Books On Building Studio Monitor Speakers?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

What's a good book for designing your own studio monitor speakers?

I was wondering if you knew of any diy projects to build studio monitor
speakers like the mackie hr824: http/www.mackie.com/products/hr824/ or
other types of pro monitor speakers?

I'm putting together a home-recording studio and all I'm missing are the
monitor speakers. I'd like to get the mackie hr824 or higher end products,
but I can't afford them.
Would you know of any resources which could help me build monitor speakers
myself?
Thanks,

 

[Chris]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

There are very good speakers available to build yourself. Designed by
the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) . . . small but great sound,
and cost effective. I can't remember the name of them currently, but
maybe someone else here knows, or you can find it on the net?

Chris
http/www.chris-melchior.com/strings.htm (real strings for realistic
prices).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"WE THE PEOPLE" <FREEPEOPLE@OFTHEWORLD.ARENOT
GOINGTOTAKEITANYMOREFROMLITTLESHITS> wrote in message

news:N1mHd.3128$Xz5.394643@wagner.videotron.net
> What's a good book for designing your own studio monitor speakers?
>
> I was wondering if you knew of any diy projects to build studio
> monitor speakers like the mackie hr824:
> http/www.mackie.com/products/hr824/ or other types of pro monitor
> speakers?

The projects exist, but are they advisable? Making your own monitors is
something like mixing up your own medicines with a home chemistry set.

Most studio monitors net out to be small 2-way speakers which are one of the
more challenging design tasks in the realm of speaker building. Furthermore,
it is a very competitive product area, so there often isn't a lot of money
to be saved by rolling your own.

> I'd like to get the mackie hr824 or higher end
> products, but I can't afford them.

Get Behringer powered Truths. B2031A - one of the true deals in the product
category.

> Would you know of any resources which could help me build monitor
> speakers myself?

Google searching, to find the lowest price on B2031As.

 

[Linus]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Only problem with behringer truths, Arny, is that, well... they're behringer
truths... which is a lie in my opinion.

Personally I don't think they are good for much except cheap tracking
monitors that wouldn't break the bank if you broke them.

I support a lot of studios in my area and I find that truths are usually the
first of two or more purchases... people generally end up with Mackies,
Genelecs etc... in the end.

As this newsgroup labels itself as a "pro" forum I would say that your
advice is dubious at best, and you probably know better judging by some of
your other posts.

As for the original request for building your own monitors: I am also
interested in finding out if there are any good designs out there: I don't
believe for a second that the cheap monitors are using the best drivers they
could and I suspect that one could achieve better results with nicely built
passives, using say, Dynaudio drivers or such.


regards

Linus

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Linus" <support@(remove)tuerkmusic.co.za> wrote in message
news:cslcur$ff2$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net

> Only problem with behringer truths, Arny, is that, well... they're
> behringer truths... which is a lie in my opinion.

I agree that Berhinger Truths are cheap, and I agree that the name is
poorly-advised.

OTOH, the OP was clearly worried about value, and for the money Behringer
Truths are hard to beat. Some retailers push them out for about $300 a pair
even, and for that money you can't even really buy a good new power amp for
passive monitors, let alone a pair of powered monitors.

> Personally I don't think they are good for much except cheap tracking
> monitors that wouldn't break the bank if you broke them.

Hey for $300 you expected a pair of HR824s or LSR28Ps? Let's be realistic!

> I support a lot of studios in my area and I find that truths are
> usually the first of two or more purchases... people generally end up
> with Mackies, Genelecs etc... in the end.

Works for me. If you buy high end Genelecs, the price of a pair of B2031As
might be almost like paying the sales tax. It's not a fair comparison.

> As this newsgroup labels itself as a "pro" forum I would say that your
> advice is dubious at best, and you probably know better judging by
> some of your other posts.

What better is there to know? I'd like everybody to have good audio
interfaces, but a lot of people are under the $$$ gun particularly when
starting out. I'd rather have people who want to record off their console
buy M-Audio AP2496s for $99 than a fancied-up Audigy for close to $200.

> As for the original request for building your own monitors: I am also
> interested in finding out if there are any good designs out there: I
> don't believe for a second that the cheap monitors are using the best
> drivers they could and I suspect that one could achieve better
> results with nicely built passives, using say, Dynaudio drivers or
> such.

Last time I looked, Dynaudio drivers aren't retailed as A-stock, period.

Comparing actives to passives in a price-sensitive discussion is like
comparing a car with an engine to one that doesn't have one.

