A friend is asking me what monitors to get..help?

[birdie_in_texas]

I know very little about desktop, I guess you guys call them "near field" monitors, except that they seem ridiculously priced for themost part..

A buddy's son is progressing with his guitar playing and now has a HD500 and some other things, but wants to start recording, and is needing some decent monitors.

I found a few that were just dirt cheap, but I do not know if they are worth a dime as far as sound goes..

Like these:

iKey M808-v2 only $134 each..! Seems awesome, right?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A3LLMZ9K72U9P2

or maybe these?
Alesis M1's..looks like they come as a pair for $199..?
http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-M1Activ...pd_sim_sbs__26

Any of your thought/experiences/recommendations are most welcome..

Thanks!

birdie

[Maltese Fan]

These are both getting good reviews: http://www.equatoraudio.com/D5_Studi..._Pair_p/d5.htm

http://www.google.com/products/catal...ed=0CDoQ8wIwAA

[shredtheater]

KRK Rokit 5 seem the standard for most home recording setups. Good bang for your buck so to speak but i cant remember how much they are off hand. Im sure they do a bundle with a sub though. Whats your price range?

[Snap]

About the cheapest I would go in terms of a powered nearfield monitor would be the Yahama HS50 or HS80.

Ideally if you're going to spend under $500 for a pair it's best to get either a passive (non-powered model and use a separate amplifier) and/or non-ported model (as bass ports tend to smear and misrepresent the low end).

[birdie_in_texas]

Well, my buddy has had a really horrible experience since this guitar "stuff" started with his son. I think he had a lot lower expectations of what costs actually were. I thought he was going to choke when I told him what some of the more high end monitors can cost..

I am not sure just what his "price level" is, but I know he wants to get as good of monitors for his son as he can..but honestly, I think $500 level is going to be out of his reach..well, more than likely..but I will ask an dshow him the links etc.. this weekend and see if he survives the "sticker shock"..

So no one has anything to say good/bad about those little iKey things? Hard to imagine them being on par with even the cheapest of the "known" monitors, but I was hoping they might be a "sleeper" and more than worth their cost..

Thanks again fellers..keep coming with thoughts/ideas/experiences if you have a mind to..

[shredtheater]

i think the old adage of 'you get what you pay for' rings more true when looking for monitors than for most other gear. But in theory, once your buddy knows the intricacies of whichever monitor setup he gets he will be able to mix accordingly. Thats alot of trial and error though. ALOT.

Id look at the used market, your bound to find something of better quality for your price range. For most people monitors just sit on a desk, they are more than likely going to be in good condition.

Good luck

[TheJudge]

I don't know about those new Alesis M1s, but you could probably find a used pair of original Alesis Mk1 Active monitors for a great price. I bought mine way back when and still use them today alongside a pair of KRK Rokit 5s. As Snap mentioned above, the ports can misrepresent the bass frequencies. It is easy enough to plug up the ports with foam, cloth, or whatever you have.

In my experience, you do not have to go expensive. Get what you can afford and learn how they sound. Play your favorite CDs through them over and over, and when you mix, use reference CDs to check your sound.

Good luck!

[Teleking]

Originally Posted by Maltese Fan

These are both getting good reviews: http://www.equatoraudio.com/D5_Studi..._Pair_p/d5.htm

http://www.google.com/products/catal...ed=0CDoQ8wIwAA

Just got these and I love them. I had some Rokit's and then the M Audio BX5s, and these crush both. I just use them to track with, but they sound great.