Please help me pick the right studio monitors!..

[ryanshine]

Hello everyone. I’m relatively new to this and seeking some help. I’ve been producing bass/house music for 5 years now and I always have trouble mixing and mastering my songs. One year ago i started taking music more seriously and really wanted a flat sounding room and good speakers. At the time i was kind of ignorant and bought the adam T8V. Previously i had KRK Rokit G4s.

Since then one year has passed, and I’ve been left disappointed with how my mixes sound, and I felt kind of regretful about my decision. So I decided to change my setup.

My room isn’t that small, but not big either. I have 4 bass traps in each upper corner of the room and six 6-inch panels on the walls. I also have very thin cloud foams on the ceiling. I feel that room treatment wise, considering the space I have, I did the best I could.

I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but I recently discovered Sonarworks. I was aware of GLM from Genelec but I never knew similar technology was available for other speakers too. With this in mind I came up with three options for my speaker purchase:

1. Genelec 8340A + GLM
2. ADAM A7V + Sonarworks
3. IK iLoud Precision 6 MK2 + ARC

My dream was always to get Genelec speakers so I was sure to pick those to avoid any regrets. But this option costs twice as much as option 2 or 3. My biggest question is this: is the Genelec setup worth spending twice as much, or should I consider option 2 or 3 and believe in Sonarworks or ARC? Or even without room correction, is the Genelec 8340A a better choice than the A7Vs or Precision 6 MK2?

Thank you so much.

 

[delta76]

I would say Genelec is a cut above the other two. But you will need a sub.
Neumann KH120 II + sub should be considered

 

[vsch]

Are you open to using a subwoofer for true full-range sound and to learn how to do room correction manually? If so, what about the following: Genelec 8030c + miniDSP Flex + good hifi sub (e.g., SVS SB-1000, Arendal 1961 1S, or similar) + UMIK-1 for measurements. FWIW, I use this combo in a near-field setup for pleasure listening and couldn't be happier. Costs about the same as a pair of 8340 + GLM, is IMO way more flexible, and gives true full-range sound (which seems important as you are producing bass heavy content).

@delta76 's suggestion seems excellent too. KH120 II + KH750 + MA1 would be mostly automatic and avoid the need to learn about room correction and sub integration.

If you want to avoid a subwoofer, Genelec 8340 + GLM or Neumann KH150 + MA1 are certainly excellent and you probably can't go wrong with either. Again, GLM and MA1 are also mostly automatic and don't require you to learn much about room correction (and sub integration). You may want to look at the Kali IN-8 or IN-5 + miniDSP Flex (manual unless you add Dirac) or Sonarworks for a more budget friendly option.

Cheers!

 

[skankhobag]

How are you producing Bass/House music with speakers that have no bass? All of the speakers you’ve mentioned have no real bass output in the bottom two octaves of music.

You don’t mention having any subwoofers.

You need a 20-20k system before you start swapping out mains.

Adding a good sub will accomplish 3 things none of those speakers on your list can do:

• You’ll have real, low distortion bass response to below a Low B (31Hz) so you can really hear all the music you’re engineering and aren’t guessing at what’s going on with your low end

• The dynamic range of your system will increase by an order of magnitude or more. Music that would be pushing your little monitors to their limits will be effortlessly reproduced.

• The distortions and group delay produced by your mains will be reduced significantly because the no longer need to produce low bass. They can now operate above 150-200Hz… in other words, the area where they aren’t vibrating like crazy.

Here’s an easy, prospective plan to build your playback system that will cost around $1,200 and will transform your monitoring system much more than new mains.

