studio monitors on a budget

[KitC]

Best to buy monitors at the same time so you can burn them in simultaneously. You can monitor using your home stereo, I survived like that for quite some time and I also had my first headphone monitors (Sony MDR V600) to tide me over until I got my monitors.

[xjepoyx]

I hope you guys don't mind if I ask a n00b question...

My questions is - given the very limited budget that I have - would you recommend me getting a Samson Resolv 40A for about 8K+ or ONE piece of KRK RP5 for a little less? I can't afford a pair of KRK RP5s at the moment, I can only afford half a pair. Should I get one piece of RP5 or a pair of Samson Resolv 40As? I don't think I'll be doing my own mixes yet so I'm trying to find out if I can live in mono for the meantime.

go with KitC's suggestions.

As for the monitors better to get the resolv 40a than getting a single krk speaker.


PEACE!

[paparazzi]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'll settle for a low-end pair rather than one piece of a mid-end model.

Gracias

[KitC]

If you have an alternative monitoring system such as a home stereo with line ins, that will really do for now. The problem I have with the Resolve 40 is the size of the woofers. Don't expect any substantial bass from them. If you can wait and really save up for the KRKs, I don't think you will be disappointed. If I were to spend on a Samson, it would be the Rubicons because of their folded ribbon tweeters.

[paparazzi]

Thanks KitC. For the limited budget I have right now I am also considering a pair of Sony MDR-7506 cans for headphone monitors then eventually get the KRKs later this year when my pocket allows. I have a feeling the Resolv 40As will be a "transition" purchase if I ever buy it. I'm pretty sure even if I buy the Resolv 40A now, I will still keep the KRKs as a want at the back of my head and may eventually get it later this year. In that case, might just save up for the KRKs.

thanks again

UPDATE: as per KitC's suggestion, I have hooked up a pair of Bose 201 speakers to a cheapo sony amp and am using those for my monitors.

[KitC]

That's a good start, paparazzi. When in doubt, always try to compare your mixes with a lot of playback systems. For example, I have a single Roland MA-20 that I set up as a mono speaker, it sums the left and right channels, for mono compatibility testing. I even burn cd's which I play in the car to hear how the mix sounds within the confines of a car's acoustics (they say if it sounds good in the car, it will sound good everywhere else, YMMV). MikeP has a short distance FM transmitter for checking how his mixes sound over an FM radio. There are many ways to check how your mix will eventually sound; if it sounds good over a variety of playback media, then you can rest assured that the mix will hold up anywhere.

[paparazzi]

Thanks KitC. I've had these 201s for almost ten years and medyo gamay ko na yung output niya and how it differs from usually flat speakers. Ginawa ko nalang, I set the EQ of the cheap sony amp to a flatliner right smack in the middle.

It just never crossed my mind to use these as monitors until you told me. Maraming salamat ulit

[mikep]

pero sir, malamang naman di ba kung magrecommend ang Wharfedale, malamang brand na din nila un?

Mixing engineers never needed to add a subwoofer to that classic.

Usually, monitors need a little burn in time to get their cones sounding properly. I've even heard of some engineers who would operate the speakers for 24 hours at high volumes just to burn them in.

The alternative way of doing it is to feed them with pink noise for more than 24 hours at listening levels.  That way the burn in is kinda slow without exerting much effort on the speakers.

It is not advisable to use subs for any speakers used for mixing, unless you are doing a 5.1 mix.  Putting a sub in your 2 track mix would only confuse your low frequency perception levels.  You will come out without much lows in the final mix.

FWIW

[KitC]

.... If I were to spend on a Samson, it would be the Rubicons because of their folded ribbon tweeters.

sir kitc,

now that you mention it, the ribbon tweeters do look sweet.  wonder how it holds up to the krks.  does anyone use it here?  can't recall anyone attestin to its merits.  might be a good buy for a pair of 6"s.

 

Can't say without doing an A/B test on them, x! Now if only we can find a forward thinking music store that can stock everything in one place; kinda like Sam Ash when I was choosing my first synth... everything was there side by side and you could just test everything to your fancy. Oh well... we still got the Sound on Sound reviews... I believe SoS has reviews for both the Rubicons and KRKs.

[bindoy]

pero sir, malamang naman di ba kung magrecommend ang Wharfedale, malamang brand na din nila un?

