Need monitors

[kylendm]

Alright I'm sure this has been asked a quadrillion times but I just need some quick help. I'm not exactly in the market for the now but I've been thinking about getting a pair of monitors in the future. I'm thinking up to $500 for a pair would be nice since this would be my first ever set of monitors and I'd like them to last.

I saw KRK RP8s for $500. I saw on some sites that they are pretty nice but I want some opinions before going out and possibly checking out some. Also would it be good to get a sub with the monitors? I'd spend extra on the sub but I just want to focus on $500 for a pair of monitors.

 

[lolzgreg]

If you want a pair of speakers to last, you'll probably want to go for something like a pair of ADAM A7s used. They're great speakers and will keep you satisfied until you're really planning to dish out some loot.

 

[kylendm]

Thanks. I'll keep those in mind.

I just sent you a PM by the way.

 

[christopher ridley]

I'd get some 5 or 6 inch KRK's. Great monitor for the price.

 

[Damian B]

I'm quite happy with my Mackie MR8s.

 

[aortizjr]

I would spend at least 1K ( or less used) to get a set that will last. For Metal you really don't need a sub. You can reference with headphones if you are worried about the super low end.

A7's are a great recommendation. I also really like my Dynaudio BM5A's. The KRK RP's I didn't care for personally. In the $700 range check out the Yamaha HSM80's. I got those to be my "LOUD" monitors and initially planned on getting RP series or Behringers or something. But via Full Compass I got such a sweet deal, I couldn't pass them up. I use them a lot and like them more and more. Compared to the Dyn's they have more super lows, but the Dyns are less fatiguing and have better low mid clarity where the Yamaha's just seem to lack low mids. I can also hear deeper with the Dyns and detect smaller differences than with the Yamaha's.

At the 1k-esque mark, you get into the next level of monitors that are way ahead of the "budget" $500 and below range. For mixing they are one of the most important things, so unfortunately you have to drop a bit of loot.

 

[arv_foh]

I have KRK Rockit 5's and a Behringer Truth sub. $500 total and I'm pretty satisfied with how they sound together. Using them with Apogee converters.

 

[mburton21]

A sub is unnecessary, I dont like mixing metal with one.

I have a pair of M-Audio EX66 monitors, they are really clear. I did get them for half price brand new though, that might influence my opinion hehe.

For around $500 though, I would just take the money and buy some kickass headphones. For that budget you can get some amazing AKGs that (IMO) will rock the pants off of any budget monitors you will find.

 

[lolzgreg]

-For Metal you really don't need a sub. You can reference with headphones if you are worried about the super low end.-

This statement makes ABSOLUTELY no sense. I don't even know how you thought it up

Metal is the hardest genre to get the low-end right for. Andy even said it himself. Due to the speed of most modern metal songs, and the amount of low end being pumped into these mixes, mixed in with transient response on hard hitting drums and guitar palm muting, mixes can fall apart without good monitoring in the low end.

Second off, headphones have 3 inch woofers. How the heck are they going to reproduce "super low end-" anything below 50hz well, considering how small and low-powered they are?

I'm not saying this to call you out, but I mixed exclusively on headphones, a very nice pair at that (Sony MDR-7509HD) for about two years, and mixes never translated right. Low end was always fucked, but my room and monitors were so horrible, they weren't bringing the goods. Once I got some good computer speakers with a sub, I could REALLY hear what was going on in the low end. If you get a speaker that's big enough, you'll hear what you need to in the lows without scuttling around through different speakers and headphones to get things right. Now I'm buying Event Opals. If you want to spend money wisely, get a great pair of headphones and a good multimedia/computer pair of speakers with a sub and switch back between 'em, otherwise, shoot for A7s, or try a pair of KRK V8 Series I if you can find them.

 

[aortizjr]

This statement makes ABSOLUTELY no sense. I don't even know how you thought it up

Metal is the hardest genre to get the low-end right for. Andy even said it himself. Due to the speed of most modern metal songs, and the amount of low end being pumped into these mixes, mixed in with transient response on hard hitting drums and guitar palm muting, mixes can fall apart without good monitoring in the low end.

Second off, headphones have 3 inch woofers. How the heck are they going to reproduce "super low end-" anything below 50hz well, considering how small and low-powered they are?

I'm not saying this to call you out, but I mixed exclusively on headphones, a very nice pair at that (Sony MDR-7509HD) for about two years, and mixes never translated right. Low end was always fucked, but my room and monitors were so horrible, they weren't bringing the goods. Once I got some good computer speakers with a sub, I could REALLY hear what was going on in the low end. If you get a speaker that's big enough, you'll hear what you need to in the lows without scuttling around through different speakers and headphones to get things right. Now I'm buying Event Opals. If you want to spend money wisely, get a great pair of headphones and a good multimedia/computer pair of speakers with a sub and switch back between 'em, otherwise, shoot for A7s, or try a pair of KRK V8 Series I if you can find them.

Well I am not talking about doing all your mixing on headphones. I am just talking about quick reference to make sure things aren't blowing up down there. And most cheap subs will barely go down to 40hz. A good set of monitors will go down to at least 55Hz and more like 45hz accurately. Really good subs will go down to 20Hz, but in practice you spend most of time just rolling off that information anyway to get high RMS.

Also if you don't place a sub right or don't have the right room acoustics, a sub can make your low-end accuracy even worse.

Long story short, you don't need one to mix with. But you absolutely have to have good low-mid and lows from like 250-300 down to at least 50. And that is hard to do without a good room and good monitors.

Now also remember that at that point is typically the -3dB point. Heaphones is a totally weird game you don't want flat response because it will sound like crap against your head. So they do some trickery to get it right and ephasize the low end. Really below 50 Hz, you just want to make sure there is no rumbling or solid booming. Personally I use a set of Etymotics that are in ears! Smaller than 3 inch drivers and the low-end is crystal clear.

I forgot also I will reference really quick on my home stereo that has a sub. But I rarely have to fix anything.

 

[John_C]

most cheap subs only really put out at one relatively narrow frequency range. They're effectively just thump boxes.