what should I get??

flyhighsounds

flyhighsounds

New member
First off I want to say thank you for your help in advance. And sorry for asking a question that has been asked many times before.

I'm looking into buying some monitors for my home studio. I've been searching on this forum and you tube for info and reviews on monitors . and have not really found any answers that are helpful to me.

I'm looking into buying

Samson Resolv - SE8 8"
( which I'm leaning towards )
Samson Resolv - SE8 8" | Sweetwater.com

Or

KRK Rokit 8
KRK Rokit 8 | Sweetwater.com

What monitors do you guy like?

Thank

-N-
 
First, you should do some reading here.

You have posted this in a forum that is a totally different topic than you are asking about.

I am moving to the Newbie forum. You can find topics on monitor choice all around this forum. Much about monitors if you just search around a bit.

Please take some time to look for them.

:)
 
flyhighsounds said:
....and have not really found any answers that are helpful to me.

.................

What monitors do you guy like?
Click to expand...



What kind of answers do you feel would be helpful to you? :)


See....what other people like/use may not reveal anything to you. It's a lot about 1.) your budget 2.) personal preferences based on actually auditioning a bunch and 3.) auditioning them in your room if at all possible, because what any monitor sounds like at Guitar Center or wherever, is NOT what it will sound like in your room...and 4.) how is your room? If it sucks acoustically, even really expensive m monitors could end up sounding awful to you.

Was that helpful.... ? ;)
 
I always say buying monitors is a crap shoot. You can compare in the store, but that means nothing until you get them in your studio. Read user reviews (not magazines), pick your budget and go for it.

A few thoughts on monitors.

5" drivers are too small for any decent bass reproduction. Got to have 8" drivers or 5" with a sub woofer. Signal routing for powered monitors and a sub is not so easy. You really need to buy a monitor selector to make it happen. Something like the Mackie Big Knob.

Front firing bass ports are better for tiny studios like your bedroom. You don't want the bass freqs porting out the back of the speaker towards the corners of the room; whether there is bass traps or not.

Flat and unattractive is better than a monitor that sounds awesome. An awesome sounding monitor is probably not flat and will skew your mixes.
 
I'm just trying to find some directions on what to get. I was looking for information on the Samsung speakers but i could not find much and mixed reviews on the krk . I understand everything that you're saying

---------- Update ----------

I'm just trying to find some directions on what to get. I was looking for information on the Samsung speakers but i could not find much and mixed reviews on the krk . I understand everything that you're saying
 
There are some generally accepted rules about monitors.

Firstly note the usage and genre you have. Someone doing mainly speech and voiceovers will need a monitor that reproduces speech well and this is a severe test of a monitor, especially male speech.

Certainly, as has been said, avoid anything that is startlingly impressive. Monitors should be almost boring to listen to! Further to this. if auditioning in a store, take some "natural" material with you. For sure some speech (you or significant other on CD) but also acoustic instruments, guitar, piano, wind. Most things sound exciting on "Welcome to the Machine"!

Subs are not considered a good idea unless you have a fair sized and well treated room. If you are making music for others, most unlikely that they will have a sub! The sub should also be part of a package, merely bolting one on to an existing setup is a recipe for LF mud.

If very loud, very deep bass is your goal yes, you will need big speakers to handle the power but my Tannoy 5As are more than adequate in my tiny, 1224cu ft room. In any case LF performance is not related to cone size except in regard to maximum SPL.

Pay as much as you can in a given size bracket and stay with the best known brands tho' there are some new kids that get a good rep.

Dave.
 
Find a store that stocks a load of monitors and has a listening station. Spend time in that store listening.

I took a couple hours before I walked out with my Yamaha's (which should've been out of my price range)

If the store knows you're gonna drop a wage check they'll oblige you and your choice of music for an hour while you decide what you're leaving with...
 
Thanks for all your advice. I play reggae So its bass heavy. here's a link (my band) to something I have recorded in the past in my studio.

The Bullets - Sun Drenched Witch: http://youtu.be/Y1Ippj5YMfs

I want to take my recordings to the next level. I use fender PA speakers to mix. And they are on the other side of the room.

I went to samash to hear some of the speakers. Waited for 1\2 hrs for someone to help me. Then he played his band songs for about 20 min . I told him I want to play something I know really well. Then he said I need pick the monitors I want to buy. He don't have time to play anymore music. So I walked out.

N
 
Hi N,
Well I am NO judge and that is not my preferred genre! But I quite enjoyed that song and I cannot say that about a lot of the clips here!

Fender PA speakers have got a pretty good rep' for sound quality and there is really no radical difference between a monitor and a good PA speaker*. Big, high power examples of both can do both duties.

"At the other end of the room", Well! you don't want them too close! They are not "nearfields" . Optimum distance would be some 2 mtrs? Do look up the sections in here about bass trapping.

For "proper" monitors you need I think to be looking at rather expensive 3 way units. Top choice would be the Barefoot MM35 Gen2s (are you back off the floor yet! Yeah, over £6k here) MAYBE an integrated sub system? In the meantime I reckon the Fenders will keep you out of jail. Perhaps invest in a pair of "grot boxes" to complement the Fenders.

Another good purchase would be a monitor controller that allows you to quickly switch between monitors.

Re the shop. Was that the shop owner/manager? If not or if the shop was franchised I would send a stiff email or letter to the top bod! In any event, when you have decide upon a purchase do not forget to send the shop a copy of the invoice and mention that THIS profit could been theirs but for the shit service!

*Unlike guitar speakers which are total pants for wideband listening.
Dave.
 
flyhighsounds said:
First off I want to say thank you for your help in advance. And sorry for asking a question that has been asked many times before.

