Hi folks,
 
A big hello from me as I'm new here :)
 
I have a pair of goodman active 75 speakers such as these on ebay
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Goodmans-Active-75-Speakers-/230816908929?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item35bdc28681
 
that I am using for mixing down at the moment. They are loud enough but do have bass and treble controls so are not proper studio reference monitors.
 
I am just wondering  what really is the main difference between proper small studio monitors and the goodmans speakers that I am using?
 
I realise that that studio monitors give a flat response so as not to colour the sound in any way, and my question is, isn't it possible to adjust the bass and treble on my speakers so as to obtain more or less the same effect?
 
Is there other differences that I am not aware of, between ordinary active speakers and studio monitors?
 
I was thinking of buying these,
 
http://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Behringer-B2030P-Truth-Studio-Monitors-Pair/1LO
 
But If I though it was just a case of calibrating the bass and treble on my existing speakers then I would just continue to use them instead.
 
Many Thanks for any advice and pointers in the right direction.
 
Kind regards
Joe
 
 
 
 

Being able to calibrate the frequenciens to some extent is an important feature in tuning the monitors for DAW use, but the ability to do so does not mean the loudspeakers are any good soundwise.

I could not find the slightest bit of information on Goodmans 75s in the internet, but the one picture I found gave me a very "light weight" impression. Anyways, without knowing any specs or anything, I can't say how the Behringers compare to those Goodmans. The Truths are usually considered as monitors of quite a good value to money, though.

In theory, monitors should be flat, practically, they aren't.  And they are just another way to check your music.

The biggest difference between your Goodman's and the Berhringers is the bass response, as in having some.  It takes a bigger woofer and more power to drive air, esp. bass.  Even those Behringers start rolling off the lows at 75 hz - usually you'll want to mix on something that goes closer to 40 hz.  Still, they have a good bang for the buck reputation and should be a nice starter kit and definately a step up from the Goodmans.

@

Most of the home audio gear is designed to give a "colored" sound.....one way or the other. Most augment the bass freqs in some way to enhance the sound. 

You want to mix with speakers that are flat across the spectrum. As has been pointed out, that is not always the case even with studio reference speakers. The room you mix in plays a major role in what you hear as do the speakers. Start with good reference speakers. Then work on the room acoustics. 

I use ARC. (Acoustic room correction software) 

It's OK to use home speakers to check the mix after you mix it properly with flat response monitors in a controlled room.  

note: My Mackies have frequency controls on them. This is so that I can adjust the freqs as I tune them to the room using hardware or software for that purpose.  Truth be told.... I set them to where they sound good and never adjust them again. Then I learn the speakers and the room....and mix with that starting point. 

Hello again folks,

Thanks very much for all your replies and advice.

I have these monitors on my list as well from m-audio, if it was you buying which would you go for,
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MAudioBX5D2New.html

or the before mentioned behringer, 
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/B2030A.aspx
 
I can get them for around the same price, so probably expecting replies to say, not much of a difference.

Really appreciate your opinion though :)

Thanks again
Joe

i own a pair of behringers (8" woofers, 2031A i think) and they are a good place to start vs home audio speakers. i would encourage you to get the 8" ones for some slightly better bass response. you would probably do just fine with the MAudios too, but i can't vouch for them and you won't get the bass response that you would with the behringers (particularly the 8" ones).

to speak on monitoring in general, a lot has to do with your environment and far more how you "learn" your monitors. by getting a pair of studio monitors, you are heading in the right direction since they are all designed to reproduce the details of sound vs. pleasant sounding music. frequency response flatness is only one part of the equation, the other is responsiveness of the speakers which determines how finely the details are reproduced. however, all that is for naught unless you train yourself to listen for these details and make a connection between what sounds good on a well-mixed/mastered album and your own mixes.

i've spent years mixing (even with the behringers) and while i've gotten better, i can still quickly embarrass myself by playing my mixdowns in a car stereo. part of this is my mixing environments haven't really been that conducive to picking up the subtleties of low end frequencies, but most of it is that i don't have the experience (and probably, talent) to translate what to me sound like pretty subtle differences on the monitors and pretty big ones on my stereo.

i say all that so you will have the proper expectations and not be disappointed that your mixes don't sound "good" - they will probably get a lot better, but they most likely won't stand up to a commercial mix until you keep at it for awhile. comparing your mixes to commercial ones is the best way to learn, as well as listening on different consumer systems (home stereo, earbuds, car stereo, computer speakers, etc.). the important thing to do when comparing is realize that louder sounds better, so you need to turn the commercial mix down so it is at a similar level to your own mix (or turn yours up). 

good luck with your monitor purchase - and this is a great place to come for advice. a lot of pros hang out here (i'm not one of them, i'm just good at learning and writing, vs. actually doing ) and can tell you even more about the fine art of studio monitoring. 

Another option, when just starting out, would be to look for a good used pair of audiophile speakers.

Audiophiles also generally prefer non-colored sound, so those types of speakers also often have a very flat response.

A good used lower end pair of B&W's (Bowers and Wilkins) say 602 or 603 probably would give you a far more accurate sound than a pair of new low-end bargain "monitors" and probably would not be much more in terms of cost (especially the 602's used IIRC).  They would, however, require an amp to drive them.

Another low-end entry monitor - not a favorite - but worth considering at stage #1, would be the self-powered Wharfedale diamond pro 8.2.

Admittedly, between those two options, I would search long and hard for the B&W's.

Anyway, some other options to look into.