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007 · 10th February 2003

I also had the 20/20bas, they were my first 'real' monitors.
While they sounded good, my mixes translated very poorly to other systems.
I later got some Mackie 824's. Initially excited about the purchase, again, I was disapointed with my mixes after some time. Because of my setup and sitting position, they were very ear-fatiguing even at low levels, boomy bass and much too powerful for my room size (8'X10'). So, Ebay it was....

I do think the Mackies are better suited for bigger control rooms that can accomodate the ideal speaker placement vs. the listener, rooms that are also well treated for acoustics (absorption, diffusers, bass traps, etc.).

Believe it or not, both of these have now been replaced by a pair of Alesis M1mk2 Actives ($399/pair) and I've never been happier. The are, IMO, the most under-rated sub-$500 monitors. Not much publicity or promotion, almost like a well-kept secret. I can honestly say that these really do sound flat, as nothing is pronounced throughout the frequency spectrum. I get a very tight bass response, mids are clear and a high end that's crisp but not sizzly, and great stereo imaging to boot. I bring my mixes to my neighbor's house, who owns a pair of NS10's and 824's and wow, it's all there, everything sounds the way I expect it too.

Just like you, I'm nowhere near the level of most people on this board, I'm in this for the knowledge I can gather from the good peeps here. But I think I've learned a few things about monitoring over the years. A great sounding monitor does not necessarily make it a great mixing monitor (ie: Mackie 824), and more importantly, the room you mix in is as important as the speaker components themselves. Each monitor will sound different in different rooms, to different ears. Furhtermore, the type of music one mixes has a great effect on how a monitor is perceived, so there's another variable to reckon with.

For monitors, use opinions as guidelines only, it's a very subjective topic. If possible, try to compare 2 pairs at a time if a retailer will let you do so, then decide which sounds best to your ears, for your type of music, how does your favorite cd sound through them, etc.

Don't stress about having to get Mackies, there's some great monitors out there for much less. However, you may want to look at the Mackie 624, smaller than the other ones, better suited for the home studio w/o the exagerated bass response.

You may also want to consider:

-Tannoy Reveal
-Alesis M1mk2 Active (my fave)
-Event TR-5 or TR-8
-KRK V6 or V8

Good luck.

10th February 2003	#6
007 Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 1,513	I also had the 20/20bas, they were my first 'real' monitors. While they sounded good, my mixes translated very poorly to other systems. I later got some Mackie 824's. Initially excited about the purchase, again, I was disapointed with my mixes after some time. Because of my setup and sitting position, they were very ear-fatiguing even at low levels, boomy bass and much too powerful for my room size (8'X10'). So, Ebay it was.... I do think the Mackies are better suited for bigger control rooms that can accomodate the ideal speaker placement vs. the listener, rooms that are also well treated for acoustics (absorption, diffusers, bass traps, etc.). Believe it or not, both of these have now been replaced by a pair of Alesis M1mk2 Actives ($399/pair) and I've never been happier. The are, IMO, the most under-rated sub-$500 monitors. Not much publicity or promotion, almost like a well-kept secret. I can honestly say that these really do sound flat, as nothing is pronounced throughout the frequency spectrum. I get a very tight bass response, mids are clear and a high end that's crisp but not sizzly, and great stereo imaging to boot. I bring my mixes to my neighbor's house, who owns a pair of NS10's and 824's and wow, it's all there, everything sounds the way I expect it too. Just like you, I'm nowhere near the level of most people on this board, I'm in this for the knowledge I can gather from the good peeps here. But I think I've learned a few things about monitoring over the years. A great sounding monitor does not necessarily make it a great mixing monitor (ie: Mackie 824), and more importantly, the room you mix in is as important as the speaker components themselves. Each monitor will sound different in different rooms, to different ears. Furhtermore, the type of music one mixes has a great effect on how a monitor is perceived, so there's another variable to reckon with. For monitors, use opinions as guidelines only, it's a very subjective topic. If possible, try to compare 2 pairs at a time if a retailer will let you do so, then decide which sounds best to your ears, for your type of music, how does your favorite cd sound through them, etc. Don't stress about having to get Mackies, there's some great monitors out there for much less. However, you may want to look at the Mackie 624, smaller than the other ones, better suited for the home studio w/o the exagerated bass response. You may also want to consider: -Tannoy Reveal -Alesis M1mk2 Active (my fave) -Event TR-5 or TR-8 -KRK V6 or V8 Good luck.