karmathanever wrote:Hi guys
So sorry - this has been asked so many times by others in many different environments, but I would just love some guidance regarding my need for some studio monitors - I need them for establishing recording sound mixes. As you know headphones are hopeless when mastering recordings!!!
I am multitrack (audio) recording my band directly into Logic Pro with amazing success, but need the ability to get the mastering (EQ, compression etc...) to a reasonable result. This band is a 3-piece - PA4X (& Kronos), lead/rhythm guitar and vocals (all independently tracked). The PA4X obviously providing the full backings (mostly styles) with drums, bass & etc...
I don't have thousands and thousands of dollars to spend but am prepared to get something as decent as possible and no doubt will need a sub too.
One restriction is, unfortunately, space as my music studio is small.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Pete
I am probably more interested in how your keyboards are being routed for the multitrack recording. Are you simply taking a stereo out from both keyboards and going to the multitrack or are you employing the multiple output capabilities on the boards for more separation and mixing control?
What the above query is really asking - are you sending the entire backing tracks mix from the main outs or are you sending some of the tracks through the Out1/Out2 jacks as well? I would ask the same of the Kronos.
Is the Kronos a layering tool for the PA4X, or is the Kronos offering some sequencing/Karma tracks as well?
In my studio, I have different keyboards with multiple outputs - the best example being my Ensoniq VFX-SD synth. It has main outputs AND aux outputs (each configured to be stereo). I send my bass/drum sounds through the AUX outputs so I can mix/EQ them a bit differently to make them sound more real. The rest of the sounds are going through the main outputs.
When I multitrack, I do the same thing with the VFX-SD, so the drums/bass are on a different set of tracks apart from the rest of the instruments.
If you aren't employing a similar strategy as above, I would recommend doing so, as it can add more life and realism to the tracks. We all know how great the drums are on our Korg units, but being able to mix their volumes separately in a mix (aside from the volume/eq controls within the board) will make a pretty huge difference. In more dense passages, being able to automate the drum tracks to be a bit louder will make the whole recording sound more real. As great as the drum sounds are, they are still electronic in nature (because they were sampled sounds) and they can get lost in the mix. Having them on a different set of tracks can mitigate this problem.
With regard to monitors, I have a few pair in my studio, but find myself using the Presonus Eris 3.5 monitors quite a lot. They have great separation and sparkle on the high end. The Eris 3.5 are a 3" woofer and a tweeter affair, but you can tune them and they really do sound good. They are very fairly priced at around $100USD for the pair.
When I am doing critical mixing/mastering, I use my JBL LSR305 monitors. I got mine for $100/each USD and they are really great. They have a 5" woofer and a tweeter system and sound really good as well.
For my laptop PC (located in a different area than my studio setup), I use a pair of Alesis M1Active 320USB and they have never failed me.
I also have a subwoofer in my main studio area but rarely use it as I think that it actually gets in the way. If I am writing dance tracks, I may turn it on to see how the low end is really acting, but I generally get more than I need from the JBL monitors.
For smaller rooms, a sub can actually be a hindrance. If it is not tuned correctly, then your mixing can often sound like the bass frequencies are lower in the mix because of the subwoofer. If the subwoofer is too loud, then this can happen fairly easily. The opposite can be the case if the sub is too loud.
I would, ideally, look for a pair of monitors that have at least a 5" woofer for the low end. For near-field monitoring, this is oftentimes more than enough to get a good mix. Obviously, a 6" or 7" would be a bit better. Anything bigger may require you to have a bigger room in order for the sound to fully develop and that can be a hindrance as well.
One more thing to keep in mind: If you are using the MAXX audio and/or compression/limiting tools on the keyboards on the final output stage, trying to master your tracks can prove somewhat difficult. Mastering tracks often requires using these types of tools on the entire mix and having them already in the tracks that are going to the multitrack will not allow the tools to do their job on the final mix.
Insert EFX are certainly warranted for processing guitar sounds and such, but any 'spit and polish' added to the overall mix that is going to the multitrack will make mixing kind of difficult. I recommend turning those tools off for the recorded tracks and let the hardware/software do those things during the final mixing stage.
Grace,
Harry
Alesis Vortex Keytar, Alesis QS6.2, Alesis QSR, Alesis SR-16, Behringer Deepmind-12, Ensoniq Avista 7600, Ensoniq VFX, Ensoniq VFX-SD, Ensoniq SQ1+, (2) Ensoniq SQ-R+/32, Korg i3 (2020 Version), (2) Korg Kross 1-61, (2) Korg Kross 1-88, Korg Minilogue XD, Korg Minilogue XD Module, Korg M50-61, Korg PA700, Korg X5DR, Korg Z3, Kurzweil SP1, Lowrey EZP3 (bascially a Kawai), Roland D-05, Roland E-09, Waldorf Streichfett, Yamaha Reface CP, Yamaha Reface CS, Yamaha Reface DX, Yamaha Reface YC
