Audio monitors

Cracker Funk

Cracker Funk

I hope this isn't a waste of anyone's time reading this. This isn't exactly the most pressing issue.

For the past few years, I've been using a pair of KRK Rokit 5's to monitor audio. I've been rather happy with them, but I don't know jack about audio, so that's not worth much.

A fuse blew on one of them. I replaced the fuse, and the replacement immediately blew. So, I guess there is something wrong with the wiring. Of course I'll look into fixing it, but it might make more sense to replace it, all things considered.

For my next feature, I will not be doing the audio. For that, I will be hiring a pro. For the purpose of making random shorts, just for fun, I'd still like a nice pair of monitors. Plus, I actually use them for general music listening -- it just sounds so damn good! Anyway, what that all means is that I'm not going to spend very much money on the replacement.

I might get a replacement Rokit 5, though it seems the model has changed. I wonder if it'd be weird having an older model paired with a newer model?

Alesis has a really inexpensive pair, though I suspect I'd probably be very disappointed with the sound coming from a 3-inch driver.

With 5" drivers, this looks like the best bang for the buck, but of course you get what you pay for. Is Numark just a crap brand? Would I end up hating these speakers?

I think I'm leaning towards splurging. I used to own a pair of Alesis, very similar to this one, and was very happy with them. I know that $200, in the greater scheme of things, is nothing to spend on studio monitors, but for the purposes I mentioned above, maybe this is overkill.

Would it just be stupid-dumb to get a good pair of regular computer speakers? Non-audio people, what do you use? Audio-people, Of these low-budget options I've listed, what do you like? Are there other options I haven't considered?

Thanks!
 
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Probably more than you want to spend, but the Tannoy Reveal 501a are very nice for the price ($360/pr).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/727579-REG/Tannoy_8001_5850_Reveal_501A_5_Active.html

At $400/pr the JBL LSR2325P are very nice as well.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/607699-REG/JBL_LSR2325P_LSR2325P_90W_5_Active.html

The Alesis M1 Active 520 USB aren't too shabby at $200/pr.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/379426-REG/Alesis_M1ACTIVE_520_PAIR_M1Active_520_2_Way.html

The $500 Blue Sky eXo2 System kicks serious butt, and is a standard in many video editing suites.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ternational_EXO2_eXo2_Active_2_1_Desktop.html



I use the Mackie HR824 (about $1,350/pr). I still need to replace the Mackie HRS120 subwoofer ($1,200) which was destroyed in my studio flood of '07. If I was getting new speakers I would look at the Focal CMS 65 ($1,600/pr), the Genelec 8030A ($1,500/pr) and the JBL LSR4328P ($1,600/pr). Of course, my next major upgrade would be 5.1 surround, so I would need five of each speaker plus the subwoofer; I would also have to add in a speaker management system, which adds another $1k to $2k. Yeah, it gets expensive fast.
 
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Monitors are a kind of personal thing. One person likes one, another person likes something different. In the end you need to get accustomed to what you have, and learn how well the audio you create/mix on those speakers translates to other systems.
Personally I don't like the Mackie speakers Alcove mentioned, but do like Genelecs. Not to knock his opinion, but simply to emphasize it's apersonal thing.
However, computer speakers are only any good for a second reference and not a main reference pair. To give an example here, I once had to edit a documentary's audio that contained a heartbeat in the one section. The picture editor couldn't even hear it on his computer speakers because the frequency of it was below what the computer monitors he had could reproduce, yet as soon as he put it through better speakers..there it was.

My advice is:
a) don't generally use anything smaller than a 5' driver as your main reference unless you are also using a sub with them
b) it's generally better to have a pair of speakers that handle the full frequency range down to about 50Hz and no have no separate sub speaker than to have a sub and smaller speakers that don't take low frequencies

c) don't try to match a pair of speakers that were not produced to be a matchingh pair. It won't work

d) if you can add a separate mono "crappy" speaker into your setup as a second reference to see what you can and can't hear, but still keep your main pair that is even better.
 
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rocksure said:
Monitors are a kind of personal thing.
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Absolutely.

rocksure said:
Personally I don't like the Mackie speakers Alcove mentioned
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Hey, I can dig it. The Mackies and my room matched up beautifully*. I had used them before at another facility and they didn't induce ear fatigue over those 10 hour days, which was another reason I chose them. Plus, at the time I got them (10 years ago), Genelec didn't even make speakers in my price range. I really liked the Genelecs when I freelanced over at Real Recordings A room, and the JBLs in the B room kick ass. (As an aside, Q always mixes on the Aventones.) But, like I said, there are other choices I would seriously consider if I was getting new speakers in the near future. It's always the balancing act between needs, budget, the room and sound quality (which includes the ear fatigue factor).

Just as important as the speakers is the room and how it's treated, but that's another issue...



*I also have a set of Tannoy PBM8's, which I like for music tracking, and some Harmon Kardon computer speakers.
 
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Audio editing is usually done on stereo monitors. The exception is when you are creating surround ambiences. Mixing, if you have the budget, is done in surround on a certified mix stage or a properly calibrated room. 99% of the time the dialog is on the center channel when mixing in surround.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Absolutely.



*I also have a set of Tannoy PBM8's, which I like for music tracking, and some Harmon Kardon computer speakers.
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I know it's a bit of a side track here.....but Alcove I am a big fan of the old Tannoy dual concentric speakers. I have spent many hours working with both 12 and 15 inch monitor gold speakers from the 70's over the years, as well as some smaller ( don't know the model) dual conentrics from the 80's. Not recommending them as something someone should buy on here( large size and very expensive) but just that I love them.
 
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Wow. Being forced to listen to one speaker, for a week-and-a-half, sure makes you appreciate the real deal.

I am ROCKING-OUT these new monitors, yeah!!!

Like I said before, I won't be using them for anything even close to professional audio mixing. But for my purposes, they are GREAT! If anyone happens to read this, I highly recommend them -- for the value, they sound fantastic.
 
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