ZLX12P v ELX112P v DXR10 for MOJO

[Six-string-man]

Well guys, my new Mojo has arrived! The build quality looks first class, Andrea kept me informed by email every step of the way (many thanks for that), and I even got a small unexpected discount for buying two pedals at the same time as the keyboard.

 

I haven't really had time to do anything with it yet, apart from plug it in and make sure that there is actually sound coming out of it. However, I have an Electro 4, and it sounds better running through my set-up than the Mojo does. Obviously, I'm going to run through the different tonewheel settings, and I have a Burn, but I want to get the basic sound right first. If any Mojo users have any advice on that, it would be gratefully received BTW.

 

I have read various posts saying that some keyboards sound better through different monitors. I am currently using a pair of Tannoy P6's, and the Nord sounds great through them. I must stress that I'm just a bedroom player, and that the monitors are just about four feet from either end of the keyboard. I will never be gigging.

 

Bearing this in mind, I wonder if anyone could recommend the best choice from the following (I would be buying a pair). I am more interested in sound quality than volume.

 

EV ZLX12P (£329 each)

EV ELX112P (£527 each)

Yamaha DXR10 (£469 each)

 

I realise that I will probably have to go out and audition them at some point, but am just interested in opinions ATM.

 

I did consider the QSC K10, but at £639 each, they're well out of my price range. In fact, I'm hoping that you all come back and say that the ZLX12P's would be best for my purposes.

 

 

Thanks.

 

SSM

[HammondDave]

How about headphones? A lot cheaper, a lot smaller... and if you are not going to gig, then why have two big speakers in your room?

[Kevmo]

I 2nd the cans for bedroom playback .the tannoys are more hifi linear than any of the MI SPeaks you mentioned

[FedzKeyz]

EV ZLX12P (£329 each)

EV ELX112P (£527 each)

Yamaha DXR10 (£469 each)

imho all those speakers are not really suited to your requirements. They are all about high volume for PA. Although the sound quality of my DXR10s is impressive - given the volume they can produce it at - there are much better quality speakers at that price if you don't need to produce volumes in excess of 125dB SPL.

 

What is the problem with your existing Tannoy's ? I'd be very surprised if you preferred the sound of any PA speaker over those monitors.

[simajanpa]

I second what Dave said regarding headphones. That's what I use at home for monitoring. (AKG240DF & AKG702) It appears we both are using EV ZLX12p for live work and they are clean, smooth, LOUD and inexpensive, as speakers go.

I think the EVs are the best bang for the buck right now.

I sold my EV SXa250s and I'm very pleased with the new EVs.

 

I also use M-Audio BX8 if I am alone in the house and want to feel the music a bit more:)

 

Paul

 

[Joe Muscara]

I agree - use headphones or studio monitors, not PA speakers.

[AnotherScott]

Headphones would not be my first choice. I don't think you'll ever get as good of a "Leslie" experience without hearing it "in the room."

 

But I think placement is something to give more thought to. You say you have the speakers at either side of the keyboard. That puts your head in the middle of a four foot wide leslie. I would try placing the speakers next to each other, angled away from each other in a V shape. Also, I believe the Mojo has a rotary option that sends the rotor sound out one channel and the horn out the other, in which case you would want to place the speakers one on top of the other! (Ideally with some distance between them.) You should experiment some with the Mojo options and various speaker placement, I think there's a lot to play with there.

 

 

[Craig MacDonald]

Headphones would not be my first choice. I don't think you'll ever get as good of a "Leslie" experience without hearing it "in the room."

 

But I think placement is something to give more thought to. You say you have the speakers at either side of the keyboard. That puts your head in the middle of a four foot wide leslie. I would try placing the speakers next to each other, angled away from each other in a V shape. Also, I believe the Mojo has a rotary option that sends the rotor sound out one channel and the horn out the other, in which case you would want to place the speakers one on top of the other! (Ideally with some distance between them.) You should experiment some with the Mojo options and various speaker placement, I think there's a lot to play with there.

 

 

+1 This is good advice! I'm not a fan of headphones either.. it seems to me that it exaggerates the stereo effect (think of your head in the middle of the leslie).. for that matter, I don't like the idea of sitting in the middle of near field stereo monitors either... A leslie is supposed to sound like it's "over there".. whether that is 10 feet away in the corner of your room or right beside the organ, it's still over there.

