Monitor speakers?

[Mark]

If I'm practising guitar I typically use a Line 6 Guitarport with Podfarm, I still use Cooledit Pro to play the songs I'm working on. The reason for this set up is the sounds are close enough for practise and there are a varse array amp/cab models and effects. The volume levels are very controllable too.

I did initially buy cheapish computer speakers, which are Altec Lansing MX5021 speakers.

https://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review ... 21/219551/

I can't say I have ever been happy with the mid response from these speakers. Now one of them is cutting in and out and I can't find the dry joint/bad contact, I might as well move them on.

The local store recommends as set of PreSonus Eris E8 speakers. My brother did tell me that the 8" bass speakers sound better.

What are your thoughts?

[pompeiisneaks]

I've used KRK Rokit 6" speakers for years and love them.

~Phil

[xtian]

If you're playing guitar with amp+cab+mic sims, then the monitors you want are the same monitors you'd want for listening to your favorite music.

[Colossal]

I have a pair of Yamaha HS-8s. They are self powered. Very nice, if a bit big for my needs, but they sound good.

[dartanion]

Hey Mark,

I have been using a set of the Eris 8s for about a year now and they are pretty damn awesome for the $$$. I got my set for about $300, which you'd be hard pressed to find better monitors at twice that price.

[Mark]

Hi Darin, that is good to know. In Australia the speakers are that price.

I had thought about using my big HiFi speakers but they are too big and too loud.

[dartanion]

How much do they go for in Australia?

I use mine everyday as they are part of my workstation in my home office. They sound incredible for such a small package. Used them last night for mastering an old recording I did in 2014. I don't think you can go wrong unless the price is crazy in your market.

[Mark]

They are $700.00 in Australia. Transport, taxes, wholesalers costs etc.

[norburybrook]

you could always use a good set of headphones instead.

a $500 set of phones will sound as good as a $10,000 set of monitors in a $10,000 treated room well not quite but you get my drift

I use Sennheiser HD650's with a Musical fidelity headphone amp, the sound is very close to my $10,000 quested monitors in the treated room.


Just a thought.


M

[pompeiisneaks]

you could always use a good set of headphones instead.

a $500 set of phones will sound as good as a $10,000 set of monitors in a $10,000 treated room well not quite but you get my drift

I use Sennheiser HD650's with a Musical fidelity headphone amp, the sound is very close to my $10,000 quested monitors in the treated room.


Just a thought.


M

Odd I seem to have heard a ton that mixing/mastering with headphones is a cardinal sin?

You do this as a career, is that just a myth then?

Something about true quality sound reproduction can't happen in a small headphone like a set of monitors can?

but I'm willing to learn from the professionals.

~Phil

[stelligan]

Odd I seem to have heard a ton that mixing/mastering with headphones is a cardinal sin?

You do this as a career, is that just a myth then?

Something about true quality sound reproduction can't happen in a small headphone like a set of monitors can?

but I'm willing to learn from the professionals.

~Phil

Phil
Andrew Scheps has done mixes on a laptop with a $100 pair of Sony headphones.
Credits include: Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hozier, Green Day, Michael Jackson, Limp Bizkit

All about familiarity with your gear. It's a brave new world......

OP - Purchased a pair of Rokit 5 g4 last year. Very good monitors for very little $$.

[pompeiisneaks]

Odd I seem to have heard a ton that mixing/mastering with headphones is a cardinal sin?

You do this as a career, is that just a myth then?

Something about true quality sound reproduction can't happen in a small headphone like a set of monitors can?

but I'm willing to learn from the professionals.

~Phil

Phil
Andrew Scheps has done mixes on a laptop with a $100 pair of Sony headphones.
Credits include: Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hozier, Green Day, Michael Jackson, Limp Bizkit

All about familiarity with your gear. It's a brave new world......

OP - Purchased a pair of Rokit 5 g4 last year. Very good monitors for very little $$.

Oh interesting, I didn't know that. Thanks!

~Phil

[didit]

Hello -

I once thought active speakers were a clever & convenient invention, particularly for near-field monitors. See photo below, and then search for “rokit 5 repair”. This is guts from 2009 model. Died after less than 5 years. Replaced then with a pair of Equator D5. A fine & inexpensive coaxial-design active monitor. company disappeared so now no longer available. These too are apparently showing signs of electronics fading. Both were in daily use creating, composing & mixing monitors for my son — never abuse. Compromises in amp circuit & thermal design certainly did in the Rokits. I could likely repair these but 3 or 4 hours of effort easily. Landfill likely. Dunno yet about the Equators. So a bit of dissenting advice.

59C2CB59-1014-4ED3-B6C6-F44EB752392D.jpeg

Recent retooling for me went with separates; a set of Totem Kin Mini driven by tiny but decent class-D power amp. It was $500 total so a bit more than Rokit or similar. Speakers should last 20+ years and the amp maybe 10. Excellent imaging. Comparable in performance to a Focal reference monitor set is my assessment. Weak in bottom end but otherwise perfectly serviceable. In general smaller drivers resolve imaging in near-field application better than larger ones. If you don’t have space for a deeper placement than a few feet don’t go for 8” or larger. But low-end does become an issue.

Best .. Ian

[pompeiisneaks]

Odd I think I've had mine for like 10 years without any negative problems and I still think they sound great... sucks that you had a bad experience. But I do agree that they build everything nowadays down to a price and they're not designed for a lifetime of work like things used to be.

~Phil

[xtian]

There are so many cheap and decent Class D amp modules these days--plenty of opportunity to retrofit old equipment.

Also, some third parties are jumping on the bandwagon. I have a Mackie SRM450v2 with broken amp, and I found a third party replacement, complete with DSP, for $150!