M-Audio SP5B Monitors for 1st Studio?

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JazzGtr

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Would the M-Audio SP5B monitors be a good choice for a very small studio setup? I was planning on getting the BX-5s but I can get the SPs very cheap. If you reccommend these, what is a fair price for "like new" condition?

Thanks for you help.
 
They're good. I use them all day long.

You have to learn how to compensate for the lack of low end when sitting in the middle however. You have to move off to the side and back about 5 feet to pick up what's happening on the lo end. This is because they port the lo frequencies out the back. This is in the 90 Hz and below range. Above 90 they are good across the spectrum. Once you learn them, they translate well up to Genelec systems I have compared them to, they are great first time monitors.

They were $299 new so I would not pay more than $200 and check to make sure the tweeters are not blown or crackling.
 
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I'm going to pass on the set I found because the owner says that they make "farting" noises in the mid bass ranges. I think I'll wait until I found a deal on some BX-5s.

Thank you for your help.
 
If you are limited by desk space and money, I think the BX5's are an excellent choice. Yes, like most smaller monitors, the bass end is limited, but it is there and plenty strong enough to know what's happening (at least it is in my acoustic space). Also, the
4 types of subtle EQ trimming are really a bonus, especially if your environment has some challenges and you don't have the ability to change the room much.

I bought several brands, including Alesis One actives, and tried them all in my small studio room, and the BX5's were definitely the best fit for me. I mix with them daily, and have been very happy with the results.

I've often read the smaller Yorkies and Events are good bang for buck, but I haven't actually used either and understand that they're a bit more expensive. Maybe others here can comment on those other good choices.

Good luck, whatever you choose,

J.

Editor's note: I've found that monitors are among the most subjective decisions any studio owner can reach. In all my research on monitors, I always found folks who love one monitor,
even among more expensive brands, and then others who hate the same. For the BX5's, for example, I read mostly very positive reviews until I hit a stinker review (in SOS magazine). Then I saw these monitors popping up in some famous musicians' home studios (jazz great Ray Charles, jazz guitarist Carlos Rios, among others), all of which left me alone with my final *listening* decision that gave me a quick answer in my case. I mention this only for you to keep in mind while you (probably) receive some very mixed comments on any monitor you mention. The lesson: use you ears--and actual studio space, if possible. Don't trust anyone too much, including me.
 
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i've got a pair of sp5b's and i love em. and i agree with everything said so far--you've gotta get used to not hearing the thumpy bass. there's plenty of bass there, but a 5in cone won't cave your chest like a 15in sub will, it's just a matter of physics.

of course, with all monitors you've gotta get used to em anyway. but i've been pleased with the results i've gotten out of my sp5b's. i'm looking for a good price on a set of NS10's just b/c i want a set, but even when i find those, i'll still hang onto the sp5b's.


wade
 
By the way, I picked up my BX5's from Guitar Center this summer for $270. I used the "but I can order them online for $299, tax/shipping inc." argument, and it worked. For $50 more, I also picked up some Alesis Ones (active) although they didn't quite cut it in my quirky studio sound space.

J.
 
Well, after talking to a relative who does professional video editing and home audio recording, I've decided against the M-Audios. He recommends a set of passive Alesis or Tannoy monitors. He said Alesis "Studio", as in the model name, but I couldn't find a model with that name - any ideas?
 
Your beyond advice.......which is good.

Get two of your favorite CDs and head to the store, time to listen with your own ears and make a decision based on that. Ask 10 different people and your going to get 10 different answers. It all comes down to the best sound for the price range you can afford.
 
I repeat, the sum of all my wisdom after months of evaluating budget monitors this year... don't trust anyone too much, including one's uncles. Get out there and listen, or better yet, buy a couple of the top contenders and listen to them *in* your home studio. You might be surprised at what you hear, regardless of what people recommend. When I finally heard three models in my home, the decision was an easy one for me.

J.
 
If you can get the SP5's for around 200.00 shipped off of ebay, then go for it. I bought mine for 167.00 and I've been very pleased with them so far.
 
I've been using the SP5B's for a while, and have very few complaints. Yeah, the bass ports are in the back. I find putting a hard reflective surface behind them helps with that. I've learned to translate mixes with them, and they've been reliable. And tell the guy to stop farting while he's recording.-Richie
 
You're right, Richie. I was moving things around a bit last night, and I found the same: if my BX5s are very near a reflective wall, their sound is excellent for their puny size. I sampled a variety of
disks, including Steely Dan's latest pristine recording, and I was surprised once again by the fine tonal balance of these little
monitors. The bass, while lacking the deep sub freqs that a larger speaker would obviously provide, was still strong, clear, and punchy as long as those rear ports were within a foot or so of a reflective wall. In fact, I enjoyed the sound so much that I sat back with a cup of coffee and listened to several CDs! Good stuff for so few bucks.

One other thing that helps is some sort of damping foam under the speakers. The bass seems to tighten up as the muddiness
disappears.

J.
 
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One other thing that helps is some sort of damping foam under the speakers. The bass seems to tighten up as the muddiness
Click to expand...


Same results here. Really clarifies the lo end.
 
:cool:

I've been using my SP-5B Nearfields in my Makeshift Recording Space since Feb. I love em.
 

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Axe4Yahweh

Just a suggestion, you might want to get your speakers off those cardboard boxes. At the least it is going to eat up the Bass frequencies and give you indistinct low end.

Or, put some Auralex MoPads under them to tighten things up.

Your call.
 
Middleman said: (Sorry I don't know how to do that "Originally posted by..." thing)

"You have to learn how to compensate for the lack of low end when sitting in the middle however. You have to move off to the side and back about 5 feet to pick up what's happening on the lo end. This is because they port the lo frequencies out the back. This is in the 90 Hz and below range. "

Does that make sense? I know that there is usually more bass response a little further back because of the longer waves but to move to the side because the port is in the back? Wouldn't that be something in your room, like a standing wave? Not sure. Thanks
 
Middleman said:
Axe4Yahweh

Just a suggestion, you might want to get your speakers off those cardboard boxes. At the least it is going to eat up the Bass frequencies and give you indistinct low end.

Or, put some Auralex MoPads under them to tighten things up.

Your call.
Click to expand...
The Boxes are loaded with sand and weigh a ton. LOL

CR ><>
 
maddrummer,

Actually I sometimes go out of the room and listen for high transients. These are frequencies that jump out of the mix above the average sound. Generally these are very high and very low transients.

The moving off to the side thing really reveals the bass on the SP5Bs. In fact even after carving back the lo end from this procedure I am still having to do 40Hz high pass shelfs during mastering because of the amount of bass coming through the car stereo. Just indicates the lack of lo end which most people will try to compensate for in their mix while making the whole song bass heavy.

Standing waves would be bass heavy areas in the room that you would not want to use for mixing. I don't have alot of these with the foam I have put up.

What your looking for are lo end notes that the nearfeilds are not pushing out front when you are in the sweet spot.
 
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