i found the perfect studio monitors!(Genelec)

[33tetragammon]

i've owned Mackie HR824 for almost seven years now,but needed something more revealing.
i've listened to quite a few studio monitors now :

-Dynaudio BM15A&BM12A : really good all-round monitors that let me hear deep inside a mix,and non-fatiguing,good stereo imaging.

-PMC LB-1 : heard those once,was hooked instantly.even better than the Dynaudio's,even at low volumes you could hear precise bass reproduction(which sounded gorgeous),imaging and attention to detail was incredible.


-Klein&Hummel O300 : really good also,not in the same league as the above mentioned.bass sounded too "soft"
-ADAM A22 : really neutral,non-fatiguing sound,but totally not revealing for me,bass was lacking like with Klein&Hummel.
-PSI A17-2 :same as previous two,except more revealing.

Event Opal : i though these were among the worst i heard,sounded awful.shame,since the event 20/20 sounded much better to me.

first problem with the above mentioned was that although many of them sounded really good,i also felt that it would take months of getting to know them before i would get a good mix or master out of them.
second problem was that some weren't too forward in letting me hear the faults in a mix/master like i was used to with the Mackies.
third problem was silk dome/ribbon tweeters most of them had,too "soft" for me,since i was used to metal dome tweeters and their "forwardness"

i would definitely buy PMC or Dynaudio to enjoy music on,but not for mixing/mastering.

then i heard Genelec 8030(first time i ever heard Genelecs),which stood next to the ADAM A-22,switched between them by "accident".at first they scared me,they were very revealing,imaging/bass reproduction was amazing for such small monitors,almost half the size of the ADAM's.
the Genelecs sounded much better than my Mackies(more detailed and revealing,better imaging),but had that "hey,there's someting wrong with that sound at such and such freq in your mix"forwardness that i was looking for.
i felt that i could make a really good mix/master with these almost immediately,the only thing i would need additionally was a subwoofer for that lower octave,so i'm going to check out these with the Genelec 7050 Sub. these are big and loud enough for my studio(which is 12m2,acoustically treated)
can't wait to test that combination!

to be continued..........

[mr.ergonomics]

I would check the 8040 before you buy a the 8030 with a sub! maybe it's the one for you. thanks for your first-hand experience, it's always interesting to read those.

[SubFunk]

welcome to the club.

genies, he he. me being the ultimate super fan. since years my weapon of choice, also a fan of PMC, but the higher end models, nothing for home use really. still the entire genelec 8000 series and the classic 1032a are my faves by a far, far distance.

it's the incredible detail and imaging that makes them stand out. IMO.

and yes, check out a sub first, i used to have the old 1029s (before the 8000 series was around) plus sub at home, wicked for listening, but i found it utter shite for mixing / producing. i ended up only switching the sub on for pure listening pleasure after i finished a song, never for mixing anymore.

it is very difficult to set up subs real properly in private small environments, treated or not, keep that in mind, also i generally don't like to mix on bass intense systems, but that is a matter of taste and what you are used to.

and i think you made a big jump, the mackies are to my taste really one of the worst speakers around, i never ever could understand the popularity of them. makes me still wonder and shake my head.

[bhc303]

I am also going for that 8030A and sub 7050B combo, very nice, the 8400A's and a sub are out of my price range its like a 3k difference here in oz...

[Tarekith]

Wow, first negative review I've heard of the Opals.

[33tetragammon]

I would check the 8040 before you buy a the 8030 with a sub! maybe it's the one for you.

maybe they are,if they go low enough.they have to go at least as low as my Mackies.
i hope i can find the 8050,really curious about those.it's either those or the 8030&7050 sub.
sets me back a little more,those 8050's,but what the hell,i'm a Genelec convert now.
i can always sell the Mackies if i need more money.

