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Studio Speakers/monitors, Passive with amp!
Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 12:31 PM
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Hey guys!

This is a question to those who had some experience with this and can give some advice on the following subject:

I want to get myself good studio monitors/speakers for my recording, mixing and stuff related to music production. I am thinking of getting passive monitors and getting a separate amp for them. Do you have any suggestions?

Price range - let's start with 1500$.

Thanks for your help!

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Tank
Jul 30 2007, 01:23 PM
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QUOTE (Pavel @ Jul 30 2007, 12:31 PM) *
Hey guys!

This is a question to those who had some experience with this and can give some advice on the following subject:

I want to get myself good studio monitors/speakers for my recording, mixing and stuff related to music production. I am thinking of getting passive monitors and getting a separate amp for them. Do you have any suggestions?

Price range - let's start with 1500$.

Thanks for your help!


Hiya Pavel,

I was looking down the same route a few months back, but steered away from passive/amp, as it seemed that once you've found speakers you like, there'll be a load of conflicting information as to what amps drive them well, and what your overall sound will be. And of course if you drive the amp too hard, there is a chance that you'll wreck the tweeters etc.

Because I didn't need the hassle, I went down the active route. I've got Dynaudio BM15As. The sound is crystal clear out of them, there seems (to me) to be lots of space between the frequencies. I'd highly recommend them. As far as I know, you can get the BM15's, (pair) for about $1000, so you've got $500 left to select a decent amp smile.gif

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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 01:37 PM
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So if i get those active monitors i can put 500$ back to my wallet! Cool!
Thanks a lot for quick answer! I'll sure check them out!


EDIT: ok i just visited one of my online shops for those monitors...khm khm...BM15A cost 2000$/1 piece here!!

I guess i'll have to stick to passive+amp idea!

Any ides for an amp?

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This post has been edited by Pavel: Jul 30 2007, 01:53 PM


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Tank
Jul 30 2007, 01:56 PM
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QUOTE (Pavel @ Jul 30 2007, 01:37 PM) *
So if i get those active monitors i can put 500$ back to my wallet! Cool! The amp i was referring to was for those passive monitors!

Thanks a lot for quick answer! I'll sure check them out!
EDIT: ok i just visited one of my online shops for those monitors...khm khm...BM15A cost 2000$/1 piece here!!

I guess i'll have to stick to passive+amp idea!


Sorry mate, the BM15's are around $1000-$1200 (£500-750) for the passives (In the UK). The BM15A's (actives) I got mine second hand for around £1300, ($2600).

A bit cheaper Mackie do a HR824. They would be active and around $1500 (so all in price). They get some decent reviews.

I'm not sure on amps/passives. Andrew has got a studio too I think, so he may have used separates.

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This post has been edited by Tank: Jul 30 2007, 01:57 PM
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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 02:04 PM
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Thanks! Those Mackie's are definitely something i can afford! I'll try to find a dealer in Europe! Thanks Tank!

I found a dealer in Croatia and i can get those Mackie's for 1000$. I think i already know what am i going to buy after i pay off my Dean! smile.gif

Let's also see what Andrew has to suggest! smile.gif

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This post has been edited by Pavel: Jul 30 2007, 02:09 PM


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Gabriel Leopardi
Jul 30 2007, 02:28 PM
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Hi Pavel!! I have used diferent monitors in the studios where I've worked and work. Yamaha ns-10 is a standard in studio monitors but I really don't like them. I could say that Alesis MK2 are good and Jbl also has great studio monitors. I have the NEAR 06 (BY ESI PRO) in my studio and they work ok too.

gabriel.-

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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 03:06 PM
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I'm really starting to dislike my country! I contacted a dealer which has Mackie monitors and the price is 1000$/piece! GRRR


Thanks Gabriel! I'll check all those manufacturers to see what i can get here!

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Tank
Jul 30 2007, 03:19 PM
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QUOTE (Gabriel Leopardi @ Jul 30 2007, 02:28 PM) *
Hi Pavel!! I have used diferent monitors in the studios where I've worked and work. Yamaha ns-10 is a standard in studio monitors but I really don't like them. I could say that Alesis MK2 are good and Jbl also has great studio monitors. I have the NEAR 06 (BY ESI PRO) in my studio and they work ok too.

gabriel.-


The NS10s do sound horrible, however they are great for dancefloor music. If you can get a mix to sound good on an NS10, it'll sound good on anything. It was also the speaker that gave birth to "Disco Smile" EQing. I was considering NS10s as a secondary monitors with Mackie HR824s before I settled on the dynaudio (and subsequently ran out of budget!)

