Skip to main content

Hi,
I am an editor setting up a home studio and I am looking for a set of speakers to compliment my studio. I have a limited budget and have found two models that interest me but cannot find the opportunity to try them out nor the relevant frequency curves: KRK RP8 (Rokit) and Yamaha HS80M. I work at low volumes (I respect my neighbours) and would like speakers that give me a reasonably true reflection of what I am doing at a comfortable room level. I make stuff for TV. I work with various voice over artists, I film video interviews and record live events, I make promos of TV series, music videos, short films and documentaries, basically stuff for transmission. I end up with 8 to 12 tracks of audio and mix all this down to a stereo pair. I have a sound effects library and do my own foley work. The life of a freelancer is a mixed bag and does not always pay well. I have to make compromises and as I wheel and deal I offer as many things as I can. Now everyone is asking for final audio so over the last year or so I have been supplying final mixes along with graphics etc. As I watch what I do on my TV I am noticing the odd audio problem and put it down to the poor audio set up I have. Can anyone recommend either of the two monitors that I have mentioned. The Yamaha I like because I can sort of sudo adjust it to the room that I am working in . The RP 8's just sound good on paper: Big cabinet, rounded edges 43k-20kHz. Cannot find frequency curves for the RP's but the Yamahas look quite flat. Does anyone do what I do, does any one own either of the above or can anyone suggest some monitor within this price range that will give me what I want. Genelec and Mackie are just out of my price range.

Thanks in advance.

Romy

P.S. The room that I work in is 3.8m x 3.25m x 4 m (L x W x H). I have my suite set up along one of the 3.8m walls.

Comments

RemyRAD Wed, 04/12/2006 - 16:53

Romy, Remy here. HA! Many engineers love the Yamaha's. I personally can't stand them. I much prefer KRKs, hands down. I have a pair of Rockits and regularly mix on a pair of V88s. I use them for both low-volume monitoring and tracking/mixing level monitoring. I feel that they relate better to other manufacturers speakers where I find the Yamaha's always sound too thin to me. I can't mix on those suckers. Can you say shrill?

JBL/KRK woman
Ms. Remy Ann David

anonymous Thu, 04/13/2006 - 06:51

Hi Remy, Recorderman, Romy here. Someone has just suggest that I look into a set of Yorkville YSM1's. Also Remy you mention the KRK V88s I can just about afford the RP8s. Are they very different the V's and the R's?. I must agree also that I prefer the KRK but cannot seem to test them side by side with the Yamahas. I remember the NS10s. Is the newer HS80M a different beast? Hope you are all having a nice day.

Romy

RecorderMan Thu, 04/13/2006 - 09:14

Romy wrote: I remember the NS10s. Is the newer HS80M a different beast?

Absolutely different. I even like the HS50M... small little guys... but they reproduce all the way down to just about 50hz (believe it or not). And the price's are DIRT cheap. You can get a pair of HS80M for less then $600 for a pair, if you have a pro-deal you can knock a lot off that. The HS50M's are maybe a third cheaper than that. I love the HS50M as a portable 2nd reference. The HS80M's are bigger and a loud and full enough for basic tracking and overdubs.. you know when you have a guitarist or bassist in the room and need more volume than just normal mixing duties.

Mostly for me, it's about being more than good enough and a great price. You really, more than anything should find a dealer that will let you do a mix on each. Where I just bought mine (banjo center),,, they offered me to return (HS80M) for another model if I was not happy (but I was). Monitors after all are a personal choice and there is only what's right for you and the material you generally work on and your style and level of mixing.

anonymous Thu, 04/13/2006 - 09:55

Thanks for the advice recorderman. I have a problem in that I cannot find a dealer in Madrid that has the speakers that I want to test so I have to write to you guys and make my judgements based on what is said in these kind of forums. I will make up a Test CD and go out looking for each speaker and see if I can find something that just sounds good to me. Thanks again for the advice and I hope the weather in your neck of the woods is as great as it is here.

Romy.