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Need advice on studio monitor upgrade

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kofman13

New Member
It might sound funny/crazy but ive been producing and now mixing on a professional level for 10+ years in an untreated room and budget monitors and random speakers ((cannot re arrange furniture and hang up treatment in my current situation) ). I didnt want to change much with the setup over the years since it just worked for me and i just wanted to focus on making good music and dope production instead of the endless cycling of gear research and room perfection. but i want to upgrade monitors now.

My first studio monitors were KRK RP6 Gen2 from like 2010. then for a year i transitioned to producing/mixing with headphones. then when i started using speakers again i got iLoud Micros. Out of curiousity now i went back to my old KRKs, i realized that while the sound is muddier in low-mids and not as clear as my iLouds, i really want the size of a bigger speaker compared to the iLoud Micros which often feel narrow and compressed.

I am thinking my budget is $1,000 for the pair. Should i get the latest KRK 7 Gen 4 ($400-$500)? iLoud MTM ($700-$800)? What else would be good for under $1000 for the pair, has clarity (not harsh though), and also has low end Oomf? I produce/mix EDM. iLoud MTM having self calibration and very big low end extension is tempting. but them being small worries me. Something about the KRKS having a full bodied powerful (albeit muddy dirty low-mid) sound stage compared to my iLouds makes me want to get something bigger than Micro/MTM. KRKs are temping for the price ($400-$500 for the pair)and because they have the "oomf" for EDM. If there is something just over $1000 thats much better i am open to that as well.

whatever i plan on getting, im also going to get Sonarworks to correct.
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Hey, I'm honestly in a similar boat! I've done hundreds (thousands?) of professional projects on my little Yamaha HS5 pair for the past decade, and I'm finally gonna step up to a pair of Genelec 8040s (which I know and love). But in your budget, I'd honestly really recommend the Yamaha HS7. Those are, at least, my favorite monitors in their class. The other contenders would be the comparably-priced JBL, KRK, and Kali monitors, but I'd personally go for old reliable Yamaha... they're not glamorous, they just work.
 
For EDM you'll probably never get the deep low end right in a small untreated room. And the 7'' just won't go low enough.

Have you considered getting a subpac?

subpac.com

SUBPAC PRO - SUBPAC

SUBPAC offers top-tier bass monitoring solutions so you can feel the beat on stage or in the studio. Easily pairs with your in-ear monitoring system too.
subpac.com subpac.com

Or maybe some planar headphones just to work on the low end of your tracks. Even the cheap Fostex T50RP are going to be much more accurate below 100hz than any monitoring setup you can get in your home studio.
 
Based on the advice of two engineers with whom I've worked over many years, I'd buy Neumann if I were doing it today. Specifically, I expect I'd aim for a three-speaker setup (including a sub); they most / all come with their own DSP software and that is a big benefit, given the challenge of 'fixing' one's room.

Including a sub (and especially including D/A converters) it would be more than $1,000 but then, you only do it one time in 10 years (or more), and you don't have to do it all at once.

More Money

Alas, the other investment I was finally persuaded to make was a big upgrade to my D/A converter, which improved the clarity of the stereo image to an astonishing degree. I wouldn't have been able to hear that without the better speakers; tragically, it's a 'weakest link' situation, so you have to raise the level of every component (D/A, speaker wire, amp/speakers) or you may miss, or at least undercut, the benefit of one or two fixes.

So, all together, that's a lot more than $1,000 but, from what you described, I'd rather picture you investing over time and end up with a really accurate setup than compromise indefinitely.

Full disclosure -- I don't have this setup but if I were buying today, that's what I'd get.
 
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proggermusic said:
Hey, I'm honestly in a similar boat! I've done hundreds (thousands?) of professional projects on my little Yamaha HS5 pair for the past decade, and I'm finally gonna step up to a pair of Genelec 8040s (which I know and love). But in your budget, I'd honestly really recommend the Yamaha HS7. Those are, at least, my favorite monitors in their class. The other contenders would be the comparably-priced JBL, KRK, and Kali monitors, but I'd personally go for old reliable Yamaha... they're not glamorous, they just work.
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From my experience, having something simple and flat works for me for checking levels and and resonances, but for overall production ( i produce 50% or 75% of the time, which is more creative and sound design, than actual mixing), having that colored "fun sound" is important too. at least for dance music, sometimes for me more important than "flat". since most of the time im song writing and producing. and also mixing but not only mixing. so thats why i been leaning towards KRK even though its laughed at by the engineer community
 
Monitors make the actual sounds you hear, so try to prioritize funds accordingly. The suggestions of Neumann and Genelec are very good ones, and I would suggest PSI A-21m - but, you’ll not get any of those for $1k. For $1k, I would probably just get the best Behringer has to offer. Their “inspired designs” in that price range will likely outperform the competition. But, I would encourage you to bite the bullet and spend more if possible.
 
