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What would you pick and why, Yamaha HS80m or the Mackie HR624?

I am shopping for my first set of real monitors that I will use mostly to mix folk/rock and roll. The room that I will use to mix is a 12x16 drywalled room that I have a few thin eggcrate mattress tacked to the walls, so pretty much not really soundproofed at all.

Of course I'd love to get the HR824, but looks like even if I strech my budget I can either afford either the 8" Yamahas or the 6" Mackies. Does anybody have an opinion on which one might be a better choice for a first set. My concern with the 6" Mackies is that they might not have enough bass to mix accurately with. And my concern with the Yamahas is that maybe they are not as smooth across the spectrum as the 6" Mackies.

Alrighty then, thats were I'm at with this hurdle. Any input will be appreciated, and if there is something you like better in my price range then please enlightne me.

Thank you!

Comments

moonbaby Tue, 01/16/2007 - 13:41

Frankly, I never replied to your post because of (2) main reasons:
You can do a search on this website and research plenty of nearfields, not just the 2 makes you listed, and,
Monitors are a very personal preference, something that you really have to test out before you buy them. Very subjective, and this requires some heavy-duty listening.

saemskin Wed, 01/17/2007 - 08:40

The problem with the question is that probably no one has BOTH monitors in front of them to give an educated response.

That or you're just going to get this answer. "Well I have some HR 824's and I like them, so the 624's should be just fine."

Which is probably true. Either of those would suit anyone just fine.

Take the damn egg crates off the wall please, or dont tell anyone here you've done that. I seen people banned from another forum for recommending someone do that. By your own admission it does nothing so why are they there?

Cucco Wed, 01/17/2007 - 10:50

saemskin wrote: Take the damn egg crates off the wall please, or dont tell anyone here you've done that. I seen people banned from another forum for recommending someone do that. By your own admission it does nothing so why are they there?

NO SH!T man! Take down the egg crates...

You would be better off dropping $800 for acoustic treatments and getting $200 computer speakers than you would spending $1000 on monitors and leaving the egg crates up!

anonymous Wed, 01/17/2007 - 13:34

Ok, So maybe I should have rephrased my original question to something different. Maybe more along the lines of what are differences between 6" and 8" monitors, and would a cheaper pair of 8" be more versatile for a first set than a "better"(i.e. more expensive) 6" pair.

Of course a null point for me now seeing as how I've got a pair of the Tapco S8's on the way. Which after racking my brain for way too many days and reading tons of monitors threads on multiple forums, I figure I ought to just get a damn pair, the best or not, and start *learning* how to use them. As this seems like the most common theme I've been hearing. All monitors probally sound different, but I know how I like it on my home stereo, or any stereo or boombox for that matter, so it seems like I just need to start learning how mixes on the S8's will translate and then how to correct it.

As far as the eggcrate mattress's go, looks like you guys aren't big fans of that technique. Anyone have any better monitor room soundproofing techniques for someone on a tight budget?

Cucco Wed, 01/17/2007 - 13:44

Terrapin wrote: As far as the eggcrate mattress's go, looks like you guys aren't big fans of that technique. Anyone have any better monitor room soundproofing techniques for someone on a tight budget?

Well...first - no such thing as sound proofing - at least not in this context (unless you'd like to rip out all of your walls and start from scratch...)

However, strategic absorption (and likely diffusion/deflection) would be smart.

As for DIY acoustics on a budget, check out our Acoustics Forum. Those guys are great at what they do.

But, in the mean time, here are a few things to get you started.

Cheap solutions:
Acoustic Cieling tiles. I like to use these as a backing for acoustic foam as it provides a little better damping and it keeps nasty adhesive off my walls. However, they can in fact be used on their own. Personally, I would suggest placing a 1" or 2" spacer behind them then mounting them. What I do is get 1x2 strips and mount 2 on the back of a 2'x4' ceiling tile using liquid nails or other construction adhesive. Then, drill some pilot holes. To mount to the walls, use drywall screws through the pilot holes (through the tile and the strip).

Then, for maximum effectiveness, apply some sort of acoustical foam to the tile. Auralex kits containing 36 sq/ft of tile cost $99 at GC and will cover 4 of these acoustical tiles - they even include the correct kind of glue.

Other cheap options -
Owens Corning 703/705 if you can find it locally or Roxul. Both of these products are itchy as hell, so you'll want to cover them in fabric and do so carefully.

Good luck -
J