Shopping for Studio Monitors
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Shopping for Studio Monitors
Before posting, I searched the "Help & How To" subforum for threads about studio monitors. I came across this one, which I'll use as a reference, but I thought it would be a good idea to start a new thread because that one is three years old and the products recommended in it have been discontinued.
I've been mixing on computer speakers for the entire time I've been doing home recording. Sometimes the speakers have been pretty good ones. At the moment, the speakers I'm using are dying (and were only midrange even when they were new).
A friend loaned me a set of Fostex monitors to do the last set of mixes for my last album, and after that level of detail and clarity, I really don't think I can go back. I'm sure it made a dramatic and positive impact on my mixes, and I'd like to get a decent set of my own. I don't know the exact model name of the set my friend loaned me, but they've long since been discontinued. I think a pretty good comparison point would be the set that fluffy bought and posted about in that prior thread (also by Fostex). Of course, those aren't available anymore either.
Ken suggested Equator D5s, but they're also discontinued.
So... Studio monitors. What's out there? What's reasonably-priced? What's good?
I've been mixing on computer speakers for the entire time I've been doing home recording. Sometimes the speakers have been pretty good ones. At the moment, the speakers I'm using are dying (and were only midrange even when they were new).
A friend loaned me a set of Fostex monitors to do the last set of mixes for my last album, and after that level of detail and clarity, I really don't think I can go back. I'm sure it made a dramatic and positive impact on my mixes, and I'd like to get a decent set of my own. I don't know the exact model name of the set my friend loaned me, but they've long since been discontinued. I think a pretty good comparison point would be the set that fluffy bought and posted about in that prior thread (also by Fostex). Of course, those aren't available anymore either.
Ken suggested Equator D5s, but they're also discontinued.
So... Studio monitors. What's out there? What's reasonably-priced? What's good?
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- jb
- Hot for Teacher
- Posts: 4162
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:12 am
- Instruments: Guitar, Cello, Keys, Uke, Vox, Perc
- Recording Method: Logic X
- Submitting as: The John Benjamin Band
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Consider this guy's advice: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2015/ ... challenge/
Basically he contends that it's not about your equipment, certainly not about your monitors. It's about using reference tracks, so that you know what a pro mix sounds like on your particular setup. Then you mix to achieve something similar to that reference track. You don't necessarily mix to make it sound good on your setup-- you mix to mimic the characteristics of that reference track.
He's not the only one who advises using a reference track, but he is the guy who is adamant about home recording being about technique over equipment and plugins.
So considering that, if you choose to take his advice, buy equipment that feels good to you to listen to for long periods, within your budget. I have a pair of Mackie active nearfield monitors that cost $150 each ($300 for the pair). And they are fine. Not gonna blow your mind, but they are fine.
If you have a power amp already, you can get passives. "Passive" just means they are speakers that don't have an internal power supply. That means you send your sound out of your computer/interface into a power amp, and the power amp supplies not only the sound but the power to your monitor speaker. You would probably think of most stereo speakers this way. "Active" monitors have not only a sound cable to your mixer/interface, but each monitor has its own power cable. Usually looks like a standard computer power cord.
If you get passive monitors, and you want to buy a power amp, remember that for home recording you don't need a lot of power. For home recording you really don't need more than 500 watts (2 channels, of 250w each, one channel goes to one speaker). And in fact the amp I used has only 100 watts-- 2x50. This is the kind of thing I've used in the past for a power amp: http://www.zzounds.com/item--SAMSA200
Passive monitors are a bit cheaper (not including the price of the amp), and since you keep the amp you can swap out the speakers or swap out the amp etc. Keeping in mind that speakers are rated to be able to handle only a certain amount of power so if you hook them up to a really powerful amp and crank it, you'll blow out your nice little speakers. That's common sense, but I'm saying it anyway.
