Flywheel
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Studio Monitors?
I ws listening to some Monitors a few days ago. I really liked the sound of the A7X's really easy to listen to slightly crowded in the midsbut good all over spectrum. The Events, I think I could listen to them on a warm summers day, they are very bright a little glaring on the high end nice mids and bass quality.
The Genelecs, quite bassy I guess for certain genre's they would be good.
If i was to vote with my money although the A7X's sound good I would probably go for the Event 20/20.
Would you give me the advantage of being right?
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SCorey
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/08 10:04:26
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Where were you listening? The room plays a huge part in the sound of speakers. I have Genelec 8050A speakers and I'd never describe them as being 'bassy'. They're very even overall and very detailed. Some people say they're too detailed or harsh, but I like them. They also have some switches to change the frequency response depending on the environment, how were those set? It's also very likely that you were hearing room resonances. The only way to truly evaluate speakers is to get them in your room. And hopefully your room is acoustically treated.
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Guitarhacker
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/08 10:41:30
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Flywheel.....
Monitors.... the kind we use are supposed to be flat across the musical spectrum.
However.....
When you compare them in a store's recording room, be sure you are listening to source material that is similar to the kind of music you will be working on in the studio most often.
As you have discovered, as I did also, monitors, while they are supposed to be flat and unbiased or uncolored, are in fact not. Some of them will sound better than others.
So...... choose a pair in your budget range that sound good and where you can hear the bass cleanly and the high end as well without the fizzing and mud.
Then..... when you get them home....learn them.
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Kalle Rantaaho
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/08 10:44:42
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Calling the Genelecs bassy caught my eye immediately as well. How were they positioned? IIRC they have the bass reflex hole in the rear, don't they? Such speakers can be "downgraded" by positioning very easily.
IMO auditioning monitor speakers in the shops is next to useless, unless there's a properly treated room and the buyer has one of about the same size and quality as well. I once spent a week doing it with a reference CD and did not get any wiser (I don't have a treated room, nor did most of the shops).
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skullsession
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/08 10:45:58
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You may be right. But I wouldn't even consider buying monitors if the store wouldn't do a demo to allow me about a week with some real mixing.
They are too expensive, and too critical to the mixing process to make the wrong decision.
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ChuckC
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/08 15:19:18
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what stores allow that? I've been in sam ash checking them out and bought a pair from a guitar center and nobody ever offered to let me demo them at home, though I would love to on my next go around (which I think I need to do soon).
I ended up buying a set of the 1st gen KRK rockit 5's and have since added a bose sub which while it sounds good for average listening isn't so great for this. My system is lying to me all over about the bass which drives me nuts, the rockets have a dip in the upper mid frequencies that tends to screw me up too. I have the Arc system and can't seem to get it dialed in with that either. With Arc it does flaten it out some and seems to help while mixing until I shut it off, export and then every time I find the mixes done with ARC engaged come out dull, with a harsh high end.
It pisses me OFF! My mixes are closer to something usable without ARC at all. Seems a great concept, and some love it. I have read up on it and redone measurements time and again. But each time it has failed me, and yes my room is treated, so who knows?
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Starise
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/08 19:25:28
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The aim and goal of any monitor setup is to get the very best,"one size fits all" possible across the broadest spectrum of headphones and speakers available to the end user. From what I have seen, one size fits all means that by its very nature it was never intended to fit every system with perfection but to fit the largest percentage of systems with the best precision....in other words on some systems it will get close, on others it will be a bulls eye and on some it might totally miss the mark...a compromise. And the thing is, you can never know what the listener is using,so you can't be 100% sure that what you heard will be similar to what they will hear. Add to this response of various drivers and the users tone preferences and there is a lot for one mix to accomplish. So IMO no matter if you use ARC or have your room treated and professionally eq'ed ,the best might not be the best in every instance,but best in most instances. ARC can be great and I have had good success with it, but I don't generally mix at high volume or mix metal either. Do you also listen with headphones? If so I am curious as to if the problems are heard there. ARC should have smoothed out those upper mids. I have to ask this...are you disengaging ARC before you mix down? The final mix should be exported without ARC on. Are you looking at any kind of spectral view? This might help you to find out where the bass problems are if they are not part of the room. If the Sub has a freq. control maybe it needs an adjustment. Bass seems to be one of the toughest things to tame in home studios. Those panels usually don't cut it for bass, a few traps might be needed. Mixing at the lowest possible levels will also help to reduce any standing waves.JMO hope this helps,good luck.
post edited by Starise - 2012/02/08 19:27:14
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Cactus Music
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/08 19:49:11
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In the end no matter what monitor you choose, you have to as the wise words of guitarhacker state "learn them"
All good quality monitors will work for you, but you have to get used to what it is your hearing and then every mix will translate on to all other systems.
