Hi All
I am scratching my head over which home studio monitors I should buy
as this is my first effort setting up such a project.
I wish to spend around 400 - 500 euros.
I have read many reviews etc and it seems the yamaha NS10/HS80 are a good
start but these are quite difficult to obtain in Australia on ebay and other
outlets etc and I don't really want to buy second hand units from overseas
as it may be a bit of a liabilty.
So...could someone create a sort of pecking order for alternatives eg are the
Behringer Truth series a good option/value or the maybe the KRK Rokit series?
Alessis....??
I hope someone can give me some advice
Cheers
bryan
Monitor Selection
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- KVRian
- 996 posts since 14 Jun, 2012 from Toronto, Canada
If you have 400~500 euros, treat the room as best as you can and buy cheaper monitors that have good upper midrange and set of good headphones for extended bass response. You can compensate for deficiencies with the monitor but you can't compensate for your room.
It's all about the wavelets. I dream of the perfect additive synthesis.
You can hire me if you are in Toronto! Contact for details.
You can hire me if you are in Toronto! Contact for details.
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 23 posts since 11 Jan, 2013
Txs Schnapsglas for your reply
I have budgeted for improvements to the room.
I understand problems with standing waves etc so I will be making bass traps
etc to try and equalize the room for monitoring.I know I will never get it perfect with the budget I have set aside but I will try to approach it.
(BTW the room is 5.4m X 3.6m with a low ceiling of 2m )
Still any feedback on monitors would be helpful.
Cheers
Bryan
I have budgeted for improvements to the room.
I understand problems with standing waves etc so I will be making bass traps
etc to try and equalize the room for monitoring.I know I will never get it perfect with the budget I have set aside but I will try to approach it.
(BTW the room is 5.4m X 3.6m with a low ceiling of 2m )
Still any feedback on monitors would be helpful.
Cheers
Bryan
bryzarofwales
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- KVRian
- 669 posts since 2 Apr, 2005 from out there
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- KVRian
- 996 posts since 14 Jun, 2012 from Toronto, Canada
If your ceiling is 2m, that is a big problem, not to mention your room is in ratio 3:2. No matter what you do, you won't be able to get it. In fact, in these cases whatever you do below 100hz will never be fully trustable. Only way out is a set of good headphones that extend down to 30~40hz VERY WELL.
NS10 is really more of a second monitor. I wouldn't use that alone. HS80 is way too big for your room. Don't be shocked once you take your measurement mic out a kick drum sounds different every 2hz.
Learn to position them correctly and use other sources such as your computer speakers. Mike Senior suggests this, and I wholeheartedly agree, in small rooms it is always good to have smaller woofers with a subwoofer.
There are dimensions that allow proper treatment, and there are dimensions where the effort brings diminishing returns. Yours is somewhere in the middle. But your budget means you cannot do it really proper. Really, get the cheapest monitor with proper inputs (balanced), 6" or smaller woofer, preferably with subwoofer, and it will do the job. Monitoring is important, but in some cases (and with the budget here) it simply cannot be done to perfection.
I hear good things about the newer Behringers. Is 500 euro with the treatment or without the treatment? I recommended EXO 2 in other thread...
NS10 is really more of a second monitor. I wouldn't use that alone. HS80 is way too big for your room. Don't be shocked once you take your measurement mic out a kick drum sounds different every 2hz.
Learn to position them correctly and use other sources such as your computer speakers. Mike Senior suggests this, and I wholeheartedly agree, in small rooms it is always good to have smaller woofers with a subwoofer.
There are dimensions that allow proper treatment, and there are dimensions where the effort brings diminishing returns. Yours is somewhere in the middle. But your budget means you cannot do it really proper. Really, get the cheapest monitor with proper inputs (balanced), 6" or smaller woofer, preferably with subwoofer, and it will do the job. Monitoring is important, but in some cases (and with the budget here) it simply cannot be done to perfection.
I hear good things about the newer Behringers. Is 500 euro with the treatment or without the treatment? I recommended EXO 2 in other thread...
It's all about the wavelets. I dream of the perfect additive synthesis.
You can hire me if you are in Toronto! Contact for details.
You can hire me if you are in Toronto! Contact for details.
-
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 23 posts since 11 Jan, 2013
Txs Schnapsglas
I have been looking into my issue further and and from what you have explained so far is in agreement.I do have a bit of a problem....
