Debating Upgrading Monitors...?

[MatrixClaw]

I have KRK Rokit 5s right now, and while they're good for the price, I've been having major problems lately with my mixes not being able to translate to other mediums of listening. While it's not the best way to test music, I've found that when the mix sounds great on the KRKs, the bass is way too loud on various iPhone headphones I have as well as the Vic Firth headphones I use for tracking drums (yes, I realize these headphones have an increased bass response), and the higher notes seem to drown out everything else.

Here's an example:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4018922/Song Ideas/The Butcher.mp3

I've been writing this song the past few days and while the mix tone-wise (especially on the guitar) is far from where I want it, I was only using amp sims as a reference point, and was planning on reamping the DIs later. However, that being said, the levels are fairly perfect sounding on my monitors to where I want them to be at, but the mix sounds absolutely horrid when I put headphones on and take a listen. Keep in mind, though, that I'm listening in a completely un-treated room. Is this the case for anyone else?

Because of this, I've been thinking I need something a little more true to the sound, and have been thinking of selling my KRKs in favor of something a bit more high-end. I've heard some good things about the Adams A7s (and I've also heard some bad things). I'll most likely be buying used to cut down on costs, and my absolute highest budget would be $1000 (the lesser, the better). I'm in the process of putting together a new desk and will be adding some monitor isolation pads as well as some bass traps and diffusion along with it.

Will I hear a huge difference between the KRKs and something 3-5 times their price if I'm just running a small project studio in my home?

Suggestions welcome!

 

[J-Mac]

Grab a pair of DSM-2s from audiomidi.com for $500. Great bang for your buck there.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Grab a pair of DSM-2s from audiomidi.com for $500. Great bang for your buck there.

Wow, that's a really good deal... I hadn't noticed those on the site!

Any chance you've tried them compared to my KRKs (or the Adam A7s)? As long as they're actually going to be a significant upgrade for me, I might go ahead and pull the trigger at that price, before I even sell my KRKs

*edit* Hell, for $100 more, how are the DSM3s?

 

[fatalforce]

This is the second thread with someone saying their rokits are not translating well this week. I have had mine for awhile and have found them easy to mix on. You could alter the HF level adjust on the back to compensate for your lower frequencies being unbalanced.

The synopsis on every thread that I've read here on upgrading monitors was get a big upgrade. It will pay for itself in the end.

 

[Jordon]

Just wanna pop in and say that's a pretty kickass tune.

 

[MatrixClaw]

This is the second thread with someone saying their rokits are not translating well this week. I have had mine for awhile and have found them easy to mix on. You could alter the HF level adjust on the back to compensate for your lower frequencies being unbalanced.

To be honest, I've had my KRKs for a few years, and this is the first time I've had issues with them, and nothing has changed since then as far as their position goes. However, I've only started really delving into mixing seriously the past 6 months, or so (when I switched out my Presonus Firepod for a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40). Other people's mixes sound great through them, as do my own, but once I try my mixes on something else, they don't sound nearly as good, which I've also found to be the case with my friend's mixes that he does on his Rokits. The lowend is really the least of my worries at this point - I can tone down the presence on the bass a bit, that's not really a big deal - It's more that (on something like the mix I linked above), the "clean" center part will come out very low in the mix on my KRKs and is just barely audible, how I wanted it, but when I play it back through headphones, it's extremely loud, and the only thing I can hear at those parts. Getting around this is a real chore, as once I've fixed it in the headphones, it's inaudible in the monitors, so it's really hard to make a personal reference point for future mixes. Not only that, but when I have bands come over to record tracks, I show them the mixes through the monitors, and even though I know it'll sound good through headphones, that most of the people who will be listening to their songs will be hearing them through, it's embarrassing having some of them point out errors in the mix, that wouldn't actually be there if they listened at home, with the same mix.

Maybe my ears are just starting to become more finicky as to what I want to hear? But I guess that doesn't explain why my clients would hear the same issues, as well It's not like the speakers are blown or anything, they sound perfectly clean, with no sound qualities of a busted coil/cone/whatever. Plus, I just kinda feel like an upgrade is due



I'm really intrigued by these M-Audio monitors, though. I remember trying some of their lower end series back when I bought my KRKs and I didn't think they sounded very good... but I've been reading reviews of the DSM3s and they seem to be able to hold their own against many of the higher end monitors (Adams, DynAudio, Gelenec, etc.), and at the price AudioMidi has them at, I'm almost willing to take the chance, since I'm sure they're better than my KRKs either way. I'd love to go with some Focal Twins, but 3 grand for monitors is a bit ridiculous in a home studio

Just wanna pop in and say that's a pretty kickass tune.

Thanks dude!

 

[greyskull]

adam a7s translate beautifully

 

[MatrixClaw]

Hmm...

Just for shits and giggles, I plugged some headphones into my computer's sound card, instead of my interface's headphone out, to listen to that song, and it actually sounds much better this way. How weird. Still not quite as good as through the monitors, but much better than what I was hearing this afternoon

I'd really like to pick up some A7s, cause I know a lot of guys rave about them and they are pretty much the standard in the price range... but has anyone tried the DSM3s? If I go with the M-Audios, I'd get the pair for $600 (-5% for their summer coupon, so $570), with the free Auralex MoPads (which I'd have to buy if I got the Adams). If I bought the Adams used I'd be spending ~$900 for the pair (since they seem to hold their value fairly well), at that price, I might as well buy them new for $1000, plus $40 for the MoPads...

Are the Adams really going to be worth the extra $470?

 

[John_C]

treat your room first, then worry about monitors after. You only mentioned diffusion and bass trapping....you'll need to cover first (and second) reflection points as well.
The only reason I say treatment first is so when you buy some monitors you don't go "oh these sound great" and then do your treatment and realise that you really wanted something with more bass, and then it's too late

 

[~BURNY~]

*edit* Hell, for $100 more, how are the DSM3s?

They are fantastic. It's a total steal for that price.

 

[OneDaySky]

I have had mine for awhile and have found them easy to mix on.

Same here. I got the 8 inch rokits G2 and think they great. I only find that it hides some harsh frequencies between 1 - 3kHz but the car test helps me sort out that issue