Should I get one monitor starting out?

[therook]

Crap guys I'm still in a dilemma over what to choose. A nice pair of cans or 1 monitor or truths or the alesis mII active's... ugh

I'd go for a nice pair of cans first, then a nice set of monitors :p

but for real I use headphones/+ a hi-fi stereo system, and it's doing fine for now! I think I read somewhere that hi-fi speakers kinda improve the sound (so it sounds good on that system - I think?), so your mixes can get fucked with but thats what the headphones are for?

I'm no expert or anything though so don't take my word for it haha

Yeah the I believe hi-fi's a U shape in the eq where the low and highs are boosted to make it sound better. *Sigh* Life's choices are never easy. AKG's or the sennheiser 600?

[ogunslinger]

I'd got the akg's and honestly I think they were much better than my last pair, which were ... pioneer djm...1000's? can't remember haha!

[Dub_Fiend]

I don't believe that monitors improve your mixing - I still mix on 13 pound headphones even though I got NS10s sitting here, its just what you prefer to mix on, like Serox says knowing the flaws of your setup.

I would disagree with that. Knowing the flaws of your can setup helps, but it can't make up for the stuff you are not hearing. I don't know why anyone with NS10s would do their mix downs on 13 pound headphones.

@ OP if I was you save up, and get two decent monitors. It's a one of payment, and they should last you for ever.So get the best you can get.

And you wonder why your mixdowns aren't up to scratch Leg


Dub Fiend

[back2onett]

If you go for headphones get some beyerdynamics, I've got a pair of DT150s and they work wonders.

[freakah]

Crap guys I'm still in a dilemma over what to choose. A nice pair of cans or 1 monitor or truths or the alesis mII active's... ugh

Heard a LOT of bad things bout the truths...wouldn't recommend them

I have Alesis M1 Actives (originals), haven't had them for TOO long (about 7 months) but my mixdowns are improving continually, and are getting there!! I'd happily recommend them and Sound on Sound did some reviews where they liked em...

IMO I can't mix on headphones, I hate it, but its your personal preference that matters!

[3za]

I don't believe that monitors improve your mixing - I still mix on 13 pound headphones even though I got NS10s sitting here, its just what you prefer to mix on, like Serox says knowing the flaws of your setup.

I would disagree with that. Knowing the flaws of your can setup helps, but it can't make up for the stuff you are not hearing. I don't know why anyone with NS10s would do their mix downs on 13 pound headphones.

@ OP if I was you save up, and get two decent monitors. It's a one of payment, and they should last you for ever.So get the best you can get.

And you wonder why your mixdowns aren't up to scratch Leg


Dub Fiend

If it works, then it works.

I never said, anything about his mixdowns not being up to scratch. I just find it strange why someone would use a cheap pair of headphones, when they have a nice pair of monitors sat their

You probably don't view it like this, because you have your head so far stuck up his arse...

[Dub_Fiend]

I don't believe that monitors improve your mixing - I still mix on 13 pound headphones even though I got NS10s sitting here, its just what you prefer to mix on, like Serox says knowing the flaws of your setup.

I would disagree with that. Knowing the flaws of your can setup helps, but it can't make up for the stuff you are not hearing. I don't know why anyone with NS10s would do their mix downs on 13 pound headphones.

@ OP if I was you save up, and get two decent monitors. It's a one of payment, and they should last you for ever.So get the best you can get.

And you wonder why your mixdowns aren't up to scratch Leg


Dub Fiend

If it works, then it works.

I never said, anything about his mixdowns not being up to scratch. I just find it strange why someone would use a cheap pair of headphones, when they have a nice pair of monitors sat their

He was saying the other day that he doesn't like his mixdowns and I couldn't understand why, I don't think there's really a problem... Just making a joke, tis all

You probably don't view it like this, because you have your head so far stuck up his arse...

Dub Fiend

[3za]

I don't believe that monitors improve your mixing - I still mix on 13 pound headphones even though I got NS10s sitting here, its just what you prefer to mix on, like Serox says knowing the flaws of your setup.

I would disagree with that. Knowing the flaws of your can setup helps, but it can't make up for the stuff you are not hearing. I don't know why anyone with NS10s would do their mix downs on 13 pound headphones.

@ OP if I was you save up, and get two decent monitors. It's a one of payment, and they should last you for ever.So get the best you can get.

And you wonder why your mixdowns aren't up to scratch Leg


Dub Fiend

If it works, then it works.

I never said, anything about his mixdowns not being up to scratch. I just find it strange why someone would use a cheap pair of headphones, when they have a nice pair of monitors sat their

He was saying the other day that he doesn't like his mixdowns and I couldn't understand why, I don't think there's really a problem... Just making a joke, tis all

You probably don't view it like this, because you have your head so far stuck up his arse...