The Equipment:
• Rythmik Audio L12 sub ($800)

Rythmik L12 - sealed HT sub

• Behringer DCX2496 loudspeaker processor ($340)

Behringer | Product | DCX2496

www.behringer.com

The cheapest, capable digital crossover on the market

• Blue Jeans Cables if you don’t have XLR I/O on your a other gear (they make affordable cables and do custom)

Blue Jeans Cable -- Quality Cables at Reasonable Prices

The Plan:
• This is building a modular system that can be incrementally upgraded in the future

• All the equipment is high ROI, high performing equipment that offers a lot of flexibility for future improvements

• You can initially use the analog inputs of the DCX2496, but ideally you’d use the AES digital input

• You can start with a mono sub and add a second for more dynamic range and stereo (yeah!). Currently, I use four L12 subs. Playing my bass through this system is mind blowing.

• Down the road, add the room/speaker correction software of your choice rather than be jammed into using what is bundled with an active monitor.

• As you budget more money for upgrades, you can do it in a targeted manner that gives you the greatest return on your investment

• Though not all at the same time, I have owned & used all of the products mentioned and can recommend them.

Of course, if you do have subs, this was a complete waste of time.

 

[IngMishael]

Hello everyone. I’m relatively new to this and seeking some help. I’ve been producing bass/house music for 5 years now and I always have trouble mixing and mastering my songs. One year ago i started taking music more seriously and really wanted a flat sounding room and good speakers. At the time i was kind of ignorant and bought the adam T8V. Previously i had KRK Rokit G4s.

Since then one year has passed, and I’ve been left disappointed with how my mixes sound, and I felt kind of regretful about my decision. So I decided to change my setup.

My room isn’t that small, but not big either. I have 4 bass traps in each upper corner of the room and six 6-inch panels on the walls. I also have very thin cloud foams on the ceiling. I feel that room treatment wise, considering the space I have, I did the best I could.

I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but I recently discovered Sonarworks. I was aware of GLM from Genelec but I never knew similar technology was available for other speakers too. With this in mind I came up with three options for my speaker purchase:

1. Genelec 8340A + GLM
2. ADAM A7V + Sonarworks
3. IK iLoud Precision 6 MK2 + ARC

My dream was always to get Genelec speakers so I was sure to pick those to avoid any regrets. But this option costs twice as much as option 2 or 3. My biggest question is this: is the Genelec setup worth spending twice as much, or should I consider option 2 or 3 and believe in Sonarworks or ARC? Or even without room correction, is the Genelec 8340A a better choice than the A7Vs or Precision 6 MK2?

Thank you so much.

You need a system that is fully 20Hz to 20kHz cos you make music that needs that kind of coverage into the bass.

Got any subs? You'd need a

Also you need speakers with controlled directivity and dispersion patterns

Open to passives?

 

[Jiraya369]

how are you having trouble mixing music with those? Anything above 100-200 hz should be a breeze. Go ahead and play around with positioning and toeing in/out. Also eliminate room modes by doing a sine sweep and reducing them through eq.

I used an Adam T5V before and now im using a D3V cus they were too big and legit until 200 hz everything is perfect and everything below 200 hz is over boosted. So I just use a pair of headphones for 100-150 hz mostly and that's it.

Better gear won't make you a better mixer. Get a UMIK-1 measurement mic and show us measurements of your setup before making any big jump into gear. Where you are and how the low end is in YOUR listening position matters a LOT. A sub will help get a really nice response as you can place it appropriately but you'd still need to be able to calibrate it in terms of phase and stuff but most importantly you just need to be able to get rid of the ugliest room modes.

The Adam T8V is an excellent piece of kit. The key to a well translating mix is a flat response with manageable amounts of distortion. That's all a studio monitor does, it helps you translate what you are hearing/doing. Mixing is a skill and you need to just practice. There's no cheat code to it. I can mix a track for you on my puny speakers if you send me the stems or something.

If you're still adamant that your gear is the limiting factor, forget about all 3. Genelec is a bit too expensive for what it is and 2/3 are pretty meh. The Neumann KH 120 II is the only real option and after getting it, if you're not into calibrating stuff yourself, get the KH750 sub, if you're ok with calibrating stuff yourself, then a pair of rsl speedwoofer 10e ought to be good enough. Even then i'd recommend you to use headphones for the low end. Unless you have an engineer doing things for you or you know EXACTLY what you're doing, I highly doubt you're helping your case much with the treatment you've done, you might've even made things worse for all you know.

