which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

[everdrone]

I am seriously considering getting better monitors for my demo recordings. I like the 2.1 speaker systems with bass adjustment, because I play bass and for practicing I need to turn the bass up since many recordings all but completely phase out the bass guitar.

I am seriously considering the Blue Sky eX02, any other suggestions? Any input is much appreciated, I have an open mind. My current monitors are M-Audio Studiopro3. Here is the one I am thinking of getting in the far future, still saving up:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/eXo2/ costs $500, I am looking at that price or less

 

[P.A.Foholic]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

My KRK Rokit 5s are very good IMO. I play bass too and I can easily practice with them. Detailed and full sounding monitors. If you bring a subwoofer to your setup and have never used it before in mixing it might take some time for your ears to 'adjust.'

You might want to look KRK RP8 and VXT4. I've heard really good things about Mackie's MR series and Adam Artists.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

I would also recommend KRK. My first choice is always gonna be Focal CMS, Genelec, or Event, but they are all out of your price range. You may be able to find Tannoy Reveal passive monitors at a good price, also.

Still, if you can wait & save up, the Focal CMS 40 is THE compact monitor to beat.

 

[dominus]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

Get a used pair of 8s, and *TREAT YOUR ROOM*.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

For mixing I don't like anything more than a 5 or 6 inch speaker, close monitoring. Anything larger including a sub woofer is a vanity thing I think. Nice for play back, or practicing bass. You can always turn the sub off when you mix.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

KRK Rokit's tend to be a bit bass heavy IMO. They're popular with hip hop people for that reason.

I would also avoid the lower end M Audio stuff. It's no better than a set of computer speakers.

Aside from that, just listen and trust your ears. When I bought my monitors (Yorkville YSM1p) I brought my band's CD and played it through every near-field pair in the store.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

#1: treat your room. As far as affordable monitors go, I've always been a big fan of Yamaha. The Yamaha MSP7s really worked well for me until I decided to take the ATC plunge (I own a pair of SCM16As and I've been in love with them since day one). They don't come with a subwoofer though, but I don't think you really need it unless you're doing something like hip hop. FWIW, most studio reference monitors don't come with subwoofers.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

#1: treat your room.

Using this.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

Using this.

Or this:

http://www.atsacoustics.com/

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

Or this:

http://www.atsacoustics.com/

Vitune is software that tells you how to tune your room ...

 

[gvis]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

With a $500 budget, most choices will give you simlar and decent results, but really a waste without room treatment. The real difference, as others have said, is to properly treat your room, which can be done for a medium size room for around $700 using owens corning panels and fabric (doing it yourself). You'll get a bigger bang with that (combo of $500 speakers and treatment) than just $1,200 speakers. Of course, $1,200 speakers and treatment will take you to another level.

There is a lot of free software. And you'll need a decibal measurement tool. Radio shack has cheap ones. And see the attached room measurement file. It will help see just how good or bad your room is, which will help determine how much treatment is needed or if it's a waste of time.

Overall, your want to trap bass and control early reflections.

Best place I've found for all things recording:

http://gearslutz.com

And don't waste your money on aurelex, or doing any treatment half way.

Hope this helps.

 

[gvis]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

The room measurement file is in excel and won't load here. Just do a search on "room mode calculator".

 

[everdrone]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

My KRK Rokit 5s are very good IMO. I play bass too and I can easily practice with them. Detailed and full sounding monitors. If you bring a subwoofer to your setup and have never used it before in mixing it might take some time for your ears to 'adjust.'

You might want to look KRK RP8 and VXT4. I've heard really good things about Mackie's MR series and Adam Artists.

thanks brutha

thanks twilight and innerdream and everyone for seconding 5-6" I think the KRK Rokit 5s would do the trick for the least $$ since I am not treating my room

I cant afford treating room (my desk is in a small apartment living room)

I want to hear things like you would on a nice computer stereo system, my m-audios are very low end on any level, recording or not. I cant hear the bass with it really because of 3" speakers and they are the only speakers I own, and I need to be able to hear bass if I wanna join a cover band in the future.

bottom line: very low budget considering, and I want better mixes and ability to hear basslines to practice with my bass-practice-amp.

thanks :beerchug:

Ron

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

There are lots of diy acoustic treatments out there and you can set em up when in use and take em down when not. Try a Google search. Second, knowing your room and what it does to audio (esp by comparing your mixes on other systems) is more important than treating it.