 

As AnotherScott points out there are various different output configurations available on the Mojo.. and some really like the horn/upper rotor/lower split that's available.. you can set it up using different but appropriate amp/speakers for the upper and lower parts, and from what I hear you can get a pretty great sound.. You might want to consider this.. why don't you post this question on the mojomusicians forum (probably the best place for Mojo/Burn related advice) and see what answers you get from people.

[Doerfler]

I get ear fatigue after a while using headphones, and I use AKG K240's. Get a good set of studio monitors. They are louder than you would think and sound better in a room setting. You can always add a subwoofer if you need more bottom end.

[HammondDave]

Why not just use a real Leslie? you can buy a good one for about 1K. And nothing sounds like the real thing... especially in a room.

[Six-string-man]

I agree - use headphones or studio monitors, not PA speakers.

 

I'm not mad on headphones. Could anyone recommend some studio monitors, preferably keeping to a budget of around £700?

 

Thanks,

 

SSM

[Six-string-man]

EV ZLX12P (£329 each)

EV ELX112P (£527 each)

Yamaha DXR10 (£469 each)

 

 

What is the problem with your existing Tannoy's ? I'd be very surprised if you preferred the sound of any PA speaker over those monitors.

 

The Tannoy's are great - with the Nord. They don't sound that brilliant with the Mojo.

 

SSM

[Six-string-man]

Headphones would not be my first choice. I don't think you'll ever get as good of a "Leslie" experience without hearing it "in the room."

 

But I think placement is something to give more thought to. You say you have the speakers at either side of the keyboard. That puts your head in the middle of a four foot wide leslie. I would try placing the speakers next to each other, angled away from each other in a V shape. Also, I believe the Mojo has a rotary option that sends the rotor sound out one channel and the horn out the other, in which case you would want to place the speakers one on top of the other! (Ideally with some distance between them.) You should experiment some with the Mojo options and various speaker placement, I think there's a lot to play with there.

 

 

why don't you post this question on the mojomusicians forum (probably the best place for Mojo/Burn related advice) and see what answers you get from people.

 

Will do Craig, thanks.

 

SSM

[Jim Alfredson]

I agree - use headphones or studio monitors, not PA speakers.

 

I'm not mad on headphones. Could anyone recommend some studio monitors, preferably keeping to a budget of around £700?

 

Thanks,

 

SSM

 

Yamaha HS series

JBL Series 3

[stevie b]

I have the Yamaha HS series and have been very pleased with the sound and clarity. I don't push them in my small 12'x 12' studio. The mid point on volume is plenty.

 

If you ever do plan on playing in a larger area, the Yamaha DRX10 is very good on volume and clarity.

I recently purchased a couple for multipurpose applications. Most recently I used these in a band setting to provide independent monitor mixes to the drums and keys. which tobthe back of the stage. I was very satisfied with the quality of sound at stage volume. I'm sure these could even be used front of house for small acoustic or lounge venues. Bass was perfect and no mid range punch, just blends well.

 

[Losendoskeys]

Motionsound Pro 145 is what you want.........

[AnotherScott]

Although not easy to find these days, I really liked the sound of organ through the Groove Tubes SFX Spacestation mkII and the Roland SA-300, both of which have a way of "throwing" the sound such that it doesn't appear to be strictly coming out of the box.

[Delaware Dave]

Koss Pro4AA titaniums.. They sound surprisingly good.

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/koss-pro4aa-titanium/4505-7877_7-1589445.html

[JeffLearman]

I agree that the original suggestions are way too loud for home use, and that for a small room, near-field studio monitors would be best.

 

For a budget solution, consider what I use at home: a pair of Bose Lifestyle powered speakers. Any price $100 or less, plus modest shipping, is a fair deal. They make great computer speakers, too. I put them right on the ends my keyboard (I have soft Velcro on the top, mostly for stuff I put there at gigs, but also handy for this purpose.) They come in white and black.

 

They're plenty loud for bedroom use. They're not quite loud enough when I have a drummer over.

[HammondDave]

I agree that the original suggestions are way too loud for home use, and that for a small room, near-field studio monitors would be best.

