Yamaha classic monitors ...worth anything?
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- KVRer
- 7 posts since 2 Feb, 2004
Does anybody have experience with those old industri standard yamaha monitors. It is named something with "10" ...maybe "nx10"? I might have an opportunity to get those very cheap and I was wondering how they compare to newer low priced monitors (like ESI nEars).
Zdere iz no zush zing az zhe vord "PHAT"
itz a vay of life.
itz a vay of life.
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- KVRAF
- 3745 posts since 29 Sep, 2002 from Killafornia
NS-10's. Yeah they're pretty much everywhere. I dont think they have the best sound personally. The highs are really harsh to me. That may have been the specific mix I was hearing tho 
. If you can get them cheap I say go for it. Everybody I've talked to says if you can get a good mix on those, it'll sound good on any other system.
. If you can get them cheap I say go for it. Everybody I've talked to says if you can get a good mix on those, it'll sound good on any other system.
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 7 posts since 2 Feb, 2004
NS10 Yes thats the one. Thanks for the reply AD80
In fact I don't even know if it a passive or active monitor type. Will I need an external amplifier ..do you know that?
In fact I don't even know if it a passive or active monitor type. Will I need an external amplifier ..do you know that?
Zdere iz no zush zing az zhe vord "PHAT"
itz a vay of life.
itz a vay of life.
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- KVRAF
- 3745 posts since 29 Sep, 2002 from Killafornia
Hay I was right about the highs being harsh 
. Heres some info I found on them.
PS: I'm pretty sure they're passive.
Yamaha has discontinued production of this musical workhorse. Why, you ask? Don't we see them perched on the meter bridge of every console in almost every studio? Yes, we certainly do. So, why are they being discontinued? It's because Yamaha says they can no longer obtain the materials needed to produce this famous speaker. They claim that the wood pulp used in the woofer cone is no longer available. Yamaha tried other materials in place of this special wood pulp, but they were never able to duplicate the "NS10 sound." So, after years of faithful service, an era comes to an end. Yamaha NS10 Press Release
The people that hate this little speaker have several reasons for doing so. They say the speaker just doesn't sound good. They say it's too bright, especially in the upper mid frequencies. Actually, the NS10's have a 7db peak around 1500Hz. Then, of course, there's the bass response problem. There isn't much there to work with. These are all good reasons not to like this speaker, yet it's an important component in most recording studios and is used by many successful recording engineers worldwide. There must be a reason for this.
In spite of the above claims, the speaker has something very funny about it. Mixes made on this speaker usually translate well to other speaker systems. There is a simple rule of thumb, "if it sounds good on the NS10's, it will sound good on anything." Well, maybe, and maybe not. It all depends on whether or not you know the "secret."
The secret in working with the NS10's, or any speaker for that matter, is knowing what the speaker sounds like. It's no different than knowing what other studio equipment sounds like. Compressors all sound different. EQ's all sound different. Microphones and mic preamps all sound different. Everything in your studio has a "sound." Even cables and speaker wire have their own "sound." Believe it or not, many engineers use compressors not only to control dynamics, but to EQ signals as well. That's because different compressors color the sound in different ways. Some affect the highs, others affect the mid's, and still others affect the lows. If you know what your compressors sound like, you can use the appropriate one to achieve the EQ you desire. The NS10's are no different. Like any piece of audio gear, you need to know what they sound like in order to have success using them.
Let's simplify it with a rule of thumb. When mixing with NS10's, mix the mid's a bit bright and the lows a tad light. One thing you'll enjoy is that these speakers don't have the normal 2 to 3 db dip in frequency response at the crossover point. This is usually around 2000 to 2500Hz on most near field monitors. This lack of frequency dip is probably the biggest reason why these speakers are loved by so many. As with any monitor, you need to check your mix on several other systems before making your final decisions. Use a car stereo, boom box, headphones, and maybe a good stereo system with a sub woofer. When your mix sounds great on all these systems, including the NS10's, you've got it nailed. Once you learn how the NS10's sound, you'll realize that for the most part, they are a joy to mix on. Isn't that what we all want in a near field monitor?
. Heres some info I found on them. PS: I'm pretty sure they're passive.
