Near Field Monitors

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Answer:On a good day, lipstick.
Member Since: Jun 24, 2004

I love this site.....

Anyway, I loved dB's article on building speaker enclosures. There's mention at the end of part 3 that mentions near field monitors....

Since I'm on a budget (i.e. don't really have one), I'd like to try building some. Have you any advice for this? Would it be possible to make active monitors?

Help. I really can't afford the hundreds of dollars that factory monitors are being sold at....

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Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jul 01, 2004 11:54 am

Well, building your own won't necessarily save you money if you are building studio monitors. You may save money, but even so, if you want to build high quality speakers, you need high quality components, which will still cost.

Get good speakers, high quality wire, a good crossover and high quality jacks. If you choose to build a tuned port enclosure (I recommend it) put the port on the front if the speakers are going to be placed up against a wall facing out...

Answer:On a good day, lipstick.
Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004


Jul 01, 2004 12:46 pm

My intention is to take my time, and buy the components in stages. That way it's less of a big purchase, just lots of small ones. It will be so much easier on me that way.

I built a fabulous bass that way!!

Any ideas for amplifiers? I will definitely be porting, and am planning a driver of about 5"-6". Would you recommend an outboard amp, rather than powered monitors?

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jul 01, 2004 12:52 pm

Yes, I would recommend an outboard amp.

Nothing doesnt give me gas
Member
Since: May 25, 2004


Jul 01, 2004 01:37 pm

One thing to keep in mind, if they arent shielded, you cant have them anywhere near the computer monitor. You may find in the long run, it may not save you money. I reccomend the m-audio sp5's, they are I think 299 at musicians friend.

A friend of mine has the Samson ones, he likes them alot. I think those were even less expensive.

Answer:On a good day, lipstick.
Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004


Jul 02, 2004 02:40 pm

With the prices that monitors are, and the money I have (or don't have), I'd be pushed to get something like the Edirol stuff. They appear on the "Gear Bag" section of this site. Are they truly awful, or do they bear consideration. If not, the M-Audio SP4's seem low priced. My home system has a "Monitor" feature that says it gives you the uncoloured sound of the source. In your opinion, how accurate would this be? When I use the system with DVD's or Digital cable, or even CD's (with optical digital input), it sounds alright.

Nothing doesnt give me gas
Member
Since: May 25, 2004


Jul 03, 2004 12:15 am

we carry the edirol stuff at work. Its good sounding for digital music, but NOT for reference.
If you were going to have to go that route, the Roland MA-8's are way better,I have those on my internet PC and they have sounded great fro years. but they still arent very good for reference.

I have the sp-5s, I never saw the sp-4 model...... are they new?? Did you mean the DX-4?

As far as the "flat" modeling setting you are talking about, I would think it would be as accurate as a mic modeler plugin, if even that. It may be better than not having it at all, but its not the real thing. You cant change the physical aspects of the mic diaphragm, or a speaker cone, which are almost the same thing.
It would probably have to try to undo what ever coloration that may be in your speakers, and that would IMO be like hazardous guesswork.

Go with the sp 4 model, probably better than the ederol and the roland.

Hope this helps!

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