 

[Mort]

If you can afford 2x 8340a new ($3,600 for two), I would seriously consider the Neumann also.

However, a good Genelec alternative would be used 8330a, which are readily available for $1300 a pair here in the US (ebay or reverb). Genelecs are built like tanks and can be repaired for years. Combine that with a used 7360a or a new 7350a subwoofer and I think your MLP sound will be better with the GLM dsp.

 

[G|force]

I think one of the main advantages of Genelec over the others mentioned is longevity. Spending half of what Genelec costs now is fine and dandy even if performance is/was equal. But if in a few years something fails and your system goes down, thats a regret you can avoid now. Buy speakers once or buy twice.

 

[Scrivs]

Neumann KH150

 

[Tio]

You need to consider using headphone or iem if you never use one for your work.

 

[LevityProject]

If $500 is you ur budget for a pair:

The LP-6 is excellent

Kali LP-6 Review: Studio Monitor

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Kali Audio LP-6 powered monitor (speaker). I purchased it for testing I think back in February or March. There has been a lot of requests to test it so I thought I do it before the year is over! The LP-6 costs US $149 on Amazon including Prime...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The Adam T5V is also excellent, and I can vouch for being able to coax even bass down to 50hz out of these

Adam T5V Review (Studio Monitor)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Adam T5V Powered Speaker. It was kindly purchased new by a member and drop shipped to me. The T5V costs US $200 each. Much like the rest of Adam speakers, the T5V has a serious look to it: Back panel shows good connectivity and usual...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The JBL 308 mkii is also great, and has lower bass out of the box, but at the expense of broad distortion at higher SPL.

JBL 308P MKII Studio Monitor Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the JBL 308P MKII 8-inch Monitor (powered speaker). I purchased this from a member a few months ago. New, they cost US $249. The 3 series look the same for good or bad: The large plastic waveguide is really in your face. Wish JBL would provide...

www.audiosciencereview.com

All three need some EQ, but not much to get into the realm of introduction to reference quality. Sonic scoop has also recommended both the T5V and LP-6 as top of class monitors for under $500 a pair.

The Genelcs and Neumann's are a different class of speaker. If you can afford them, they are reference quality out of the box.

KH150: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/neumann-kh-150-monitor-review.39922/

Be careful with sonarworks. It is not the magic bullet it is advertised to be. It can help (I've used it and still do on occasion), but a better approach is flat speakers out of the box (or ones that take EQ well and have known adjustment curves like the T5Vs) and deal with room modes and early reflections in the room itself.

 

[DVDdoug]

It would be a good idea to get a calibrated measurement mic (about $100 USD) and measure your room with REW (free) and then EQ as necessary.

Depending on how your measurements come out, you might experiment with removing some acoustic treatment. You almost can't have too many bass traps but in some cases you can end-up absorbing too much mid and high-frequency information, ending-up with "muddy" sound. As always, "diagnosis before treatment".

and I’ve been left disappointed with how my mixes sound,

Part of it is learning what a good mix sounds like in your studio, and keeping known good reference recordings in whatever genres you're working-on to "keep your ears calibrated". And pros often check their work on a few different "known" systems (cheap speakers, their home system, in their car, headphones, etc.), again comparing with known-good reference recordings.

And although headphones aren't generally recommended for mixing and monitoring, headphones with good bass can be a good bass reference because they don't have standing wave issues in the bass range like rooms. Headphones are a "different experience" than speakers and you don't feel the bass in your body like soundwaves in a room, but they often have smoother-deeper bass.

 

[LevityProject]

You need to consider using headphone or iem if you never use one for your work.

This is a good point. Using a pair of reference class iems can give you a helpful indicator of what good tonality is.

Also, if you like, DM me with a mix finished but you aren't happy with. Id Be happy to give some feedback