I have used Tannoy PBM 6.5 passives in the past and liked them. For better or worse, I mixed my Albumfight on them and it came out OK even though I had NO IDEA what I was doing. You can get them on Ebay for pretty cheap: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R4 ... 5&_sacat=0
JB
Basically he contends that it's not about your equipment, certainly not about your monitors. It's about using reference tracks, so that you know what a pro mix sounds like on your particular setup. Then you mix to achieve something similar to that reference track. You don't necessarily mix to make it sound good on your setup-- you mix to mimic the characteristics of that reference track.
He's not the only one who advises using a reference track, but he is the guy who is adamant about home recording being about technique over equipment and plugins.
So considering that, if you choose to take his advice, buy equipment that feels good to you to listen to for long periods, within your budget. I have a pair of Mackie active nearfield monitors that cost $150 each ($300 for the pair). And they are fine. Not gonna blow your mind, but they are fine.
If you have a power amp already, you can get passives. "Passive" just means they are speakers that don't have an internal power supply. That means you send your sound out of your computer/interface into a power amp, and the power amp supplies not only the sound but the power to your monitor speaker. You would probably think of most stereo speakers this way. "Active" monitors have not only a sound cable to your mixer/interface, but each monitor has its own power cable. Usually looks like a standard computer power cord.
If you get passive monitors, and you want to buy a power amp, remember that for home recording you don't need a lot of power. For home recording you really don't need more than 500 watts (2 channels, of 250w each, one channel goes to one speaker). And in fact the amp I used has only 100 watts-- 2x50. This is the kind of thing I've used in the past for a power amp: http://www.zzounds.com/item--SAMSA200
Passive monitors are a bit cheaper (not including the price of the amp), and since you keep the amp you can swap out the speakers or swap out the amp etc. Keeping in mind that speakers are rated to be able to handle only a certain amount of power so if you hook them up to a really powerful amp and crank it, you'll blow out your nice little speakers. That's common sense, but I'm saying it anyway.
I have used Tannoy PBM 6.5 passives in the past and liked them. For better or worse, I mixed my Albumfight on them and it came out OK even though I had NO IDEA what I was doing. You can get them on Ebay for pretty cheap: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R4 ... 5&_sacat=0
JB
blippity blop ya don’t stop heyyyyyyyyy
- ken
- Hot for Teacher
- Posts: 3876
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:10 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, bass, drums, keys
- Recording Method: MOTU 828x, Cubase 10
- Submitting as: Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: oakland, ca
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Equator D5s seem to still be available, but they cost $100 more.Generic wrote:Before posting, I searched the "Help & How To" subforum for threads about studio monitors. I came across this one, which I'll use as a reference, but I thought it would be a good idea to start a new thread because that one is three years old and the products recommended in it have been discontinued.
Ken suggested Equator D5s, but they're also discontinued.
So... Studio monitors. What's out there? What's reasonably-priced? What's good?
http://www.equatoraudio.com/D5-Studio-M ... r-p/d5.htm
Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Berkeley Social Scene - Tiny Robots - Seamus Collective - Semolina Pilchards - Cutie Pies - Explino! - Bravo Bros. - 2 from 14 - and more!
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
They're "out of stock." Perhaps they'll replenish, but I've been burned before.ken wrote:Equator D5s seem to still be available, but they cost $100 more.Generic wrote:Before posting, I searched the "Help & How To" subforum for threads about studio monitors. I came across this one, which I'll use as a reference, but I thought it would be a good idea to start a new thread because that one is three years old and the products recommended in it have been discontinued.
Ken suggested Equator D5s, but they're also discontinued.
So... Studio monitors. What's out there? What's reasonably-priced? What's good?
http://www.equatoraudio.com/D5-Studio-M ... r-p/d5.htm
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- Rabid Garfunkel
- Jump
- Posts: 2468
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:43 pm
- Instruments: Absurdity
- Recording Method: iPhone, GarageBand & rando apps/toys
- Submitting as: OZYMANDIPUS, Rabid Garfunkel, Primitive Screwheads
- Pronouns: that guy
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Tannoy Reveal 501a powered monitors are pretty bitchin', and now that they're no longer in production (in favor of the 502s).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Tannoy-Reveal ... 487c5ed98a
Edited for accuracy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Tannoy-Reveal ... 487c5ed98a
Edited for accuracy.