Yamaha has discontinued production of this musical workhorse. Why, you ask? Don't we see them perched on the meter bridge of every console in almost every studio? Yes, we certainly do. So, why are they being discontinued? It's because Yamaha says they can no longer obtain the materials needed to produce this famous speaker. They claim that the wood pulp used in the woofer cone is no longer available. Yamaha tried other materials in place of this special wood pulp, but they were never able to duplicate the "NS10 sound." So, after years of faithful service, an era comes to an end. Yamaha NS10 Press Release
The people that hate this little speaker have several reasons for doing so. They say the speaker just doesn't sound good. They say it's too bright, especially in the upper mid frequencies. Actually, the NS10's have a 7db peak around 1500Hz. Then, of course, there's the bass response problem. There isn't much there to work with. These are all good reasons not to like this speaker, yet it's an important component in most recording studios and is used by many successful recording engineers worldwide. There must be a reason for this.
In spite of the above claims, the speaker has something very funny about it. Mixes made on this speaker usually translate well to other speaker systems. There is a simple rule of thumb, "if it sounds good on the NS10's, it will sound good on anything." Well, maybe, and maybe not. It all depends on whether or not you know the "secret."
The secret in working with the NS10's, or any speaker for that matter, is knowing what the speaker sounds like. It's no different than knowing what other studio equipment sounds like. Compressors all sound different. EQ's all sound different. Microphones and mic preamps all sound different. Everything in your studio has a "sound." Even cables and speaker wire have their own "sound." Believe it or not, many engineers use compressors not only to control dynamics, but to EQ signals as well. That's because different compressors color the sound in different ways. Some affect the highs, others affect the mid's, and still others affect the lows. If you know what your compressors sound like, you can use the appropriate one to achieve the EQ you desire. The NS10's are no different. Like any piece of audio gear, you need to know what they sound like in order to have success using them.
Let's simplify it with a rule of thumb. When mixing with NS10's, mix the mid's a bit bright and the lows a tad light. One thing you'll enjoy is that these speakers don't have the normal 2 to 3 db dip in frequency response at the crossover point. This is usually around 2000 to 2500Hz on most near field monitors. This lack of frequency dip is probably the biggest reason why these speakers are loved by so many. As with any monitor, you need to check your mix on several other systems before making your final decisions. Use a car stereo, boom box, headphones, and maybe a good stereo system with a sub woofer. When your mix sounds great on all these systems, including the NS10's, you've got it nailed. Once you learn how the NS10's sound, you'll realize that for the most part, they are a joy to mix on. Isn't that what we all want in a near field monitor?
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- KVRAF
- 6519 posts since 13 Mar, 2002 from UK
There were two models of NS10 (both passive). The domestic one was, called the NS10s (the s stands, confusingly for studio). The model designed for monitoring was the NS10m (m for modified). f**k knows who Yamaha voiced the s model for, it is unbearably bright. A few sheets of bog paper over the tweeter was the prescribed remedy. It didn't work.
Neither model was particularly good, although the m became a studio standard.
At about the same time Yamaha produced (for the Japanese broadcasting corp) the NS1000 mid field monitor. Many people, me included, consider this to be one of the best dynamic speakers ever produced. It had distortion figures that are still unmatched by any box loudspeaker. If you see a pair going for less than £600 buy 'em. Better still PM me and I will.
Neither model was particularly good, although the m became a studio standard.
At about the same time Yamaha produced (for the Japanese broadcasting corp) the NS1000 mid field monitor. Many people, me included, consider this to be one of the best dynamic speakers ever produced. It had distortion figures that are still unmatched by any box loudspeaker. If you see a pair going for less than £600 buy 'em. Better still PM me and I will.
Last edited by nuffink on Thu Jul 08, 2004 12:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRAF
- 1821 posts since 5 Oct, 2003
What nuffink said...
If you don't get them, you can bet thatt someone else will....
If you don't get them, you can bet thatt someone else will....
"Time makes fools of us all. Our only comfort is that greater shall come after us." Eric Temple Bell
http://thetomorrowfile.bandcamp.com/
http://thetomorrowfile.bandcamp.com/
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 7 posts since 2 Feb, 2004
Thanks all. I'll let them pass on to somebody else. I dont want to go for passive speakers.
Zdere iz no zush zing az zhe vord "PHAT"
itz a vay of life.
itz a vay of life.