Buying monitors

[Aez]

So I'm gonna buy a pair of monitors (most likely KRK RP6) pretty soon, now I'm probably gonna need a new soundcard for that as well as some cables. I'm not sure if a soundcard or monitors should be priority...

So, what should I buy with a pair of monitors to get ready to use them? Anyone know a low budget soundcard that works well with monitors?

Cheers

[Astral]

I used to use an 0202 with KRKs', never had any problems with a basic setup, think the card costs about 60-70.

[evil madmen]

Tascam US100 is alright, 1 rca in 1 rca out, phones, xlr and a guitar jack imput
or maybe the Saffire 6, but that could be a bit too much for just monitors

[corpu5]

get the novation nio, theyre pretty decent for the price. I'd get yamaha hs80m's over the KrK's but thats just me

[benjam]

Im running rp8s and a M audio mobile pre (designed for laptop users) and there great think you can pick one up for about £ 70/80 online if that

[RmoniK]

NI audio 2 DJ?

[decklyn]

You don't necessarily need a sound card - you just need to get a loud signal. You can try a cheap mixer.

[thor_beatz]

Don't buy KRK for starters. You don't wanna find out the hard way: KRK have hyped bass and bad stereo imaging.

You need a soundcard if you want to connect 1/4 inch jacks.

[RmoniK]

no KRK? what do you suggest then?

[iamjoncannon]

..

[Wagsi]

I have 2 KRK Rokit 5's and a Rokit 6", and a Rokit 10 Sub, and its the most rediculour sound setup ever, quality is amazing, everyone hates on KRK for some reason, but it sounds incredible

[thor_beatz]

Well, my car stereo sounds amazing too. But monitors should be honest. not amazing. KRK are one of the most colored monitors money can buy.

check out Focal, ADAM and Dynaudio.

[RmoniK]

I've always heard that there's a slight boost in the midrange area with KRK's, but is that a problem? And is there really a better option at that price?

[thor_beatz]

I've always heard that there's a slight boost in the midrange area with KRK's, but is that a problem?

As soon has something get's hyped, other things suffer. You want you monitors to be as honest as physically possible. Not as pleasing as it can be for bass heavy music, aka KRK. You'll be pleased with a sound that won't be pleasing on a different system. Even mastering can't (always) fix that. Even if it can be fixed, you want control over your mix before it goes to the mastering studio (if at all).

And is there really a better option at that price?

let's see: for 400 you could go mono with an entry level ADAM, Focal or Dynaudio . And wait till you have another 400 spare. Or just hold on to your money and buy an entry level pair of one of the afore mentioned brands. I hate to be an arse, but just buy a decent headphone until you have the money to buy proper gear. A/B between as many sources you can in the meantime.

[thor_beatz]

I've always heard that there's a slight boost in the midrange area with KRK's, but is that a problem?

As soon has something get's hyped, other things suffer. You want you monitors to be as honest as physically possible. Not as pleasing as it can be for bass heavy music, aka KRK. You'll be pleased with a sound that won't be pleasing on a different system. Even mastering can't (always) fix that. Even if it can be fixed, you want control over your mix before it goes to the mastering studio (if at all).

And is there really a better option at that price?

let's see: for 400 you could go mono with an entry level ADAM, Focal or Dynaudio . And wait till you have another 400 spare. Or just hold on to your money and buy an entry level pair of one of the afore mentioned brands (800+). I hate to be an arse, but just buy a decent headphone until you have the money to buy proper gear. A/B between as many sources you can in the meantime.

[RmoniK]

yeah, but the price i pay for those 2 krk rp6's is pretty much te maximum i wanna spend on it untill i get good. they're sold pretty easily too, so i can always upgrade later. I appreciate the comment (now i know where i should be careful), but i'm going to stick with the KRK's, purely because i don't have the money for it (and i want at least an average bass response)

Plus, mixing too long with headphones gets annoying, and you get a booming feeling in your head;

[thor_beatz]

cool, good luck with it. Belgische dubstep ftw

[breakmonster]

in my opinion, the yorkville equivalent to the krk rokits, which are the ysm2p's, sound a little nicer.

[burning prophet]

krk rokits does not have bad stereo image at all.. they just need to be used on the proper distance. i find they do project the sound a bit, so the best listening position is NOT as close as it could be with other brands. its easy to solve by having the monitor setup further away and apart. make the listening triangle bigger..

its some of the better sounding and honest monitors for the money. the bass is far from hyped, unless you never heard a track on a proper sounding sub woofer system. actually, combining the krk rokit subwoofer is overkill for most smaller apartment studios, but for a properlly bass-trapped studio its quite ok.

in dub music it is important to know what is happening in the bass range..

personally i like the krk subwoofer sound but i combine my krk rokit 8's with 5x12" subwoofers i custom made for my studio. i recomend it, since its really not dificult to build a VERY nice subwoofer, and its cheap enough.. having really big cone surface makes my studio to be able to monitor sound down to infrasound. it means i can hear/feel sine waves at 20hz. that really makes a difference when im enjoying music.. for mastering tracks i allways HP at 30hz.

but some sound engineer said long time ago, the bass octaves is the far most underestimated in modern music production.

no wonder.. ppl today listening to music in phones and shit..

peace all

[thor_beatz]

krk rokits does not have bad stereo image at all.. they just need to be used on the proper distance.

Every monitor system needs to be placed on the proper distance. See http://www.uaudio.com/webzine/2009/sept ... asics.html

[/quote]
its some of the better sounding and honest monitors for the money. the bass is far from hyped, unless you never heard a track on a proper sounding sub woofer system. actually, combining the krk rokit subwoofer is overkill for most smaller apartment studios, but for a properlly bass-trapped studio its quite ok.

in dub music it is important to know what is happening in the bass range..

but some sound engineer said long time ago, the bass octaves is the far most underestimated in modern music production.

no wonder.. ppl today listening to music in phones and shit..

peace all[/quote]
Right, so you master your tracks for people with subwoofers?
It's a contradiction to say good bass response unless you never heard it with a subwoofer. More bass does not mean good/flat bass response.

Well that's my last comment on KRK's... Just A/B them with entry level monitors from more expensive brands.(ADAM, Dynaudio, Focal etc) It's really worth saving that extra buck for.