Choosing the Right Monitors

[Mustang Martigan]

I currently only have a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pro Headphones and a pair of Bose 301 Series IV Bookshelf Speakers for mixdown. I desperately need a pair of monitors. I don't have much of a budget tho, probably around $200. The only monitors I've researched that seem anywhere near acceptable are the JBL LSR 305's. I'd preferably like to get a pair of monitors that fully cover the frequency spectrum; the LSR305's are somewhere in the low 40Hz's.

If I waited to save up more cash, how much would I be spending to get a pair that cover the full freq spectrum and have a flat response that stays true to the sound and really brings out the flaws of the mix? It also be nice to grab a pair that don't have a port, or atleast a front loaded one. I've read really great things about the Focal Alpha 65's, but a pair of those would run me close to $800.

My small budget also limited my ability to purchase any acoustical treatment; it's WAY heavier than my wallet. I do plan on treating my room in the future, but until then, is it pointless to invest in monitors? Or will they still improve my mixing with just some cheap, heavy moving blankets, as a temporary sound absorbent?

I'm not looking to build a top of the line professional setup here, I just want to be able to accurately hear an honest representation of what I have tracked and be able to make the correct mixing decisions.

If it matters, I mix mainly hard/heavy rock, punk.. so basically alot of rock.

Thanks,
-Adam

[vvv]

Aiight, I am not a pro but I am a prolific and long-time experienced recordist (read, "old"), with a fairly extensive but low-cost collection of gear in my bedroom studio ("bedio").

Glad to meetcha.

So, my $1.280 is to do a little research, and seek out used gear. I rely - have for years - on Tannoy PBM 6.5 II monitors, which can be easily found on the Ebog for under US$200. I recall certain KRK's, Alesis and even Samson speakers being praised in years past, such that 5 or 10 years later might be extremely good buys. (FWIW, I used Optimus 5's for a long while, and OK results, with cross-references in the car, the home stereo, etc.) I have a pair of Auratones which, while not "nice" to listen to, sure give me good mixes, and I paid far less than your limit. For that matter, I have a $50 Tivoli that I am confident I could use along with a shite stereo boombox and get presentable ruff mixes of the rock stuff I do.

I wouldn't be too concerned (place any particular greater emphasis) about low-end reproduction in that cross-referencing can help, low-pass filters can help, etc. You can always add a cheap sub later, if you need to get a rough idear of what's down there ... (Hate subs for mixin', myself, but they come in handy on certain material, such as EDM and even noise/industrial.) Front vs. back vs. no port is something of a matter of preference as well as a dictator of monitor placement (rear port has to be farther off the wall for accuracy), but ports are basically seemingly essential if you want reasonable low end from small monitors and drivers.

Room treatment? Understand that I am speaking of low-budget approaches, entirely un-sanctioned, and from my own particular [lack of] taste and experience. That said, one of the purposes of near-field monitors, and indeed headphones, is to minimize the effect of the room you are in as you go about trying to blow minds. That's not to say simple issues, such as trying to be in the center of the room (I'm not) and and least 6-12" off the walls (I get 6", ahem) should be ignored. The heavy blanket thing may feel useful, but ultimately gets oppressive, and fucking dusty. I do things like open the closet doors, keep lots of pillows on the bed (It is my "bedio"), use sensible volume levels (I like 82db at the listening position, but start much lower and try at least one mix much higher) to maximize that "near" part of "near-field", toe the speakers and keep them at proper height while trying to keep reflections minimized re the desk, etc. I do have a cuppla bass traps ... And like I said above, I change out speakers, and sometimes use headphones (I like Sony MDR 600's for their imaging and bass exaggeration), and I often drop into mono for multi-track level-checks, as well.

Finally, " to be able to accurately hear an honest representation of what I have tracked and be able to make the correct mixing decisions" is as much abut experience - particularly including your non-standard listening environment and gear (by what I mean, you are not moving from one expensive pro studio to the next) as it is the room and the gear itself, which latter two things arguably only make things easier/quicker/more repeatable, but not necessarily better.

Or at least so I tell me.

DISCLAIMER: a pot of coffee and the Sunday morning news shows, as well as a slight hang-over and rapidly building heat and humidity, have gone into the drafting of this novella.

[kslight]

Yeah I kind of think it is pointless to focus on really low end reproduction without room treatment. Your best bet may be to use alternative monitoring (like headphones) to check low frequencies.

