Using STUDIO MONITORS as PA SPEAKERS

[sk-one]

Hello all,

I am a budding producer looking to buy a pair of studio monitors for production, but I am also starting a live instrument/electronic fusion band that will involve competing volume-wise with live guitar, bass and drums. I am also interested in saving money since I currently don't have a job. I would love to be able to use the monitors in my home set-up AS WELL AS in the band. My question is: will a good pair of studio monitors hold their own with these live instruments in a jam/practice situation? I definitely wouldn't want them to drown out my own sounds coming out of Ableton. The monitors I'm looking at are the Yamaha HS80's. A very good monitor for under $500.

Thanks for your help!

[3dot...]

no.
simply...no.
don't go there..
not if there's a drum set around..

[Winterpark]

if you want to blow up your monitors then do it... otherwise ^ this.

[jestermgee]

I run a studio setup at home and have a mobile rig with speakers and amps for parties... Never would I use my monitors for a party.

They don't have the throw for large rooms for one and for 2 they are more expensive than my mobile speakers which are hand built into separate bass and mid/high boxes which makes changing any drivers a snap.

I have been party djing for 17 years sinsce I was 13 and have been thru a lot of speakers. People at parties and gigs can also be unpredictable. I use to use my party system for home monitoring but many years ago and they weren't monitors, just a way to hear the music I was making and mixing. I then went to headphones to get my ear in on detail and saved for the monitors several years later. It doesn't have to all be at once.

[3dot...]

although you cannot use it as a PA..
you might be able to use them for personal monitoring..
but still...don't!

[Tarekith]

I've used my hr824s for smaller house parties and even a couple dj gigs at art galleries. But those were mainly for quieter background music, I'd never be able to compete with other and members and not blow the the monitors.

[interpolate]

This would be like wearing a suit to a moshpit.

[methodamericon]

This would be like wearing a suit to a moshpit.

This would be like being the one motorcycle in the demolition derby.

[hacktheplanet]

Why not go the other way?
It might be more beneficial to pick up the PA before the monitors. Since you're just starting out, you probably don't need the monitors right away. A pair of used SRM 350s will run around $500-$600, and be plenty loud to compete with a drum kit and guitar. And they sound good enough until you can afford some monitors.

[JuanSOLO]

Why not go the other way?

exactly.

Without having a job, and looking to only spend 500 dollars, it's gonna be a challenge. So I propose a solution. Get a job and save some money, and get your band mates to throw in on speakers with you. I'm not trying to be rude, sorry if it sounds that way, but here's my point. If you save up and buy some quality
PA speakers, good enough for monitoring as well, something like the Mackie HD series, you may never have to buy speakers again. If you go discount, you may have a long road of speaker replacement and poor quality sound ahead of you.

I did the discount gear for years. In my attempts of saving money, I spent FAR more time and money on gear that doesnt even work anymore. I could have just buckled down, made a good investment plus warranty and been done with it. Eventually thats what I did, made better investments.

[Punky921]

Why not go the other way?

exactly.

Without having a job, and looking to only spend 500 dollars, it's gonna be a challenge. So I propose a solution. Get a job and save some money, and get your band mates to throw in on speakers with you. I'm not trying to be rude, sorry if it sounds that way, but here's my point. If you save up and buy some quality
PA speakers, good enough for monitoring as well, something like the Mackie HD series, you may never have to buy speakers again. If you go discount, you may have a long road of speaker replacement and poor quality sound ahead of you.

I did the discount gear for years. In my attempts of saving money, I spent FAR more time and money on gear that doesnt even work anymore. I could have just buckled down, made a good investment plus warranty and been done with it. Eventually thats what I did, made better investments.

This is absolutely true. Listen to us here. Monitors will never work as PA speakers, ESPECIALLY when a drum kit is involved. An SRM250 would be a great choice. I was at the Merce Cunningham dance space in NYC the other day, and they had a simple Mackie 1604 running into two Mackie SRM450s, and it filled a truly cavernous space and sounded GREAT.