HANDMADE MONITOR SPEAKERS...

[DJ BIZZ-E]

Handmade monitor speakers. Are they better than for example Event 20/20Bas speakers or the Yamaha ns-10?
(I would pay around $1000 for a pair of handmade ones.)
This guy/manufacturer tells me he laughs with the so called Studio Monitors. His opinion is that a handmade speaker is better or at least as good as the formentioned studio monitors.

Another question to pop: Is the size important? I need a clear sound of bass, because I make bassy music. Is the size important to hear your bass correctly?
I will use my monitors in a small room. Isn't it better to get small ones or should I go for a bigger pair?

At the moment I've got Bose 201's. But when I play my D.A.T. on a pair of Events 20/20'ies, the mix sounds dull. Should I get rid of the Bose 201's or is it better to use them together(with my future monitors).

Can anyone give me more information about handmade studio monitors?

So...final question: Should I go for handmade OR the established names???

DJ BIZZ-E
(c) 2000

 

[BigKahuna]

$1000 for no-name monitors?!
That seems pricey, but I guess it could be worth it. How do you really know, though?

Get some references from this guy ... who has he made monitors for that are still using them? Are some pros using them? or just his girlfriend?

Get some specs ... he should be testing his designs in a controlled environment if he's charging $1k per pair.

Get a demo ... see if you can borrow a pair for a day and check them out ... if you like the way your mixes work on them ... then that's the real test.

$1k is a nice sum to throw around for monitors. Personally, I'd stick with name-brands ... but if this guy can provide some of the info above ... then give him some serious thought. He is right, homemade monitors can sound as good or better than some name brands ... if they're made correctly. If they're not ... they can easily just sound like crap. Don't jump into a deal with him just because he can trash-talk the "so called" studio monitors. Talk is cheap.
$1000 isn't.

As far as your Bose speakers, if you don't need the cash ... I'd keep them just as a second reference set ... don't play them with the new monitors at the same time, though. Unless your mixing in surround sound, you should really only listen to 2 speakers at one time.
Size isn't always important for bass response, in my opinion. You can get pretty deep bass with a smaller woofer and a ported design. I'd also go with smaller speakers in a smaller room.

good luck



[This message has been edited by BigKahuna (edited 07-28-2000).]

 

[barefoot]

Loudspeaker design is VERY complicated. If he’s building a kit, or using an established design, then maybe he’ll come up with something good. Which kit? Who’s design? What components? Otherwise, if it’s his own design, does he use LEAP, LMS, TEF, MLSSA (professional design/analysis software and hardware)? Does he even know what these are? Big companies do. And they also benefit from economies of scale. An individual speaker builder usually only becomes competitive in the hi-end. I know because in a past life I owned a small company doing this very thing. Though a $1000 might seem like a lot, for hi-end speakers it’s not at all. I’m skeptical as to what anyone can build for that much money that would be so much better than an established company's.

I don’t want to discourage you from buying from a private builder. In fact, I completely Encourage it – as long as you’re getting your moneys worth. If done well, “home made” speakers can often kick the ass of mass produced ones.

Yes, big equals bass. There’s no getting around it unless they use active feedback like Velodyne subs, in which case you trade money for size. But, be careful when you strive for deep bass. Frequency response is extremely room dependent. Even with daydream mega monitors, flat from 20-20kHz, you’ll still wind up EQ-ing to your room anomalies.

Beyond speaker design, good monitoring is also quite complicated, and a too often neglected aspect of recording.

Have you considered headphones? These are also tricky, but then that’s another story.