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bullyhill
New member
That is how I'm set up too. I do end up moving back, up to 2 feet for more reference.
Middleman, you are moving around also, this is typical?
Middleman, you are moving around also, this is typical?
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mrface2112
Well-known member
wow
hmmmm
i bought these from Jake at Humbucker the week after christmas for $299, and now MF has em marked $100 less. Guess i'm gonna have to see whether Humbucker's "price match guarantee" is retroactive or whether i have to return them (as I'm still within the 30 day window) and buy em from MF instead. I really hope they'll do something like give me store credit or take the $100 off a C1, b/c i'd really like to give jake the business.....but that $100 is the price of a B1 or a V67 (the latter being something i really need.....).
Either way, i love my sp5b's. i've got em placed within arms reach, making about a 90 degree angle with my arms (placing my head at the point of an equilateral triangle) and they're within a few inches from the wall and they sound spectacular. Getting them off the desk with a set of stands made a WORLD of difference--these things NEED to be at ear-level.
sure bass is less than with something with larger drivers.....but as long as you can recognise what you're not hearing and you burn your mixes to disc to evaluate in different players (the BIG stereo downstairs, etc), you'll do just fine. just don't mix hiphop on em.....
wade
hmmmm
i bought these from Jake at Humbucker the week after christmas for $299, and now MF has em marked $100 less. Guess i'm gonna have to see whether Humbucker's "price match guarantee" is retroactive or whether i have to return them (as I'm still within the 30 day window) and buy em from MF instead. I really hope they'll do something like give me store credit or take the $100 off a C1, b/c i'd really like to give jake the business.....but that $100 is the price of a B1 or a V67 (the latter being something i really need.....).
Either way, i love my sp5b's. i've got em placed within arms reach, making about a 90 degree angle with my arms (placing my head at the point of an equilateral triangle) and they're within a few inches from the wall and they sound spectacular. Getting them off the desk with a set of stands made a WORLD of difference--these things NEED to be at ear-level.
sure bass is less than with something with larger drivers.....but as long as you can recognise what you're not hearing and you burn your mixes to disc to evaluate in different players (the BIG stereo downstairs, etc), you'll do just fine. just don't mix hiphop on em.....
wade
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bullyhill
New member
MrFace
How close are they to the wall?
How close are they to the wall?
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mrface2112
Well-known member
bullyhill--
they're about 6 inches from the wall and sit on top of a set of 8in high "wood technology" brand stands that i picked up from Crutchfield.
to be honest with you, the stands made more difference in the overall sound than anything. The trick here is to get yourself sitting consistently (and comfortably) within the sweetspot. unless these monitors are on level with your ears, you won't be in the sweet spot and then you can't trust what you're hearing. once you get em high enough, then adjust to the walls.
and again, don't expect bone crushing lows. expect to *hear* the bass guitar and kick drum, but don't expect to *feel* it. you'll hear the tone of the kick, but you likely won't hear the punch that you're used to. these *are*inexpensive monitors with little cones, after all.
bottom line, put on the cans (or mix on something else) if you want to *feel* the bass and need to determine the punch. i've found my HD580's to be a HUGE resource in telling whether my mixes have enough (or too much) bass. i don't find myself not having enough--usually i tend to overcompensate. sometimes that's not a bad thing. ;-)
fwiw, most of what i'm doing involves acoustic guitars and electric (DI'd) bass with occasional african percussion (djembes, dumbeks, etc.), so these monitors are perfect for the material i'm working with.
wade
they're about 6 inches from the wall and sit on top of a set of 8in high "wood technology" brand stands that i picked up from Crutchfield.
to be honest with you, the stands made more difference in the overall sound than anything. The trick here is to get yourself sitting consistently (and comfortably) within the sweetspot. unless these monitors are on level with your ears, you won't be in the sweet spot and then you can't trust what you're hearing. once you get em high enough, then adjust to the walls.
and again, don't expect bone crushing lows. expect to *hear* the bass guitar and kick drum, but don't expect to *feel* it. you'll hear the tone of the kick, but you likely won't hear the punch that you're used to. these *are*inexpensive monitors with little cones, after all.
bottom line, put on the cans (or mix on something else) if you want to *feel* the bass and need to determine the punch. i've found my HD580's to be a HUGE resource in telling whether my mixes have enough (or too much) bass. i don't find myself not having enough--usually i tend to overcompensate. sometimes that's not a bad thing. ;-)
fwiw, most of what i'm doing involves acoustic guitars and electric (DI'd) bass with occasional african percussion (djembes, dumbeks, etc.), so these monitors are perfect for the material i'm working with.
wade
Middleman
Professional Amateur
mrface2112 is right on. You need to hang in the sweet spot which is equa distant in the triangle and your ears need to be at a height between the tweeters and woofers for mixing. You will get very clear bass but it won't move your insides.
I think these are perfect for pop, country, jazz but not hip hop or something that needs that sub-bass feel. Better mention R&B, Blues, Rock, don't want to offend anyone.
bullyhill, yes I usually do about 95% of the mix in the sweet spot and then move outside the triangle, sometimes the next room to see if something weird pops out like a triangle that is too loud or bass that is booming. If the vocal or guitars stand out in the next room then it may be too hot in the mix. However, mostly I work in the sweet spot.
Here is another important tip: If you have two soundcards, i.e. soundblaster for soundfonts or maybe your Motherboard built-in, as well as a good card from Echo, M-Audio etc, then turn off the soundblaster/MB built-in when you use your mediaplayer for MP3 or audio CD playback. You want to learn to use the good card so you can properly A/B your favorite album against your mixes. Go into media player or realplayer and set the audio card to the same one you use for recording and mixing.
