Hi guys !

Ok before asking , I know there are many posts about "how to choose monitoring speakers", kinda a classic question but I would like to get a selection depending on my poor conditions and not about the great speakers...

I have been using headphones to compose, which I think is already not ok ..
I have read that headphone should be used just to focus problems on a track to fix them ..
So I would like to buy speakers.

I was wondering :
I don't have a special room to compose music, it's just my bedroom...
So my first doubt is if having monitoring speakers in a normal room makes sense?
Buying the cheapest set of monitoring speakers would be better than using headphones?

So yeah, the situations :
- Keep the headphones ...
- Buy cheap speakers, it's still better than headphone.
- Even with bad room, it's still ok to get good monitoring speakers

The reason I composed with headphones were the fact I composed by night and I thought I felt more the music, but I do realize when I listen to my music on another device, the sound is so different and often bad. I know it's about the mixing, but I understand we can't mix with headphones

thanks guy

edit : for example these speakers :
https://www.terredeson.com/elevate3mk2.html
https://www.terredeson.com/erise3-5.html
https://www.terredeson.com/home-studio/monitoring-studio/enceintes-studio-actives/av32-la-paire.html


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Last edited: Jan 17, 2018

If you really have a very bad room, and if you have enough money, buy high en headphones, open or semi open ones so you can have some air when listening.

It depends of you bad room too. If it is a big room with a lot of reverb, the head phone is the only solution if you cannot treat the room.
If the room is relatively small and have not a lot of reverb, some good monitors may be useful if you dont listen at high volume.

But, anyway, I would go for the headphones first. By good headphones I mean
Beyerdynamic DT-1990 Pro or AKG K-812. If too expansive there are the Beyerdynamic DT-880 pro or AKG K-712 Pro.

 

Last edited: Jan 17, 2018

if you in small untreated room, speakers cant helps.
you need a decent headphones, and a room emulate plugins, or a headphone amp with speaker emulater(focusrite or spl product), because headphones audio image are completely different.

 

do what you truly can in bad situations. and sell your works to others(of course, its bad), first time you should do is enlarge your budget.

 

@Olymoon @m9cao @No Avenger

thank u for your time and advice...
About headphones I have MDR-7506 but it's not semi open ...
I am not sure how to qualify my room, it's not small, not big, has furniture .. I don't hear any echo but I am not expert ..
As u say, it's also about the audio image ... the thing u talking about is like like FOCUSRITE VRM BOX ? I will check that

Well, it seems it's not adviced yet to get speakers with these conditions, I won't choose that solution yet
As I am not a pro composer, just hobby, like composing once very 6 months lol I can't spend so much
I know I can't ask quality with cheap conditions. But at least I know the situation and no doubt.

thanks guys .. I check for better headphones and the emulator solution (need to know how it works , so google time...)

 

Now I've seen the speaker example you posted ... No no, you wont listen well with these. These are way too bad speakers.
Example: The M Audio ones description says
"Woofer polypropylène de 3 pouces pour des graves fermes et précis"
Ouais t'as raison gaston, ferme et précis c'est ce qu'ils vont te mettre si tu l'achète LOL

There is a simple equation: You cant have good bass at low volume with a small speaker, because to have bass you need to move a lot of air physically. So if you want good bass you need a speaker big enough, there is no other way. Minimum 8 inches.

 

If you already used to with headphone and take consideration as you said u have quite bad or untreated room, you could invest to upgrade to a better headphone, and also a good headphone DAC/amps unit perhaps. I know quite a lot of mainstream mixer only mix using headphone on daily basis. It's a matter of preferences and style.

But if let say you want to venture to use a speaker as your learning curve to progress for next level in your journey, if it was me, I would rather get an affordable entry-level monitor and spend another budget to treat the room where it sees fits. Just because I not very comfortable using headphone for a long period of time.

As for monitor speaker, I don't know what is your room dimension, between 4 inches to 6-inch near-field speaker would be a great start. After all, a near-field speaker can work with a minimum room treatment as a start. From that point onwards, you can just upgrade from time to time when you can afford to do so.

 

In this case, look at the AKG K-672 Pro or Audio-Technica ATH-M40 they are both into your budget.

I would stay away from speakers emulators. They rarely help to have a clear image. As you already work with headphones, continue that way (but with better ones).
Use reference tracks so you will know how your mix should sound, or at least you'll have a direction.

 

@Jeffriezal thanks, useful info also !
@Olymoon lol@ description, je vois que tu parles francais :D Ok I will check these headphones

thanks

 

IMO this is the key to being able to get decent mixes with headphones without having a lifetime of trial-and-error experience.

I've been very happy with 112db's Redline Monitor plugin. Unlike other plugins I've tested (Isone, flux hear etc., which all have weird sometimes very noticeably comb filtery phasey sound and general lack of clarity) it doesn't try to emulate certain types of rooms or speakers but instead just kinda "fixes" the stereo image so it makes sense and is kinda comparable to a reasonably positioned stereo speakers.

Of course setting bass levels with headphones is still almost impossible. It is my opinion that without the ability to not only hear with your ears but to "feel" the bass with your body, it's almost impossible to tell how the end product will sound on actual speakers and whether the bass (sub/low/middle/overall bass) levels are too loud or too quiet, even when constantly comparing to reference mixes with headphones.

I would suggest you get a really really comfortable pair of open headphones and any speakers large enough so you can hear the bass. If you're short on money, maybe even some used passive hifi speakers, cheap amp and a cheap active subwoofer. Even in a really shitty room, when you have learned how your speakers are supposed to sound, you can use them to check your mix against reference tracks. But you have to know how your speakers are supposed to sound in your room and you MUST use MANY reference tracks and not overdo anything compared to them.

 

In my oppinion you get way better mixing results with decent open headphones + something like waves nx ( +correction software) as with low to mid budget speakers in a bad untreated room.

 

I got some Senneiser HD600 and they work well for studio audio tasks.

 

Closed headphones are good for tracking, and open headphones are good for editing and mixing. I use both.

 

I went through a few pairs. I'm used to them, know what they sound like, they're cheap & do the job.

Earbuds don't sound like cheap computer speakers, which sound nothing like a club PA, etc. Your choice of monitors won't change that.

 

me, I can't stand headphones for mixing,
would always prefer even budget monitors to mix at, even at uttery sh!tty acoustically treated room,
something like Presonus Eris E5 might work well for you I guess, check em out

 

You don't have to buy everything all at once. It took me 7 years to assemble my current collection of gear, and I'm not even finished yet! I still need some monitors and a few other things. I think it's a never-ending hobby

 

Last edited: Jan 18, 2018

As mentioned, good semi-open headphones that closely match whatever speakers you decide on (8 inch min-max).

Criteria...Can you hear clearly at a low or reasonable loud level and, does everything hold together or collapse.

You have to find the best location for the monitors that have the best reproduction. Use some material that has lots of dynamic headroom that you know well.

My personal speakers are located behind me on either side of a couch in a large space that is fully carpeted (basement).
This works for me & give a good reproduction of known material & what I hear in the headphones I currently use.