Ableton Forum

At home my set up is Ableton on a macbook going through an audio interface then to studio monitors (tannoy reveals).
Ive been recording stuff (backing tracks) on ableton via my Roland gr55 guitar synth and then onto a memory card to go into the gr55 so that I can play in a band with backings/dual guitar lines via the gr55 audio player whilst i play the main guitar parts live.
Trouble is that the studio monitors give a warm sound with lots of separation but when i put the recording via the gr55 audio player through pa speakers it sounds a bit tinny and no where near as good...
Therefore would i be better off ditching/selling the home studio monitors and doing my home recordings via a pa and speakers to enable me to mix it to give the best possible indication of what the sound would be like live in a band set-up?
Any advice on this or how best to mix things for an audio player through a pa would be very welcome,
thanks, Jim

You don't say which PA speakers you've used, but one big difference between PA speakers and studio monitors or hifi speakers is that
PA speakers use compression drivers for HF (tweeters). They are used due to their high efficiency, rather than their sound quality.

Whereas studio or hifi speakers tend to use soft delicate materials for the tweeter diaphragm, PA compression drivers use metal (hence they sound tinny).

I wouldn't advise dumping your Tannoys and mixing on PA speakers - but what you could do is compare your mix(es) using both, in order to find a balance.

It's in the 'producers rulebook' that you should listen to a mixdown on as many variations of system as possible, rather than just one, to get an idea of how it will sound 'in the real world'.

Another method: Find a CD that sounds good (or less tinny at least) on the PA speakers, then have a listen to how that sounds on your Tannoys and try to emulate that.

Thanks for the reply 102455,
not sure what pa speakers they are:-just average ones in the set up where I rehearse with this band I play in (I know they're nothing special). It was just a bit alarming how something I'd recorded in my home set up could sound so radically different:-to the point of being unusable.
I was hoping to sell the studio monitors to fund pa speakers but from what you're saying it sounds like I need both....
Thanks again, Jim

I use my PA speakers at home A LOT. Mainly because I am more concerned with tuning the Live sound than the recordings.

I got 2 Mackie HD 1521's and an HD 1801, for doing so.
I still use my HR824's monitors, but I'm not really a hi fi recording technician.

I'll second that. Never produce on PA speakers. PA speakers are designed to be loud. They are not designed to be accurate. Studio monitors are the exact opposite; they are designed to be accurate, not to be loud. Once you are done with producing your track check your sound on your PAs. Other sound systems can highlight parts of your track that need additional tweaking.

I'd imagine a lot of content sounds tinny on your PA speakers. That's probably part of their sound.

Part of being a good producer is understanding the sound of your monitors. It sounds like your monitor may sound slightly dull, and so you boost the highs to compensate, then when you play on speakers that are very bright (PAs) your tracks sound tinny. Try to match your sound to what professionally produced tracks sound like on your monitors.

Also be aware that you will always be much more critical of your own tracks. You'll hear every little detail that's off in your sound. You aren't as critical listening to other's music.

Thanks for the replies,
I hear what you're saying but if you're producing music to be played live as backing tracks through a pa wouldn't it make more sense though to mix it through pa speakers in order to get the best possible sound for live. I understand that if you're mixing for other reasons then studio monitors are the best possible way forward.
Not trying to be argumentative here btw just wanting to understand all sides/reasoning about what is the best way to go,
thanks again, Jim

There is no single "right" way to do things.

If you want your backing tracks to sound good out of your PA speakers, by all means use your PA speakers and fine tune your sounds, and your PA, make it sound great.

If you want to be a "great producer" work on being a great producer, what ever that means.

MrJim65 wrote:Thanks for the replies,
wouldn't it make more sense though to mix it through pa speakers

I take it these PA speakers are not yours? You said they were "where you rehearsed"....

If you wanted to go the route of mixing your music on them, you'd have to buy the exact same ones yourself (because different models sound different) and also bear in mind that the acoustic environment of the rehearsal space will also have an effect on the sound - mixing on brand X at home will probably still sound different once you play back via brand X in another room.

I still think the best way is to find yourself a track that sounds "non tinny" via those PA speakers in that rehearsal room, then bring that track to your Tannoys at home and learn how it sounds - aim to mix down to that same sound.