I'm looking into buying some monitors for my home studio. I've been searching on this forum and you tube for info and reviews on monitors . and have not really found any answers that are helpful to me.

I'm looking into buying

Samson Resolv - SE8 8"
( which I'm leaning towards )
Samson Resolv - SE8 8" | Sweetwater.com

Or

KRK Rokit 8
KRK Rokit 8 | Sweetwater.com

What monitors do you guy like?

Thank

-N-
Click to expand...

Firstly - what is your budget?

It looks as if your budget is quite low - so I would look closely at the Equator D5 - or the D8 if you can afford the extra.

The D5 have a 5" driver and the D8 have an 8" driver.

These are co-axial monitors that give an excellent stereo image and depth - they also punch well above their weight in quality.

Although my own monitors are the ME-Geithain RL906 that cost about £2.5k for the small ones with a 5.5" driver and go up from there (well, you *did* ask) - if I was limited to a budget of just a few hundred, the Equator D5 or D8 would be at the very top of my list. :thumbs up:

If you really had to keep the cost down to about $200, instead of the $400 of the D5 - then I would the KRK at the top of the list - but I would really recommend the extra for the D5 (or D8) as they are definitely wort it and are very cheap for the quality they give. :thumbs up:
 
ecc83 said:
Hi N,

Re the shop. Was that the shop owner/manager? If not or if the shop was franchised I would send a stiff email or letter to the top bod! In any event, when you have decide upon a purchase do not forget to send the shop a copy of the invoice and mention that THIS profit could been theirs but for the shit service!
Click to expand...

:D Perfect :D
 
The KRK's are a piece. Two would cost almost $500, just making sure you understand that.
 
DM60 said:
The KRK's are a piece. Two would cost almost $500, just making sure you understand that.
Click to expand...

Ah - OK - thanks, I missed that.

In which case the D5 are about $100 cheaper and the D8 not that much more.

So I would *definitely* go for the D5 or D8, then. :thumbs up:

Oh - and driver size is not everything - my 5" Geithain RL906 go lower than the 8" D8 (but that is part of what I paid £2.5k for).

BUT - In my book accuracy and a trustworthy monitor are much more important than an extended bass frequency response - and the D5 / D8 do lead their class in that resect. :thumbs up:
 
Another vote for Equator!
I've got a few monitors (you know how some people are "microphone guys" or "outboard people"? I've got this obsessive fascination with monitors...) including some KRK G2 Rokit 6s that were my first monitors, the Equators, and some pairs of Focal monitors as well. The Equators really do hold up incredibly well. The low end is surprisingly good. Certainly good enough to accurately give you an idea of what's going on in the low end.

That's not to say KRKs are bad. The frequency response isn't bad or anything like that, but the mid-range just doesn't have "it" in the Rokits. After listening to other monitors, the separation of sounds just isn't there (at least not on the G2. The G3 series might be way better. Idk.). And it's pretty much impossible to hear the nuances of compression, and other little tweaks that we make when mixing tracks.

They're alright for what they are and they work for people who learn their system.
I have a sentimental attachment to mine, but in my opinion, they aren't worth the money.
But the Equator monitors? They're so good, I want another pair.
They sound great, your environment isn't critical, and they're light-weight.
I take mine everywhere with me. 10615522_10203222730670874_4571451201672881615_n.jpg
 
Chili said:
I always say buying monitors is a crap shoot. You can compare in the store, but that means nothing until you get them in your studio. Read user reviews (not magazines), pick your budget and go for it.

A few thoughts on monitors.

5" drivers are too small for any decent bass reproduction. Got to have 8" drivers or 5" with a sub woofer. Signal routing for powered monitors and a sub is not so easy. You really need to buy a monitor selector to make it happen. Something like the Mackie Big Knob.

Front firing bass ports are better for tiny studios like your bedroom. You don't want the bass freqs porting out the back of the speaker towards the corners of the room; whether there is bass traps or not.

Flat and unattractive is better than a monitor that sounds awesome. An awesome sounding monitor is probably not flat and will skew your mixes.
Click to expand...

+1

However, to try them out in the studio, do this. Take a couple CDs that you really know well into the shop with you and play them back through various monitors you're considering. The shops are usually noisy but it'll give you an idea. Listen for how clearly they represent the lower end, and the mids and the highs. If the shop doesn't want to let you do that, go somewhere else. They don't deserve your money.
 
dobro said:
+1

However, to try them out in the studio, do this. Take a couple CDs that you really know well into the shop with you and play them back through various monitors you're considering. The shops are usually noisy but it'll give you an idea. Listen for how clearly they represent the lower end, and the mids and the highs. If the shop doesn't want to let you do that, go somewhere else. They don't deserve your money.
Click to expand...

Well, bring a CD player if you bring CDs - most music stores don't have a player hooked up to their monitor system!
 
The place I got mine had a playback system for all monitors to be listened to, so it was easy. I actually took in some mixes I was working on at the time, cuz I was really familiar with them by that point. It was a bit embarassing to hear my crummy mixes booming through the shop, but it got the job done.
 
depends on your actual budget... i am a pretty good fan of the Mackie MR5 and 8's ... am hearing awesome things about JBL LSR series from Dan VanAmerongen my main guy at Sweetwater... talk to Dan and tell him your setup room size wall material floor material etc... he will have a great idea of what you are needing...he has yet to steer me wrong... their service is 2nd to none... you may even want to look into a servo amp and passive monitors as well... it does hurt to have a good Ab option if affordable to your wallet
 
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