Mixing on Mackie HR-824's????

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Raydio

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I need some real quick help from someone who used/uses Mackie HR-824's when mixing. I have a pair and they are sitting about 2 feet and 7 inches away from where i am listening from. I think this effects the way I am supposed to be hearing my mix. What setting on the back of the monitors do you recommend me using (room compensation, input sensitivity, etc.)? Any other suggestions such as placement or whatever.... drop info. Thanks!
 
I don't think that particular distance (2' 7") will adversely affect what you're hearing. As far as the settings on the back go, you will have to describe you room and the speakers position in it in detail (a drawing would be helpful) for anyone to try and answer that. Are your mixes bass heavy ?

pAp
 
Most close-field monitors are designed with an optimum listening distance in mind, and I'm guessing 31" would be too close for the Mackies. In any event you want to make an equilateral triangle between the two speakers and your head. That means if you are 31" from the monitors, the monitors should also be 31" apart from eachother. Is that how you are set up?

In my system I sit about 5' from the monitors, which are 5' from eachother. (Genelec 1031a's)

I'd e-mail their tech support and ask what is the optimum distance on that model.
 
the room specific settings are described right on the back of the speakers in those diagrams, i dont think your distance from the monitors affects those settings
 
Well my speakers are about a 17'' Monitor away. I have one speaker on the left side of my computer screen and the other one on the other side. Both are about 1/2 a foot away from the computer screen. My mixes are HEAVY bassed, and thats why I was worried. It started when i went to Sam Ash and sat at a nice DAW and it has the same monitors but they sounded like they had more high frequencies coming out and less bass. It was easier to hear vocals and stuff on their system. Not sure if it was due to the fact I was further away from the speakers, or the room it was in. My room has an average ceiling, its a bed room. I have no sound proofing yet. Someone told me to get some Auralex and start at the ceiling. I deal with rap music and when I record vocals with the beat, I hear more bass than I hear in other studios, even on soft kicks. Any more info??
 
Are you sitting?Are the speakers on their sides or upright?Is you head heighth at you listening position level with the speakers or are you a little below them? The sounds at the store may have had something to do with their sonic treatment plus the fact that you were standing(?) thus emphasing the highs.My opinion is the 824's have a bit too much 'woofy' kinda of low to em anyway.Try cutting you mixes back on the bass.Leave em flat and see how that works.
 
My head is basically aligned with the monitors, they are on the side and not up right. They are pointing toward me in like a "triangle" fashion. Can my soundcard have anything to do with how my speakers sound? I have a SB Audigy. I was sitting down at the music store so that shouldnt be a major factor... but would it be a nice size difference in highs if I am standing? I agree with the "woofy" comment. These speakers blew me away when I first hear them, but they also sound great. The bass doesnt distort all the time like some cheaper speakers. Any more advice?
 
Since i dont have 824's I dont know for sure whether this is an issue with them.Try sitting the speakers up so the tweeter is on top.In some cases,not all,the phase alignment can be out when they are lying on their sides.This would make the highs less dominant if this is the case.Again, I'm unsure as to which orientation the manufacturer recomends.I know that my Genelecs are not recomended to be used on their sides.
 
Can you get passive genelecs? And if so what is the cost? Sorry i don't mean to hijack
 
ambi said:
Can you get passive genelecs? And if so what is the cost? Sorry i don't mean to hijack
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they don't exist. At least I've never seen any...
 
yo raydio

i just peeped one of your songs on nowhere radio and it was hot, i'm reffering to the stanksta. in responce to the monitors, i have the same ones, and from the little i do know i think yours may be too close for you to get the full stereo imaging when you mix. mine are like 5ft. apart and from me coincidentally like described above. if you spread those things apart and center yourself you can hear your panning very clear. it was once suggested to me that i position the monitors at an angle where i can't see the top, bottom or sides of the speaker from my seating position. i can tell when my speakers or me are not aligned right.

just experiment with the position of them. i wish i had my digital camera so that i can take a picture of my set up. if you can space those babies out and sit back at the same distance with the speakers raised high to not see the top but low enough to not see the bottom and angled to not see either side you should get a better image. i need to get some bass traps, or foam for my walls behind the speaker, so that i can hear my low end better.

check this out
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=65597&highlight=mackie+hr824s

good luck

phyzical therapy
 
i work with mine in a corner and im pretty close to mine, so i have my accoustic spaceing set to "B". I have no room treatment yet and i have a pretty live bedroom, i made a mix reciently that was a little strong on the low end. I set the HR 824's to the "A" position and that made things much more accurate. Use a RTA when you mix as well............so you can see whats going on too.
 
close

as you can see here...........im pretty close in lol
 

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cool

zallen 25, i'm going to need to get some foam like you have so my speakers can sound better. i read that i can even get those neoprene mouse pads to do the trick. good post. i'm in a pretty live room with mine also.
 
lol............the mouse pad is a good idea. I just got a bag of the auralex Mopad's. They are only like 30 bucks or so and they have pre-cut wedges so you can aim your monitors to where your ears are. It's always good to isolate your monitors from hard surfaces to eliminate the buzzing effects of the desk and other junk on it.
 
Thanks for listening guys. I peeped zallen's setup and I see that yours monitors are about the same distance from your ears, as mine are to my ears. Only difference is that my monitors are pointed in front of me and not on the sides like yours. Maybe I should rearrange my room so that I can have mine kind of on the sides also. I see that all of us have live rooms and need some sort of material to hear our low ends better. If you have any more info on the mouse pad idea, let me know and I'll pick some up. (If it actually works, lol). Thanks again guys.

P.S.--------- Whats an RTA?
 
RTA: Real Time Analyzer. This way you can also see what you are hearing, to insure that your ears are not tricking you. Its a very useful tool. If you have VST or RTAS plugs you can get a nice one from Waves Gold bundel called the PAZ meters. I miss having mine for the moment. I don't have the OS X gold bundel RTAS plugs for my pro tools 6 yets......:(
 
unless they have a coaxial design (like the Tannoy Supergolds), most monitors have a preferred orientation (horizontal or vertical) as well as an optimum listening distance. chances are either you or zallen has them set up "wrong". For instance, Genelec 1031a's are best used in the upright position between 5' and 6' away from the listener.

i would think it would be worthwhile to find those things out from the manufacturer, if it's not already in the manual.
 
ya well i know i have my 824's in the right position and set to the proper settings, but there's not much I can do about distance when i live in a 1 bedroom apartment.
 
well, I think that's what Raydio was asking that i couldn't answer, since i don't know anything about the Mackies. So you are saying that you know the horizontal orientation is the recommended one for the Mackies, not vertical? Or are you just guessing?

Seems like even in a one bedroom apartment there ought to be a way to sit more than 2'7" from your monitors... but then again, I haven't seen your apartment! :D
 
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