Opinions on Monitors $300-600 pair

[Tweak]

This poll was created February 2009--in 10 months only half remain. The ones you see have stood the test of time.





Wharfedale DP8.2
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--WHADP82A




KRK RP8/RP8G2 Rokit Powered
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--KRKRP8G2/sid--poll

The winning monitor!


Behringer B2031a
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--BEHB2031A






Yamaha HS50M Active Studio Monitor
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--YAMHS50M/sid--poll




Alesis M1 Active 620
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--ALEM1ACTIVE620




JBL LSR2325P Powered Studio Monitor (85 Watts, 1x5 in.)
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--JB ... /sid--poll






Mackie MR5 Reference Monitor
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MACMR5




Yamaha MSP5S Active Studio Monitor
http://www.zzounds.com/a--3745/item--YAMMSP5S/sid--poll

[terry]

I think Ill hold out for the KRK VXT8 Active Studio Monitor or VXT6 since they are just a tad more.

[aww-de-oh]

Got the KRK RP8 g2's. Wish i woulda held out for the VXT's too. Don't get me wrong, the RP8's are pretty darn good at this price point, but i find myself wanting that next step up. I will definatly hold on to em for a while. +These are great to start with... the difference between these and the VXT isn't so great to the untrained ear, but when you start to 'hear', you gotta pay for that extra 'lil bit-o-clarity.

Dangit Tweak! Like i said in another thread... this home recording thing is like a drug pusher giving you that first hit for free... budget-smudget, you're gonna pay!

[Rick Levine]

The Yamaha HS80M monitors are currently $540 for a pair at GC (in store only). That was my choice. MAP is $700.

[Victor]

Seems like the Fostex PM1MKII are no longer available at zzounds.



Cheers.

[Nanashiwanderer]

where is the VXT4 it easily is the best Active Monitor in this range.

[SubOWOT]

It is ALL about training your ear to your monitors. I have the Tapco S-5 pair and I can make a mix to sound pro quality.

[Blue Bear Sound]

It is ALL about training your ear to your monitors. I have the Tapco S-5 pair and I can make a mix to sound pro quality.

Got links to any clips?

[SubOWOT]

Give me your email.

[Blue Bear Sound]

info@bluebearsound.com

[SubOWOT]

I sent it.

[EnlightenedHand]

It is ALL about training your ear to your monitors. I have the Tapco S-5 pair and I can make a mix to sound pro quality.

If that were so I think all of us who have been spending dearly on high quality loudspeakers and listening space design would have abandoned spending so much money years ago.

The truth is that you can get used to any speaker. But there is a LOT of work and second guessing involved when you try to work with low fidelity loudspeakers for the purpose of critical listening at the professional level. There is so much extra work and second guessing that it becomes impractical to function like that. Time requirements, consistency of results and the plain old desire for something that works without a lot of hassle is the motivation for professionals using high fidelity loudspeakers.

The truth is that there are some things that low fidelity loudspeakers simply cannot reproduce faithfully at all and those can be some of the most important elements of a mix. So when I hear (or rather read) of someone claiming that "It is ALL about training your ear to your monitors." I am immediately convinced that they don't really know what they're talking about with regards to speaker fidelity and it's usefulness in critical listening applications.

Liz

[SubOWOT]

Well whether you choose to believe it or not, I can make a professional sounding mix with my two Tapco monitors, Logic Pro, and a pair of Sennheiser 280 HDPRO headphones. And my mixes will sound great on close to any speaker set-up. That's like saying the only way to get a pro sound is to use pro material in a pro facility. But it's not. I have seen some "professional" mixing engineers in a "professional" workplace make mixes worse than mine. Not because I am the best, but because I know and understand my surrounding.

[EnlightenedHand]

I'm not saying you can't. I'm saying that it's not good advice to say that all one needs to do is train their ears to their monitors. The impracticalities involved with that preclude the vast majority of wanna be mix engineers from being able to use that as a viable option.

It's statistically more reasonable to just go with high fidelity loudspeakers in a well tuned listening space if the goal is consistent professional results. I would be willing to bet that once you actually take the time to use a real mixing facility then you'll look at your Tapco system and laugh your ass off. I know I would. But good luck having a professional career with those Tapcos.