- Caravan Ray
- bono
- Posts: 8653
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:51 pm
- Instruments: Penis
- Recording Method: Garageband
- Submitting as: Caravan Ray,G.O.R.T.E.C,Lyricburglar,The Thugs from the Scallop Industry
- Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
I got these a while ago. Compact and inexpensive. Seem to work ok
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... o-monitors
Must admit - still do most of my mixing in headphones - but they provide a different "point-of-view" in final mastering
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... o-monitors
Must admit - still do most of my mixing in headphones - but they provide a different "point-of-view" in final mastering
- Caravan Ray
- bono
- Posts: 8653
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:51 pm
- Instruments: Penis
- Recording Method: Garageband
- Submitting as: Caravan Ray,G.O.R.T.E.C,Lyricburglar,The Thugs from the Scallop Industry
- Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
New thread on this:jb wrote:Consider this guy's advice: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2015/ ... challenge/
Basically he contends that it's not about your equipment, certainly not about your monitors. It's about using reference tracks, so that you know what a pro mix sounds like on your particular setup.
JB
http://songfight.net/forums/viewtopic.p ... 42#p192542
- fluffy
- Eruption
- Posts: 11078
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
- Instruments: sometimes
- Recording Method: Logic Pro X
- Submitting as: Sockpuppet
- Pronouns: she/they
- Location: Seattle-ish
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
I still love those Fostexes and it's a shame they're no longer made. I bet their newer models are just as good though.
- ken
- Hot for Teacher
- Posts: 3876
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:10 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, bass, drums, keys
- Recording Method: MOTU 828x, Cubase 10
- Submitting as: Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: oakland, ca
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
You're in luck. Tannoy Reveal 402 are the SDotD today! Only $80 each!
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid
Here's a review of them from Sound on Sound to give you more info:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun14/a ... reveal.htm
If you buy them, please let us know what you think!
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid
Here's a review of them from Sound on Sound to give you more info:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun14/a ... reveal.htm
If you buy them, please let us know what you think!
Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Berkeley Social Scene - Tiny Robots - Seamus Collective - Semolina Pilchards - Cutie Pies - Explino! - Bravo Bros. - 2 from 14 - and more!
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
- fluffy
- Eruption
- Posts: 11078
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
- Instruments: sometimes
- Recording Method: Logic Pro X
- Submitting as: Sockpuppet
- Pronouns: she/they
- Location: Seattle-ish
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Nice.
By the way, something that also helped my studio setup a lot was getting some acoustic foam. I put some behind my monitors, and also underneath, which helps to reduce a bunch of thuddiness. I found a 24-pack of 1'x1' tiles on Amazon for $46 (after shipping) and just attached it to various surfaces with double-sticky tape. It made a huge difference (as determined objectively by recording my setup using a couple of condenser microphones and checking their spectra). I also use one square in front of my file server which cuts down on background noise significantly.
So, I suggest being on the lookout for affordable acoustic foam. The particular pack I bought is no longer available, but there are several others of varying quality and price.
By the way, something that also helped my studio setup a lot was getting some acoustic foam. I put some behind my monitors, and also underneath, which helps to reduce a bunch of thuddiness. I found a 24-pack of 1'x1' tiles on Amazon for $46 (after shipping) and just attached it to various surfaces with double-sticky tape. It made a huge difference (as determined objectively by recording my setup using a couple of condenser microphones and checking their spectra). I also use one square in front of my file server which cuts down on background noise significantly.
So, I suggest being on the lookout for affordable acoustic foam. The particular pack I bought is no longer available, but there are several others of varying quality and price.
