Monitors for film/TV scoring

[bogavantes]

Dear friends,

I am about to upgrade my old and horrible RP6SE monitors.
I am travelling quite often so there is no treated studio in my case but any room available
That's why I want to go DSP route with room correction.
I work with synths and orchestral scores so genre spectrum is pretty wide.
I am considering 2.0 and 2.1 systems (usually I travel by car so the sub is not a dealbreaker)
Budget: 3K EUR


My shortlist:

1. Genelec 8330A + 7350sub + GLM. I have heard 8030CP and to me they sounded horrible, but bigger brothers sounded much better - Is 8330A will be a big step above 8030cp?)
2. Genelec 8340A +GLM

3. Neumann KH80DSP + 750sub + MA1 (I've hear Neumanns 420G - to me they sounded fantastic and 120A - sounded very similar but without that huge sound, I am wondering if they will sound similar to big brothers with added sub)
4. Neumann KH150 + MA1 - I know there are no reviews yet but just technically speaking I could wait for them a bit if you guys think it will be worth it.

I will be able to listen to Genelec's from above but unfortunately there is no Neumann dealer around me at this moment.
I would appreciate any comments or thoughts

Cheers!

 

[bogavantes]

anyone?

 

[dfuller]

If you're on the go much, I'd be getting something small. 8330 or KH120 are probably the move. I'm not sure I'd bother with a sub.

 

[Zek]

I work with synths and orchestral scores so genre spectrum is pretty wide.

Maybe this is not the appropriate forum for your question - look for a professional forum for such a purpose.

 

[DVDdoug]

I am travelling quite often so there is no treated studio in my case but any room available
That's why I want to go DSP route with room correction.

DSP by-itself is "imperfect". It can fix bumps/peaks but it can't fix dips (where the waves cancel) or excessive reverb/ringing.

The other concern I have is that most monitors don't have grills so they aren't designed to bit knocked-around. You might need to make (or have made) a custom protective carrying case.



Most pros will advise against using headphones but if your situation it might be the best way to get consistency.

This is something from Recording Magazine. The guy was working in various studios with good-treated rooms but they were all different with different monitors:

Can I mix on headphones?

No. But in all seriousness, headphones can be a secret weapon and it really doesn’t matter what they sound like…

Over time, after constantly listening back to my work from different studios on those headphones I really started to learn them. They became sort of a compass. Wherever I went… It became a pattern for me to reference these headphones to see if what I was hearing was “right”…

I learned them, I knew them, I trusted them. It didn’t matter whether or not I loved them…

So, can you mix on headphones? Probably. I just think you really need to put some time into learning them first…

... I have another excerpt from Recording Magazine where they give the conventional view that "headphone mixes don't translate".

 

[bogavantes]

If you're on the go much, I'd be getting something small. 8330 or KH120 are probably the move. I'm not sure I'd bother with a sub.

KH 120 sounded very nice but I need to have low frequency translation regarding my cinematic work

 

[Blumlein 88]

@MattHooper I believe works in television/film sound. Maybe he'll have some useful input on this.

I have only done a few hobbiest recordings for friends and such. I've never been able to get good results with headphones. I was in a position away from my home for most of a year. I found using a pair of JBL LSR305's allowed me to get results that translated to everything else without a sub. This was music however not cinematic work.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

I have the KH80,750, MA1 combo. I also sampled the 8030 or so at the time. I didn’t like the hiss when idle and being close ca 90cm to my listening position.

But you should try both at home. Only in your room you can tell if it meets YOUR preferences. Doesn’t matter what I or everyone else thinks.

Thomann has Neumann‘s and a 30day return policy. Just don’t abuse it. That’s how I tried the Genelecs and the Neumann at home.

 

[bogavantes]

I have the KH80,750, MA1 combo. I also sampled the 8030 or so at the time. I didn’t like the hiss when idle and being close ca 90cm to my listening position.

But you should try both at home. Only in your room you can tell if it meets YOUR preferences. Doesn’t matter what I or everyone else thinks.

Thomann has Neumann‘s and a 30day return policy. Just don’t abuse it. That’s how I tried the Genelecs and the Neumann at home.

Are you happy with your combo? And have you heard bigger Neumanns? If yes how they compare to your system

 

[Scrappy]

The iLoud MTM’s could do it. Well-suited to your application. Perhaps cross-reference on some open back cans?

Quick edit/ addition: these were well-lauded by some serious heavyweight audio guys at [the sound company]. The autocorrection via mic is extremely well implemented I’m told.

 

[Matthias McCready]

Whatever you end up going with, I would highly recommend getting an appropriately sized pelican with custom foam inserts.

----
What types of spaces are you monitoring in? Someone else's studio control room? A backroom in a concert hall? A hotel room? The type of space should probably define the dB and frequency capability needed.

----

Out of curiosity do you have a good set of headphones that you trust? Yes, they are not the same as monitors, and I do not enjoy mixing on them, however they can still be an invaluable tool for making sure the source sounds good, for onsite recording, and for having a sound reference on hand that is room agnostic.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Are you happy with your combo? And have you heard bigger Neumanns? If yes how they compare to your system

I am very happy. It is my office system. No I haven’t heard bigger ones.

 

[bogavantes]

Whatever you end up going with, I would highly recommend getting an appropriately sized pelican with custom foam inserts.

----
What types of spaces are you monitoring in? Someone else's studio control room? A backroom in a concert hall? A hotel room? The type of space should probably define the dB and frequency capability needed.

----

Out of curiosity do you have a good set of headphones that you trust? Yes, they are not the same as monitors, and I do not enjoy mixing on them, however they can still be an invaluable tool for making sure the source sounds good, for onsite recording, and for having a sound reference on hand that is room agnostic.

thanks for the pelican tips!
Usually I stay in places where I can play instruments and work freely.
I have DT770 but it is not a permanent and comfortable solution

 

[Scrappy]

thanks for the pelican tips!
Usually I stay in places where I can play instruments and work freely.
I have DT770 but it is not a permanent and comfortable solution

I like my DT770’s, always thought they were quite comfy. But real scooped. Great for live sound isolation, didn’t like em for critical listening. Hmm I ought to buy new ear pads and other parts.. Gettin by with some audio technics for now.

 

[Cbdb2]

"I work with synths and orchestral scores so genre spectrum is pretty wide."

Can you be more specific? Are you composing, recording, editing, mixing, mastering or all of the above?

 

[bogavantes]

"I work with synths and orchestral scores so genre spectrum is pretty wide."

Can you be more specific? Are you composing, recording, editing, mixing, mastering or all of the above?

All of the above except mastering

 

[mmi]

TBH all of the + sub options would be similarly great and cover your needs. The choice then comes down to audio specifics and considerations like software and generally which ecosystem you want to enter. The only other option to add might be KH120 + 750.

The KH150 has been designed specifically for your usecase in slightly more compact form. Obviously bass won’t go quite as low as sub, but it may be good enough for you. So it really is 150 vs any of the others IMO. All choices are good!

Best thing to do is test at home / location if possible.