getuhgrip
Bring Back Transfat!
I was leary of purchasing a monitor rated at 6ohms since I had just purchased a relatively low powered (70 watts) amp rated at 4ohms. The Tannoys were given high praise by several experienced users so I figured if the 70 watts wouldn't drive them, I'd grab another amp this summer.
The Reveals are a beefy 15lbs a peice and though a bit modern looking, they're not unattractive with kind of a mauve on black color scheme.
After setting up my C-Port soundcard (a feat in itself!), I ran its 1/2 outs to the amp and connected the Tannoys. My first test of the card and the monitors was to route wave sounds thru the software mixer and adjust levels.
With the amps gain controls set at half, I clicked the button in "sounds" for the "microsoft sound". I don't know how to do the math to determine what the output level of 70watts into 6ohms equates to, but at half, the wave sound 'bout blew me outta my chair!
Ok, so I run the levels down to about a quarter. Then I tried a song I downloaded from Morpheus: "Urgent" by Foriener. I've always liked this song as a test for speakers because of the extreme range of highs and lows. Lou Grahm's voice is a real good vehicle for examinig mids.
I've never known if the intro to this song is a guitar tuned down a half step, a bass, or if it was done on a synth. In any case, it boomed clearly with no distortion and when the drums came in they sounded crystal clear. During the solo that sounds like a "synth sax" the highs were carried nicely with headroom to spare.
On this digital recording, these speakers sounded as good as the Klipsch 10.5s in my theater. Not as warm and full, but every bit as accurate even at high volumes.
This was also my first test of a new mic (AT4033) and after figuring out the routing for recording between the C-Port and Ntrack I was ready to do some guitar and vocal work.
While I'm still new at recording I was able to get several guitar tracks down using different settings on a Digitech GNX2. I played the same riffs using clean and grungy channels with different effects. On playback all these peices sounded as if they were being played in real time thru my guitar amp. No added warmth or spacial transients, which I guess is the point with reference monitors, right? A bit "anticeptic", but accurate.
On vocals I used the mic straight into the C-Port, and then thru a TubeMP. My voice is 42 yrs old and sounds it! But the point is, this mic/card combination made for some very clear tracks and the Tannoys reported exactly what was going into the computer.
I prefered the signal going thru the tube pre and may look at some higher quality units later.
All in all, during this setup and learning process, I frequently forgot that I was evaluating my first pair of studio monitors. That is, they were there doing their job as nicely as I could hope for and become an un-noticed part of the program.
The 70 watts drives them as high as I would ever need though they are rated to 100watts at 6 ohms.
My thoughts about equipment is to be taken with the fact that I'm new at this and most of the stuff I'm using is the first I've ever owned/tried. Nevertheless, these speakers are consistantly accurate at all levels thru all tonal ranges.
I'll give a plug to this little Samson Servo 150 amp also. I bought it used from a member. Simple operation and runs cool even at high gain for extended periods.
I like really like the 4033 thus far, but again my core of knowledge/experience is limited.
Now, if I could just figure out all the settings on this card and Ntrack!!
The Reveals are a beefy 15lbs a peice and though a bit modern looking, they're not unattractive with kind of a mauve on black color scheme.
After setting up my C-Port soundcard (a feat in itself!), I ran its 1/2 outs to the amp and connected the Tannoys. My first test of the card and the monitors was to route wave sounds thru the software mixer and adjust levels.
With the amps gain controls set at half, I clicked the button in "sounds" for the "microsoft sound". I don't know how to do the math to determine what the output level of 70watts into 6ohms equates to, but at half, the wave sound 'bout blew me outta my chair!
Ok, so I run the levels down to about a quarter. Then I tried a song I downloaded from Morpheus: "Urgent" by Foriener. I've always liked this song as a test for speakers because of the extreme range of highs and lows. Lou Grahm's voice is a real good vehicle for examinig mids.
I've never known if the intro to this song is a guitar tuned down a half step, a bass, or if it was done on a synth. In any case, it boomed clearly with no distortion and when the drums came in they sounded crystal clear. During the solo that sounds like a "synth sax" the highs were carried nicely with headroom to spare.
On this digital recording, these speakers sounded as good as the Klipsch 10.5s in my theater. Not as warm and full, but every bit as accurate even at high volumes.
This was also my first test of a new mic (AT4033) and after figuring out the routing for recording between the C-Port and Ntrack I was ready to do some guitar and vocal work.
While I'm still new at recording I was able to get several guitar tracks down using different settings on a Digitech GNX2. I played the same riffs using clean and grungy channels with different effects. On playback all these peices sounded as if they were being played in real time thru my guitar amp. No added warmth or spacial transients, which I guess is the point with reference monitors, right? A bit "anticeptic", but accurate.
On vocals I used the mic straight into the C-Port, and then thru a TubeMP. My voice is 42 yrs old and sounds it! But the point is, this mic/card combination made for some very clear tracks and the Tannoys reported exactly what was going into the computer.
I prefered the signal going thru the tube pre and may look at some higher quality units later.
All in all, during this setup and learning process, I frequently forgot that I was evaluating my first pair of studio monitors. That is, they were there doing their job as nicely as I could hope for and become an un-noticed part of the program.
The 70 watts drives them as high as I would ever need though they are rated to 100watts at 6 ohms.
My thoughts about equipment is to be taken with the fact that I'm new at this and most of the stuff I'm using is the first I've ever owned/tried. Nevertheless, these speakers are consistantly accurate at all levels thru all tonal ranges.
I'll give a plug to this little Samson Servo 150 amp also. I bought it used from a member. Simple operation and runs cool even at high gain for extended periods.
I like really like the 4033 thus far, but again my core of knowledge/experience is limited.
Now, if I could just figure out all the settings on this card and Ntrack!!
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