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I have MTM's and for me they are amazing, clear and revealing without getting fatiguing. BUT. They will suffer with EDM genres if you mix loudly (above 85db). They can't cope with the bass congestion in the small body, and they chuff at the back port. It seems to be a common thing with them. If you'd said you made rock and orchestral music, 100% these are the ones to get. But for EDM I think you might want to not try to defy physics.
 
newbreednet said:
I have MTM's and for me they are amazing, clear and revealing without getting fatiguing. BUT. They will suffer with EDM genres if you mix loudly (above 85db). They can't cope with the bass congestion in the small body, and they chuff at the back port. It seems to be a common thing with them. If you'd said you made rock and orchestral music, 100% these are the ones to get. But for EDM I think you might want to not try to defy physics.
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very interesting. i do mix quieter than that though. usually 60-70. maybe for fun jamming to a mix ill go up to 80
 
If you like to mix quiet, I wonder if neumann kh80 and a sub would be a good match for you? I have kh310 with a cheaper krk sub and room correction and I absolutely love it.
 
Try the Yamaha HS8 if you can. Plenty of thump when you need. I was surprised how good these sound. I used them for a few years after leaving KRKs behind.
 
I can dearly recommend the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro monitors. They are tiny but provide you with a really well-balanced, detailed sound. My mixes (and even my orchestration) have gotten a lot better since I started using them.
 
If the room is untreated, the benefit of sub will be doubtful. I’d suggest small Genelecs or Neumanns for very close near field monitoring (to eliminate room influence as much as possible) and good headphones with flat response for bass assessment. You can use room correction software on top of that, of course.
 
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gohrev said:
I can dearly recommend the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro monitors. They are tiny but provide you with a really well-balanced, detailed sound. My mixes (and even my orchestration) have gotten a lot better since I started using them.
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I have the iLoud Micro, which is why im eyeing the MTMs
 
kofman13 said:
I have the iLoud Micro, which is why im eyeing the MTMs
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I had the Micro first, too. And I thought they were the bees knees, until I got the MTM. And then I couldn't go back to the Micros, because the phantom centre is so strong in the MTM but missing entirely, in my setup at least, with the Micros. And they still have much more headroom.

kofman13 said:
very interesting. i do mix quieter than that though. usually 60-70. maybe for fun jamming to a mix ill go up to 80
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Do you have a reference track I could try out for you? Something commercial, even.
 
newbreednet said:
I had the Micro first, too. And I thought they were the bees knees, until I got the MTM. And then I couldn't go back to the Micros, because the phantom centre is so strong in the MTM but missing entirely, in my setup at least, with the Micros. And they still have much more headroom.


Do you have a reference track I could try out for you? Something commercial, even.
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this is the kind of stuff i produce/mix
 
kofman13 said:
this is the kind of stuff i produce/mix
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I guess we got lucky with this one, cos it passed the test! Bear in mind it's only an iPad with the Faber Acoustical SoundMeter X app doing the measuring, so make of that what you will. But it was a nice volume, fun, involving. The speakers sit between 6-12 inches away from the wall, and I have them in 40hz mode. They sit either side of a 28 inch screen and the iPad was where my ears would normally be - in an equilateral triangle with the speakers. There was no chuffing on this track. So maybe it's just a certain frequency that causes the problem, but I haven't identified it yet.
 

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newbreednet said:
I guess we got lucky with this one, cos it passed the test! Bear in mind it's only an iPad with the Faber Acoustical SoundMeter X app doing the measuring, so make of that what you will. But it was a nice volume, fun, involving. The speakers sit between 6-12 inches away from the wall, and I have them in 40hz mode. They sit either side of a 28 inch screen and the iPad was where my ears would normally be - in an equilateral triangle with the speakers. There was no chuffing on this track. So maybe it's just a certain frequency that causes the problem, but I haven't identified it yet.
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sounds very full even in your phone camera recording!
 
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