Monitors for Dance Music? ~$1000 budget

[NewSc2]

Hey everybody~

I'm looking to get a Powerbook setup going. I write mainly dance music (acid house, techno), but I play guitar and classical piano so I'm not looking for monitors for *just* dance music.

I've only got the chance to test the Mackie HR824's, which I was going to buy (buy it used to fit my price range), but I've been reading a lot about Dynaudios lately. I've heard Dynaudio's speakers and car speakers and I've always loved them so I'm considering the BM5A's and BM6P + amp.

Is there a big difference between the BM5A's and BM6A? I noticed the BM6P's going for pretty cheap, so I was considering picking that up and buying an amp.. I'm a college student so most of my mixing/producing will be done in my bedroom for now.

Will the BM5A's give me enough bass/power for electronic music? What amps should I consider to fit my price range for the BM6P's? Are there any other monitors I should consider?

 

[junplugged]

dance music gets played on the big pa systems in clubs so you'll need to know your bass response really well. And whatever you mix it would be great to be able to check your mix on a big system like that. I'd say you probably need a sub w/ whatever you get, but I can't help you w/ models, I don't know them.

 

[dxl]

BM5A and bm6a sounded pretty much the same at low volume, but with bm6a you can trim the highend which think bm5a is a bit too bright for my tast
but the both lack mid bass... so overall their bass is a bit over tight and not big and round, but for that reason some ppl find that easier to hear the muddiness in the bass
actaully i think bm5a and 6 have a better imaging than 824 which i have right now, but for overall sounding, 824 is easier to my ears

i donno about the bm6p...

 

[ssscientist]

The KRK V8 really impressed me - be sure to give them a listen before you make a decision. They're in your price range too - link.

 

[NewSc2]

Well, I gave the HR824 and BM5A's a comparison. I actually wasn't all that impressed by the Dynaudios, but for clarity it was great. I have a set of Swan floorstanding home theater speakers that were about $800/pair that I thought were pretty on par for clarity, though. The Mackie's didn't have such a clear high end, but had a better bass presence.

I was using Underworld's dubnobasswithmyheadman album for one of my references, and the bass kick in "Dirty Epic" wasn't as filling on the BM5A's.

If I add in an SVS sub (www.svsubwoofers.com) that I have lying around, would that do the trick? How does the crossover work?

edit: also can anybody who mixes bassy stuff chime in? I could definitely hear the bass kick on the Dynaudios, it just wasn't as full and round so I thought it wouldn't be good to monitor on.

 

[xstatic]

You certainly are asking a lot from a small monitor. The Mackie has more power and larger drivers. Many people don't like the Mackie's becasue of their home theatre'esque low mid bump (mushiness). They are nice for listening on though because many peoples listening systems offer that same problem. That being said though, its important to go with what allows you to do your job right and makes you comfortable. An amazing speaker isn't necessarily a good thing if it makes you uncomfortable. Also, as you learn more and get more experience, your opinion will change as well

 

[ssscientist]

can anybody who mixes bassy stuff chime in?

I use dubnobasswithmyhead as one of my mix references too, and felt I needed more in the lowest octave without resorting to a subwoofer. I chose the KRK v8's and am very pleased and comfortable, but if you've rejected them for some reason KRK doesn't pay me so I won't push it.

This is obviously not a topic that many people here have much direct experience with. It's gotta be up to you to make the final call but IMHO HR.com has spoken and you've got all you're going to get here...

 

[fernandoesmaron]

BM5A's are reviewed this month in soundonsound. Did read the review today. Only negative thing was their "sluggish" bass