RABid Posted December 26, 2001 Share Posted December 26, 2001 I have been considering the purchase of monitors for a long, long time. Presently I use headphones, or, a set of decent computer speakers at times when I don't care about the sound. With my budget I consider $800 pushing it for a pair of monitors. Today I found a set of Behringer B2031 Truth Active Studio Monitors at half price, which makes them $400. I don't have a local store that sells monitors so any purchase would be on word of recommendation alone. Does anyone use these, or does anyone have anything in this price range to recommend? I dont need a lot of power, just clear sound and full range. This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdman Posted December 28, 2001 Share Posted December 28, 2001 Originally posted by Rabid: I have been considering the purchase of monitors for a long, long time. Presently I use headphones, or, a set of decent computer speakers at times when I don't care about the sound. Is this mail order or something, so you cannot hear them first? I looked at the spec sheet on the Behringer site. Its a bit short on details. They say 50Hz to 21Khz but they don't say how many db down at those points. Nor are there any distortion figures. I have a couple of small Behringer mixers, and they work great. These monitors look pretty comparable to what other manufacturers are offering. So they are probably quite decent monitors. I see event PS5's are available for $250 each. I have a pair of Event 20/20s (unpowered) which I love. I don't know how the PS5's compare - they look physically identical (but they're bi-amped, of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted December 28, 2001 Author Share Posted December 28, 2001 Yes, mail order close out making them half price. I have to drive 180 miles to hear anything better than Alesis. I want the Event 20/20bas, but again, that is going by reviews. They are not on sale and are right at the limit of my price range. So I ask myself (and others), are the Events worth twice the price? If so I will continue to use headphones for a while and keep my distance from those keyboards and modules that keep whispering "Robert, pick me. Pick me. You know you want me. You will enjoy me more than a lousy set of speakers." This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted December 28, 2001 Share Posted December 28, 2001 Originally posted by Rabid: I have been considering the purchase of monitors for a long, long time. Originally posted by Rabid: If so I will continue to use headphones for a while and keep my distance from those keyboards and modules that keep whispering "Robert, pick me. Pick me. You will enjoy me more than a lousy set of speakers." ...sigh... Okay, forget I'm the ADAM guy for a minute...the opinion that I am about to express has been the way that I look at this since long before I became involved with ADAMs. [rant] What piece of gear is more important than your monitors? A great synth? A really nice mic? An expensive tube pre or compressor? Why spend the money on any of those if you can't really hear what they sound like??? It is very easy to make a good argument that speakers are the single most important component in your studio. Every sound that you make (excluding acoustic music, of course) goes through them! Every sound that you record (including acoustic music) certainly goes through them!!! Mic selection...mic placement...instrument/patch selection...panning...EQ...levels...all of these things (and more!) are pretty much dependant on what you hear coming out of your monitors. What do your synths really sound like? How does your mix really sound? How do the CDs in your collection really sound? Having awesome monitors literally changed my life. I saved and shopped for years until I found the ones that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. My monitors have changed the way that I record, the way that I mix, and even the way that I listen to music. They have fine-tuned my ears, and given me a new appreciation for every piece of gear in my studio. I listen to CDs now, and can hear stuff I've never heard before. Save your money. Spend some time shopping for the ones that just kill you dead. Go listen to what a pair of expensive monitors sound like next to a pair of budget monitors...you won't believe it. The difference is not subtle. Plus, investing in a great pair of monitors can bring you literally years and years of enjoyment - and will probably do so more consistently than any other piece of gear that you own. Every sound that you record goes through your monitors. Every sound you mix. Every sound... Hear what your music really sounds like. It will change your life. [/rant] dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Azzarello Posted December 28, 2001 Share Posted December 28, 2001 Originally posted by Dave Bryce: ...sigh... [rant] What piece of gear is more important than your monitors? A great synth? A really nice mic? An expensive tube pre or compressor? Why spend the money on any of those if you can't really hear what they sound like??? ... Every sound that you record goes through your monitors. Every sound you mix. Every sound... Hear what your music really sounds like. It will change your life. [/rant] dB I'm a bit of a hipocrite, but I've got to agree with Dave. Get a good sounding pair of speakers. Headphones are OK, but for critical listening you've got to have a great pair of speakers AND a decent room (even near fields can be bastardized by a bad room, reflective surfaces, etc.). If you can't afford a great set of speakers today, spend the $$$. If not, save a little longer, and get the best ones you can knowing that you should sell trade-up later. OK, here's the hipocracy... I had a pair of Westlake BBSM12's when I owned a studio, and I got spoiled. We used them as near-fields (they were big) and they really had an amazing depth of field, etc. I spent about 3 hours with one of my best friends listening and analyzing a single track from Peter Gabriel's "So" and it was nearly a religious experience. I haven't been able to spend that kind of $$$ on a great pair of speakers ($2-4k), so I've settled (Tannoy 6.5's) for something doesn't fatigue my ears and sounds OK. They don't transfer well, so I'm going to buy something in the $700-1000 range soon to make up for it. Pat http://www.patazzarello.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulliver Posted December 28, 2001 Share Posted December 28, 2001 Hi Rabid, I've checked Behringer (Truth) monitors you mentioned. Borrowed them from the music store (a year ago) for a whole day to try out in my home studio environment. Well, I found that they were a bit too noisy and too powerful for my tiny room (too big as well!). So the truth is... I ended up using a pair of Yamaha MSP 5 active monitors instead because: 1) they sound much cleaner, 2) deliver excellent highs and awesome lows, 3) take less space, and 4) cost less then those Behringers (converting to US dollars something around $555). I am back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSears Posted December 28, 2001 Share Posted December 28, 2001 Rob, There's a review of 10 sets of active monitors on prorec.com for what it's worth. They rate the Behringers right in the middle of the pack. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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