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Still weighing my options on this, Though I know the SDotD presents a ticking clock here...
I've never heard of Tannoy before. The reviews are pretty positive, and a pair of those costs $160.
I have heard of Mackie, and a search through MF pulled up these, at $150 for the pair.
The big difference that I can see here is that the Tannoys would both be active speakers, independently controlled, while the Mackies are one active and one passive. All else being more or less equal, does having one passive speaker have a negative effect on the sound quality? If not, I think I'd prefer the active/passive pair, because with two independent monitors I would tend to worry about whether the volume controls were even with each other.
I Googled like crazy, and while there's a lot of writing about the difference between active speakers and passive speakers, I couldn't find much writing about pairs with one active and one passive.
I've never heard of Tannoy before. The reviews are pretty positive, and a pair of those costs $160.
I have heard of Mackie, and a search through MF pulled up these, at $150 for the pair.
The big difference that I can see here is that the Tannoys would both be active speakers, independently controlled, while the Mackies are one active and one passive. All else being more or less equal, does having one passive speaker have a negative effect on the sound quality? If not, I think I'd prefer the active/passive pair, because with two independent monitors I would tend to worry about whether the volume controls were even with each other.
I Googled like crazy, and while there's a lot of writing about the difference between active speakers and passive speakers, I couldn't find much writing about pairs with one active and one passive.
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- fluffy
- Eruption
- Posts: 11078
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
- Instruments: sometimes
- Recording Method: Logic Pro X
- Submitting as: Sockpuppet
- Pronouns: she/they
- Location: Seattle-ish
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
It's not that one is active and one is passive, it's that they're both active but the "active" one has both channels' amplifiers in them. The difference is basically the same as having discrete monoblock amplifiers instead of a single stereo amplifier. Audiophiles claim to be able to hear a difference. In reality there isn't going to be one, unless you're driving the circuits at the edge of their power capacity (in which case you're going to get much worse distortion and it's probably way louder than it needs to be anyway).
The M-Audio speakers I had before the Fostexes were like that, and they failed in a curious way where the channel for the "active" one blew out but the "passive" channel stayed working, but that's just a 50% chance of which one goes first, in the rare case that only one goes anyway. Arguably in a dual-discrete setup you'd be able to just replace one monitor if one dies but chances are you're going to replace them both anyway (since it's unlikely that you'll be able to buy another matching one of the same model what with them being on an annual planned obsolescence cycle like everything else nowadays, and if you could it's probably still going to be under warranty or whatever).
Anyway, given the specs I'd probably go with the Tannoys. The specs are mostly the same, EQ differences are mostly subjective and why we use reference tracks, and the Tannoys have a front-firing bass port which actually makes a lot of sense in a studio setting (although it makes me wonder if there's a reason why every monitor I've seen before is rear-firing, like is that just established convention or is there a real advantage?).
EDIT: Oh, and another advantage of dual-active instead of single-amp stereo is that you can adjust the levels independently, which is great for level matching and dealing with weird acoustic issues in your studio. Whenever I'm checking my setup I always adjust the levels separately using a pink noise generator and an SPL meter. Using single volume + balance is terrible for that, and the Mackies don't look like they even have a balance control.
The M-Audio speakers I had before the Fostexes were like that, and they failed in a curious way where the channel for the "active" one blew out but the "passive" channel stayed working, but that's just a 50% chance of which one goes first, in the rare case that only one goes anyway. Arguably in a dual-discrete setup you'd be able to just replace one monitor if one dies but chances are you're going to replace them both anyway (since it's unlikely that you'll be able to buy another matching one of the same model what with them being on an annual planned obsolescence cycle like everything else nowadays, and if you could it's probably still going to be under warranty or whatever).
Anyway, given the specs I'd probably go with the Tannoys. The specs are mostly the same, EQ differences are mostly subjective and why we use reference tracks, and the Tannoys have a front-firing bass port which actually makes a lot of sense in a studio setting (although it makes me wonder if there's a reason why every monitor I've seen before is rear-firing, like is that just established convention or is there a real advantage?).