I agree with Gabriel on the Alesis, (I tried them out while looking for monitors myself), Beringer Truths are another one to check out, around the same performance. I've never seen the NEARs, they don't seem to have much coverage in the UK

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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 03:53 PM
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I saw Behringer monitors yesterday for a VERY GOOD price. But i was not sure if Behringer is a good manufacturer! What do you say?

I was looking at these:

http://www.provox.hr/audio/proizvod.aspx?I...33&Source=1

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This post has been edited by Pavel: Jul 30 2007, 03:54 PM


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Slammer
Jul 30 2007, 03:54 PM
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I don't know much about Monitors,

But I do know a Producer who has his own studio, and he Uses and Highly Recommend to everyone these Monitors.

Event ASP6 Studio Precision 6 Active Studio Monitor

http://www.zzounds.com/item--EVEASP6

here is their website.
http://www.event1.com/index/index.php?page...amp;product=SP8

After doing some research, It does seem to get alot of good reviews and they won an award in 2005 (you can see it on there website).

And for only $900 for the Pair... not to bad price, in fact once I save up I think I might go with them laugh.gif

Anyways hope it helps smile.gif

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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 04:50 PM
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Thanks Slammer!


Also - Tank, Andrew, Gabriel, Muris and whoever has a studio - what kind of sound card do you use? Do i have to have anything special to connect monitors to my PC? I have Creative X-Fi Fatality soundcard.

Man i am such a noob in gear stuff sad.gif



Also - what do you say if i pick up a Behringer Mixer for a small home studio? Any thoughts or experiences on Behringer stuff in general?

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This post has been edited by Pavel: Jul 30 2007, 04:55 PM


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Tank
Jul 30 2007, 05:07 PM
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QUOTE (Pavel @ Jul 30 2007, 04:50 PM) *
Thanks Slammer!
Also - Tank, Andrew, Gabriel, Muris and whoever has a studio - what kind of sound card do you use? Do i have to have anything special to connect monitors to my PC? I have Creative X-Fi Fatality soundcard.

Man i am such a noob in gear stuff sad.gif
Also - what do you say if i pick up a Behringer Mixer for a small home studio? Any thoughts or experiences on Behringer stuff in general?


I'm using a firewire Tascam FW1884, which acts as an external soundcard and an 8 channel powered fader mixing desk:
Link to pic (Harmony Central)

However it is firewire only, so you'll be stuck unless you are running a Mac or your PC has firewire400 connectivity.

One of the options I was considering were the Motu Ultralite, which gets good reviews.

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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 05:10 PM
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I was thinking about this kind of mixer!

http://www.provox.hr/audio/proizvod.aspx?I...33&Source=1

It's in my price range and i think i don't need anything fancier!

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Tank
Jul 30 2007, 05:19 PM
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QUOTE (Pavel @ Jul 30 2007, 05:10 PM) *
I was thinking about this kind of mixer!

http://www.provox.hr/audio/proizvod.aspx?I...33&Source=1

It's in my price range and i think i don't need anything fancier!


That looks like a decent piece of kit. I don't think I'll be using mine for live recordings much either, but the faders are certainly handy for mixing electronica smile.gif

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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 06:04 PM
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I read some tutorials and stuff about home studio and i decided to get only monitors for start, the mixer can wait.

And now i wonder - what type of connectors do i need to connect monitors to a regular sound card. Monitors OUTPUT is using big connectors, right? So, i will have to use those big-to-small connectors to plug it in my sound-card?

Another EDIT:

I'm bombing with questions today! biggrin.gif

This might be a stupid question.....can a mixer be somehow connected to Cubase so i can actually use channels on mixer in relation with tracks in Cubase?

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This post has been edited by Pavel: Jul 30 2007, 06:10 PM


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Saoirse O'Shea
Jul 30 2007, 07:01 PM
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Absolutely right Pavel,
most studio monitors will be balanced XLR with possibly a TRS jack as well (a very small number are digital in). There are a few sound cards that support XLR out for studio monitors usually off a flying lead as an xlr connector is to big physically to comfortably fit on the backplate of the card. Alternately there are a couple of outboard hardware control room multiple monitor switches like the Mackie Big Knob (honest guys that's what it is called unsure.gif ). Mackie

Monitor and Cubase - yes, linking a desk to a soundcard and then to cubase is pretty straightforward. However if you want the desk to sync, that is so the faders on the hardware move in sync with the software and vice versa etc., with Cubase the options become a little more limited. I use a Behringer DDX3216 digital desk and can sync faders fine but not the transport controls. A lot of people report much more success with Yamaha digital desk (and Yamaha now own Cubase) and Tascam digital desks and others. At one point Cubase had a desk specifically for Cubase and Nuendo - the Houston - but it seems to have died a death. The DDX3216 is a lot cheaper then most digital desks - retail at about 400UK Sterling. However Behringer haven't updated the software for ages and seem to be paying little attention to the DDX at the mo. Some people report some hardware issues but I've not had any problems with mine. If I had lots of cash I'd replace the DDX tbh probably with a Yamaha 02v- the DDX is ok but not great.

One thing to think about regarding a hardware desk is how you will get your mix into the soundcard and then on to Cubase. Mine is a digital set up and I lightpipe 32 channels via AD/DA into the pc and back out to the desk as a final stereo mix. This means I'm dealing with digital signals before the pc and so my soundcard has to accept a digital signal. If you want to stay analogue before the signal hits the pc - and indeed some soundcards will only take an analogue feed - then you really need an analogue desk (look at a Mackie - great desks and monitors). You may still be able to sync controls if[/color]your desk will either convert the control data to MMC or Midi.

One other thing - if you do get a desk - I feed my active monitors from the desk rather than the soundcard.

For remote transport control I use a Tranzport
which also works for Reason, Live and so on. You might want to look at their Alphatrack though Pavel.

BTW Pavel Mackie 624 monitors should be in the 1000euro budget if you look around a bit. Also Genelec (1020) do good monitors in that line. Yamaha NS10 are too forward for me and are showing their age IMO - think they've just been superceded by a newer model. If you want 5.1 surround then something like Bluesky should be in that budget.

Cheers,
Tony

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Pavel
Jul 30 2007, 07:16 PM
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Thanks a lot for a long post!! As for Mackie monitors - here in Croatia they are way too expensive - the one you mentioned is 600 euro/piece.

You know this won't be a professional studio with high-end equipment but i want to be able to do some decent work on it.

So i have for now stopped on Behringer Truth 2031A monitors - they have very attractive price for me. Also - if i get a mixer - i will sure connect monitors to mixer and than to soundcard.

Mixer - if i get a mixer: what do i need to connect mixer to PC? interfaces, inputs/outputs?? I am total noob in it so i would be really grateful if you could describe it a bit.

I am looking at rear panel of the mixer and it has MAIN OUT Left and Right and MAIN IN Left and Right! I guess, than i need 2 inputs and 2 outputs from my sound card, right? So how do i connect it?

Behringer is the most affordable brand for me and i hope it's enough to start with a small home studio.

Thanks

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This post has been edited by Pavel: Jul 30 2007, 07:39 PM


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Muris Varajic
Jul 30 2007, 11:41 PM
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Pavel,many studios have setup like this,in simple..
Using PC-its HD to record a sounds,then send it to mixing console where you can do really great EQ stuff,add external analog FX(like Lexicon etc) as sends,and then return it all together as one stereo track into PC-HD again.
For this,you need to have some cool AD-DA converters and sound card.
Expensive,yeah, but that's most common case using PC and mixing console together.


Almost to forgot,try Alesis active monitors Mk2,awesome stuff for price smile.gif

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This post has been edited by muris: Jul 30 2007, 11:43 PM


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Andrew Cockburn
Jul 31 2007, 12:06 AM
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Late to the party but ...

1. I suggest active monitors - the amps are optimised to the speakers for best results

2. I am planning on spending about $1000 on my next pair of monitors, and I am looking at Adam A7s - Budget model in Adams range but they get very good reviews ...

Oh and I switch between my pod xtl and an EMU1212m as a sound card ...

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Pavel
Jul 31 2007, 12:14 AM
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Ok so i guess mixer is not so important at all! All i need is a pair of good monitors!

Here comes a trick question: can there be 2 different sound cards in a PC?

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