Depending on the size of the room, especially, bigger monitors may be tough to work with in smaller rooms. Smaller monitors more appropriate for small home studios are of course going to have trouble reproducing extreme low end.

To get around this, limitation, and to pull my room out of the equation, I actually took a different approach...I use a subpac in addition to my monitors.


In any case, $200 isn't much to work with so IMHO I would just work with what you've got until you can save up enough to work on the room a bit. Second hand monitors (and room treatment!) can be a good option as well but again, $200 isn't much...most likely you'll end up with throwaway gear that you'll want to replace down the road anyway.

[vvv]

Hey, kslight, please explain a little more about how you use/set-up your bass shaker. I'm intrigued ...

[kslight]

Hey, kslight, please explain a little more about how you use/set-up your bass shaker. I'm intrigued ...

I have it mounted to my chair and wired in with my Monitor Station like a sub (I don't use the Bluetooth, or the headphone out). It vibrates and kind of makes you feel the bass lines, sub extensions, up to 150 some hz I don't remember exactly.

There's a knob to control intensity. It's actually quite powerful if you want it to be.

If you've ever sat in a car with a "system" and listened to "urban" music, it feels like the seat of the el Camino/caprice classic vibrating....but you don't have the massive volume thing going on.

The subpac is designed to emulate "club" volume, when you're at a concert and you feel the bass. But again, without deafening volumes.

So if you make music intended for clubs...or in my case, movie theatres...this is an interesting gadget.


And no, I've never tried using it as a vibrator.

[Nick Sevilla]

I can recommend the JBLs that you mention. I have a pair and they work quite well.

Guitar Center has them each at $150 USD... so a bit over budget but well worth it.

Cheers

[vvv]

And no, I've never tried using it as a vibrator.

I bet I could use it to shake martoonies.

[Mustang Martigan]

I can recommend the JBLs that you mention. I have a pair and they work quite well.

Guitar Center has them each at $150 USD... so a bit over budget but well worth it.

Cheers

It seems like either people love or hate the LSR's. Do you find that they have a neutral sound that brings out the flaws in a mix?

[Drone]

There was a high end monitor review, in a recent edition of the magazine, where the reviewer stated that these were the first monitors that sounded better than his Behringer Truth 2032's (I think that was the model #) and went on to explain that the original passive versions of these sounded amazing, which always intrigued me, made me want to check 'em out, because I can't imagine they cost that much, given the Behringer-hate generated by a lot of people.

Maybe someone can remember which issue, when I have time I'll go thru them later.

[Nick Sevilla]

I can recommend the JBLs that you mention. I have a pair and they work quite well.

Guitar Center has them each at $150 USD... so a bit over budget but well worth it.

Cheers

It seems like either people love or hate the LSR's. Do you find that they have a neutral sound that brings out the flaws in a mix?

They do an ok job of translating mixes. If you do buy these or any other ones, do yourself a favor and listen to a lot of familiar music before mixing on them.

[Mustang Martigan]

Anyone familiar with the Tannoy PBM6.5 monitors? A couple people recommended buying them used (pretty sure they're OOP), although I'd have to grab an amp for 'em. Any other older models I should check out that I could possibly get a bargain on?

[vvv]

Nope, never heard of 'em.

[Mustang Martigan]

Or how about the JBL LSR2325P monitors, anyone familiar with them? A used pair (they're OOP) is pretty close in price to the 305's, and people seem to prefer them. Although I'm hesitant pulling the trigger on used monitors, especially sight unseen/unheard, i.e. a banged up woofer(s) on the way out.

Any opinions on Sonarworks Reference 3 software for headphone and monitors? I just got the headphone demo, gonna check it out tonight. What's the other company that makes similar software?

Sorry to ask three separate questions in one post, but fuck it, I guess.. I need to make a trip to the local store, go into the monitor room n hear these things first hand. Any suggestions on what listening material to bring, as well as any specific things to listen for?

Thanks for all the feedback

[MoreSpaceEcho]

you can get about 4 bundles of safe n sound for $200 at home despot. i'd do that before buying new monitors.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

as far as listening material....just bring some records you're really familiar with. bring at least one record with some real dynamics. maybe bring some of your own work as well.

i'd listen for midrange clarity, be wary of 'boom and sizzle' hype-y sounding monitors.

and speaking from experience....if you're in a "hifi" store (are there any left in boston?) and the first thing you play is a shellac record, be prepared for some funny looks from the salesguy.