Studio Monitor Suggestions

[kano32]

I have a friend that wants me to build a gift for her husband. The gift? New speakers for his small recording/mixing studio in a spare bedroom. The speakers will need to be mounted on the wall and the subject (husband) will be listening only a couple of feet away from the speakers. Her budget is under $500 for everything (including mdf & veneer). Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[kano32]

Well 90 views and no replies. Thanks I guess.

Does anyone think that one of these designs may work as a studio monitor to compare with commercially available stuff?

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/3WClassic.htm

http://www.partsexpress.com/resources/diy/vance/ldc6kit.html

Both designs would be over her $500 budget, but after I showed her the cost of decent studio monitors she is willing to shell out more money. Any comments would be appreciated.

[Jim Holtz]

Well 90 views and no replies. Thanks I guess.

Does anyone think that one of these designs may work as a studio monitor to compare with commercially available stuff?

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/3WClassic.htm

http://www.partsexpress.com/resources/diy/vance/ldc6kit.html

Both designs would be over her $500 budget, but after I showed her the cost of decent studio monitors she is willing to shell out more money. Any comments would be appreciated.

The reason no one has responded is because you have two show stoppers in your criteria. Wall mounted and two feet away. The designs listed here and the links in your message contain baffle step and are designed to be listened to at a normal distance. The Modula M/t would be a superb option if it weren't for the wall mounting and close listening.

HTH

Jim

[kano32]

The reason no one has responded is because you have two show stoppers in your criteria. Wall mounted and two feet away. The designs listed here and the links in your message contain baffle step and are designed to be listened to at a normal distance. The Modula M/t would be a superb option if it weren't for the wall mounting and close listening.

HTH

Jim

Thanks for the reply. Vance's design said it was a studio monitor. Let's say we can alleviate the "right up against the wall" and have a listening position around 4' to 5' away. What would be your suggestion then?

[Dennis H]

Someone just posted in the Modula MT thread that he's happy using his as studio monitors.

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?p=283527#post283527

[Jim Holtz]

Thanks for the reply. Vance's design said it was a studio monitor. Let's say we can alleviate the "right up against the wall" and have a listening position around 4' to 5' away. What would be your suggestion then?

I agree with Dennis H. and the poster in that the Modula M/T are an exceptional small 2-way that I think you'll be very happy with. I suspect they would be more accurate than many studio monitors and I know they'd be more accurate than the Vance Dickenson design. I'm not a Scan 8545 fan except as a small bass driver. The midrange is "muddy" sounding, IMHO. Great bass though.

The R180 used in the Modula M/T is also a bass over achiever the way Jon has it tuned but is has an excellent midrange too. Very, very nice for an inexpensive speaker. :T

MY $.02 worth...

Jim

[joecarrow]

I've been listening to my Modula MTs for a couple of weeks now, and I've previously done a fair bit of music mixing and composition on the computer, and I would say that they're a good candidate for the job. You definitely wouldn't want to be closer than 4 or 5 feet.

Does anyone have any comments on using a sub/satellite system for studio work? I think it's a really good combination because you use smaller drivers for better up-close integration, and you have a little flexibility with positioning the subwoofer for smoother bass at the listening position.

The RS180 woofers really have some clean bass compared to a lot of things I've heard, but if you're doing anything below 30 hz I would strongly recommend a sub.

[cjd]

There is a version of my MTM with no baffle step that may well work out pretty well...

C

[stinems]

I think we need to step back and ask ourselves what a studio monitor needs to do. The cliche picture of a recording studio shows a setup that hardly lends itself to what 'audiophiles' would call ideal. Generally, recording monitors are 2 way, many times active, and many times they sit atop the mixing console directly in front of a window or a wall. Here's the thing: from what I've read, who I've talked to, what I've seen, mixing monitors aren't meant to be the last word in sound quality. You want them to be of reputable quality, but I'm not sure that you've got to worry about the finer minutia that we sometimes worry about on these forums.

All a mixing monitor is meant to do is to allow the recording engineer to "monitor" comparative levels of the separate tracks as they're being laid down. This allowas him/her to tweak things on the mixing board and other gear. Remember, mixing is not the final stage of a recording. The mastering stage is definitely a time where attention to detail plays a much bigger part. If these monitors are going to go double duty (mixing AND mastering), then you might worry a bit more about room placement, extensive distortion characteristics, etc etc.

Yes, wall mounting is, in theory, far from ideal, but from the looks of it, be honest, you see it ALL THE TIME in the professional recording world.

What you DO want in a monitor is good off axis response. Any deviation from the "sweet spot" at such a close range is going to change the axis angle a lot more than home theater or in home stereo environments. You want to enlarge that sweet spot as much as you can.

Joe, I wouldn't see any problem with a sub/sat setup in the studio. Like you said, you're going to want to have good driver integration at such close range. A smaller midwoofer would help. I would imagine satellite response to 60 or 80 hz would do fine, and any respectable 5.25 woofer should handle that.





Notice even the prevalance of 2ways tipped on their side, a huge no-no in the hi-fi world because of lobing. Yet another "non-ideal" setup. I don't want to rile anybody up, I just find it interesting where recording studio practices and listening room hifi setups agree and disagree. The point is, you build a speaker because it has a purpose to fulfill. Maybe there are many design constraints, maybe there aren't. What works in one instance, may not work or may not be necessary in another. You might email the poster that Dennis linked to, AdamZuff, and inquire about his setup with the Modula's (I won't contest their capability), room placement, and other electronics.

If you want something a bit smaller, check out RJB's Microbes . They need a sub, he's got one fit for the job on his website too. I might use a different tweeter than the Tang Band, there are modded designs out there that use Seas 1189's or the RS28.

all the best!
~Sam

[knifeinthesink]

I think the north creek echo and the okara are designed to be near a wall. The catch is that you only have until September 30 and then they are getting out of the diy market.

[ThomasW]

Feeling a bit silly since I forgot all about this design. We custom made it for on wall mounting in my bedroom....

http://home.comcast.net/~audio-worx/page92M8a-MKIII-Sealed.html

Obviously one could use a scratch built ported or sealed box depending on one's needs/wants. Don't change the baffle width or driver spacing.

[kano32]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I met with my friend and I looked over his little studio. There's plenty of room to keep the speakers away from the wall. We decided to go with the Modula MT. Anyway, thanks again.