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Currently I am using a pair of DX4s with my mbox2 setup because they were a. Cheap and b. sounded good for the price c. got the job done.

I have been told that I would get better results in my mixes if I upgraded to something slightly more expensive like the KRK RP-5's.

I won't lie, I don't know a lot about monitors, and at a certain point, it just gets beyond me. Heres what I would like out of a new pair.

budget: $150 or less per monitor

Footprint: small. I need to be able to take these back and forth to school somewhat easily.

As said, I had heard some good things about he RP-5's. wondering what else i should look at.

thanks guys.

ps: perhaps also you may think that i should stick with the m-audios as a student for now an then buy something significantly better when i have the money for it.

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Comments

bent Sun, 11/25/2007 - 10:25

Get out and take a listen to some monitors before you jump in and buy.
Keep in mind these four things when you do:
1) How will the monitors work in your room?
2) At what angle will you be listening to them?
3) What's the distance from your head to the drivers?
4) Will they sound better vertically or horizontally, close together, or separated by a mile; and is there a pressing reason in your space to orient them one way or the other?

Are there any studios in your area that you know of? If so, go take a listen to what they are using - with the EQ's FLAT, if they'll oblige.
If you've got a store nearby that sells them, take your favorite mix cd and listen to as many as you can.

Monitors are the single most important piece of gear you'll buy, you shouldn't take online reviews (or even opinions here) as the word of god.
Many reviews are jaded, and there are quite a few companies that have their own people post them (I highly doubt that anyone at zZounds, Guitar Center, Full Compass, or Musicians 'Friend' checks the IP addresses of the reviewers).

There are many great monitors out there. There are also quite a few average ones, but there are more pieces of garbage than both great and average combined!
Garbage in = garbage out...
Just like a cheap mic!

Edit> Out of 238022 posts on this board, I'll bet you that at least 1000 of those posts concern monitors.
I'd search and count them, but I don't really feel like it...

OK, I just did.
The search term 'Studio Monitor' (match all keywords) brings back 1373 results.

anonymous Sun, 11/25/2007 - 12:10

hey guys,

wow thanks for all the responses. I was beginning to think no one would respond )-: .

Well, let me describe my room. (2 rooms actually).

At school, I have all my stuff on my desk which is against a wall. It is a small rectangular dorm room (exact dimensions I'm not sure, but picture average small dorm room. My desk is against one wall (plaster or whatnot) and then the opposite wall (my roommates side) is painted cement bricks. On the adjacent wall is a big set of sliding windows which occupy it. My setup isnt in the corner though but rather in the center of the wall I described. My desk is somewhat compact so my speakers are at most only 3 feet apart. I have them stood vertically and then sort of leaned towards my head (forming a triangle of sound i suppose). At one point i had them angle up so that the point between the tweeter and woofer would be angled at my ear.

My room at home isn't much different. Wooden floor, somewhat rectangular, curtains over a small window in the room, a bed yadda yadda. I'd say a more open space though, less cramped as a dorm room. Same situation with speaker distance though.

I am not at a point to start treating my room with any sort of professional stuff just as a note.

I hope these descriptions provide a better basis for what I may look for in a monitor. I realize that a monitor is only as good as the room its in which is half the reason why i'm not investing a lot in them at this point (the other half being i don't have much money being a student and all)

well thanks!

hueseph Mon, 11/26/2007 - 10:23

This is just my personal point of view. There is no sense spending more money on better monitors if you are in a room which has no treatement and has questionable dimensions.

IMHO you need to get comfortable using the monitors you have and make the best of them. This will be true regardless of what monitors you are using. Take your mixes to different sytems and listen to them. Listen to how they translate. Get to know how your particular environment and set up affects your mix. You have a head start with the monitors you are using now. If you buy new ones, you will have to start from scratch. The more you use these ones, the better you will get at making them work for you.

Again this is just my opinion. Add salt to taste.

BobRogers Mon, 11/26/2007 - 11:49

I don't have any experience with either of the monitors you are considering, but my advice is to sit tight and save your money. There is no easier way of going broke in this business than to "climb the equipment ladder" making incremental changes in quality and paying for it each time. By the time you get your fourth set of budget monitors, you will have spent enough for one pair of really good monitors.

If you can actually come up with the money for a major improvement in quality, I wouldn't worry about being in an untreated dorm room. Yeah, you won't get as much as possible out of the monitors until you move, but you ARE going to move.

anonymous Mon, 11/26/2007 - 12:04

yes i think i will stick with that advice. Working a lot with guitars i have seen people take that route and spend thousands of dollars only to have a bunch of mediocre/crappy guitars.

One more question, if anyone is familiar with the DX4's, a few months ago someone pushed in the tweeter domes. I was able to undo the dent with some tape. There are still teeny dents and i suppose the dome isn't as strong now. Anyway, do you think this caused any functional damage? (expecially considering what hte monitors were in the first place?)

lambchop Tue, 12/04/2007 - 08:47

products7074740 wrote: I am not at a point to start treating my room with any sort of professional stuff just as a note.

You know, I read your thread and it seems to me you could make a big improvement in your monitor's sound quality for about $30 and a little sweat.

If I were you I'd go to your local Home Depot/lumber store and buy some 1 x 4's to make a frame like a picture for the wall behind your speakers. Also buy a cheap small shelf board that you can cut into two pieces for under your speakers. Next, buy enough foam carpet underpadding to cover said picture frame and speaker boards with a stapler. Now, go to a local fabric store and buy some cheap fabric to make them look nice. I, personally would go with the colored burlap. What you now have is some homemade sound treatment and a pair of speaker decouplers. It will definitely improve the sound in your current setup.