It seems simple enough but I was listening to albums off the built-in and trying to compare this to my favorite CDs. My mixes were not transfering well to other systems and this improved the situation.
I think these are perfect for pop, country, jazz but not hip hop or something that needs that sub-bass feel. Better mention R&B, Blues, Rock, don't want to offend anyone.
bullyhill, yes I usually do about 95% of the mix in the sweet spot and then move outside the triangle, sometimes the next room to see if something weird pops out like a triangle that is too loud or bass that is booming. If the vocal or guitars stand out in the next room then it may be too hot in the mix. However, mostly I work in the sweet spot.
Here is another important tip: If you have two soundcards, i.e. soundblaster for soundfonts or maybe your Motherboard built-in, as well as a good card from Echo, M-Audio etc, then turn off the soundblaster/MB built-in when you use your mediaplayer for MP3 or audio CD playback. You want to learn to use the good card so you can properly A/B your favorite album against your mixes. Go into media player or realplayer and set the audio card to the same one you use for recording and mixing.
It seems simple enough but I was listening to albums off the built-in and trying to compare this to my favorite CDs. My mixes were not transfering well to other systems and this improved the situation.
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Axe4Yahweh
New member
I ordered a Pair of these SP5B Monitors based on reviews and recommendations here at HomeRecording. They should be in this week. Thanks for all the info you guys have been shelling out on these Monitors. I got em for 200 Bux at MF. I also have a Fostex VF160CDR coming that I won on Ebay.
CR ><>
jcmm
Kwality
For $200.00/pair they are a steal.
I paid $300.00 last October and I am very happy at that price!
If they are your first pair of moniters they will get you in the ballpark and help you learn enough until you can buy bigger ones.
I paid $300.00 last October and I am very happy at that price!
If they are your first pair of moniters they will get you in the ballpark and help you learn enough until you can buy bigger ones.
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wrenhunter
New member
If you want to save 10 more bucks, go to Zzounds and do their Gear Spy price matching thing. Use the MF product URL. I did this and ZZ did 'em for 190. Also I think their shipping is less.
Flamin Lip
New member
Had a question. I have a pair of these ordered, and am wondering about the proxinity to a wall issue. What would it do if the back of the speaker w/ the bass-port was aimed into a corner. I often read about bass-traps in my recording mags, but have always been confused about what a corner does to bass.
Anyway, let me know if having the bacs about 6 inches out from a corner would diminish or enhance the bass response.
Thanks in advance!
Anyway, let me know if having the bacs about 6 inches out from a corner would diminish or enhance the bass response.
Thanks in advance!
rpe
NM - Land of Excrement
Middleman..........
..how did the plastic tubes experiment work out?
rpe
..how did the plastic tubes experiment work out?
rpe
Middleman
Professional Amateur
Middleman
Professional Amateur
Actually I need to improve on the design but the SP-5B speakers are producing plenty of lo end that you can't hear acurately because it throws out the back. I need to find some hose that is exactly the same diameter of the rear holes. These cardboard ones work for now and it improves the clarity in the mix at the 80Hz to 350Hz range. Once I find some flexible hosing to replace this prototype it should be even more accurate.
rpe
NM - Land of Excrement
Looks good, considering the materials you're using. You may be able to find some auto hosing to fit. I'm still considering buying those monitors and from what I'm hearing in this thread I guess I should go ahead and get them.
thanks for the pix.
rpe
thanks for the pix.
rpe
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Axe4Yahweh
New member
I received mine the week before last from MF. One of the woofers was blown right out of the box. May have been damaged in shipping. I sent them back and the new set should be in this coming week. MF paid the Shipping both ways on the return. The one that was working properly sounded great. Couldn't believe how much low end I was getting out of that lil thing.
CR ><>
CR ><>
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Axe4Yahweh
New member
From what I understand, corners exaggerate bass freqs. That's the purpose of the Bass Traps in corners fo a room.Flamin Lip said:
CR ><>
Middleman
Professional Amateur
Just for those who may go down the tube extensions path on the bass port. This may not be such a good idea and here's why.
Those bass ports also dissapate the internal amplifier heat. I upgraded my tube design with PVC tubes. The bass port size is 1 5/8 inches and when I builit the tube rap around I noticed a lot of heat coming out of the tubes as well as the bass frequencies. Using the tubes could back up the hot air in the speaker enclosure and cause problems. I took off my modification to avoid potential problems.
Thought I should pass that one along as a potentially disasterous modification. It does work however, and you get a much better idea of what's happening at the low end. Not worth risking having to purchase new speakers though.
Those bass ports also dissapate the internal amplifier heat. I upgraded my tube design with PVC tubes. The bass port size is 1 5/8 inches and when I builit the tube rap around I noticed a lot of heat coming out of the tubes as well as the bass frequencies. Using the tubes could back up the hot air in the speaker enclosure and cause problems. I took off my modification to avoid potential problems.
Thought I should pass that one along as a potentially disasterous modification. It does work however, and you get a much better idea of what's happening at the low end. Not worth risking having to purchase new speakers though.
Flamin Lip
New member
Thanks Axe! I have actually tweaked my placement, and I am getting some nice sound out of them. I am hearing things in old mixdowns that I forgot were even recorded.
Cant tell you these are the best monitors in this price range, as I dont have any experience w/ other models, but I do think they sound grat once I moved em around.
Cant tell you these are the best monitors in this price range, as I dont have any experience w/ other models, but I do think they sound grat once I moved em around.