Which monitors do you use?

I’m considering upgrading my Events TR5 to cover low end. Started treating the room and already hear the results. So far mixed a lot on headphones DT 770PRO.

Wonder what you guys are using for monitoring and if you are happy with the setup?

Old faithful NS10. Most definitely not the most flattering monitors, but if you can make them sound sweet, things will translate very well on to other systems.

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I have my trusty Rokit KRK8 G2 … very nice and clean monitors for electronic music

I am currently using pair of Yamaha HS50m with HS10w subwoofer. Downgraded from Focal CMS65 while ago.

Never considered these Yamahas as serious studio monitors but difference with Focals is surprisingly insignificant, to be honest. Maybe it is my room or ears, though.

Focals also had build issues (transformer hum, paint problems).

I have a pair of Genelec 6010’s. Have a room which I believe would be horrible to mix in, and have no idea where to even start for treating it. So mostly I mix on headphones, a pair of Sennheiser HD 600’s, but will always check how it sounds on the Genelecs.

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^ here’s a place to get started, and then some.

[font=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.gearslutz.com/board/studio-building-acoustics/

monitors are a total case of ‘horses for courses’. At home, in the techno cupboard, the acoustic environment is so poor that what I use is largely irrelevant, almost. To that end I’ve got a pair of Samson Resolv A5s. They’re shite. ( but they were free, & brand new). But - I’ve ‘learned them’ in their environment, so I can mix accurately enough, with a bit of referring to cans too.

I then take my rough stereo jams for further work into my commercial studio where I’ve got a nice pair of Dynaudio AIR 15s, soffit mounted in a LEDE control room. So I can then correct all the fuck-ups I’ve made at home. hopefully. :joy:

My point is, no point having wildly extravagant monitors in a less than good acoustic environment…unless you’ve got the cash and just want a nice pair of speakers that is. You can get surprisingly good results if you ‘learn’ the speakers & the environment you’re working in.

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Thanks for your comments. I checked the gearslutz, lots of good tips there.
Started treating my room as well, its definitely worth it and cheaper then getting new monitors :slight_smile: I know my events tr5s but was always lacking the low end on them. Tightened the bass a bit after getting Auralex mopads, now making bass traps from insulation coupled with cheap acoustic foam. It seems to be working even with just 3x2 feet panel between the speakers.

Have access to studio as well but would like to do well transferable mixes at home and shorten the time needed in the actual studio.

This is good to know. I am considering CMS65s, actually were high on my list along with Solo’s. Was it intermittent problem that you had with them? or quite obvious from the start? Wonder if I could spot it in the shop.

HR824s

Adam A7 with sub10.

I actually prefer working on some old radioshack bookshelf speakers until it’s time to go check on something else.

The a7s sound pretty clean and it’s not very inspiring to work on something that shows a lot of defects. It’s much easier to compose on something more flattering and ‘homey’ then tweak the mix on the a7s.

Working on headphones is usually pretty nice too. Gets rid of a lot of distractions.

I’m also using the Yamaha HS50m. I’m a big fan. I don’t have a sub and there is still plenty of low end response, and they are very true. I upgraded to these from the KRK Rokit 5 which are super bass heavy and will lie to you about the low end. The HS50m sound much more true.

Ah, nice, thanks! I think I’m pretty doomed for now anyway, as I’m occupying a corner in our living room, and I doubt my girlfriend would allow me to pad all the walls with these things, she’s been kind enough as it is, hehe. One day though, I’ll have my own little space room. One day … :wink:

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Transformer hum from one of the speakers was noticable from 2-3 meters in quiet room. When I went back to a shop they opened 3 or 4 boxes until I found the unit with more or less acceptable level of hum (and they all hummed). This issue was discussed on gearsluts as I remember.

One of my speakers also had dents or clicks on volume control knob (like in typical endless encoder) but another didn’t, probably because of different hardware revisions, so it was actually impossible to set the same volume on them.

Cosmetic issues included uneven/shabby paint and unaligned silver ring with model name on one of the speakers. I noticed this to late to exchange them and was scared to receive humming speakers again, to be honest.

They are good, but require very throughout inspection when buying.

Focal CMS50 and CMS SUB combo. Very happy indeed with them, although my sub is currently heading home for a repair after getting sick.

Oh, and no transformer hum issues here, or paint problems… Just the issue with the sub!

Transformer hum from one of the speakers was noticable from 2-3 meters in quiet room. When I went back to a shop they opened 3 or 4 boxes until I found the unit with more or less acceptable level of hum (and they all hummed). This issue was discussed on gearsluts as I remember.

One of my speakers also had dents or clicks on volume control knob (like in typical endless encoder) but another didn’t, probably because of different hardware revisions, so it was actually impossible to set the same volume on them.

Cosmetic issues included uneven/shabby paint and unaligned silver ring with model name on one of the speakers. I noticed this to late to exchange them and was scared to receive humming speakers again, to be honest.

They are good, but require very throughout inspection when buying.[/quote]
Sounds like a nightmare for £1k speakers tbh.

My room is shite, but for those interested I’m using a pair of Tannoy Reveal 501a monitors. They lack low end which means I have to be careful not to compensate. But I’m just an amateur, so I don’t sweat it.

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NS10 for example a.k.a. Reference Monitors, are loudspeakers for Mixing and/or Mastering exclusively. However are no good for critical listening. These are fundamentally different in a pro-audio environment like a studio. The analogy is IEM are to PA’s. Furthermore, you can’t plug your guitar through reference monitors either, they don’t translate. Neither do line-level devices, they really do need amplifiers. So loudspeakers aren’t loudspeakers and should be applied in the right situation.

Genelec 8050a (although for a smaller room I would recommend 8040a).

I have tried and listened to a lot of monitors but a lot of them (like people mentioned earlier) are good monitors but are not nice to produce on.

I have found the gennies to be the ideal solution when your room doesn’t have any ir little treatment. And they sound great with impressive bottom end.

The first monitor that made me 100% happy. :slight_smile: