VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

cyclometh · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:49 am Post subject: Monitors

Suggestions for relatively inexpensive monitor speakers? I do most of my work with headphones, and my old speakers are just not cutting the mustard any more. Besides, they're too big. Smile

Thanks!
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Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

M-Audio BX5 is a good set for VO and media production work. Not too big.

Can be acoustically adjusted for placement. Good EQ. Set them for a neutral sound and you'll be good.

They'll give a good representation for the way most people will hear your work.

I also really like these for a compact, inexpensive set (Best Buy):

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/digital_music_systems/computer_speakers/companion_2/index.jsp

They give a good representation of computer speakers, TV sound, and car radios. All you really need.
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Bruce · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 6:56 pm Post subject:

I'll give the M-Audio BX5a monitors a mixed recommendation. I don't like 'em a lot myself, but every pro who's come into my studio LOVES them when they hear them and many have said they were going to buy them based on that.

Hey, I can't be right all the time!

B
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cyclometh · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 6:57 pm Post subject:

Excellent, thanks for the tips!
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Mike Sommer · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:16 pm Post subject:

Those M-Audio are pretty good for the price. As with any near field monitor it will take a while to understand how they translate to other systems but they are a good utilitarian monitor. I say this because they are a every man's speaker, like the Auratone monitors, if is sounds good on the Auratone it will sound good anywhere.

I also like the KRK RP6's.

FYI: New monitors take a while to break in. I always take new monitors and face them at each other (reversing the phase of one speaker, and play pink noise through them for about 12 hours to break in the cones. Then play a Jazz and Classical music through them -- something with a lot of dynamics.
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Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:42 am Post subject:

Alesis M1Active 520 are fabby!

Chuck Davis · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:43 am Post subject:

That's really interesting. I've never heard of breaking in monitors before. I does make sense though.
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Mike Sommer · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:47 am Post subject:

Speakers (monitors) are both electrical and mechanical. Like any mechanical device they need to be broken in. As the the cones loosen up they become more mellow and smoother sounding--- same with the tweeters.
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Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 11:53 am Post subject:

mike, what's pink noise?
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KaseyKruz · Club 300 Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 336 Location: Michigan

Chuck Davis · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:06 pm Post subject:

It's the cracking sound you hear when you step on a Barbie.
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cyclometh · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:38 pm Post subject:

Those Alesis monitors do look quite nice for the price. Thanks for the tip, Phil. Smile

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cyclometh · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:46 pm Post subject:

Put very simply (like, ludicrously so), pink noise is a signal that has less power at higher frequency. White noise is the same level at all frequencies in a given bandwidth (although it doesn't sound that way!), and grey noise is a white noise signal adjusted so that it sounds equally loud at all frequencies to the human ear.

There's a pretty good article on noise "colors" here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colors_of_noise
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Bish · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:53 am Post subject:

I'll give a +1 to the M-Audio BX5a. I've had them for a while and am very happy with their sound. However, I would prefer some type of protection over the front. I know they are pretty robust, but seeing the exposed drivers on close-field monitors makes me a little skittish as I can be a clumsy-ass sometimes... (pencil flying in one direction, egg sandwich in the other). Those little domed tweeters are just screaming out to be inverted!

More seriously, if you investigate the BX5a, you may find multiple reports of the capacitors popping (the same issue that was reported last year with the Dell power supplies). This happened to one of mine, and for anyone who can handle a soldering iron, it's a relatively painless $7 fix... so don't let it put you off if you really like the speakers.
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Brad Venable · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:40 am Post subject:

I have first-gen KRK Rokit 5s. They are really quite nice, and they cost about $300 for the pair. They are active (powered) monitors, and they have XLR, 1/4" TRS, and RCA inputs.

And I totally agree with Mike, that monitors do mellow out in time. These sure have, and I think they've gotten better at reproducing my voice since I got them over five years ago.
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