TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Production Studio
-- Monitoring setup/room treatment
Pages (2): [1] 2 »

Monitoring setup/room treatment

Assume you have two choices :-

1 - Cheap but respected monitors (HS80s for example) and full on room treatment.

2 - 'Better' monitors (BM5a's, CMS50s etc) and slapping up some foam for a bit of treatment.


I'm favouring option one as the choice that will give me a better idea of what's going on in a mix.


Either option will be better than my current KRK RP6 G2/400sq ft/hard floors high ceilings/no treatment setup

Re: Monitoring setup/room treatment

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord Either option will be better than my current KRK RP6 G2/400sq ft/hard floors high ceilings/no treatment setup

I have those monitors and my mixes are fine. get some room treatment

Re: Re: Monitoring setup/room treatment

quote:

Originally posted by Sonic_c I have those monitors and my mixes are fine. get some room treatment

The decision to leave the KRKs behind has already been made. I've heard them in a properly treated room too and I just don't like them.

id get the HS80's and full room treatment. It is a better option than option #2 because of the room treatment, makes a huge difference. Plus you dont need fancy monitors to make great tracks, you just need to be able to test it out on as many different systems as you can so you can find out the flaws in your mix. But you already know that I'm sure.

quote:

Originally posted by Ravist id get the HS80's and full room treatment. It is a better option than option #2 because of the room treatment, makes a huge difference. Plus you dont need fancy monitors to make great tracks, you just need to be able to test it out on as many different systems as you can so you can find out the flaws in your mix. But you already know that I'm sure.

Well this is pretty much what I was thinking. I always like to leave an open and unbiased question just to see what sort of feedback is given.

My other reference monitoring is a set of Creative Gigawork T40s, some ATH-M40s cans and some small Sennheiser buds. Oddly, the most revealing mthod is running a mix through my phone's built in speaker.

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord Well this is pretty much what I was thinking. I always like to leave an open and unbiased question just to see what sort of feedback is given. My other reference monitoring is a set of Creative Gigawork T40s, some ATH-M40s cans and some small Sennheiser buds. Oddly, the most revealing mthod is running a mix through my phone's built in speaker.

Man, you're phone is worth a fortune then

It really depends what sort of room you've got and what sort of treatment you're going to apply. If you've got a shitty room to start with (like my current one), there is virtually nothing you can do to really improve it. You can polish a turd, but it will still essentially be a turd.

If you've got a decent sounding room with not so many standing waves, peaks and valleys and other geographical phenomena, the room treatment that you need is slapping some acoustic tiles in the key positions (reflection points : monitor -> sitting position), maybe some bass traps and a sofa, and thats it for your acoustic treatment.

If you've got a big room, and it has problems with acoustics, you may want to consult some other options, like water screens, changing the dimensions of your room and so on. But a cheaper option is just to buy a set of good reference headphones.

One way or the other, HS80s are good monitors, so go for them : )

I just had a look at your other options, and an upgrade from HS80s would be BM 12a not 5a ... but again, money money money ... : ]

quote:

Originally posted by chrissundive Man, you're phone is worth a fortune then It really depends what sort of room you've got and what sort of treatment you're going to apply. If you've got a shitty room to start with (like my current one), there is virtually nothing you can do to really improve it. You can polish a turd, but it will still essentially be a turd. If you've got a decent sounding room with not so many standing waves, peaks and valleys and other geographical phenomena, the room treatment that you need is slapping some acoustic tiles in the key positions (reflection points : monitor -> sitting position), maybe some bass traps and a sofa, and thats it for your acoustic treatment. If you've got a big room, and it has problems with acoustics, you may want to consult some other options, like water screens, changing the dimensions of your room and so on. But a cheaper option is just to buy a set of good reference headphones. One way or the other, HS80s are good monitors, so go for them : )

You may laugh but i'm pretty sure the room is going to be 'ok'. I'm house hunting at the moment and one of the criteria is a decent space for a studio, so I won't have any bad room problems. I'll even go as far as moving walls to get it right. I'm also in a fortunate position where a guy who owns a very well respected UK studio has offered me a day to sort out the acoustics for me. I'm assuming there'll be several hundred quids worth of materials involved but i'm a pretty handy builder/carpenter so there's no issue with all that either.

quote:

Originally posted by chrissundive I just had a look at your other options, and an upgrade from HS80s would be BM 12a not 5a ... but again, money money money ... : ]

The HS80s would be an interim (1 year) setup while I save money for what I really want, which is a set of Twin Be or Event Opals.