Liz

[SubOWOT]

I'm just trying to make a demo, so don't be such a d-bag. I have been in a professional studio, but you don't need those monitors to make a great sounding mix. Yes it is easier/faster, I'm not going to deny that. But if you put the time into a mix using a pair of Tapco's you can get a great sound. It's not magic. Now for mastering, on the other hand, you NEED a treated room and GREAT monitors. But for mixing, I could care less what I use. At first it is trial and error but than you should know what levels to have your tracks. Isn't that true for High Quality monitors too? I mean, if I had high-quality monitors I would still use trial and error to know what I'm working with. A great mixing engineer is not someone who has great gear, but someone who can make a great sound out of the gear he/she has. So don't be so full of yourself and your "expensive" crap.

[EnlightenedHand]

You've really got the wrong person if you think that I'm all about expensive gear. I'm the resident champion of skills over gear. If you look around closely you'll quickly find that out. All I'm arguing is that in order to be time/effort efficient and consistent (in terms of results from project to project) a professional needs the tools that work. Low fidelity loudspeakers aren't the ticket for that. Is it possible to get a good mix on them? Yes. Is it easy or time effective? Absolutely not. Are they useful as a "real world" reference? Of course. But don't get the idea into a novice's head that "all you need to do is train your ear..." that's actually a very misleading and IMO irresponsible statement.

Let's try, for the sake of maturity, to keep the "d-bag" comments out of the discussion. If you're so secure in your skills then there's no need to get offended when someone calls your advice into question. Calm down dude.

Liz

[SubOWOT]

Talk about maturity

I would be willing to bet that once you actually take the time to use a real mixing facility then you'll look at your Tapco system and laugh your ass off. I know I would. But good luck having a professional career with those Tapcos.

If you listen to your mixes on your monitors than compare to already professional mixed songs you can train your ear to those monitors. It's not that hard. I can mix a song on mine in 30 minutes and it will be close to professional quality. 10 minutes more for final adjustment and it will be pro quality. Even "pros" train their ears. Think about it, what I am saying is Logic and is PERFECT advice for anyone from a newbie to a professional.

[EnlightenedHand]

Alright then. If you you say so. So be it. I'm not going to argue that. I know for one thing. If you really have the kind of skills that you're broadcasting then you will shortly be a very famous mixing engineer. Good luck to you. I wish you the best.

Liz

[SubOWOT]

You as well.

[Blue Bear Sound]

I sent it.

Just had a listen.... on both my Adams (S2As) and my B&Ws.....

It certainly is a better-than-average sounding demo, but still very much on the "demo" side of sound quality.
It's not anywhere near what I consider up to the calibre of a "professional mix".... so Liz's point was pretty much bang-on.

[SubOWOT]

Comparing it to "professional" songs on iTunes it is professional sounding. It just isn't mastered.

[Blue Bear Sound]

Comparing it to "professional" songs on iTunes it is professional sounding. It just isn't mastered.

You can argue with me all you like, but I mix for a living (and btw, so does Liz - Enlightened Hand), and I'm telling you as a professional, it is what I consider to be of a DEMO calibre - it does NOT sound like a professional mix.

[SubOWOT]

Well it sounds just as good as mixes I've heard on your page. Maybe it's preferences who knows. I do know that consumers think it sounds professional and that's what truly counts : )

[SubOWOT]

The only difference is you are mixing actual instruments and I am mixing plug-ins. I find actual instruments easier to mix. But you are also using preamps and such that are better than plug-ins. I said that I can make a great pro sounding mix on my monitors, I didn't say I had the preamps and technology to make it even better.

[Blue Bear Sound]

Well it sounds just as good as mixes I've heard on your page.

On my system there is a clear difference in audio quality between your mix sample you sent me, and the clips up on my Clips page -- so I don't know how you believe you're in a position to even make that determination since your monitoring system is already not giving you the full story....

Your mixes aren't pro, but when you compare pro mixes to your mixes on your monitors you're not hearing the difference that actually does exist. Again - this speaks to the importance of having a monitor chain that is revealing enough for professional work -- yours clearly is not.

The only difference is you are mixing actual instruments and I am mixing plug-ins. I find actual instruments easier to mix. But you are also using preamps and such that are better than plug-ins. I said that I can make a great pro sounding mix on my monitors, I didn't say I had the preamps and technology to make it even better.

The preamps having nothing to do with this topic - you think you're making pro-sounding mixes when in fact they do not sound pro. Either your ears are lying to you, or your monitors are lying to you.... probably a bit of both.