Mastering Monitors

[Twerk]

You can find a lot of info that's already been discussed before by using the search feature.

I'll say this much, 1k isn't going to get you much in the "mastering" category.

[minor_glitch]

We all have to start somewhere, but not much can be had in mastering for $1000, aside from a nice computer chair!

I currently use a pair of Neumann KH120's for dirty, low-budget mastering for broke indie bands, and even that is just barely scraping the bottom of the mastering barrel. It's a far cry from anything I'd consider professional.

Not to say it's impossible to master on cheap monitors, but you have to be VERY, VERY good at what you do, know your monitors and room VERY, VERY well, and your room has to be extremely well treated. Even then, you'll spend a long time getting things sounding just right. Might as well spend the $1000 on a huge box of Aspirin.

Best advice I can give is make do with what you have until you earn enough from audio work to justify the expense. I don't bring in much money from mastering work, so I'm not going to drop $8000 on a pair of Lipinskis (...yet). Just like I don't make any money from my photography hobby, so I'm not going to buy a $10,000 Hasselblad with a digital back!

[kiopo]

Having used the HS80M, I would stick to them. For $1000 I don't think you will get anything that is worth the money (new), even for a reference pair, alongside the Yamahas. Obviously I don't know what kind of mastering work you're doing, but if it's cheap and cheerful, independent work for bedroom mixers then I think keep the Yamahas and use the $1k on something else :-).

If you're looking second hand, you could try a pair of hi-fi B&Ws with an OK amp in that price range, just about.

[mesqui01]

thanks everyone,
and i like the idea about the B&W, i live in the us and did some research but for the 1000k range i can get the ones with low range. I completely agree with all teh statements, but as someone mentioned, you have to start somewhere and i really dont want to sit until i find 4000 to spend. in this day and age there has to be an alternative to better sounding monitors dont you guys think??

[edham]

Here ya go
B&W Matrix 802 s3 speakers resolution with authority | Full range | Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907 | AudiogoN - The High-end Audio Community

[NicksMix]

Neumann KH120's or Adam A7X's might be an OK option. You'll be missing a lot of low-end information, so if you do hip-hop, D&B, or dance -- you might be challenged. Also, have you treated your room? This will probably be just as important, if not more important that your monitors at this point.

Also, look into a set of new/use Focal CSM65's maybe. You can add a sub later if needed. At any rate, for your budget -- mastering will be a tough task Treat your room!!!

[kiopo]

Originally Posted by mesqui01

thanks everyone,
and i like the idea about the B&W, i live in the us and did some research but for the 1000k range i can get the ones with low range. I completely agree with all teh statements, but as someone mentioned, you have to start somewhere and i really dont want to sit until i find 4000 to spend. in this day and age there has to be an alternative to better sounding monitors dont you guys think??

Remember to double the price to add a suitable amp for the passive ones though, not worth it with something inferior. And, if you're going for smaller ones like the 602 series, good stands!

Don't think you should sit on the $1000 as such, but you could certainly find other things worth buying for mastering at that price. Monitoring should really take up at least half of your overall budget for a mastering studio I think, and whilst cross checking with different monitors can be useful, I'd rather have one really reliable pair of speakers than a couple of average pairs, personally.

[mesqui01]

i really appreciate all your comments. if anyone has more suggestions keep them coming, thanks,

[paintitblack]

I own a pair of lipinski l707s. Payed a lot for them and I love them. I also own a pair of hs80s as well like yourself that we're handed down to me. I still use the 80s a lot as a reference. For a mid budget mixing monitor they sound great and work very well. And yes.. Get to know them very well as I feel they are great for the aspiring mastering engineer. Save them... And save up maybe just a few more. Google image mastering studios and you will see a lot of focal, k&h, nuemann exit that are mentioned above. Going with Krk rokits would be the worst investment. And you'll never get a good translation out of those even for mixing.

[teebaum]

Originally Posted by edham

Here ya go
B&W Matrix 802 s3 speakers resolution with authority | Full range | Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907 | AudiogoN - The High-end Audio Community

[Red Mastering]

I think you can get for 1000$ a second hand passive PMC TB2,
I used to use them for couple of years,
love those monitors, really, PMC is a great company
I am die hard fan!

[Fabmaster]

See the banner ad above...."THE ROCK" of course.

[kiopo]

Originally Posted by Red Mastering

I think you can get for 1000$ a second hand passive PMC TB2,
I used to use them for couple of years,
love those monitors, really, PMC is a great company
I am die hard fan!

I got TB2i and two flying mole amps for well over $2000, I'd be surprised if you could get them that cheap... even in the US!

[MASSIVE Master]

Had a set of M802-S3's -- Served me well for several years.

Anyway --

and i really dont want to sit until i find 4000 to spend

But I can all but guarantee that if you wait / save / research, you won't regret it in the end.

This is far and away the absolute most important purchase you will make assembling your rig. Every single decision you make will be based on how accurately and consistently your monitoring translates to your brain.

Cut corners almost anywhere else -- Not on your speakers.

[mesqui01]

I found a good deal on a pair of B&W 684b. would that be also a good option?

[Red Mastering]

Originally Posted by kiopo

I got TB2i and two flying mole amps for well over $2000, I'd be surprised if you could get them that cheap... even in the US!

I am selling mine TB2, passive though for £599, which is roughly 900$
although I won't ship them over the water,
you need another 400$ for a basic hypex

[kiopo]

Originally Posted by Red Mastering

I am selling mine TB2, passive though for £599, which is roughly 900$
although I won't ship them over the water,
you need another 400$ for a basic hypex

Mine, from eBay (auction) this year, were £800 - maybe you can get more money from them! Though to be fair I don't really know that much about the price difference between the different models.

I looked at a hypex at the time but the flying moles just made life easier. I also included stands in the price for PMCs.

[Alécio Costa]

I have mastered hundreds of albums with the Dynaudio BM6A MK1 .

They are really great monitors despite anyone might say it is not full range enough for mastering.

Never had a complaint that something I did was missing detailing, translation, stereo image or low end.

These monitors are no longer available. I talked to the USA guy 2 weeks ago and they have only 11 -15 units.

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Minimum for mastering grade monitors and a good amp to drive them would probably be in $2500 to $6000 price range and can go uP from there.

To echo another post use what you have until you need more...

A very good stereo speaker that is also a good mastering speaker ( I used a pair for the first two years I was in business) is the KEF 104.5 on good stands. I sold my pair to my intern's dad for $500. Look at Audiogon and see if you can get a good price on some for your studio. A good amp would be a Class A amp from Adcom. I got a 60 watt per channel version for $200 form the local used HI FI store.

Best of luck!

[lu432]

Thomas I disagree with the amp thing,you can get an emotiva amp reasonably cheap. Which I would consider mastering grade. However even an Emotiva puts him out of his "budget" range if he were to get a pair of Matrix B&W speakers and an Emotiva Amp. I agree with you the OP is best served by saving up for a bit for some nicer speakers.

[Red Mastering]

Thomas you should really check hypex amp
with basic diy, you can have a great amp within $500 (for smallish monitors, like pmc tb2 -it should be enough)

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Originally Posted by mesqui01

thanks everyone,
and i like the idea about the B&W, i live in the us and did some research but for the 1000k range i can get the ones with low range. I completely agree with all teh statements, but as someone mentioned, you have to start somewhere and i really dont want to sit until i find 4000 to spend. in this day and age there has to be an alternative to better sounding monitors dont you guys think??

Save your money. $1,000 speakers are not what most would consider 'mastering' quality. And yeah, my chair cost more than that. Typical mastering speakers might be Dunlavy VI, V or IV, Duntech, some were using Lipinskis for a while, if you check with most any mastering engineer they'll share... we had both a complete Dunlavy surround rig with a Velodyne sub, and a separate L/R Dunlavy rig for CDs. The Cello amps were $9500 each, and those were the cheap ones.

My point is that 'starting' with $1,000 speakers is like wanting to be a cook and starting with a Kenner Easybake Oven. You would be far better off in holding on to that $1k and letting it grow, then buying something that will help you to make better mixes after you've accumulated a few more dollars. I'm trying to encourage you to think logically and make good purchases.

Look at the popular monitoring choices among the various mix engineers around here. You'll probably find that the low end of the scale sits around the old K&H 0300 speakers or the PMC TB2. And that is the low end of the scale.

If you really desire to be a mastering engineer then you want to compete with the other mastering engineers, and that requires good ears, a sense of detail, a great room, and the gear that enables you to hear the details and correct what might be wrong. It is a lot harder to fake it in that world, and there are dozens of world class mastering engineers who work for reasonable rates, so you can't even get the work by being cheap, you need to be good, and you need the right equipment.

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Originally Posted by Red Mastering

Thomas you should really check hypex amp
with basic diy, you can have a great amp within $500 (for smallish monitors, like pmc tb2 -it should be enough)

I agree 100% with you but I was trying to stay under the $1000 price point that the OP mentioned. There are a pair of KEF 104.5s at the local used HI FI store for $1000.00 and I have seen them on Audiogon for a lot less. Honestly good monitoring speakers and amp(s) are NOT the place to scrimp but if all you have to spend is 1K then that is what you have to spend.

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Originally Posted by lu432

Thomas I disagree with the amp thing,you can get an emotiva amp reasonably cheap. Which I would consider mastering grade. However even an Emotiva puts him out of his "budget" range if he were to get a pair of Matrix B&W speakers and an Emotiva Amp. I agree with you the OP is best served by saving up for a bit for some nicer speakers.

Different strokes for different folks...you say tomato I say tomato. Who is really right? If you like that amplifier then use it.