inexpensive near-field monitors

O

o-ron

New member
I currently use a Harman/Kardon AVR45 receiver/amp paired with a set of Infinity RS-3's for my recording studio. This works well and the speakers are even magnetically sheilded. However, they are big, and especially the HK receiver is huge and heavy and most of my recording is done "on-the-go" at churches and other places (almost never at home). So carting around this big heavy equipment is kind of annoying.

I'm looking at buying some inexpensive near-field monitors. Specifically active (powered) monitors. My budget cap is $300 FOR THE PAIR.

I've discovered the following units:
Edirol MA-10D - $130/pair - I love how small these are and the extra features of digital inputs is a big bonus (as I do all digital recording). Also the price is great. However, a 4" woofer and only 10w/channel seems a bit puny.

M-Audio SP-5B - $300/pair - Nice design, powerful biamplification, bigger woofer and wider frequency response. Just *barely* matches my budget, but not sure if it's worth blowing all my money on. Does not have any digital inputs now does it have regular RCA inputs (for when I'm just using my laptop and leave other gear behind).

I've found a few others including the Event PS5 and the Roland DS-30A each with their strong points but both out of my price range.

Are there any other units out there worth looking at in my price range?

Also, anywhere to buy these things used? (I checked Ebay - not much there).

THANKS!!!

My digital recording equipment:
Compaq Presario 1500 Pentium 4 laptop
MOTU 828 Firewire recording box
12 channel Soundcraft Mixing board
 
M-Audio SP-5Bs just got a strong write up in recording magazine. I use them and they are very accurate above 300K. Below 300, if you mix for that space, you would need a subwoofer or monitors with 8 inch or larger speakers.
 
I just picked up a pair of Event TR5 active monitors at MF for $300. I'd echo Middleman's take on the Studiophiles. I think these things rock for the price and you can't get much simpler than a balanced line level signal in. I have a subwoofer for the times when its needed, but those really aren't often with my kind of stuff. Like the Studiophiles, they pump out about 100 watts apiece; the Rolands / Edirols just aren't comparable. Want portable? They'd do nicely, I would think.

Inputs - I remain convinced that digital inputs on a set of monitors are like fins on a bicycle. There's a theory, I suppose, at work somewhere in the sales pitch, but it works the wrong way. A digital signal is very likely to be more susceptible to degradation over long cable runs than a balanced analog signal. Why mess with a good design and find yourself stuck to Mother Roland as a consequence? It's easier to open the window and toss out a few tens onto the lawn every now and then.

The Events (and I believe the M-Audios as well) have balanced and unbalanced inputs - XLR and 1/4 ". So you could use the laptop with a simple jack adapter and you're set to go. I'd be comfortable with either one.
 
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Middleman - 300k?

So I'm looking at these possibilities:

M-Audio SP-5Bs

Event 20/20's

Event TR5

All for roughly $300/pair.

Anyone know where I could find a used pair for a little less?

I was down at my local Ted Brown Music and they had a Fostex set and the Beringher Truths. The Truths were beautiful, but are $400/pair (which, considering, is a good price for them).

Any other possibilities?

Thanks!
 
Right, thanks. Shouldn't be a problem - I have a sub and besides most of my recordings are acoustic instruments and/or voice.
No problem - i understand about vacation! :-)

I'll keep an eye out for these. My brother and I were hoping to do our equipment "swap" as Christmas gifts, but it doesn't have to be so urgent. I'll keep an eye on Ebay and anywhere else.

P.S. Anyone have an opinion on the Truths as compared to these speakers?
 
Middleman said:
M-Audio SP-5Bs just got a strong write up in recording magazine. I use them and they are very accurate above 300K. Below 300, if you mix for that space, you would need a subwoofer or monitors with 8 inch or larger speakers.
Click to expand...

I'll assume you really meant 300 Hz, not 300K (300K is about 4 octaves above what's audible).

I don't know that I'd be too happy about a speaker that's not reasonably accurate below 300 Hz, though. I guess it all depends on just how inaccurate it is.

300 Hz is square in the middle of where your fundamentals are: it's about at the D above middle C on a piano. So, these speakers would inaccurately produce the fundamentals of: (i) pretty much everything you play with your left hand on a piano, (ii) 5 of the open strings on a guitar, (iii) pretty much everthing you can play on a bass and (iv) most or all of a typical male singer's range (leaving out boy bands and assorted high-pitched screamers).
 
i think 300hz is probably an exaggeration. i read a review on these and they compared favorably with a pair of alesis and other good quality monitors all the way down to around 100hz, below that they were quite good but relied more on the bass reflex port for sub-100hz frequencies (making it a bit weaker and colored down there) than other monitors with better woofers and/or larger woofers (note that these other monitors are also more expensive).
 
Everything involves a compromise somewhere. I figure the Events & Studiophiles are engineered to compromise at the right places for the $300 budget market (i.e., people like me), making them really useful.

O-ron - The 20/20s are not active monitors; you'd need to figure the price of a stereo amp into the picture, which knocks them out of the budget range initially suggested.
 
300 Hz was a ballpark figure just so people know that these are not low-mid to low speakers. I have not actually measured the frequency response but Snoop dog would not mix on them.

I have to EQ quite a bit in the sub 300 Hz frequency space to make room for other instruments and to get the bass/kick drum accurate. I have stated this prior but if you put them close to a backing wall the bass ports bounce the sound quite well. Since I don't do hip hop they are just fine for almost everything and translate well to other speakers.

If you have a good set of headphones you can usually catch excessive low end in the mix so for your average pop, rock, RB, or metal kinda guy they are OK.

Above (approximately :D) 300Hz I think they are stellar, very crisp, maybe too crisp. At first my mixes were a little too sterile and I have learned to compensate with compression and EQ on the M-Buss. Also when I put a little smiley face dip from about 500-2K, very slight on mastering, things seem to come out quite good.

Good luck on your search, hope you find something inexpensive.
 
Well just because the frequency response is poor below 300Hz, it does not mean you can't mix. All you have to do is raise your bass/foot track higher to see how it sounds and when recording bring it back down. Right?? And then you will have a basic understanding as to how it should really sound ideally. Even though the actual reproduction of the bass/foot on the m-audio may not be accurate.

I have these monitors and the frequency response charts show them at a low cut-off of 200Hz. I just completed a CD and I took my tracks to a studio for mixing, so I did not have to totally depend on the M-audio monitors. But overall I am pleased with it, considering the cost of only $300.00
 
Question:

I do have a pretty good powered 10" subwoofer I can use with these (the M-Audio Sp-5b's) speakers. My question is - if I'm just using the balanced analog outputs from my MOTU 828 or the analog out from my computer (when I'm too lazy to hook up the MOTU) how do I get a signal to both these speakers AND the subwoofer?

Thanks!
 
If your subwoofer does not have an active crossover then you will need one plus possibly a mixer.
 
Subwoofers designed for monitoring or your standard home stereo typically do have a crossover of some sort: they're usually designed so you plug the left and right monitors outs into the subwoofer input, then the subwoofer has outputs that go to your two other speakers. I have used both powered and unpowered subwoofers that work this way.

So far as I can tell, subwoofers built for "home theater" surround-sound installations don't necessarily have a crossover in them. Then again, my impression was that they're not usually powered either.

If your subwoofer doesn't have a crossover, you need to get one and have it take everything below some point (somewhere in the 100-200 Hz range, I suspect) sum it to mono, and send it to the subwoofer; with everything above that point going to the other two speakers.
 
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