Assuming I can stop the GAS until that time....

I'd say option 2 and spice up the treatment later on when you feel like it.

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord You may laugh but i'm pretty sure the room is going to be 'ok'. I'm house hunting at the moment and one of the criteria is a decent space for a studio, so I won't have any bad room problems. I'll even go as far as moving walls to get it right. I'm also in a fortunate position where a guy who owns a very well respected UK studio has offered me a day to sort out the acoustics for me. I'm assuming there'll be several hundred quids worth of materials involved but i'm a pretty handy builder/carpenter so there's no issue with all that either.

I'm not laughing if it helps you make better tunes its a valuable asset.

quote:

Originally posted by chrissundive I'm not laughing if it helps you make better tunes its a valuable asset.

ah yes but choosing a house based on studio space has to be the ultimate in GAS

I don't know and I'm not sure anyone knows.

It comes down to whats going to cause the most improvement, the speakers or the treatment, but it seems to subjective to guess at.

I do think though I'd go with 1, because as least you'll have treatment covered and most producers are always updating monitors at some point. Theres a good chance 2-3 years from now you'll have some cashflow set aside just for that reason, so I'm liking option 1. I still believe either way it doesnt matter. Theres no way to test anything so you're going in a bit blind no matter which option.

I made an offer to buy ERGOS monitors a few weeks back and I'll remake that offer to you. If you plan on selling those KRKs LET ME KNOW. If the price is fair I could def use them. If not, at least I asked.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Robby Rox I don't know and I'm not sure anyone knows. It comes down to whats going to cause the most improvement, the speakers or the treatment, but it seems to subjective to guess at. I do think though I'd go with 1, because as least you'll have treatment covered and most producers are always updating monitors at some point. Theres a good chance 2-3 years from now you'll have some cashflow set aside just for that reason, so I'm liking option 1. I still believe either way it doesnt matter. Theres no way to test anything so you're going in a bit blind no matter which option. I made an offer to buy ERGOS monitors a few weeks back and I'll remake that offer to you. If you plan on selling those KRKs LET ME KNOW. If the price is fair I could def use them. If not, at least I asked.

Well this is the reason I started the thread in the first place I guess. I don't have enough experience with room treatment to know if a well trated room and some decent monitors will serve me better than a semi treated room with excellent monitors.

I'm veering towards option 1 too however.

I think the shipping to the US would make my KRKs a very expensive option fom the UK though

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord Well this is the reason I started the thread in the first place I guess. I don't have enough experience with room treatment to know if a well trated room and some decent monitors will serve me better than a semi treated room with excellent monitors. I'm veering towards option 1 too however. I think the shipping to the US would make my KRKs a very expensive option fom the UK though

Damnit! Everyones from the UK or overseas somewhere wtf.

Thanks anyway & g/luck, w/e happens I think its safe to say you'll be much better of then where you're at now. I'm rebuilding a new computer desk just so I can switch walls and treat my room. (half cathedral so its bad) Are you building your own bass traps or buying them? Youtube has some excellent tuts which you prob already know. At least save some money perhaps..

Ok, i seriously advise you to watch the video on this page, EVERYTHING will be explained.

http://pretensionmusic.blogspot.com...-and-after.html

Check out his articles he has a full rundown on how he did the acoustics on his room for cheap.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Robby Rox I don't know and I'm not sure anyone knows. It comes down to whats going to cause the most improvement, the speakers or the treatment, but it seems to subjective to guess at. I do think though I'd go with 1, because as least you'll have treatment covered and most producers are always updating monitors at some point. Theres a good chance 2-3 years from now you'll have some cashflow set aside just for that reason, so I'm liking option 1. I still believe either way it doesnt matter. Theres no way to test anything so you're going in a bit blind no matter which option. I made an offer to buy ERGOS monitors a few weeks back and I'll remake that offer to you. If you plan on selling those KRKs LET ME KNOW. If the price is fair I could def use them. If not, at least I asked.

Robby I have KRK's I don't use anymore if you're interested. Send me a PM and we can discuss and I can take some pics to show you. I used them for 4 months before I went to HS80's. They're in good condition both cosmetically and soundwise.

I think it's more important to acoustically treat the room then it is to buy "better" monitors (better is offcourse very subjective).

I'd rather mix on monitors wich are a bit cheaper in a treated room then in a room wich is basically untreated but contains very accurate monitors, because the accurate monitors in an untreated room do not sound accurate at all.

(it also helps a lot if you've used the monitors for a while already and A/B'd it extensively with hifi, speakers/headphones etc. and compared your tracks with other tracks so that you know the weaknesses of the current monitors you own and can work around them.)

quote:

Originally posted by timbesamusca I think it's more important to acoustically treat the room then it is to buy "better" monitors (better is offcourse very subjective). I'd rather mix on monitors wich are a bit cheaper in a treated room then in a room wich is basically untreated but contains very accurate monitors, because the accurate monitors in an untreated room do not sound accurate at all. (it also helps a lot if you've used the monitors for a while already and A/B'd it extensively with hifi, speakers/headphones etc. and compared your tracks with other tracks so that you know the weaknesses of the current monitors you own and can work around them.)

Well it was your Rise mix that got me seriously considering the options I have. I know it's mixed well as it translates well on everything I play it on. It just sounds appaling through my KRKs.

I listened to some HS80s and CMS50s a few months ago and the CMSs are far more detailed, which is the subjective 'better' that can be attached to them.

Sadly I can't afford to buy significantly better monitors AND a grands worth of room treatment.

Option one is still favourite.

In that case if you want to buy those CMSs in the near future anyway it's better to purchase them instead of first wasting some money on a temporary solution and then as storyteller already said when money permits add the treatment gradually.

quote:

Originally posted by beniii Ok, i seriously advise you to watch the video on this page, EVERYTHING will be explained. http://pretensionmusic.blogspot.com...-and-after.html Check out his articles he has a full rundown on how he did the acoustics on his room for cheap.

While I think it's commendable that he's trying to help, that is not what I'd consider cheap in the grand scheme of things - he using HS80's then spending twice that money on room treatment. Also I'd absolutley HATE having that giant grey sofa cusion above my head when working.

I find this video a bit misleading - the guy has a good sized dedicated room just for producing (beyond the financial scope of many home producers on here) but in relative terms goes cheap on monitors (and bear in mind I really like the HS80s) then spends far more money on treatment. I think if you've got the resources to have that sort of space in the first place you'd have different priorities.

Eric J recently did a great post which logically listed the priorites
of a home producer.

With the room vs monitor issue, there is a major economy point which affects the decision making process. If you do not have much money then buying better monitors (up to a point) will be a far better investment than room treatment. This is proven both ways by the facts that there's no point having great monitors in a bad space and there's no point having OK monitors in a prefectly treated space.

If was going to have a large dedicated room for producing, and spend a good chunk of change treating it, I'd invest in better monitors that the HS80's, even though I think they're the best at their price point.

Tehlord - I have exactly the same feeling about KRK's and I've always felt there are far better monitors out there for even less money in some cases.

The HS80's are fine a good step up from the KRK's so I would do option 1. The only problem I've founbd with HS80's is that they boom in small rooms. You can get away with little or no treatment in large (even medium) sized rooms without treatment with the HS80's but not with a small room, so factor that in.

My rule of thumbis, at this price range (prosumer), don't spend more than the value of your monitors on room treatment. At lower price points, a small amount of extra money spent on monitors, goes a lot further than that same amount spent on treatment.....up to a certain point.

When you get to professional grade monitors then the need for serious treatment becomes greater and in turn, so does the cost of treatment which will exceed the value of the monitors.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN While I think it's commendable that he's trying to help, that is not what I'd consider cheap in the grand scheme of things - he using HS80's then spending twice that money on room treatment. Also I'd absolutley HATE having that giant grey sofa cusion above my head when working. I find this video a bit misleading - the guy has a good sized dedicated room just for producing (beyond the financial scope of many home producers on here) but in relative terms goes cheap on monitors (and bear in mind I really like the HS80s) then spends far more money on treatment. I think if you've got the resources to have that sort of space in the first place you'd have different priorities. Eric J recently did a great post which logically listed the priorites of a home producer. With the room vs monitor issue, there is a major economy point which affects the decision making process. If you do not have much money then buying better monitors (up to a point) will be a far better investment than room treatment. This is proven both ways by the facts that there's no point having great monitors in a bad space and there's no point having OK monitors in a prefectly treated space. If was going to have a large dedicated room for producing, and spend a good chunk of change treating it, I'd invest in better monitors that the HS80's, even though I think they're the best at their price point. Tehlord - I have exactly the same feeling about KRK's and I've always felt there are far better monitors out there for even less money in some cases. The HS80's are fine a good step up from the KRK's so I would do option 1. The only problem I've founbd with HS80's is that they boom in small rooms. You can get away with little or no treatment in large (even medium) sized rooms without treatment with the HS80's but not with a small room, so factor that in. My rule of thumbis, at this price range (prosumer), don't spend more than the value of your monitors on room treatment. At lower price points, a small amount of extra money spent on monitors, goes a lot further than that same amount spent on treatment.....up to a certain point. When you get to professional grade monitors then the need for serious treatment becomes greater and in turn, so does the cost of treatment which will exceed the value of the monitors.

A very concise post with lots of convincing argument. Much appreciated.

I think my best option will be to spend 50/50 on what I think will be an available budget. I think that for roughly �500 I can purchase a lot of good room treatment materials and with my construction knowledge and the proffesional knowledge of the guy that owns the studio I can treat the room very well for this budget. Same price as a semi decent TV and I wouldn't bat an eyelid at spending that!

I'll also most likely go for the HS80s for the forseeable. The room they're in is most likely to be at least 200sq ft so although not massive, the low end should be tamed enough.

This time next year my disposable income will be in a completely different place. That's when the Twin Be's or Opal's come my way!

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord A very concise post with lots of convincing argument. Much appreciated. I think my best option will be to spend 50/50 on what I think will be an available budget. I think that for roughly �500 I can purchase a lot of good room treatment materials and with my construction knowledge and the proffesional knowledge of the guy that owns the studio I can treat the room very well for this budget. Same price as a semi decent TV and I wouldn't bat an eyelid at spending that! I'll also most likely go for the HS80s for the forseeable. The room they're in is most likely to be at least 200sq ft so although not massive, the low end should be tamed enough. This time next year my disposable income will be in a completely different place. That's when the Twin Be's or Opal's come my way!

Sounds like a very good plan, and with that budget I think you can do quite a lot to appreciate those (excellent monitors). I really think you're going to have a hard time parting with more money to upgrade from them, but if your wallet's going to be bulging with her majesty's paper next year, why not?

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN Sounds like a very good plan, and with that budget I think you can do quite a lot to appreciate those (excellent monitors). I really think you're going to have a hard time parting with more money to upgrade from them, but if your wallet's going to be bulging with her majesty's paper next year, why not?

Bulging?

If you're talking about moving up from Focals or Events I have no plan on doing so. They're a destination rather than part of a journey. I can't imagine needing or wanting anything more.

I'm more than happy with a small software based setup with the biggest money spent on monitoring and DSP. I toyed with hardware for a year or so but I don't have the time or inclination to get stuck into it.

If I can't do what I want to do with the vast amount of software I now I own I should really consider playing golf instead....

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord Bulging? If you're talking about moving up from Focals or Events I have no plan on doing so. They're a destination rather than part of a journey. I can't imagine needing or wanting anything more. I'm more than happy with a small software based setup with the biggest money spent on monitoring and DSP. I toyed with hardware for a year or so but I don't have the time or inclination to get stuck into it. If I can't do what I want to do with the vast amount of software I now I own I should really consider playing golf instead....

No, I mean moving up from the HS80's will be difficult becuase they are great monitors at a relatively cheap price point. Focals, without doubt are stunning but they're also double the money, and if you've got it then it's worth it, but bear in mind you really want to get in to some serious room treatment to appreciate them so it's not just the cost of the monitors you have to factor in.

I'm the same, virtually no hardware, all in the box, hence why I feel that the one peice of kit we need to have in order are the monitors.

...and a good set of irons

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.