EDIT: Oh, and another advantage of dual-active instead of single-amp stereo is that you can adjust the levels independently, which is great for level matching and dealing with weird acoustic issues in your studio. Whenever I'm checking my setup I always adjust the levels separately using a pink noise generator and an SPL meter. Using single volume + balance is terrible for that, and the Mackies don't look like they even have a balance control.
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
All right, you've convinced me. I just sprung for a pair of Tannoys. I'll let you guys know how they work out!
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- jb
- Hot for Teacher
- Posts: 4162
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:12 am
- Instruments: Guitar, Cello, Keys, Uke, Vox, Perc
- Recording Method: Logic X
- Submitting as: The John Benjamin Band
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Good choice. I wouldn't have gotten those Mackies. The volume knob gimmick is dumb, and they look like a 5-blade razor or some shit. Not to mention the headphone jack on the front. That's not pro, that's feature-stuffing a product to cover up something cheap in the mix. (Mackie does, of course, have plenty of fine products. I would just bet that those aren't their best work.)
JB
JB
blippity blop ya don’t stop heyyyyyyyyy
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
I set up the new monitors over the weekend. One warning, in case anyone else is considering this model: they didn't come with full-size cables. Just one 1/8" audio "auxiliary" cable per monitor. I repurposed the guitar cables that I'd been using for stereo output from my keyboard. I'll probably replace them with something else in the near future, but I just wanted to get them up and running without another shopping trip.
They sounded a little tinny at first, but after a breaking-in period, everything sounds right. I'll let you know how it goes mixing a song on them! In the meantime, I have one other question/concern. I have a 1/4" cable running from my audio interface (FocusRite Scarlett 6i6) to each monitor. The Scarlett has a big ol' master volume wheel, and of course each of the monitors has its own independent volume control on the back. Right now, I've got the monitors set around 3/4 volume, and I'm using the volume wheel on the Scarlett to adjust the volume as needed. Is this okay for the speakers? Should I keep it lower? Is there any harm in turning the monitor volume all the way up, provided I keep the Scarlett's volume knob at a reasonably low level? I wouldn't expect it to have any discernible effect on audio quality, right?
They sounded a little tinny at first, but after a breaking-in period, everything sounds right. I'll let you know how it goes mixing a song on them! In the meantime, I have one other question/concern. I have a 1/4" cable running from my audio interface (FocusRite Scarlett 6i6) to each monitor. The Scarlett has a big ol' master volume wheel, and of course each of the monitors has its own independent volume control on the back. Right now, I've got the monitors set around 3/4 volume, and I'm using the volume wheel on the Scarlett to adjust the volume as needed. Is this okay for the speakers? Should I keep it lower? Is there any harm in turning the monitor volume all the way up, provided I keep the Scarlett's volume knob at a reasonably low level? I wouldn't expect it to have any discernible effect on audio quality, right?
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- Rabid Garfunkel
- Jump
- Posts: 2468
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:43 pm
- Instruments: Absurdity
- Recording Method: iPhone, GarageBand & rando apps/toys
- Submitting as: OZYMANDIPUS, Rabid Garfunkel, Primitive Screwheads
- Pronouns: that guy
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Shouldn't have any harm, per se, but you're going to lose some wiggle room really fast on the listening end if Scarlett is your main volume control and your monitors are @10. Running the same (basically) setup here with the computer @ 10 -> interface controlling volume (like yours) -> monitors (Tannoy 501s) @ 50%, but I'm in a way small room currently. Same janky cable setup too
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Cool, thanks for the advice. I'll leave 'em at 75% for now, and consider lowering if I can't get the precision I need.Rabid Garfunkel wrote:Shouldn't have any harm, per se, but you're going to lose some wiggle room really fast on the listening end if Scarlett is your main volume control and your monitors are @10. Running the same (basically) setup here with the computer @ 10 -> interface controlling volume (like yours) -> monitors (Tannoy 501s) @ 50%, but I'm in a way small room currently. Same janky cable setup too
And for the record, it's not that janky. At least I'm running appropriate cables from like-to-like audio jacks. It's huge progress from the days when I'd plug an XLR mic into an XLR-to-1/4" converter, plugged into a 1/4"-to-1/8" converter, to plug into my laptop mic input.
