Active studio monitors.recommendations?

[rumpelstiltskin]

Ok,going back to home recording after a bit of a lay off.Last monitors i had were Yamaha msp5,s,which to me sounded fantastic,but to people in the know,they said they lacked bass response??They were always bassy and tight as hell when i had them,anyway,any recommendations for good,budget active monitors?

[Don1]

I use Tannoys for my Dj'ing - but what are you using them for?

[rumpelstiltskin]

As i mentioned it's just for home recording purposes,recording,mixing my songs etc.

[Don1]

Sorry, missed that part!

I have these - brilliant, as I got them off eBay for £140. Can't really fault them at all, for that price. My studio recording mates say Mackies are the best though.

[mrmarkyb]

How much have you got to spend???

That's the BIG question...

If you're on a budget (let's say under £300), you can't get any better than these...

http://www.dv247.com/invt/51950/

I've got the smaller 5" version myself, and can only say they are notably better than anything else at the price point (and I must have auditioned most of, if not all of them)... Bass response is FAR superior (I tested with a tone generator on Logic on my Mac and could clearly hear down into the low 30's Hz, they are supposed to be totally flat down to about 50Hz) to Yamahas (what wouldn't be), but it is also very taut and not at all flabby... They are generally a very very good nearfiled monitor for the price.

If you're spending a bit more (say £600 or so), then you've got some choices...

The KRK VXT6's are like the cheaper KRK's, only a step up in terms of precision and tautness etc...

Mackie HR624Mk2's are supposed to be awesome too, though I can't vouch for this as I've not heard a pair...

Dynaudio's BM5A's really are pretty spectacular too... And there's lots of others of course, but these are probably the most highly reccomended from what I can gather...

Spending more than £1k???

Erm... Again, check out Dynaudio, Mackie, but also Genelec and Adams too...

There are of course others too, and all opinions are of course subjective... You pays your money, and takes your choice...

But I personally can't reccomend KRK highly enough!

[The Dude]

We use Mackie HR624's in the small studios almost exclusively now. I even have a pair at home connected to my AV setup. Excellent monitors, clear, tight and uncoloured sound. Difficult to fault for the price.

[chevy-stu]

Most guys I know use Genelecs

[Driller]

Another one with the Mackies here.

[PJR]

I've been looking at monitors a lot recently also. Well, I say recently.. I've been looking at them for the past 2 years and still not made my mind up what I want!
Just as I think I have decided, another pair get thrown into the equation.

The important thing is though (because these things are extremely personal/subjective) is that YOU like them. So you don't have much choice but to check a few out yourself and see what you rate.. Also keep in mind that a monitor speakers job is to tell you exactly what is going on in your mix. Warts n all. Its job isn't to flatter the sound at all. Which is somewhat the opposite of hifi speakers, which are supposed to sound good, if not entirely technically accurate.

Mackie monitors are great. If a little 'hifi' in sound. But thats no problem if thats the sound you like.
Adam monitors are well worth a look too. Read any review or user report on these and no one has a bad word to say about them. Ever.
I don't have any experience with Genelecs. Some people like them, some people hate them. Again, you really need to try and listen to some.
I've always liked and had my eye on PMC monitors. But they are rather costly, so (jn my case) if I went for those, it would have to be passives.

I don't know what your budget is, but you literally have dozens and dozens of options regardless of budget. It's hard to choose!

P,

[GetCarter]

I have three sets of near field monitors - Genelecs are good, the studio versions of Monitor Audio are better, and Robson are stunning (but very expensive)

http://www.robsonacoustics.co.uk/collections.html

Steve

[KB_S1]

GetCarter said:

I have three sets of near field monitors - Genelecs are good, the studio versions of Monitor Audio are better, and Robson are stunning (but very expensive)

http://www.robsonacoustics.co.uk/collections.html

Steve

Do you use a set with ribbon tweeters Steve?
If so what are they like for for stereo image and sweet spot?

For the OP.

Only way to be sure is to get ahold of 3 or 4 pairs of speakers, try them in the room you will be using and find which ones work the best.
A lack of bass extension is not a big deal for small monitors. What is more important is that they roll off naturally and do not have an artificial boost that they cannot accurately support.
Listen to the quality of the bass, how much tonal change can you hear between bass notes, bass drum and reverb. How do they handle fast grouped bass information like bass drum rolls or 8th note bass lines.

[rumpelstiltskin]

Last monitors i had which i loved were Yamaha MSP5,s.I'd be looking around that budget but something on par with these.I haven't been recording long so don't 'really' know what im looking for.Only thing i like to hear well is a strong punchy bass,where the Yamaha,s would lack a little if pushed.

[GetCarter]

KB_S1 said:

GetCarter said:

I have three sets of near field monitors - Genelecs are good, the studio versions of Monitor Audio are better, and Robson are stunning (but very expensive)

http://www.robsonacoustics.co.uk/collections.html

Steve

Do you use a set with ribbon tweeters Steve?
If so what are they like for for stereo image and sweet spot?

Absolutely no idea mate! Rob (The guy that makes them) comes to your room - then goes away and makes the speakers specifically for you. Only he and God knows what he does. He then comes back and sets them up, and if he's not happy he takes them away and works on them! Amazing service. As for sweet spot, they are as good as anything I've heard in any studio (and I've worked in most of the expensive ones). He works out of Cumbria but will travel and demo his stuff. When I met him his day job was designing speakers for Nokia IIRC.