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  • good monitors for classical work

    O
    O
    Hi Dietz,

    I must say I'm deeply impressed with your work, and I check in from time to time to see how far you've come [[:)]]

    I'm in the mood of buying some new monitors for my home studio. I've only heard good things about Dynaudio so I jumped over there. Imagine my expression when I saw an interview with you there, raving over the DynAir speakers.

    Well, anyway, I'm thinking about the Dynaudio BM5, which would include the purchase of an external amplifier naturally (if my old'n'trusty NAD 306 can't keep up with the +120W/channel I've heard about [[:)]] ) to drive them. Is this a good choice (both for the wallet and the ears) for mixing and composing classical music?

    At this time I only have a couple of HiFi-monitors as references... can you say wide-field... so I'm in a desperate need for an upgrade. I can get the BM5 (used 4 months in a studio) as a pair for 5000SEK in Sweden. That's about 548EUR. Would be cool to use them as front-speakers in my future 5.1 setup and have the old ones as back-channels. Ideas?

    Thanks and I hope to talk to you often on these forums!

    Yours cincerely,
    Oskar Lissheim
    Composer/Designer
    www.avocade.com


    PS. I'm now using the miroslav and siedlaczek libraries to compose (sketches done in Reason2 w/ their orchestral library) but I'm longing for when you release your cubes!
  • H
    H
    Hi Oscar,

    Dietz will be back on Sunday

    best wishes
    Herb
  • O
    O
    thanks herb.

    though if anyone else care to tune in, please do. I want many opinions.

    do you think my NAD 306 amplifier, with 2x50W at 8ohm and 160W dynamic at 4 ohms (where the dynaudio's are), have the mustard to drive those speakers? I've got a really nice deal on a pair here in sweden. €520, $550, 5000SEK. what do you think?

    yours cincerely,
    oskar lissheim
    www.avocade.com
  • S
    S
    I must admit I'm not that familiar with NAD amps... Here in the U.S. they're more of a high end home audio piece than a pro thing like a Hafler or Bryston. I suggest you go with the powered BM6A's, though, even if you have a high quality amp. Actually I really recommend the Air 6's but they're pricier so I'll let you decide on that. The reason why I recommend Active is because those amps are really well matched for the speaker components. Plus the real advantage in powered speakers is the fact that they put the crossover at line level instead of at powered level, which makes it much easier to get a smooth response and no artifacts.

    The Air's are another story - they look the same, but the amps are even more high end and the crossover is digital, so it basically perfect. Plus there's all sorts of cool level setting and placement setup features.
  • DietzD
    VSL Team
    DietzD
    Hi all, I'm actually back sooner than I thought (can't live without you all ;-] ...)

    Oskar, thanks for your nice words. Neverheless, I have to admit that I can't give you a final answer. Choosing monitors is not only dependent on personal taste, but also on the room you'll employ them, as well as the kind of music and the desired volume you intend to play on them. Apart from that, you will run into huge differences price-wise for apparently not-so-obvious differences.

    That said, I can only tell you what _I_ like:

    PMC MB1 with Bryston amplifiers are amongst the best acoustic experience I ever made (the Vienniese facility Swoon Factory uses them for mastering-purposes - all our demos got their final treatment there).

    Meyer HD-1 - my alltime-favorites in the near-field, especially for hi-gain pop and rock.

    Genelec 1031A - I got used to them in post-pro work, especially 5.1 and 7.1 surround. The bigger ones depend _very_ much on the room they are installed in; sometimes I hated them, sometimes they were simply beautiful.

    Adam - this German manufacturer makes an incredible range of (incredible expensive) monitors, which should work great in "classical" context; just heard them a few times, but I've been honestly impressed.

    The Air-System from Dynaudio is an exeptional tool, but I have no hands-on experiences with them apart from our Symphonic Booth (which will be at the NAMM next week, BTW).

    Lately, I discovered to surprise that I was able to achieve good results on monitors I actually _dis_liked (Quested, in this case), which means that obviously speakers don't have to sound pretty to be good.

    What I _never_ liked on any occasion were KRK-speakers (of all sizes). Which means that they may perfectly fit your needs ;-]

    HTH,

    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
  • O
    O
    hey dietz'n all!

    thanks for the suggestions. I'll have that in mind when I go to stockholm tomorrow for a good listening-through.

    most of the monitors you suggest, like the dynaudio bm6a and the Air series are of course my dreams. but I have to be realistic here. let's say my budget strays to about 700€ tops right now. hey, I need to spare some money to buy the VSL, right? [;)]

    btw, got the vsl demo box today. nice one! love your compositions, Herb. I'm about to start studying in the "school of composition" in sweden, on the island of Gotland. It would be so cool if you herb or dietz, when you have the time, could come up here and talk some about VSL. Would sure give the "people with the money" a second thought about investing the huge amount of money into the VSL [:)]

    Yours cincerely,
    Oskar Lissheim
    www.avocade.com
  • DietzD
    VSL Team
    DietzD
    Thanks for your kind words, Oskar - but too much honour :-] ... I _mixed_ all demo's (except one), but they are mostly Herb Tucmandl's compositions, if not marked otherwise.

    Beeing a musician myself, I wouldn't dare to bring "classical" scoring of my making to the educated public ... [H]

    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
  • O
    O
    last edited
    last edited

    @Dietz said:

    Thanks for your kind words, Oskar - but too much honour :-] ... I _mixed_ all demo's (except one), but they are mostly Herb Tucmandl's compositions, if not marked otherwise.

    Beeing a musician myself, I wouldn't dare to bring "classical" scoring of my making to the educated public ... [H]

    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library


    Hi Dietz,

    Yes, of course it was Herb's compositions. My bad! But given honor can't be taken back, so you may keep it [;)]

    It would be very nice of Herb to send me a letter if he can spare some time in his, I'm sure, busy schedule. As an emerging young composer, it's essential to have great leaders to bounce ideas of [:)]

    And if you could redirect my wishes about him visiting sweden and gotland I would be most grateful. If he wouldn't be able to talk to me directly which I would understand perfectly well.

    Yours cincerely,
    Oskar Lissheim
    www.avocade.com