Reasonably priced Studio Monitors

**akaukal** · 02-04-2009, 09:22 PM

So, now that I've bought a pretty decent interface, I want to get some decent studio monitors. I'm just using my stereo right now. The sound is pretty good. I've made some pretty alright mixes, but generally, people say that the mixes sound good, but raw. I just need some more accurate monitors. My stereo is rather bass heavy.

So, I'm thinking around $500 for the pair. Any suggestions?

**Gustin** · 02-04-2009, 10:04 PM

Some of it will depend on your style of music..

We had a discussion in one of the other threads about monitors briefly in the thread with AdamAPHC. Basically, the KRK RP8 and the Yamaha HS50's are both very solid for the price range.. Mackie MR8s and M-Audio BX8 would probably be runner ups. Check them out at a local store if you can...

The m-audios were a bit bass heavy for me... the KRKs probably had the best representation over a broader frequency, and the Yamahas had a better high end (they tend to fatigue me pretty easily though, so I wouldn't recommend mixing on them for several hours). I don't have any direct experience with the Mackie's..

AdamAPHC · 02-04-2009, 10:25 PM

I preferred the Yamahas in a very brief shootout at GuitarCenter... only because the other speakers seemed overly bass-heavy to me. The Yamahas seemed very flat and transparent... not even necessarily "good" ... but just accurate, which is what you want. I'm still looking into it though. I havn't nailed it down enough to warrant a purchase.

Off-topic but... what interface did you get? I'm in the market for one and it's not really something I can try out before buying.

Edit: Derrr, nevermind you're the dude who bought the Saffire. Maybe I'll try that one out before I drop $500 on a Duet.

**akaukal** · 02-05-2009, 02:52 PM

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll check them out.

Adam, I am in love with my Saffire. The pres and convertors are great, and it's so easy to get set up and running.

**surferdude9375** · 02-05-2009, 03:51 PM

My M-Audios don't seem bassy, if anything they have a better definition in the low end than the others. Then again I could be biased since I own them and am not actively comparing them to others. I know what you mean by loving the Saffire, I could say the same.

RipVanWinkle · 02-05-2009, 04:06 PM

I use some Samson Resolv 65a's.

They are bigger than most 'budget' monitors, they are powered, and I just found them HERE
http://www.zzounds.com/item--SAMRESOLV65A for a very nice price

They also match my Edirol UA-1000

AdamAPHC · 02-07-2009, 07:05 AM

After another shootout I had to drop the extra $200 and get the Yamaha HS80's. They were so much clearer at louder volumes. I would only suggest the HS50's for VERY small recording spaces and low-volume applications. Even at medium volumes those 5 inch speakers just don't cut it. After about 45 minutes switching back and forth between the 8inch KRKs, Mackies, M-Audios, and Yamahas switching through lots of different types of music... to my ear the Yamahas sounded the clearest and most accurate. The M-Audios actually sound "better" ... but naturally have a scooped sound to them (less defined lows, more defined highs and lows.) It was tough between those and the Yamahas, but eventually the Yamahas won out (at least to my ear) for overall clarity... and consistency across the whole spectrum.

Granted, these are still relatively low end speakers... but in the $500 range, they sound pretty amazing. I didn't think I could afford them, but I bought everything at once, and they dropped them down to $200 each for me.

If you have a GuitarCenter or any other place that sells studio monitors, go spend some time to really listen to the speakers you're considering. Bring some music yourself if they don't have a varied selection. Having the right speakers for you (and they type of music you will mainly be creating) will make all the difference in the world. If the store won't let you spend a lot of time listening before you buy, don't buy from them because they do not have your best interest in mind.

**Gustin** · 02-07-2009, 08:50 AM

It's also worth mentioning that Monitors are a very personal thing. It's all about whether you can create a good mix off them. The style of music you do has a lot to do with it too..

For me, in this price range, KRKs won without a problem (to me, they had the best overall accurate representation)... the HS50m's were next but were a little hyped in the high end, fatiguing, and lacking in lows. The M-Audios would be well down on my list (way overhyped/unclear bass, and I need a very accurate representation of bass for me to mix well). Obviously, this list of preference is different for everyone as everyone needs something different to produce strong mixes and the persons style of music changes the needs in a monitor drastically (metalheads and hip hop guys tend to prefer the M-Audios because of the extra bass).