[33tetragammon]

welcome to the club.

genies, he he. me being the ultimate super fan. since years my weapon of choice, also a fan of PMC, but the higher end models, nothing for home use really. still the entire genelec 8000 series and the classic 1032a are my faves by a far, far distance.

it's the incredible detail and imaging that makes them stand out. IMO.

and yes, check out a sub first, i used to have the old 1029s (before the 8000 series was around) plus sub at home, wicked for listening, but i found it utter shite for mixing / producing. i ended up only switching the sub on for pure listening pleasure after i finished a song, never for mixing anymore.

it is very difficult to set up subs real properly in private small environments, treated or not, keep that in mind, also i generally don't like to mix on bass intense systems, but that is a matter of taste and what you are used to.

and i think you made a big jump, the mackies are to my taste really one of the worst speakers around, i never ever could understand the popularity of them. makes me still wonder and shake my head.

hey Subfunk,i had a feeling you might show up here!
a few months ago you hinted me to check out Genelec or PMC for mixing/mastering.both amongst the very best i EVER heard.LOVE "EM!!!!!!!!!!
i hear you,i'm a little scared of sub placement issues and too much bass as a result.i hope i can test the 8030&7050sub in my studio,otherwise i'm either getting the 8040(if it goes low enough),or the 8050.

have you heard the 8040 and 8050?how do those compare to the 8030?

best,

Wasili

[SubFunk]

I would check the 8040 before you buy a the 8030 with a sub! maybe it's the one for you.

maybe they are,if they go low enough.they have to go at least as low as my Mackies.
i hope i can find the 8050,really curious about those.it's either those or the 8030&7050 sub.
sets me back a little more,those 8050's,but what the hell,i'm a Genelec convert now.
i can always sell the Mackies if i need more money.

how big is your room again?, the 8050s are serious monsters already, i have 8030s without a sub and if i really work all day (mixing) then my whole house hears me, i live in a side wing in the 4th floor they are ridiculous loud, and bass heavy. i mean i trained my neighbours and can do that all day long any day without problems, but be aware that if you can't "play them out" they don't make sense, that accounts for the room size and volume AND listening distance to the speaker. (a very common mistake is to large systems for to small environments and foremost to close listening positions it will affect your listening experience negatively, remember ideal is a equally sized triangle between the two speakers and you, that means you need the depth and the width of the room without ending up squeezing them into a corner, if you have speakers from that caliber, don't make the mistake to not pay utter attention of a prefect positioning, that will gain or loose you easy 50% of monitoring quality)

go to the genelec website and check, there is a list with room sizes, vs listening distance vs model and they have the list because it makes sense.





p.s. and i am not going to argue that 8020s or 8030s don't have enough bass, i am tired of that school boy nonsense.
they are not party / club PA speakers, they are studio monitors. learn mixing.

[33tetragammon]

I would check the 8040 before you buy a the 8030 with a sub! maybe it's the one for you.

maybe they are,if they go low enough.they have to go at least as low as my Mackies.
i hope i can find the 8050,really curious about those.it's either those or the 8030&7050 sub.
sets me back a little more,those 8050's,but what the hell,i'm a Genelec convert now.
i can always sell the Mackies if i need more money.

how big is your room again?, the 8050s are serious monsters already, i have 8030s without a sub and if i really work all day (mixing) then my whole house hears me, i live in a side wing in the 4th floor they are ridiculous loud, and bass heavy. i mean i trained my neighbours and can do that all day long any day without problems, but be aware that if you can't "play them out" they don't make sense, that accounts for the room size and volume AND listening distance to the speaker. (a very common mistake is to large systems for to small environments and foremost to close listening positions it will affect your listening experience negatively, remember ideal is a equally sized triangle between the two speakers and you, that means you need the depth and the width of the room without ending up squeezing them into a corner, if you have speakers from that caliber, don't make the mistake to not pay utter attention of a prefect positioning, that will gain or loose you easy 50% of monitoring quality)

go to the genelec website and check, there is a list with room sizes, vs listening distance vs model and they have the list because it makes sense.





p.s. and i am not going to argue that 8020s or 8030s don't have enough bass, i am tired of that school boy nonsense.

my room is 12m2,ceiling about 2m20-2m50.

thanks,i will check out the Genelec website for that list.
really good advice you gave here,makes me reconsider.
i could always just add the 8030's to my existing setup,and check sub bass on my Mackies.
cheaper than all of the above options i mentioned.