 

[gvis]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

If your room is a small box, there is almost no chance of treating it to a level that will make a huge, studio quality difference, but treatment will help some. And even if you know how bad it is with software, your room will be so far off you won't know how to accurately compensate in your mix. Not saying don't try it; just be prepared for bad news and I'm almost impossible task of trying to figure out to compensate.

I would just keep the monitors you have and at least treat early reflections and add some big ass bass traps in each corner, both with owens coring panels (diy and moveable/unattached to walls). The problem will be solving early reflections off your ceiling without attaching to the ceiling, but you will need something there.

I knew much less about treatment in my townhouse home studio ten years ago, and it was a small box. I got by with a crappy, way less than ideal compact home stereo and....constant checks in different environments, such as my car....lol. Still always had issues balancing bass...the big culprit without treatment.

I'm sorry, but I hate to say it; if you really live in a small box, I wouldn't waste too much time and money on gear and treatment and instead suggest you just accept that you don't live in an ideal mixing environment.

This will go farther than changing monitors within the sub $500 range.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

There are a couple of things you can do Ron that will help even in your present crib. Decouple your monitors from the desktop, I use two rubber mouse pads one under each monitor, there are companies that sell rubber gadgets to sit your monitors on. Also, pull them away from the wall a foot or two and away from corners making sure you form an equilateral triangle between you and the two speakers.

http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=211244101&sellerid=20676510

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

I'll have to +1 the idea of acoustic treatment. It seems to be a more important step to take than to try and upgrade monitors.

I built several broadband panel absorbers (just used some 1X6s to build a frame, some rockwool in the frame, and covered with cheap burlap) for my recording/practice room and they really did help even out the sound in there. Trust me . . . if I can do it, you can do it. The best part is you can move them around the room easily, so you can bring them all together to make a dead corner for recording vocals, take them away if you want some small-room sound while recording an acoustic guitar track, or set them up in the corners and the back of the room to lower the bass and some reflections to make it easier to hear what's going on when you're recording.

 

[gvis]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

Yes, in my current home studio, which is about a 22 by 14 room with 9 foot ceiling(decent enough but still not the best), I do isolate my monitors with mouse pads. It's enough, No need to buy the fancy stuff. I also use doubled oup, old aurelex panels from from townhouse studio to treat the desk area.

Everywhere else I use owens corning panels (broad band and bass traps). 50 or so total in the room; but I'm treating a drum kit in the back section as well.

Don't buy the owens panels from music sites. It's cheaper at places like the link below, where I bought mine, and they will negotiate (more so the more you buy).

http://www.metrosupplycollc.com/Owens_Corning_Insulation.html#Thermal%20Batt

And make it easy on yourself by spending time on gearslutz.com. Industry professional go there and contribute (be forewarned, they suffer no fools...lol).

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

Yes, in my current home studio, which is about a 22 by 14 room with 9 foot ceiling(decent enough but still not the best), I do isolate my monitors with mouse pads. It's enough, No need to buy the fancy stuff. I also use doubled oup, old aurelex panels from from townhouse studio to treat the desk area.

Sounds like a great room!

 

[everdrone]

Re: which monitor for recording? 2.1 system?

I would just keep the monitors you have and at least treat early reflections and add some big ass bass traps in each corner, both with owens coring panels (diy and moveable/unattached to walls). The problem will be solving early reflections off your ceiling without attaching to the ceiling, but you will need something there.

I'm sorry, but I hate to say it; if you really live in a small box, I wouldn't waste too much time and money on gear and treatment and instead suggest you just accept that you don't live in an ideal mixing environment.

This will go farther than changing monitors within the sub $500 range.

thanks brutha, this is what I need to do. Ill keep my $80 M-Audio Studiopro3 monitors, and see how I want to fix my ability to practice bass.

This helps alot cause my main thing was that I could not practice bass to youtube videos for cover songs. I went to GC today and the dude said you can hook up subs to speakers and they have the cables; so I need to explore how to add a subwoofer to my speakers. I tested the KRK5s at GC and you can hear the bass a lot more, I need to bring in my recordings like ratherdashing said if I am really gonna get those...nice GC sale going on right now with the coupon.

of course I wanted better recordings which is my neverending saga that has lasted me years, but I can live with them as is, I may get an axetrak instead that I have been gassing for...first need to fix what I got though, and get the subwoofer so I can practice my cover songs for shows

:beerchug: