monitors

Yeah I've got Alesis Monitor One's (not MK2s, and passive) and they suck. The bass is really wooly and indistinct, while the midrange is rather dull and the top end unpleasantly crispy. No idea at all why I bought them :)
 
i got the samson resolv 80a's, very pleased with them. They did very well in a Future Music blind test comparing different monitors of the same price range. All the yamaha monitors were rated highly also. Take some music u know and look for things u want to hear in it, so u know if they will do teh job for u. :)
 
check out tannoy reveals. the passive (red) ones + a well matched amp are supposed to be pretty good. of the ones on your list im only familiar with the alesis m1s. which i found to have too much bass presence. it was overbearing at times.
 
i got tannoy reveals passive and a decent servo amp, they sound ok and are good enough to produce some decent quailty music, im told that a lotta psy producers swear by active speakers as they are generally a lot more acurate than passive......samson resolv 80 r meant to b good ;)
 
One thing to remember is that you actually want monitors to bring out flaws in the mix rather than sound 'good'. A well-engineered and produced track through monitors should sound pretty good, a poorly executed one should sound crap. The Mackies have the flattest response that I've come across, but they're expensive.

I chose Yamaha MSP5's because Yamaha monitors seem to have a slight bump around the high-mids engineered into them, which help me separate stuff out around the highest point on the Fletcher-Munson curve (the frequency range at which sustained sound level will actually feel uncomfortable).

It's all personal choice at the end of the day though. :)

J.
 
Everyone hears a different range of frequencies so you really do need to go and listen to them yourself. Personally I dont like the alesis M1s, but I don't like mackies either (I know I'll get slated for this but I think they sound so clinical, especially with digital music). I know theyv'e got a flat freq response, but I like circle 5s with a little bit of colour adding a little bit of warmth, and I like the samsons. Not used the others so I can't comment on those....but it really is about your own ears.
 
ok but i go into one shop and they have 3 types of mointors i like and then 3 others in another etc etc,

but i only really feel confident to make critcal judgements like that in my own room being able to switch between the monitors with ease,

now this might be my own shopping hang ups, but i find making a 300£ decision quite difficult when there is some 15 year old guitarist (with copy of guitar mag in hand) banging on about linken park next to me!

again i think this is my own shopping hang ups!
 
theyellowbrickroad said:
now this might be my own shopping hang ups, but i find making a 300£ decision quite difficult when there is some 15 year old guitarist (with copy of guitar mag in hand) banging on about linken park next to me!
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Tell him Andy Wallace (who mixed Linkin Park's singles) replaces the recorded drums with samples - he's been using samples to beef up drums since at least Nirvana's Nevermind in 1991, and they use sampling and loops intensively to get the sound as tight as it is on record. Also tell him that you could end up doing the same for his band if he stays quiet and just lets you listen.

Just take along with you a CD with something you know is well-made (A Posford or Ott* track, for example), something that you think sounds a bit rough around the edges and something that you've done on it. Listen to all 3 tracks and whichever set of monitors brings out the most detail in the good track, shows up the badly mixed track and inspires you to improve your track is the set of monitors you want to go for.

J.

(* - Or OOOD.... yadda yadda... any album that you think is mixed and mastered well by people who know what they're talking about**)

(** - unlike me)
 
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