[SubFunk]

well, if you set them up properly and get used to them and increase your skills then you will be able to make secure mixes without double checking anywhere that can rip any club PA to bits and pieces.

i know that for a fact.

and yes, loads of good info to be found on their website and forum.

[leedsquietman]

The Opals are being raved about by many studio engineers. They are the first Rode designed speaker since Rode took over Event and were given the quality over quantity brief.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug09/a ... ntopal.htm

this was the Sound On Sound review and quite a few people at Gearslutz are raving about them.

Everyone has subjective opinions. Pretty much can't go wrong with Genelecs though if you blind tested 100 engineers with 10 different high end monitors, I bet the aggregated results would put Genelecs in the top 3.

[SubFunk]

Everyone has subjective opinions. Pretty much can't go wrong with Genelecs thoughm if you blind tested 100 engineers with 10 different high end monitors, I bet the aggregated results would put Genelecs in the top 3.

i agree, even it is still always a little matter of taste as well, as you said.

my personal top 3 are:

1, genelecs with a rather large distance to the next one.
2. PMC
3. Dynaudio

talking about near / mid field monitors.

and about reviews, well when it comes to monitors always listen yourself, always, always.

look mackies are highly popular and i can't stand them they make my ears cry out loud for mercy,
yet they are sold in hundreds of thousands and loved by many worldwide.

it is a working tool one has to be comfortable with as well, listening for hours and hours and hours in joy. (next to the plain technical quality a monitor has to deliver)

[ze2be]

Been using Genelecs for years. People sometimes tell my I should switch to this or that, one of these new trendy brands. But I see no reason to change what works really well for me already. Id rather spend time on improving room acoustics.

Im running a pair of old 6.5" 1030A with a sub: 1092A.
Though I agree to some extent with SubFunk regarding the sub. If you have control of your sub frequencies to begin with, you know what you are dealing with.
In use, it also works as a hub for the monitors. Its the only way to connect it. Unfortunately, there's no bypass option! To avoid it, the monitor cables must be moved directly to the mixer. Some time in the future ill move to 8" monitors like 1031A. The switch is still a bit steep economically, so it wont happen tomorrow.

[SubFunk]

i mentioned it already as well, i also love the fact of the quality and service, a guaranteed service of all parts for at least 10 years after a model is discontinued speaks for itself.

plus they have to stand a IEC weighted pink noise test at full blast! (the maximum what the speaker can technically handle) for full 16 hours continues

well i know it's true, i throw so many house parties cranking them up so loud the whole night, i had my whole neighbourhood entertained without ever harming them.

well, i stop now! i love them that is obvious.

at `Ze2be, he? that must be the first generation 1030s with subs then, the new subs all have specific switches (even remote) to disable them or toggle.

[33tetragammon]

well, if you set them up properly and get used to them and increase your skills then you will be able to make secure mixes without double checking anywhere that can rip any club PA to bits and pieces.

i know that for a fact.

nice,really!

funny thing is,they already smacked the s$%t out of Adam P22A's(which are supposed to go as low as 37 hz).i checked both monitors' settings,complety flat.
i was looking at the Adam's like "hello,is that all you got?!?!?!?geez,two times as big,sounds four times smaller"i had to cranck those up in volume so much,still not convinced,switched back to the G's,never switched again.
the Genelec's,i don't know what it is about them,hard to put into words,other than saying : OMFG,AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONVERTED!!!!!!!!!!