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gustabo
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/11 12:41:58
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ChuckC
what stores allow that?
George's Music does. 30 days, at least the one in West Palm Beach.
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Rbh
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/11 15:08:16
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The very most important aspect to monitors is the level that you use them. ALL mid priced and some lower end speakers will likely give you reasonable bass response IF you listen to them at very moderate levels. It usually about efficiencies - which correlate directly to what level you drive them at. So no matter what - you will need to listen to them in your own acoustic space and need to work with in that space to treat the room properly. You might as well read a lot of reviews and go with price and general size in relation to lots of decent reviews. I think the best teacher for monitoring and room treatment is Ethan Winter's site.
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Dave King
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/12 00:43:14
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I've been using the Event 20/20's for a number of years and really like them. I also have a pair of NS10's but I use the 20/20's 90% of the time. I believe Event has just released a new version of the 20/20's (called the 20/30's?). You might want to check them out.
Choosing monitors is very subjective. For me, the 20/20's are pleasing, yet also pretty flat. Of course with any monitor, you have to spend some time with them to get to "know" them.
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ChuckC
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/12 08:26:52
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Thanks Gustabo, but that would be one hell of a drive (about 6 hours each way) to get down there.
ADK Built DAW, W7, Sonar Platinum, Studio One Pro,Yamaha HS8's & HS8S Presonus Studio/Live 24.4.2, A few decent mic pre's, lots of mics, 57's,58 betas, Sm7b, LD Condensors, Small condensors, Senn 421's, DI's, Sans Amp, A few guitar amps etc. Guitars : Gib. LP, Epi. Lp, Dillion Tele, Ibanez beater, Ibanez Ergodyne 4 String bass, Mapex Mars series 6 pc. studio kit, cymbals and other sh*t. http://www.everythingiam.net/ http://www.stormroomstudios.com Some of my productions: http://soundcloud.com/stormroomstudios
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Flywheel
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/16 08:51:13
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I am really happy with my VXT6's they sound really good to me. Me and someone who has an ear for music sat down and listened to them for a while and was quite immersed one thing Horns cut right through a mix with clarity in the VXT series. Excellent sounds burst through with no harshness.
But if I was to get another pair it would probably be the Events 20/20 if not the A7X's
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AT
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/16 09:53:34
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Barefoot are the best speakers I've heard. I swear I could hear the hair on my arms rising while listening.
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Freddie H
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/16 17:21:37
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fwrend
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/16 20:30:26
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Dave King
I've been using the Event 20/20's for a number of years and really like them. I also have a pair of NS10's but I use the 20/20's 90% of the time. I believe Event has just released a new version of the 20/20's (called the 20/30's?). You might want to check them out.
Choosing monitors is very subjective. For me, the 20/20's are pleasing, yet also pretty flat. Of course with any monitor, you have to spend some time with them to get to "know" them.
+1 to the 20/20's. I've had my pair for 10+ years and they have been solid. I've been temped many times to go the active route (HS80's) always thinking the grass was greener but I am content with these for what I do and can't justify the expense (which I am very good at). I will say that i wasnt always confident they would be ones I could sit in front of for 8+ hours. The response is very close to flat but I recently purchased ARC (because of a sale and the fact I have the gift of justification :-). The difference and correction was not huge but I could definately tell a difference and feel it lowered the fatigue factor if there was one.
post edited by fwrend - 2012/02/16 20:31:46
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Flywheel
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Re:Studio Monitors?
2012/02/22 05:02:41
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I was unsure of my choice as I was questioning the low end on the six's but my ear has gotten used to them and there is enough low end to get on with my work.
Fatigue can set in sometimes with the high mids glaring at you other than that its quite good. Also you can adjust frequencies, which is always a good thing!
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