 

For a budget solution, consider what I use at home: a pair of Bose Lifestyle powered speakers. Any price $100 or less, plus modest shipping, is a fair deal. They make great computer speakers, too. I put them right on the ends my keyboard (I have soft Velcro on the top, mostly for stuff I put there at gigs, but also handy for this purpose.) They come in white and black.

 

They're plenty loud for bedroom use. They're not quite loud enough when I have a drummer over.

 

I bought a pair of these speakers in 1977!!!! And I still use them for my classes.... Listened to Pink Floyd through them yesterday. They are built like brick shit houses and still sound fantastic!

[timwat]

FWIW, I'm using Equator Audio D5 studio monitors at home here for casual listening. Got them at the introductory price of $299, and I think they sound wonderful in their speaking range (they are a coax config with a 5" woofer). The price has increased to $399, but still a great value for a small studio monitor option.

 

 

[Jazzmammal]

The Tannoy's are great - with the Nord. They don't sound that brilliant with the Mojo.

 

Why isn't anybody addressing this? The Tannoy's are good monitors. Monitors are not supposed to color the sound or at least not too much. That's why they're called studio monitors. Those Tannoy's are telling him exactly how his Mojo sounds.

 

SM if you're truly after a stage sound then yes, pick up a small pair of powered speakers we all use for stage use. The thing is though, recording engineers want a true sounding speaker in their studio so they know what they're working with. If you don't like the sound of your Mojo, maybe pick up an external tube preamp or mixer or something that you can use to adjust the quality of the sound and of course the Mojo itself has it's own controls that can shape it's sound.

 

I would be looking at these things first before considering new speakers.

 

Bob

[Six-string-man]

The Tannoy's are great - with the Nord. They don't sound that brilliant with the Mojo.

 

Why isn't anybody addressing this? The Tannoy's are good monitors. Monitors are not supposed to color the sound or at least not too much. That's why they're called studio monitors. Those Tannoy's are telling him exactly how his Mojo sounds.

 

SM if you're truly after a stage sound then yes, pick up a small pair of powered speakers we all use for stage use. The thing is though, recording engineers want a true sounding speaker in their studio so they know what they're working with. If you don't like the sound of your Mojo, maybe pick up an external tube preamp or mixer or something that you can use to adjust the quality of the sound and of course the Mojo itself has it's own controls that can shape it's sound.

 

I would be looking at these things first before considering new speakers.

 

Bob

 

 

Bob, that's exactly the conclusion I've come to myself. I've been stupidly busy this last few days, but come Tuesday, I'm going to sit down and tweak the Mojo until I get it sounding the way I want it.

 

I got a couple of helpful posts on Mojomusicians, but as you say, the NE4 sounds great through the Tannoys, and there's no reason why the Mojo shouldn't sound at least as good.

 

I had considered a Mixer, but never thought about a pre-amp. It's something I know nothing about. Anyone recommend a small one for home use (sound quality is paramount).

 

Bob, you get my vote for most sensible post of the month.

 

Thanks, SSM

[Jazzmammal]

SSM, one thing to be very careful of is gainstaging your audio signal. Since you've already been playing your Nord through your Tannoys, maybe you already have that under control.

 

Studio monitors are not designed for the sudden peaks that can happen when you're playing live. Something as simple as you're playing a fat two handed part with the drawbars full out and suddenly sneeze and you floor your expression pedal. If your signal is too hot, that could blow up your Tannoy's and you would not be a happy camper. Just be aware of any slight crackling or distortion, if you hear any of that, back off.

 

Your Tannoy's have silk domed tweeters. This is standard in high quality stereo or monitor speakers. When you look at stage stuff, nobody uses silk domed tweeters because they're fairly delicate and don't handle high power transients very well. Recorded music doesn't have those transients because studio engineers have hard limiters already set in the system and once a recording is done then those peaks have already been compressed or limited out. Playing live you don't have that protection which is why pro stage equipment all uses horns. Horns are not as smooth as your silk tweeters but they're very robust. That's the tradeoff and why even the best stage equipment doesn't match good studio monitors.

 

Bob

[Six-string-man]

Thanks for that Bob, maybe I'll stick to a mixer!!

 

 

SSM