Advise on home monitoring

[Bryen65]

Hi all, home user and been using mid quality headphones to get nice guitar patch tone.  When go to listen without headphones obviously massively different tone that lacks range and just doesn’t sound right.  Do not have space for power cab etc but looking for low/home volume small alternative.  Watched demo or Mackie cr3 for example.  What are people’s thoughts on what I should check out to get headphone tone through small monitors and which ones to go for?  Thanks

[jester700]

There are many things in play that make it almost impossible for sounds created on one monitoring system to translate well to very different systems. The volume difference itself is a big one: search for "Fletcher Munson" for more than you'd ever want to read ;-)

 

Also, frequency responses vary greatly even among supposedly "flat, accurate" monitors and headphones. 

 

There's a few good vids on Jason's channel about these issues:

 

 

[codamedia]

14 hours ago, Bryen65 said:

Watched demo or Mackie cr3 for example.  

 

You spent XXX amount of dollars on a Helix or HX Product.... your monitor solution is not the place to cut corners!

IMO.... 3" monitors would not cut it, not for me. You have to be able to move some air between the speakers and your ears if you want a big sound :) 

 

I prefer 6.5" - 8" studio monitors myself, but there are some nice 5" models available as well. IMO, take a look at the Yamaha HS line... they offer a 5, 7 and 8 version. There are certainly others capable brands as well, but I would suggest getting the largest model you can afford, that will also fit the room you are trying to fill. 

[silverhead]

14 hours ago, Bryen65 said:

  .... What are people’s thoughts on what I should check out to get headphone tone through small monitors and which ones to go for?  Thanks

I agree with codamedia. Don’t go too small. I would go minimum 5” but 6” or 8” would be better.

[DunedinDragon]

Also do some research on the speakers you're interested in and examine how they recommend the speakers be placed.  That could be critical in getting them to perform to the best of their ability and may not fit with the way you have your room set up.

Case in point, I have a pair of Yamaha HS7 speakers which have a rear facing bass reflex ports which makes it important to get them located properly relative to the walls behind them.  For me it's worked out great because when they're faced inward around 45 degrees the rear port is about 16 inches from a corner wall on each side with myself directly in the center between the speakers.

[donkelley]

Speaker size, assuming they're well designed, doesn't really impact tone much, unless you get into really small monitors.  woofers that are 4" or 5" may not get down to the lowest notes you play, particularly if you play any bass or low drop tunings.  It would still sound good, but you'd lose some of the fundamental low end.  That isn't the point of the monitors - they should be pretty accurate and reach all frequencies as well as possible, and let your virtual cabs in the helix do the tone shaping for you.

 

So, that being said, you want speakers who's frequency response charts show they are pretty neutral and get right down to yer typical 50 or 60 Hz solidly, which is plenty for all guitar work.

 

The speaker size honestly doesn't matter much, but the smaller the speaker, the quieter it'll be, and the more distorted it'll get when you try to get it to play low notes loudly.  And some speakers are simply too small to do it, so it'll sound like junk down low AND crap out.

 

But it really depends how loud you want to play at home.

 

a pair of powered monitors (or just good speakers and a stereo amp), with 6" woofers and 1" tweeters, ported speakers that are listed as getting down to roughly 65 Hz.... if they ACTUALLY do that, they will probably sound great with the helix.  But don't play too loudly cuz they likely can't handle it.

 

8" speakers generally can have much higher output, and often get lower, than 6" woofers.  10"  moreso.  12"  even moreso.

 

These aren't guitar speakers we're talking about, they're hifi speakers (whether home stereo speakers or studio monitors, same concept here), and the cone can be made to get you down low and sound great, but the lower it gets, the more limited it's output level will be, and the lower it's sensitivity will be.  Also, likely, the less power handling it will have.

 

So it really is up to you.  Small room (Bedroom sized)?  A decent stereo system will probably sound amazing.

 

Playing with others or really want to wail loudly like with your real amp?  those speakers likely won't last, or can't cut it in the first place.  Tweeters wear out fast or simply blow with too much signal (combination of enough power and enough consistent signal to the tweeter).  And woofers we already talked about.

 

Behringer studio montiors (2030a, 2031, if I recall correctly) sound REALLY GOOD and are affordable and will get you there, but don't ever take them out of your home or studio.  They are not for live use, not even for rehearsal

 

If you ever want to take your speakers out of the house, I'd look at something targetted to portability.

 

Hope that's all helpful info.  I'm trying to explain WHY folk say things like "get at least a 6" woofer" or whatever.  But always keep in mind, it depends on how small your room is, how close you'll be to the speakers, and how loud you will play.

 

 

[Stephen59]

12 hours ago, codamedia said:

 

You spent XXX amount of dollars on a Helix or HX Product.... your monitor solution is not the place to cut corners!

IMO.... 3" monitors would not cut it, not for me. You have to be able to move some air between the speakers and your ears if you want a big sound :) 

 

I prefer 6.5" - 8" studio monitors myself, but there are some nice 5" models available as well. IMO, take a look at the Yamaha HS line... they offer a 5, 7 and 8 version. There are certainly others capable brands as well, but I would suggest getting the largest model you can afford, that will also fit the room you are trying to fill. 

 

Agree...went with the Yamaha HS7's (6.5") myself.