Mixing engineers never needed to add a subwoofer to that classic.

Usually, monitors need a little burn in time to get their cones sounding properly. I've even heard of some engineers who would operate the speakers for 24 hours at high volumes just to burn them in.

The alternative way of doing it is to feed them with pink noise for more than 24 hours at listening levels.  That way the burn in is kinda slow without exerting much effort on the speakers.

It is not advisable to use subs for any speakers used for mixing, unless you are doing a 5.1 mix.  Putting a sub in your 2 track mix would only confuse your low frequency perception levels.  You will come out without much lows in the final mix.

FWIW

salamat sir mikeP...

sir, tanong po, medyo ignorante po pa ako e... anu po ung "pink noise"?

ngatz.gbu

[KitC]

sir, tanong po, medyo ignorante po pa ako e... anu po ung "pink noise"?

ngatz.gbu

It's a studio dito sa may Roces Ave. 

If you know white noise, which has equal power strength across the audio frequency spectrum, pink noise OTOH is also known as 1/f noise, is a signal or process with a frequency spectrum such that the power spectral density is proportional to the reciprocal of the frequency.  If I were to describe it in plain english, white noise is like the static you hear on a tv channel with no station, while pink noise is white noise with the highs rolled off (this is just an approximation).

[bindoy]

sir, tanong po, medyo ignorante po pa ako e... anu po ung "pink noise"?

ngatz.gbu

It's a studio dito sa may Roces Ave. 

If you know white noise, which has equal power strength across the audio frequency spectrum, pink noise OTOH is also known as 1/f noise, is a signal or process with a frequency spectrum such that the power spectral density is proportional to the reciprocal of the frequency.  If I were to describe it in plain english, white noise is like the static you hear on a tv channel with no station, while pink noise is white noise with the highs rolled off (this is just an approximation).

well said sir, thanks sir kitC and sir mikeP ngatz.gbu

[x_taxi]

Can't say without doing an A/B test on them, x! Now if only we can find a forward thinking music store that can stock everything in one place; kinda like Sam Ash when I was choosing my first synth... everything was there side by side and you could just test everything to your fancy. Oh well... we still got the Sound on Sound reviews... I believe SoS has reviews for both the Rubicons and KRKs.

the rubicons got positive reviews naman on SOS.  guess it'll be an option for future upgrades when my ear can hear better and starts complainin bout my mixes.

sana nga may all-in-one show room tayo ng pro audio stuff here in manila.   mas madali mag impulse buy pag ganun.  hehe.  come to think of it, the only pro audio store i've seen that has an actual listenin room is audiophile in manila.  those guys were showin me some very heavy monitors with 6in drivers.  felt like a solid block of concrete.  can't remember which specific model, pero the dust cover/cones were squished in.

 

[legato]

Hope you guys don't mind.

Is it ok to buy studio monitors and hooking it up to the computer/ipod so you can listen to some mp3s? Budgetwise, am talking about behringer ms40. Is is that much different from say a Sony boombox? Or say altec lansing speakers?

[marvinq]

not really, in my opinion. i have one. i think that's really how the product is positioned -- to be multimedia speakers, as opposed to being studio monitors, such as their truth monitors, or as some of my friends call it -- the poor man's genelec.

about the ms40, i really find the digital inputs cool...

[xjepoyx]

i also have a ms40. if im not in the mood to turn on my DAW i usually hookup my ipod also.

[legato]

Thanks for the responses.
I'm slowly building up some equipment for a poor mans PC home recording and a studio monitor is slowly getting in the radar.
What I really wanted to know is if the sound is better than a boombox (which I already have) or a mid priced altec lansing speaker?

[marvinq]

the sound of the ms40, i think, is not far from most good multimedia speakers, such as the one you have. my recommendation is, to hold on to the ones you have right now, until you could save up for something that is definitely a step up, such as behringer's truth monitors, an m-audio bx5a or the samson rubicons. upgrading little by little is going to be more costly for you in the long run. an added bonus would be, being able to educate your ears. switch to a 'better' monitor when you can clearly tell if that purchase is really going to make your mixes, or your music is general, better.

good luck in your quest for better audio, my friend. it's not exactly a cheap route, but truly a worthwhile one. 

GAS ATTACK!!!!! hahaha.