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- fluffy
- Eruption
- Posts: 11078
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
- Instruments: sometimes
- Recording Method: Logic Pro X
- Submitting as: Sockpuppet
- Pronouns: she/they
- Location: Seattle-ish
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
I would never expect monitors to come with audio cables worth using. Fortunately, decent 1/4" cables are pretty cheap, and it looks like the Tannoys also take XLR. I wouldn't use the 1/8" aux/monitor link plugs on those monitors, incidentally.Generic wrote:I set up the new monitors over the weekend. One warning, in case anyone else is considering this model: they didn't come with full-size cables. Just one 1/8" audio "auxiliary" cable per monitor. I repurposed the guitar cables that I'd been using for stereo output from my keyboard. I'll probably replace them with something else in the near future, but I just wanted to get them up and running without another shopping trip.
What are you doing to break them in?
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Neither would I. I'll keep those suckers in my car, so I can plug my phone in.fluffy wrote: I wouldn't use the 1/8" aux/monitor link plugs on those monitors, incidentally.
I made sure the levels were moderate, then set up a random music playlist, left it running, and left the house for a few hours. The sound was noticeably better when I got back. They'll probably mellow out a little bit more over the next week or so, but I doubt I'll notice any additional change.What are you doing to break them in?
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- ken
- Hot for Teacher
- Posts: 3876
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:10 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, bass, drums, keys
- Recording Method: MOTU 828x, Cubase 10
- Submitting as: Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: oakland, ca
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
I feel the need to remind/inform everyone that guitar cables and speaker cables are not the same thing and should not be used interchangeably.
Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Berkeley Social Scene - Tiny Robots - Seamus Collective - Semolina Pilchards - Cutie Pies - Explino! - Bravo Bros. - 2 from 14 - and more!
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
- JonPorobil
- Beat It
- Posts: 5682
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:45 am
- Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin, Accordion, Bass, lots of VSTs
- Recording Method: Cubase 10.5
- Submitting as: Jon Eric, Jon Porobil, others
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
Help me out, wise one. I've been mixing on computer speakers for more than a decade! What type of cables should I be looking for to connect the 1/4" outputs on my audio interface to the 1/4" inputs on my monitors?ken wrote:I feel the need to remind/inform everyone that guitar cables and speaker cables are not the same thing and should not be used interchangeably.
(Relatedly, what's the risk in continuing to use the cables I had lying around, and how urgently should I correct this?)
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
- ken
- Hot for Teacher
- Posts: 3876
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:10 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, bass, drums, keys
- Recording Method: MOTU 828x, Cubase 10
- Submitting as: Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: oakland, ca
- Contact:
Re: Shopping for Studio Monitors
I was looking around for a link to support this claim. I think this issue is much more critical when running cable from amplifier to speaker. Less so when running line level gear. The premise is that guitar cable is for a fairly low output source (guitar pickups) and a power amp is sending a LOT OF JUICE that the cable can't really handle properly. This is a pretty good explanation: http://www.sonicsense.com/resourcecente ... ker-cables
You should be using balanced TRS audio cables between your interface and speakers.
Something like this perhaps: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BP10
You should be using balanced TRS audio cables between your interface and speakers.
Something like this perhaps: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BP10
Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Berkeley Social Scene - Tiny Robots - Seamus Collective - Semolina Pilchards - Cutie Pies - Explino! - Bravo Bros. - 2 from 14 - and more!
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang