Budget Main Monitors

[digiman]

I'm looking to purchase a pair of "mains"(if you will) for my home/project studio. Nothing too fancy, just a pair of monitors that I can play back tracks on to get a "club effect". Been thinking about the KRK v88's as an option, but also would a nice set of hifi speakers that will give me enough low end to get that effect. I do R&B/Hip Hop so I need something that can really present low end. I've already got a pair of ADAM S3a's for mixing, just need something else for for the club effect.

[Lindell]

Neither KRK or ADAM vill give you any "Club feeling". You have to move up 12" or 15" with sub to get the feel.....
Maybe a small club PA like Electrovoice Eliminator and a pair of NS-10 will do the trick.....??!!!

[Marshall Simmons]

in the high end hifi field i've had good luck with both paradigm and b&W speakers

[jbuntz]

You could consider getting a sub.

[PRS1JAZZ]

SUB SUB SUB...... That is the only way.. NOT impressed with the V88. Too little bang for the buck. dfegad KRK all together.....that is everything up untill the E8. MMMMM now that is a speaker. Just go and grab a sub.

or

If you are into looks......and mixing for that matter and want a "main" pair for the studio.... Look into the JBL 8330. They are a little pushy on the higher transients but have great feel and unreal stereo imaging. Neet looking shape to them, already angled for inwall placement. THX and TLX certified also! (LIKE THAT MEANS ANYTHING) 8 inch driver, 5 inch mid and tweeter. YOU can find a pair for 500 on ebay with wall mounts. Now that is how to budget!

Good luck to you~

[chrisv]

I recall seeing a pair of PA speakers in a supposed 'studio' and scoffing.

They mixed almost exclusively dance music that probably ended up being played through those sort of speakers, so it probably wasn't as stupid as I first thought.

Most people that I know prefer mixing on nearfields anyway, their main monitors are for getting the band excited and hearing the final mix up loud. So why not a pair of decent PA speakers?

It's just a thought - I guess it depends what you are mixing and the intended audience.

[Fletcher]

For that real 'club vibe' you'll need some serious hardware... and enough amplification to power said hardware. I would say a pair of Urei 813's with a sub and about 500w/side should be about right... I've seen sets of 813's floating around for like a grand which isn't too cost prohibitive [if you could afford a pair of S3-A's then a grand is "doable"], amplifiers will probably run you double that and the sub is up for grabs too... but for that 'club vibe' you really need to move a shitload of air... and the only way to do that is with large amounts of surface area from the drivers and amplification that can be measured in "horsepower".

Best of luck with it.

[toledo3]

I think Fletcher is on the right track. Also, you might want to try out any local (I know this is going to sound crazy) pawn shops. I just yesterday picked up a pair of Mcintosh branded cabs for 100 bucks, and they sound killer and can move some air! If you're not mixing on them, your really have a lot more options. You can even consider picking up a good pair of cabinets and getting a knowledgeable speaker guy to "respeaker" them with some higher quality speakers. It's a science, but it ain't rocket science.

[blackcatdigi]

Sounds like you don't need mains but instead a PA setup (as aforementioned)...

How bout (used) Peavey SP15s and a CS800? That's about as 'real world' as it gets!

Add the 18s and the x-over 'can' if you need more sub. All together, would probably be doable for under a grand.

Put it all out in the live room and party!

[Fleaman]

Depending on the size of your control room...

I'd say the best deal for quality/price ratio on the mid-to-large size is:

JBL LSR32 (3 way with 12" woofs...), these are 4 ohm speakers.

Hafler 9505 amp (375 Watts a Ch @ 4 ohms).

In a Medium room these can be great Mains or mid-fields. They can really pump!

While I got a spectacular deal ($900pr for the JBL's used and $700 for the Hafler 9505 used), I would think you could still find them within a few hundred of what I paid.

Just a note: Do not drive these LSR32's with anything less than the power of the 9505 Hafler. The bigger amps really open up these speakers...even at low listening volumes.

Fleaman

[Fleaman]

And as for a PA style set up: I've never heard one that I like...they can be really hard in the mids-to-highs. Some are better than others, but I have yet to find one that had a smooth Hi-fi sound to them. PA's style systems in general sacrifice smoothness for raw SPL output...hence the many horn style systems.

The JBL LSR32's are Smooth...not hyped/bright or harsh. To me this really is an asset when you turn it up loud. It’s kinda hi-fi with volume.

If you have a large room, using them as mid-fields might pump enough for you....but it's hard to say as everyone has a different view of what "pumping" is.

You may also want to consider inserting an EQ in the monitor section only...to pump up the bottom and highs a bit. As most clubs and even home systems don't run their systems flat anyway. It would be good to us as an check insert EQ.

Normally I would run some familiar CD's through the EQ and adjust so it sounds similar to what you want (in a club/car/home/etc). Then you can insert and check your mix through the EQ...but only insert on the monitor section! You do not want to print this EQ!

Fleaman

[Dave Martin]

Originally posted by Fleaman
And as for a PA style set up: I've never heard one that I like...they can be really hard in the mids-to-highs. Some are better than others, but I have yet to find one that had a smooth Hi-fi sound to them.

Isn't that kind of the point? To make it sound like it's in a club, complete with massive yet indistinct bass and an obnoxious high end? I don't think that 'hi fi' speakers would work too well in that application; the B&W demos I've attended could get pretty damn loud (the canon in the 1812, for instance), but they didn't 'sound' that loud - until you try to talk over them... Definitely not a club vibe - at least to me. A pair of Peavey SP-3's and a CS-800 though - they sound loud even when they're not.

[digiman]

I like the JBL LSR32 /Hafler 9505 amp combo. Sounds like that could be the answer. One other question I have is do I need to get an additional preamp for for my CD Player or would I be OK going through a mixer. I also have a DAT machine and Turntable that I'll also like run through the Hafler.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally posted by digiman
I like the JBL LSR32 /Hafler 9505 amp combo. Sounds like that could be the answer. One other question I have is do I need to get an additional preamp for for my CD Player or would I be OK going through a mixer. I also have a DAT machine and Turntable that I'll also like run through the Hafler.

The JBL LSR series sucks!!!grudge

They are too boomy and woofy.

I would stay away.

For a pair of mains you could really work on, look for a pair of used Tannoys DMT 12's or 15's. Also you will need a good amplifier with it(not hafler).

Stay away from subs. They are tricky to set up and the interaction with the room/monitors are very important.