, or BAD either....just re-produce exactly what YOU put into them....(in theory, coz no minotors are truly FLAT of course :-)

The Mackie 824's are decent monitors - I reckon....that mid-range imaging/seperational position that YOU mention "is" in my opinion what set's them apart from other sets in this price range...

Don't worry, after a while YOU will learn how to work with them, (just like with any monitors) and will be used to HOW they respond, etc...

It's like anything, a lot of *subjective* trial n error, messing around, testing this n that....you know the score :-)

KEV
 
It seems like you are having trouble dealing with the fact that the monitors wont hype the lows and highs the way a consumer stereo system does. You already know the answer, just mix with the mids more forward than you are used to and dont, pump the bass and highs as much as you think you should. Spend a lot of time listening to music on the Mackies, and pay particular attention to how natural things like cymbals and bass guitar sound, believe me after a while you will start to hear that most consumer setups actually sound muddy, boomy, and unnaturally bright.
 
"muddy, boomy, and unnaturally bright"

Sounds like you've heard MY mixes!:D

Bob
 
Room?

Wes:
I've got the Mackies, and the first mix I ever did on them came out great. Any problems I heard on other systems were easy to hear on the Mackies when I brought the mix back.

It could be your room, especially if you are having trouble getting HUGE bass out of them. I don't use anything with a sub (besides cheesey computer speakers), but mixes I know have bass will shake the room with the Mackies.

Check the manual for info on placement to make sure you're not setting yourself up for bass problems. If that's still not enough, do a search around here on room treatment. It sounds to me like you've probably got some buildup in the corners. Some kind of bass trap may help. And if you've got a room node in the vocal range, it could make it sound like the vocals are pushed back.

The only other thing I can suggest is, if you've got the tone controls set all smiley-faced in your car or wherever you're comparing to, try setting the EQ flat to see if you get more of what you expect.



Ooooh - almost forgot - How loud are you mixing? If you look at the little response-curve-thingy that came with the speakers, you'll notice that these speakers are flat at 108dB!!!! That's REALLY loud! I find that to really get a sense of a mix on the Mackies, you've got to crank them a little.

One other thing, too: keep them at that level once you pick it!!! As Sjoko2 pointed out, the Mackies' tonal properties vary dramatically with volume. If you keep them turned way down (like comfortable background level), you'll get NO bass out of them at all. They need to pump a little bit to get the bass.

The only other thing I've noticed is you pretty much have to sit right in front of them for the highs to come out. If you stand way above or below them, their high-frequency dispersion dies off and things will sound very dull.

Lastly, if room treament and level/position don't fix the highs, you might flip the high-trim switch to +2dB, just so they sound more like the speakers you're used to. Not my favorite solution, but your ears may be so used to this sound that you'll need to have it in your monitors to mix well.
 
Hey Jag,

Please elaborate a little on that above statement will ya :-)

KEV
 
Mixing shouldn't be such a analytical chore. Just listen to a lot of music on the monitors until they sound familliar. Than just make your music sound good.

Of course learning what 'sounds good' can take a lot of practice but that is basically the trick.
 
Yeah,

I must agree with the TexRoadKill here :-)

IF creating music and mixing gets to be "oh so analytical" and such a chore - then where's the FUN????

Daily LIFE has enuff STRESSES today, so it can keep it's hands OFF my tunes - thank you very much :-)

KEV
 
Tex has it right with the listening to lots of music through them. Also, as other people suggested make sure that you have the monitors set up at the right height and the right distance/angle ratio from where you head is when you listen to you mixes. The angle/distance/height makes a huge difference.

I got the Mackie 624's a month and a half ago and even though I had been combing this site and "knew" that I should expect to hear a "flat" representation of my music and it shouldn't sound like I expect it will on my home stereo. Of course I make my first mix on my new Cubase DAW and I go crazy with all the high and low end EQ so that it sounds super crispy and "live" with a bumpin' bass. "Ohhh yaaa!" I am thinking so I press it to CD so I could take it out to the stereo to fully appreciate my mixing and mastering expertise....

I stuck that CD in and cranked up the stereo with eager anticipation. Well cripes the high end was so dang high it freaking killed my eardrums and the bass was so overwhelming it buried everything except the ear-splitting high frequencies that were endangering every piece of glass in my house :eek:

That's when I learned two things:
1) People have their EQ's on their stereos set in the "smiley face" for a reason...because bumping the high and low end on a commercial CD makes it sound better so I needed to focus on making my project match a commercial CD played through my Mackies, not my home stereo.

2) Listen to what people post here and I can save time and eardrum tissue.
 
We have two sets of the 824s, one set for the tracking and mixdown area and one for the mastering room. When mixing down, I find it better to position the speakers so that they cross at about a 60 degree angle. Set them back from the mixing station far enough to give the bass some room.

I really like these monitors because they give a true sound, with a good imaging capability but as mentioned, they have to be LOUD to get the flattest frequency response. I use an SPL meter and have tuned my ears at between 85 - 87db because I don't want to go deaf.
 
Sound level and nasty neighbors

Well..certainly that is intersting to me. Can I therefore extrapolate the fact that all monitors, to some degree, change sound depending on the level at which they are played. That being the case, my problem is a true SOB upstairs. Pounds on the floor (my ceiling) even in the mid-afternoon. So, I cannot really crank the mixes ergo I do not really know what the true sound is. This is truly a drag. I suppose some sound treatment on the celing is called for, however, I do not believe that is the problem. The real problem is the fact that the bass travels throughout the whole building. So, how can I dampen the bass coming off the speakers without affecting the bass response in the room all too much. The builiding is an old, pre war, NYC brownstone. The floors are hardwood, the walls are hardwood, in fact, I believe the whoe damn thing is hard wood of some kind or another. This stuff really picks up and amplifies bass like you would not believe. There is no space between walls like in newer buildings. What ever could be done to keep the bass out of the neighbors apartment and in mine?
 
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