[chuck sabbath]

What I really wanted to know is if the sound is better than a boombox (which I already have) or a mid priced altec lansing speaker?

just got the ms40, cause the home stereo i was using forever blew up

when i first got them they sounded a bit bass heavy but a bit ill defined...also a bit treble shy, i was a bit disappointed but i think im getting used to them

yes like marvin said, the digital inputs are cool (i can hook up my pc digitally, then my mixer/outboard instruments through the line in) i also like the front panel volume control and headphone in...the bass and treble controls are good too for casual listening

ps. the thing is with "monitor" speakers...theyre not supposed to sound better, your boombox hypes up the sound to make it sound good while youre listening...if youre mixing you want your speakers to give you as accurate a sonic picture as possible...the berries are not the best by any means but its definitely an improvement over my old stuff

[legato]

the sound of the ms40, i think, is not far from most good multimedia speakers, such as the one you have. my recommendation is, to hold on to the ones you have right now, until you could save up for something that is definitely a step up, such as behringer's truth monitors, an m-audio bx5a or the samson rubicons. upgrading little by little is going to be more costly for you in the long run. an added bonus would be, being able to educate your ears. switch to a 'better' monitor when you can clearly tell if that purchase is really going to make your mixes, or your music is general, better.

good luck in your quest for better audio, my friend. it's not exactly a cheap route, but truly a worthwhile one. 

GAS ATTACK!!!!! hahaha.

Hahahahaha. Yup, for no apparent rhyme or reason.

What I really wanted to know is if the sound is better than a boombox (which I already have) or a mid priced altec lansing speaker?

just got the ms40, cause the home stereo i was using forever blew up

when i first got them they sounded a bit bass heavy but a bit ill defined...also a bit treble shy, i was a bit disappointed but i think im getting used to them

yes like marvin said, the digital inputs are cool (i can hook up my pc digitally, then my mixer/outboard instruments through the line in) i also like the front panel volume control and headphone in...the bass and treble controls are good too for casual listening

ps. the thing is with "monitor" speakers...theyre not supposed to sound better, your boombox hypes up the sound to make it sound good while youre listening...if youre mixing you want your speakers to give you as accurate a sonic picture as possible...the berries are not the best by any means but its definitely an improvement over my old stuff

So in other words
for listening -> boombox/stereo/etc
for mixing -> monitors?

Parang off-topic na pero might as well ask. Please bear with me. Do you have your PC recording hooked up to Monitors and another set of speakers for listening purposes?

[KitC]

Do you have your PC recording hooked up to Monitors and another set of speakers for listening purposes?

In my case, yes and no. Yes, since I have a multiple output card which I route to my main monitors - some Fostex 2.1s - while the other outputs service a pair of Altec Lansing computer monitors (although with Dolby Pro Logic) for both simulating computer speaker surround environments and for the odd game I have in my DAW  . hehe   I also have a solo Roland MA-20 for mono compatibility monitoring.

[abyssinianson]

Parang off-topic na pero might as well ask. Please bear with me. Do you have your PC recording hooked up to Monitors and another set of speakers for listening purposes?

in my case, i only have a couple pairs of studio monitors hooked up to my DAWs. my DAWs are basically just for media editing so I adjust my mixes there before I test them on different speakers. i usually store my rough mixes on an mp3 player and test it in my car or through the lin-in jack of my home stereo.

[marvinq]

i use bx5's as my main monitors. actually i like using my fostex powered speakers (forgot the model, but they were the very first set of powered speakers i bought, maybe more than 10 years ago.).

the behringer speakers were meant for my laptop, on which i do a lot of notation work and audio editing, so studio monitors are kinda overqualified for this gig. i never really had to do EQing or live recordings (where you have to check for phase relationships) with it, and when that time comes, i'd either bring along my bx5's or get an IE-30 (in-ear monitors -- i think they're pretty good).

[x_taxi]

for listening -> boombox/stereo/etc
for mixing -> monitors?

yup, and you actually need to know how to actually listen to your monitors.  try to figure out its strength and weaknesses, so that when you check the mix over the boombox/stereo there wouldn't be any surprises.

the ms40's are surprisingly good for the price.  it's the best at its price point.  actually wala ata siya ka-price.  hehe.

bottomline, just use what works for you, till your ears tell you otherwise.

 

[legato]

Wow, thanks all for all the help.

As was recommended, I'll probably just stick with my boombox until funds are readily available.