I've used a pair of Genelec 1032A's a number of times at a few studios I used to work at (a pair of these go for almost $3,000.00), but I could not come up with decent mixes on them. I ended up just taking the songs home and mixing in headphones. And this doesn't say anything against the monitors, they're very popular and have been used to make a large number of popular songs; it's just that they weren't right for me.

Moral of the story, test the monitors out for yourself and decide... we've given you a good overview of what to look for and which ones to check out. You'll have to decide on the right ones for you and your mixing style.

To test out a pair of speakers, here's what I do. I take two CDs. One of them (BT's This Binary Universe, if you were wondering) is a CD that I'm very familiar with, has LOTS of intracacies, subtle changes and just a ton of sonic content in general. This CD gives me a good idea of the monitors, detail, range, resolution and overall performance (particularly with a large amount of information). I listen for where the monitor slacks (is there no bass, too much, is the mid range too forward etc) and I listen for new things in CD that I haven't heard before. Next, I take a CD (again a CD I know VERY well) in one of my primary styles (modern/indie rock or eleectronica... this sort of depends on what I've been listening to/mixing lately). I then see how the speakers I'm testing perform with this style. Do they show me what I would need to easily recreate the track or is it missing parts I need that are essential? When evaluating, the key is looking for what you need to create a great mix that will translate to just about any situation.

AdamAPHC · 02-07-2009, 11:39 AM

Another quick recommendation.

How well your monitors work for you also has A LOT to do with the room you'll be mixing in, and how they are positioned in that room. When you get them home, your monitors could sound drastically different than they did where you tested them.

So my suggestion is to get them at a Guitar Center or some other place that has a VERY liberal return policy.

Save your receipt. Save your boxes.

Get somebody's spoken word that you can return them no problem, and get their name so you can reference them if you get any guff when trying to return them.

Don't buy them from a place that won't take speakers back after they've been taken out of the box.

Don't buy them from a place that charges a "restocking fee".

**akaukal** · 02-07-2009, 07:15 PM

Thanks for all the advice guys. There's this store Long and Mcquade. It's kind of the equivalent of Guitar Center, just in Canada instead.

I ended up going there today, and was there for a couple hours just messing with the monitors and stuff. The M-Audio BX8a's really spoke to me, but so did the KRK RP8's. I really liked the Yamaha's at first, but the high end just hurt after about 10 minutes with them.

I go to the store a lot and I know all the clerks. I bought the M-Audios telling them I wanted to see if they sounded as good at my place. The guys are great and said if I didn't like them, just bring them back. I didn't even need the receipt because they keep my name with a list of all purchases in their computers.

I brought them home, and they sounded great, but it just didn't seem the same. I went back to the store, explained my dilemma to the guy there and returned them.

At this point, I had to go to work, so I just didn't bother searching anymore. I'll probably be going back tomorrow, so hopefully I'll find my monitor match.

**surferdude9375** · 02-07-2009, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akaukal

I brought them home, and they sounded great, but it just didn't seem the same. I went back to the store, explained my dilemma to the guy there and returned them.

At this point, I had to go to work, so I just didn't bother searching anymore. I'll probably be going back tomorrow, so hopefully I'll find my monitor match.

Unfortunately, this is probably going to be the case with any monitors you try somewhere else and bring back. The store you visited is probably a ton more acoustically stable and your room at home it probably really bad acoustics wise. That is just how it is usually.

**Gustin** · 02-07-2009, 09:54 PM

The listening environment plays such a huge part unfortunately... Without proper room treatment it can be difficult to get a decent sound. Some things that may help though are getting the speakers off the desk.. Desks (wood desks especially, but all will do it), resonate with the speaker, this will really distort your sound... Auralex sells the "mopads" for 40 bucks that are basically just acoustic foam that isolate the speakers from the desk.

You can also try playing with your positioning in the room... (close to walls and corners are bad.... if the room is rectangular, try to set up so the desk is facing the shorter wall... this makes the sound travel further before reflecting off the back wall (you still will have problems with early reflections off the side walls, but the back wall can really screw you up).