Ok....regarding budget I may lower my monitor budget and spend more on treatment (I have about 800 euro to play with) headphones etc will come later.
Also would using something like the "Room - eq - wizard" (its free) be of help in at least directing me towards solving some of the lower end problems.
I should imagine there will be a fair bit of trial and error involved in many areas.
I will look into EXO 2 as well as the Behringers.
If I decide, and I probably will, to use smaller woofers with a sub woofer does the sub woofer need to "matched" in any way with the smaller woofer monitors? ie. the same manufacturer etc.
txs again for your help
Bryan
[/b]
I have been looking into my issue further and and from what you have explained so far is in agreement.I do have a bit of a problem....
Ok....regarding budget I may lower my monitor budget and spend more on treatment (I have about 800 euro to play with) headphones etc will come later.
Also would using something like the "Room - eq - wizard" (its free) be of help in at least directing me towards solving some of the lower end problems.
I should imagine there will be a fair bit of trial and error involved in many areas.
I will look into EXO 2 as well as the Behringers.
If I decide, and I probably will, to use smaller woofers with a sub woofer does the sub woofer need to "matched" in any way with the smaller woofer monitors? ie. the same manufacturer etc.
txs again for your help
Bryan
[/b]
bryzarofwales
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- KVRian
- 996 posts since 14 Jun, 2012 from Toronto, Canada
Look at this thread, since it is similar and I am posting there as well.
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=374943
If you use subs, yes, probably unless you really know what you're doing, you'd do well to match it. Especially something that does not stand on its own like EXO. The crossover frequency may be too high. For something like Focals or Yamahas, you could get away with that.
If you have an access to a measurement microphone it would be good, but you don't even have monitors yet. Again, I will try to be practical. What music will you make? Will you record in the space? Will you mix there? Will you master there? These are important things. Do you think you will be at that space for a long time?
These are more important factors, because if you are recording or even looking into mastering your own mix (or what people call pre-master these days,) I can't stress enough that acoustic treatment and monitors at lower level needs to be 50:50, even 60:40 split in budget.
Room EQ is a delicate matter, and unless you can get your hands on something like ARC, which I would NOT recommend not because it doesn't work (it does work well, as far as I know) but it will just dent your budget for now. If you are getting started, you can live with some deficiencies. When I had to move, I had no choice but to mix only on earphones (!) once because I had packed all my setup. As long as you have a plan, you can wait for it. It's just the matter of "what am I ready to sacrifice?" And to get to that conclusion, you need to answer the questions above.
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=374943
If you use subs, yes, probably unless you really know what you're doing, you'd do well to match it. Especially something that does not stand on its own like EXO. The crossover frequency may be too high. For something like Focals or Yamahas, you could get away with that.
If you have an access to a measurement microphone it would be good, but you don't even have monitors yet. Again, I will try to be practical. What music will you make? Will you record in the space? Will you mix there? Will you master there? These are important things. Do you think you will be at that space for a long time?
These are more important factors, because if you are recording or even looking into mastering your own mix (or what people call pre-master these days,) I can't stress enough that acoustic treatment and monitors at lower level needs to be 50:50, even 60:40 split in budget.
Room EQ is a delicate matter, and unless you can get your hands on something like ARC, which I would NOT recommend not because it doesn't work (it does work well, as far as I know) but it will just dent your budget for now. If you are getting started, you can live with some deficiencies. When I had to move, I had no choice but to mix only on earphones (!) once because I had packed all my setup. As long as you have a plan, you can wait for it. It's just the matter of "what am I ready to sacrifice?" And to get to that conclusion, you need to answer the questions above.
It's all about the wavelets. I dream of the perfect additive synthesis.
You can hire me if you are in Toronto! Contact for details.
You can hire me if you are in Toronto! Contact for details.
-
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 23 posts since 11 Jan, 2013
Txs Schnapglas
I will take your advice and work in a progressive manner and
live with the deficiencies and hopefully in time improve on them.
I will put more effort and money into the treating the room and use smaller
suitable monitors as you suggested (and maybe decent headphones)and I guess take it from there.
Maybe I will be quite satisfied with the results.
Txs again
Bryan
I will take your advice and work in a progressive manner and
live with the deficiencies and hopefully in time improve on them.
I will put more effort and money into the treating the room and use smaller
suitable monitors as you suggested (and maybe decent headphones)and I guess take it from there.
Maybe I will be quite satisfied with the results.
Txs again
Bryan
bryzarofwales