PSRMonitorShopping

Peter Shops for Near-Field Monitors

Why?

I'm having trouble mixing down songs on my computer using just my headphones or my tiny computer speakers. People on the homrecording.com BBS said I would have better results if I get a pair of proper studio monitors, which would distort the signal less and allow me to hear my recordings in greater detail.

Plus I could listen to other people's recordings in greater detail, which could be educational.

What Am I Looking For?

I'm looking to spend about $200-$300 on a pair of powered monitors. (I know -- yikes.)

I would be mixing poorly-written pop music, tending to folk when it's just me and a guitar.

I need the speakers to reproduce my sound as accurately as possible, so that I may de-crappify it as much as possible in the mix.

Why Not Spend More?

I'm in a non-ideal recording environment (my apartment), using low-end pro-sumer recording gear, so there is a somewhat low ceiling on how good things really can sound.

Accurate deep-bass frequencies are useless to me, for example, because the room would just garble them up. (Perhaps the nature of the room would indicate that even cheaper monitors are in order. I will have to think about this.)

Additionally, I don't see myself putting in six-hour mixing sessions, so aural fatigue is perhaps less of a concern than one might think.

Finally, I haven't had monitors before, so even if none of the above were true, I would still do better to have cheaper 'learning monitors' so I would know what I'm looking for in the more expensive models.

Guides

Navigating reviews of studio monitors is hell. It's incredibly subjective, and the jargon is sometimes vague -- "This sounds 'present' but 'harsh.'" At any rate, here are some overviews of the market:

• HomeRecording.com's guide to buying studio monitors

• SoundOnSound.com's reviews of monitors

• From Electronic Musician:

  • "Why Powered Monitors?"
  • "Little Wonders: Can you trust small active monitors?"
  • "Good References" (general monitor guide)
  • "Sound Judgment" ( $2000 monitor guide)
• A guide to home recording that includes a good 'monitors' section, courtesy of pcrecording.com.

Shops

• Musician's Friend
• 8th Street Music
• Zzounds

Possibilities

• Samson Resolv 50a -- $220

• Samson Resolv 65a -- $300

  • SoundOnSound.com review of 80a ($400)

    • Slight 'stiffness' to the sound, but one that helps to aurally resolve different tracks.
    • Perfectly adequate to finding pop/click problems in tracks.

• Fostex PM05 -- $250

  • AcousticFingerstyle.com review.
• Alesis 720 -- $300

• Behringer B2031 -- $300

  • SoundOnSound.com review

    • Magnetically shielded
    • Width: 25cm
    • "The B2031 Truth monitors offer a good balance of bass extension, overall level and general clarity, making them a viable and affordable studio monitor."
    • "Can go really loud; open, detailed sound; high end (say, cymbals) a little 'splashy'."
  • A homerecording.com thread about them

• Event TR5-N -- $300

  • SoundOnSound.com review

    • The (more expensive) TR-8s have a little less detail and 'bass control' than (say) a $2000-$2500 pair of monitors.
    • The TR-5's have less 'bass extension,' which is actually kind of an advantage in small rooms.
    • "Event monitors are designed by an engineer who has a long and successful track record in both loudspeaker design and manufacturing techniques, and I think this shows, as the available budget has been spent on the drivers and components rather than on fancy packaging."
    • "While direct comparison with more esoteric models will reveal their shortcomings to the discerning ear, as a practical solution to affordable project studio monitoring they do a great job, and at the price they're a tough act to follow."
  • AcousticFingerstyle.com review.
• M-Audio BX-5 -- $300
• Fostex PM1 -- $350

Note -- it looks like lots of people on the homerecording.com bbs recommend the Yorkville YSM-1p, but it's a bit too expensive ($450) and hard to find online.