Does size matter to musicians?

[hbursk]

PS: I knew Dug, Dan, and Dave worked on Peak. That's why I mentioned it.

[epauley]

hbursk,

I need clarification. You wrote:

"Now, when you get into the 8" model, you're paying per speaker most likely, and a great pair can run you well over a grand...

M-Audio makes a pair of 8" monitors for $500."

I am assuming you mean the 8" M-Audio's are good but not great?

[gatorjj]

M-Audio's wouldn't compare to Event's or Mackie's for example...there's good, there's very good, and there's great. Even Event makes a $250 8" and the 8" SP's are like $650 each. There's a difference in quality and detail, and most importantly the higher end tend to be less fatiguing to the ears.

Hayden's advice is great as usual, and usually your music store will have them all sitting next to each other so you can audition them in a tight room. The only caveat is the room at home you put them in will sound different than the one at the store, but most people "learn" their monitors over time.

I have KRK RP5's, and have often thought about upgrading to a larger monitor but my room is small and I'm concerned that I'll do more harm than good because of that with all those waves bouncing around and bass building up in the corners. Oh yeah I'm cheep too LOL They get me pretty close and I can verify/tweak from there pretty well with some different techniques.

[pbbobkanobi]

How do you guys feel about headphone only mastering / mixing? I dont want to piss off the neighbors. I have done all my songs in a pair of $40 AKG headphones but I wonder if monitors would do me better....

[mickeymix]

And fine jobs you both do with headphones Bobbo and Rick but I'm sure Gator will come along and explain why monitors are better...........I use both but not good monitors per se ..... a Sony Stereo RXD10AV(blasphemy) with only the 2.1 turned on and flat EQ and A Logitech THX also with only the 2.1 turned on , and also a pair of SennHeiser HD 280 Pro's that work great ............I usually listen on all..........but probably wouldn't waste so much time if I had a decent pair of monitors...........I'll look into the pair that Gator mentioned as they have gotten great reviews, but they will have to wait for now.

[hbursk]

I find I don't get a very accurate bass response on headphones. I use headphones when I mix as well. After I've been working on a mix for a little bit, I'll throw on some headphones and listen in there. I also consistently bring the volume down and listen at a lower level. I try to mix around 75db or 85db with a c average weighting. I don't know what a c average weighting is technically, but if you have a sound pressure level meter and slide the switch to c. So I mix there for a little bit, then I like to turn down the volume real low and see how everything sits. Then I put on headphones. I just try to check my mix in a few different circumstances.

When I have a mix that sounds good loud on the monitors, is even and well balanced at low volume, sounds right in the headphones, and I like where everything sits, the sound of the vocals, the drums, I bounce it down or mix to wave and I take it home.

Then, I play it in my car, my travel ipod stereo, on the tv, on my laptop, on my roommate's computer, and so on. Take some notes, then go back and adjust.

You can mix on headphones, but you need to take your mix around and try it out.

The idea behind monitors is get the most average middle of the road sound you can. So if everything is balanced and well adjusted there, then it should translate to everything else.

I'm mixing some tracks right now for this singer/songwriter. He has a great voice, and the instrumentation is drums, bass, and acoustic guitar. We may add some organ or what not. But it's a slow roomy 6/8 track. So I put on Delicate by Damien Rice and use that as my reference cd.

You have to use a reference cd. I don't care what you're using to monitor. If you don't have a reference, what does it matter. You start mixing blindly. You need to know what you're trying to acheive. Get records you like the sound of, and listen to them on your monitors, or on your headphones, and A/B them with your mixes. You'll be surprised how you'll find that vocals are so much more up front than you thought they were, or how much compression is on the drums. Things like that.

Listen. Just listen. You could mix on two tin cans with some string. Just listen.

[hbursk]

I read an article once that said, good gear just makes our job easier. If you use a neumann mic on a steinway grand piano through a neve mic pre, you're going to be pretty close to awesome. There's not really much you have to do but set it up and plug in all the cables correctly. But if you throw an sm57 on that piano, you have some work ahead of you.

The m-audio monitors are good. The mackie hr824s are better. The better your gear is, the easier it is to get good sounds. Not to say you can't get great sounds on a $40 pair of AKG headphones. But, it's going to take some more work.

[gatorjj]

Hayden sure saves me a lot of typing!

One thing to keep in mind is the complexity of the mix. A drum-bass-rhythm-lead is pretty simple and there's plenty of room to spread things around with whatever you are using without getting in too much trouble.

What I've found (YMMV) is when I mix on the monitors I tend to get to a translatable mix fairly easily. One that no matter where else I listen it sounds okay, i.e. not too much bass, leads not way to loud etc. Given my environment is not perfect I usually find something slightly off but I start out close.

I mix on the KRK's and the bounce to the PC speakers and headphones. I also leave the room and listen in the hall, it's funny how doing that can highlight something that's subtly out of line.

Headphones put the sound right into your brain, so it's more difficult to mix something that's going to sound good bouncing around in the air and the room or car. Headphones tend to make everything sound acceptable, when what you want is something to sound cruddy until it's mixed just right, which is the goal of a monitor.

[epauley]

Based on the comments above, if one wanted to spend under a $1,000 to:

(1) Optimize their ability to hear truer dynamics while recording and
(2) Maximize the range of instrumental tones

There seems to be two clear winners: M-Audio Bx5A's and Reason 3.0.

Of course, not everyone has the same preferences so I am probably over simplifying.

[hbursk]

That sounds like a real nice upgrade to the studio.

[epauley]

I’ve been looking at midi controller keyboards and am wondering what I need to consider before purchasing. Prices and variables (bells and whistles) are all over the place.

I am a guitarist - not a keyboard player. The controller would be used it in conjunction with Reason and RiffWorks.

[hbursk]

At least 3 octaves (37 keys). 25 keys just doesn't do it for me. You don't need any buttons or knobs. Just a simple usb midi controller keyboard. And get a sustain pedal. They're great.

[pbbobkanobi]

EM-U XBoard 49 - $179.00

[epauley]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your input!