Best Low-end monitors for mixing and Mastering

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by praashekh

wht is the best Low end price range Studio Monitor( approx $700 -$800)? Suitable for mixing and more importantly Accurate Mastering in a well treated room?

I think monitors are the thing that suffers the most as a low-end item. Honestly I don't know what I'd recommend in that price range. I do some light mastering on my JBL 4328's (in a very well-treated room), but it's nowhere near the monitoring chain my usual ME's use.

Frank

[MrCrowbar]

I'd say Adam A7 in that price range.

[El-Roy]

You can't get A7s between $7-800. Plus I've heard that they lack low end.

[roderick]

Maybe the Yamaha HS80m?

[MrCrowbar]

Originally Posted by tommcw

You can't get A7s between $7-800. Plus I've heard that they lack low end.

My bad, I'm always think price per speaker. My bad.

[Aaron Miller]

I'm not an ME but would venture to guess that mixing and mastering monitors are different beasts. I'd also guess that "mastering monitors" and "low end" are somewhat incompatible terms. If it were me, I'd focus on getting some decent mix monitors and not worry about how well they can be used in a mastering situation. That doesn't mean you can't do your own 'quickie' masters for clients who don't want a dedicated ME, just that your not trying to find the all-in-one solution on a limited budget.

[Sounds Great]

Why are you mastering on low end monitors? I would say send it to a professional.

[Lemonsqueezer]

I would get a good set of monitors for mixing and work on getting things right during the mix as best as you can. Then get someone else to master for you. I just don't think its a good idea to mix and master in the same room with the same speakers. You will only get one perspective. I personally think you would have to be one very experienced engineer to pull that feat off.

[McPhaul]

Originally Posted by tommcw

You can't get A7s between $7-800. Plus I've heard that they lack low end.

Yes you can, but they'll be used.

I bought a pair that way. I don't know how much low end you need or if you work mainly on one type of music but I went from a pair of Event TR8's to the Adam A7's and the bass improved greatly. The TR8's were a $500 per pair set when I bought them new so they were Low End. The Adams don't have more bass than the TR8's did but the bass that is there is much more usable. The entire sound is much more usable.

Will

[Iggy Poop]

Originally Posted by Aaron Miller

I'm not an ME but would venture to guess that mixing and mastering monitors are different beasts. I'd also guess that "mastering monitors" and "low end" are somewhat incompatible terms. If it were me, I'd focus on getting some decent mix monitors and not worry about how well they can be used in a mastering situation. That doesn't mean you can't do your own 'quickie' masters for clients who don't want a dedicated ME, just that your not trying to find the all-in-one solution on a limited budget.

I agree. If you're talking about real mastering then you'll never accomplish that with the same tools used for mixing. I think alot of us do a quick polishing and leveling and have a habit of calling it mastering.

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by Iggy Poop

I agree. If you're talking about real mastering then you'll never accomplish that with the same tools used for mixing. I think alot of us do a quick polishing and leveling and have a habit of calling it mastering.

That's exactly what I mean by "lite" mastering.

Frank

[redddog]

Ugh. Those TR-8s were awful.

I got a mint pair of used Dynaudio BM5as that have been just teriffic. Best money I've spent for the studio yet. I thinkl I spent $800, shipped.

[leary]

try the klein&hummel o110! awesome monitors, me thinks.

[SRFProductions]

roderick has a great suggestion with the Yamaha HS80M, and redddog got it with the Dynaudio BM5as.

The Yamaha's are great for tracking and mixing....... Dynaudios would be great for mixing and "mastering"....... but you shouldn't use the same monitors to mix and master.

[clubber]

Consider Yamaha MSP7s as well.

[praashekh]

i usually do send out my stuff to my ME for the final polish.. but there are some stingy producers that want to just erase that step out completely.. (dont think its necessary... dunno how they decide that without havng any background knowledge in music or audio engineering).. thats why was wondering if i could give out atlest a rough mastered version..hene asked about the monitors... Most Mixing monitors are sound clean.. so..do mastering monitors just hve more clear Lowend?/ there must be more to it right?? Whats the exact difference?

[Lemonsqueezer]

Originally Posted by praashekh

i usually do send out my stuff to my ME for the final polish.. but there are some stingy producers that want to just erase that step out completely.. (dont think its necessary... dunno how they decide that without havng any background knowledge in music or audio engineering).. thats why was wondering if i could give out atlest a rough mastered version..hene asked about the monitors... Most Mixing monitors are sound clean.. so..do mastering monitors just hve more clear Lowend?/ there must be more to it right?? Whats the exact difference?

My take on this is to pull them up on it. When you let idiots like that dictate things, the industry is only going to suffer and perhaps more importantly.....the music!!!!

[Aaron Miller]

I think the difference is both in quality and the way they're used. Those mastering monitors are extremely clean and detailed across the spectrum, not only the low end. Stereo imaging, depth, etc. Plus, they aren't set up like nearfields. In the few studios I've seen, they're much further back and flush mounted. They're designed for a different listening experience it seems...bigger, deeper, louder but still effortless (from a power perspective). Some MEs can surely give you a better explanation of what makes a mastering monitor.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by praashekh

i usually do send out my stuff to my ME for the final polish.. but there are some stingy producers that want to just erase that step out completely.. (dont think its necessary... dunno how they decide that without havng any background knowledge in music or audio engineering).. thats why was wondering if i could give out atlest a rough mastered version..hene asked about the monitors... Most Mixing monitors are sound clean.. so..do mastering monitors just hve more clear Lowend?/ there must be more to it right?? Whats the exact difference?

A mastering room doesn't have that great big hunk of metal called a console in it, are often a bit smaller and have to be much "truer" sounding than even a good sounding mix room.

Hence the reason it's very difficult to do it on a budget.

My advice would be to forget mastering, get your room as good as possible for actually mixing, then when it comes to clients that don't want mastering put a limiter on the master and be done with it - maybe a touch more top and bottom than you would otherwise do. It's pointless finishing a mix then setting up a mastering session in the same room.

[jordansikes09]

yeah.. probably be wise to forget mastering in the same room you mix in. I like he Dynaudio BM5a monitors for mixing with the budget your talking. I know Sweetwater sells them for 900 or 1000 bucks a pair but for that price range they are really good monitors and translate well.

[praashekh]

oh alright.. then maybe i'd just forget about the mastering monitors.. its just that some producers dont want to get it done.. sometimes they are really stubborn.. they dont see the Point in it.. thats why i wanted to do it myself.. because in the end people would get my throat as the incharge for the music stuff and notthe oerall project financer.. i mean i cant go explaining to everyone tht it wasnt my fault that the mastering(final outcome) wasnt too good because the financer was stingy... really tough on me.. sometimes i have to gt it sent to my ME on my cost if its a project thts big(career wise) and the financer is crappy...

[praashekh]

why isnt it good to mix and master in the same room??? I have a pretty well treated room for mixing.. wouldnt i still be able to master in that room??

[Dread]

what about the Genelec 8020's?

[Lemonsqueezer]

Originally Posted by praashekh

why isnt it good to mix and master in the same room??? I have a pretty well treated room for mixing.. wouldnt i still be able to master in that room??

If you don't know the answer how can you claim to know your room is well treated? For understanding room treatment would suffice to understanding the answer to your own question.

[msl]

Originally Posted by psycho_monkey

...It's pointless finishing a mix then setting up a mastering session in the same room.

Agreed. Its also pointless finishing a mix and then mastering it with the same pair of ears!



.

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by msl

Agreed. Its also pointless finishing a mix and then mastering it with the same pair of ears!

That's exactly the point...a skilled, impartial set of ears is absolutely essential. This entirely aside from the fact that an ME's tool set (whether that's analog or digital) is usually very different from a mix engineer's. The ME's I use have spent their time and money acquiring high-end, audiophile amplifiers and full-range speakers, top-shelf EQ's, compression, limiting and so on. Often those are mastering versions with more head room, detended knobs, etc. There's no substitute for an experienced mastering guy with the right equipment.

Frank