How to choose monitors that work for me?

The Lounge Other Gear
#21

Hmm well what is it you dont like about your mixes? Feel free to post some here and maybe we can critique.

If you dont have monitors at all it may be worth investing…but judging by your living situation it also may not. If you have really solid open back headphones, use reference mixes, and check your mixes on many different setups and you’re still dissatisfied (we all are, buddy) I really dont think expensive monitors are gonna fix all that for you. Or tell at you that certain things are worse off. You probably already know what you can do better anyway.

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#22

I have some monitors but never use them due to making music late at night. Perhaps as @GirTheRobot said, some open back headphones and maybe add a subpac in the mix to dial in the low end.

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#23

That’s a great idea.

Here’s one where I felt I got close to what I wanted. What I don’t like about it, is that it’s a bit too harsh but also way too much stuff going on in the lower ends, bass taking over from time to time. It sounded okay on anything but the Genelecs, where it stood out as rumbling and mumbling all the time:

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#24

Yep. As mentioned, I got a great pair of AKG 712 and have learned them to death. But a set of second reference headphones could be the ticket.

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#25

This one always sounded all right to me, until I heard it through the Genelecs. Can’t unhear that experience. Ever. The Horror. The Horror :slight_smile:

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#26

Did you take a reference track in with you? A tune by an artist you like, fully mastered? Testing your own tracks is fine, but dont forget to test a reference track also.

I went with yamaha HS. Because out of all the speakers in the shop at the time, they sounded the flattest and cleanest, and fit in my budget. That was 2015 I think.

I dunno, its a very personal thing. Lots if people like those KRK Rokits, which sound horrible to my ears.

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#27

I did not think of that. I got a few tracks I always go to. Why didn’t I compare with those? The humanity! Thanks for pointing it out. Will return to the shop and try that. Good one.

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#28

In the corner of a non treated room? Get a good pair of 4" monitors and for mixing the bass use headphones. Genelec 8020, focal shape 40 plus DT880 pro. Use the extra budget for a couole of corner traps and piramid pannels for those reflections. My room is 9 m2 and has some treatment done, I have moved from the 6.75 Behringer B2030 to the focal shape 50 and I still have to much power.

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#29

One of my studio mates (as in, he’s a friend and he’s got a studio - we’re not sharing it) suggested I get just one Avantone Mixcube. Once I figure that one out, if I can make stuff sound good in mono on that one, I can then consider another type for reference, and he did indeed recommend the Genelec 8020 which @Seta just did as well.

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#30

I have the Genelec 6010a and absolutely love them. The 5040 sub I rarely use as the whole point of the baby Genelecs for me is evening use when family are in bed.
My Focal Alpha 65 monitors haven’t been used in months.

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#31

It’s really easy to over think monitor choice. Good to just take a reference track, one of your own mixes that you know well, and choose the speakers you like the most. There is no speaker in the world that is going to fix your mix. Your ears and knowing what do with what they tell you does that. Again, its a personal thing, for me, I wanted the flattest response, and clearest sound across the spectrum. Happy hunting.

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#32

If you have 1500$ to spend, get a subwoofer.
I’ve had the Yamaha HS-7 for years, and I added the Hs8s sub a few weeks ago and waow, what a difference!
I learnt that : speakers are not designed to render subs.

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#33

Very sensible advise. I’ll keep this in mind for sure.

If one looks at this the other way, like this - find a way where reference listening works for you. Learn that way, and how to apply the results to your music where it leaves you satisfied with the results. And that’s it.

For (very) many, this is a set of monitors first and foremost. The rest comes after, such as headphones, reference speakers, testing on crap systems, and so on.

For others, it’s something else. Monitors are perhaps one of the best and reliable tools to get the work done and as such, considered essential for many.

But really, if you got a workflow for reference listening that gets you where you wanna be, doesn’t really matter if it’s monitors, headphones or whatever. If it works.

I guess chances just drastically increase with good monitors, but that there are other ways to learn, depending on circumstances and conditions.

#34

@circuitghost, before purchasing your pair of monitors, I would suggest you read Mike Senior’s “Mixing secrets for the small studio”.

First chapter covers room treatment, second monitors.
It will give you enough insight to make your choice and read above comments a bit differently, I believe.

The little money you’ll invest is nothing in your budget and the time to read this book will definitely be returned to you x100
:slight_smile:

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#35

Thanks. I’ll give it a go.

#36

:smile:

#37

Remember that the whole point of using a speaker as a near field monitor (i.e. close to your ears) is that you can have the output level low enough to reduce the affect of your room’s acoustics.

There is nothing special about a speakers design that would make it more suitable for near field monitoring, apart from size considerations.

#38

After some thought and good advise from everybody here, I’ve just decided to not buy anything right now.

Not that it matters, but the reason I’m even bothering is that I’ve been a home tinkerer so far, not really bothering about getting stuff perfect because it’s the work that I enjoy, as long as the end result isn’t a disaster. But now I’ve been approached by label people and they’re asking for all kinds of stuff, and I want to give them a product that’s as close to possible to what I’m hearing in my head. And I’m just not sure what next step is, to reach that state.

So I’ll just keep it cool now and keep working on tracks, see where that goes.

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#39

The labels I’ve worked with over the years typically mix in house regardless. But then, in this modern climate, I can’t say that I really know what even constitutes a label anymore, so…

The song is key though. Just remember that and you’ll be fine. :wink:

Cheers!

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#40

+1 for adding a Subwoofer. It results with clearer sound, opposite of internet myth that it will make the small room sound bad.

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