New reference monitors...wo is me...

zip

zip

New member
I thought when you bought new equipment things would get easier...

NOT. (somehow I knew this)

Any tips for someone who just made the "leap" to "real" audio?? As I should have expected I'm having a difficult time dialing into the proper midrange frequencies...

I know I need to give it considerable time to "adjust" but any tips on how to adjust more easily will be appreciated!

What I have been doing so far is to mix on them (duh) :) but also listen to well recorded reference CD's through them each day.

Anything else I can do to ease the transition??

Thanks!

zip >>
 
Pay a lot of attention to what you're doing, and listen to thing several times and focus on different parts..
 
I think Ed suggested that you try to get your monitors up to a good listening level...

I would recommend that you record a 1KHz test tone on your system, and play back that test tone through the same D/A converters you will use to monitor your mixes. With the test tone recorded at -6db digital full scale, use a dB meter and turn up your monitors until that test tone is at about 85db with a C weight on the meter. I am not kidding.
Click to expand...

Hell, go check the whole thread...

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=19596

Queue
 
Listen to A LOT of CDs on your new monitors... get a feel for their sound and how they sound in your environment....

Sleep with if you have to, just use them... often.... it takes a lot of time to adjust, but that's part of the process............

Accept the fact the your first few mixes on them are not going to be your best!

Bruce
 
Just to amplify on Bruce's comments, listen to as many commercially recorded CDs as possible and as you do, focus on individual instruments, voice and such. Try to memorize where they are in the mix. How bassy is the bass, the "air" on the top end. This will give you a better reference on your system vs. professional mixes vs. your mixes.
 
what monitors are they?

If they are alesis monitor twos, you will never be able to dial in the midrange.

Also, if your midrange is hidden by a lot of bass, temporarily roll off the low end so that you can hear a more detailed midrange.
 
Thanks guys...

I just bought a CD player and each day I listen in 15 minute increments to commercial recordings.

I have read Ed's post and I do crank them to "around" 85dB but ...

(this comment will make me look REALLY stupid but I need to know)

Where exactly do I get this (or generate) test tone? I also need to go out and purchase a dB meter...no doubt. Any help you could offer will be appreciated!

My monitors are Event PS5's... Not exactly top notch stuff but all I could afford. I A/B'ed them vs a pair of Yamahas and the JBL25P's. I felt in the price range they had a more balanced frequency response. The JBL's seemed to favor bass response and the Yamaha's seemed to favor the highs.

It's funny Bruce about your "mixes will not be the best comment" :):)

Before I read all the responses I downloaded the "train" files and converted them to .wavs. I knew C was the original so I tried to beat a and b...

I believe I did beat b but had some difficultly with the high end of the midrange which led to a bit of flatness in the vocals. When I listened I kept thinking "man those vocals sound sharp" and I kept trying to slightly cut the upper mid frequencies...

So I guess Bruce...you are still king. :)

Well - time to pop in another CD...... :)

Thanks again. zip >>
 
Believe it or don't, you can get a fine SPL meter at Radio Shack for about $40 or so. Cool Edit Pro will generate pink or white noise or if you look around you can purchase CDs with all kinds of test tones on them.
 
zip,
I've got a cool little tone generator proggie I downloaded from somewhere. FREEWARE!!! It will do constant tones and sweeps!!! Fun stuff!!

I'll check when I get home, and get it to ya tonight...

Queue
 
You can buy a reference tone CD that go from 20 - 20kHz in increments. Most are at -10 dB except for one 1 kHz tone at 0 db. It will also have pink noise in and out of phase, etc. Any large CD store should have it or buy it on the net called "The Ultimate Test CD". I got it at Best Buy $8.99.
 
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