Speakers for dance music production?

[Mat1]

I'm about to move my music production setup into my loft space. Since music is now finally starting to pay properly I want to upgrade my monitors. My budget is around £5k and I make dance music.

I haven't decided the exact orientation of the room yet but I've got a lot of gear/instruments that need to fit! I have a bunch of GIK room treatment from previous studios so I'll use that wherever possible but some kind of DSP would probably be helpful. Ultimately it won't be a fully treated room. Measurements are 5.4 x 3.8 x 2.1.


Options I'm considering are -

Neumann KH310+750+MA1

Neumann KH150+2x750+Ma1

Genelec 8341

HEDD Type 20/30


I've got a bit of a soft spot for the KH310s. I heard them in a shop years ago and wanted them ever since. Also a lot of artists in my world use them. That said there are a lot more options these days.

 

[ABRAX]

stay away from genelecs, I got the 8361 and not sure if they are better than presonus s8

 

[DVDdoug]

No matter what kind of music you are producing you should have good-accurate monitors. Of course bass is important with dance music so you don't want to skimp on the bass or the room treatment.

But you don't necessarily need the "best" or "perfect" monitors. You just have to learn what good mixes/production sounds like on your monitors. (Keep a known-good reference recording.)

Note that most subwoofers in dance clubs are tuned to go-down to "only" 40Hz, or so. You can make the subs more efficient if you don't try to go down to 20Hz and that makes it easier to fill a big space with bass you can feel in your body. And for similar reasons, you might want to put most of the bass-energy in your production above 40Hz. (Of course it's OK if your monitors go lower.)

 

[subframe]

stay away from genelecs, I got the 8361 and not sure if they are better than presonus s8

If your 8361 is not better than the S8, the problem is your room or something else in your chain. The Genelecs are on an entirely different level.

@Mat1 any of the options you list will work well, they’re all proven workhorses for your needs.

That said, this is not actually the forum I’d be asking for production tips on . For learning yea, for production insights no. If you’re not careful you’ll end up with KEF R3s on your desk lol

Edit: forgot to say, since they all work well, the best thing to do is audition them, with your own mixes and reference mixes, if at all possible.

 

[Mat1]

Thanks guys I went with the 310s and sub. They are quite common in Europe so it was a fairly safe choice. I’m looking forward to setting up the DSP once I have some spare time

 

[subframe]

310s are fantastic, they should serve you well

 

[Deleted member 48726]

If your 8361 is not better than the S8, the problem is your room or something else in your chain. The Genelecs are on an entirely different level.

@Mat1 any of the options you list will work well, they’re all proven workhorses for your needs.

That said, this is not actually the forum I’d be asking for production tips on . For learning yea, for production insights no. If you’re not careful you’ll end up with KEF R3s on your desk lol

Edit: forgot to say, since they all work well, the best thing to do is audition them, with your own mixes and reference mixes, if at all possible.

And a Schiit Rekkr..

 

[lowkeyoperations]

the other thing I would HIGHLY recommend is getting yourself a pair of Slate VSX Headphones. As a second opinion they will give you many different points of view as the emulate a range of in room monitors. They are hands down the best headphones I’ve used for mixing. Much more useful than my HD650S for production. Even with room treatment you’re going to need a good second opinion.