Dub Fiend

Ok, sorry.

I think I got the wronge end of the stick.

[Dub_Fiend]

No harm no foul squire


Dub Fiend

[weedcali]

Everyone will prob tell you to wait till you have enough for two. I have two monitors, one is on the other side of the room, the other is behind me not even pointing at me I move them around and I get up and walk about a lot. I do this because my speakers are shit and my 'studio' is my bedroom.

Get use to the sound and know the flaws with your setup.

btw, I have those Alesis, pile of shite.

What makes them so bad? these are the monitors i want.

you are talking about the M1 MKII right?

[abZ]

When I was starting to get serious in like 02 I bought some Truths. I am a slow learner anyway but they did the trick for a long time then I upgraded those what 6 months ago. It would piss me off having just one. I think I'd rather have the shitty pair than one good one tbh. You know whatever works, you just gotta take your best guess, pull the trigger and then make it work.

[weedcali]

Ebay has a pair of alesis M1 active 520 USB for $181 shipped

[therook]

I'm gonna go down to my sam ash and see if they have any of the truths or alesis's set up so I can take a listen. So far I'm leaning a little bit more towards the alesis's

[MikkiFunk]

Yeah the I believe hi-fi's a U shape in the eq where the low and highs

Yep, thats also how the classic 'loudness' button works. Boosts the bass and high frequencies and lowers the mids, it only seems 'louder' because your brain percieves music with more bass as actually being at a greater volume. Little 'psychoacoustic illusion' there haha

[funtcase]

easy mate...

i produced on one monitor for a while and it worked for me, best advise is, work on a good monitor mono and do any imaging and left and right edits in headphones. its not ideal to have one but one good monitor will serve you better than two ok ones

safe

[EDN]

Basically if these are your first pair of monitors... and you have about 300 dollars... just buy a pair of these:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--KRKRP5G2 (sorry for direct ad link, but just proving that this guy can get a stereo pair for the amount of money he has)
You might have to save up 20 bucks fo delivery but believe me it will be worth it.

You pretty much don't need 6" woofers unless you want to damage your hearing or you live in a stately home, the 5" ones go more than loud enough believe me. Especially given that any monitors you will be buying will be nearfields, so the distances are small. Very loud music + Small spaces = Tinnitus and false sonic impression. You wanna make your mixes sound as good as they can sound, quietly (obviously with certain exceptions like sub-bass, however in your price range you won't be getting anything below 40hz anyway, so reference on bigger systems and stuff). If it sounds good quiet, its probably gonna sound awesome loud

You should try and learn to make good use of your soundscape, properly placing your individual parts as needed and this is something that is difficult to achieve using headphones alone, and impossible to achieve using only one monitor. And using the soundscape is HELLA important when it comes to making clean sounding tunes.

I'm not saying that these speakers are the be all and end all, you should always reference on a number of different sources. Remember that around 60% of people will be listening to your tunes through ipod headphones, so get a pair of those, listen on a car stereo, club system, monitors and home hi-fi because that way you will be able to really tell whether your music is well mixed; if it is then it should sound good on all these different systems.

/Conjecture

[3za]

You pretty much don't need 6" woofers unless you want to damage your hearing or you live in a stately home, the 5" ones go more than loud enough believe me. Especially given that any monitors you will be buying will be nearfields, so the distances are small. Very loud music + Small spaces = Tinnitus and false sonic impression. You wanna make your mixes sound as good as they can sound, quietly (obviously with certain exceptions like sub-bass, however in your price range you won't be getting anything below 40hz anyway, so reference on bigger systems and stuff). If it sounds good quiet, its probably gonna sound awesome loud

You know your stuff

[EDN]

Number of posts doesn't account for everything y'all...
Na to be fair, I was in a similar situation to this dude, I'm just giving the low down on the research I did at the time.

[EDN]

Oh, and anyone who was interested in the headphones thing should read this http://www.ratsound.com/cblog/archives/ ... art-7.html
And pretty much anything else Dave Rat writes, he is awesome.

[3za]

Number of posts doesn't account for everything y'all...

I was not on about your post count. If I disagree with anyones advice I will say, I just could not be bothered to elaborate.

Bigger woofers are not just about being lounder, I don't use 6's because they are lounder, they just sound better to me. Most of the time when using monitors you don't want them lound anyway, but you won't start using 1" will you? Any sound at lound volumes are going to damage your ears regardless where they came from.

I'm not saying that these speakers are the be all and end all, you should always reference on a number of different sources. Remember that around 60% of people will be listening to your tunes through ipod headphones, so get a pair of those, listen on a car stereo, club system, monitors and home hi-fi because that way you will be able to really tell whether your music is well mixed; if it is then it should sound good on all these different systems.

But this advice is golden imo.