Let's try to be at least fair and realistic, eh?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"WE THE PEOPLE" <FREEPEOPLE@OFTHEWORLD.ARENOT
GOINGTOTAKEITANYMOREFROMLITTLESHITS> wrote in message
news:N1mHd.3128$Xz5.394643@wagner.videotron.net...
> What's a good book for designing your own studio monitor speakers?
>
> I was wondering if you knew of any diy projects to build studio monitor
> speakers like the mackie hr824: http/www.mackie.com/products/hr824/ or
> other types of pro monitor speakers?
>
> I'm putting together a home-recording studio and all I'm missing are the
> monitor speakers. I'd like to get the mackie hr824 or higher end products,
> but I can't afford them.
> Would you know of any resources which could help me build monitor speakers
> myself?

Do a Google search; the subject's been discussed here quite recently.

Peace,
Paul

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

WE THE PEOPLE <FREEPEOPLE@OFTHEWORLD.ARENOT GOINGTOTAKEITANYMOREFROMLITTLESHITS> wrote:
>What's a good book for designing your own studio monitor speakers?
>
>I was wondering if you knew of any diy projects to build studio monitor
>speakers like the mackie hr824: http/www.mackie.com/products/hr824/ or
>other types of pro monitor speakers?
>
>I'm putting together a home-recording studio and all I'm missing are the
>monitor speakers. I'd like to get the mackie hr824 or higher end products,
>but I can't afford them.
>Would you know of any resources which could help me build monitor speakers
>myself?

No, because in general building speakers to save money is a bad idea, because
you'll soon find yourself having to spend so much in parts and equipment
for engineering that you'll long outspend what a pair of speakers would have
cost.

Building monitor speakers yourself is even more of a bad idea, because you
will wind up needing to buy some accurate speakers in the first place so you
will have a reference as you design them.

There are some good pre-designed speaker kits out there from guys like
Madisound, but you won't be able to audition them first and you'll find you
really don't save anything once the cost of all the parts are figured in.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

chris@chris-melchior.com <chris@chris-melchior.com> wrote:
>There are very good speakers available to build yourself. Designed by
>the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) . . . small but great sound,
>and cost effective. I can't remember the name of them currently, but
>maybe someone else here knows, or you can find it on the net?

If you're thinking of the LS 3/5a, you can't get the drivers for them
any longer. Which is a shame, because they were nice field monitors in
spite of the restricted low end.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

 

[Cyrus]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <cslcur$ff2$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net>,
"Linus" <support@(remove)tuerkmusic.co.za> wrote:

> Only problem with behringer truths, Arny, is that, well... they're behringer
> truths... which is a lie in my opinion.
>
> Personally I don't think they are good for much except cheap tracking
> monitors that wouldn't break the bank if you broke them.
>
> I support a lot of studios in my area and I find that truths are usually the
> first of two or more purchases... people generally end up with Mackies,
> Genelecs etc... in the end.
>
> As this newsgroup labels itself as a "pro" forum I would say that your
> advice is dubious at best, and you probably know better judging by some of
> your other posts.
>

IIRC The "pro" refers to "production".

> As for the original request for building your own monitors: I am also
> interested in finding out if there are any good designs out there: I don't
> believe for a second that the cheap monitors are using the best drivers they
> could and I suspect that one could achieve better results with nicely built
> passives, using say, Dynaudio drivers or such.
>
>
> regards
>
> Linus
>
>
>

IMO If you can determine what your monitor situation is doing and relate
that to the "outside world", you have something. Be it purchased or
rolled. Others have tracked/mixed on ns10's and auratone's after all.

In any case, as with any transducer that records/reproduces sound. Worry
about the room first.

--
Cyrus

*coughcasaucedoprodigynetcough*

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Linus" <support@(remove)tuerkmusic.co.za> wrote in message
news:cslcur$ff2$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
> Only problem with behringer truths, Arny, is that, well... they're
behringer
> truths... which is a lie in my opinion.
>
> Personally I don't think they are good for much except cheap tracking
> monitors that wouldn't break the bank if you broke them.
>
> I support a lot of studios in my area and I find that truths are usually
the
> first of two or more purchases... people generally end up with Mackies,
> Genelecs etc... in the end.
>
> As this newsgroup labels itself as a "pro" forum I would say that your
> advice is dubious at best, and you probably know better judging by some of
> your other posts.
>
> As for the original request for building your own monitors: I am also
> interested in finding out if there are any good designs out there: I don't
> believe for a second that the cheap monitors are using the best drivers
they
> could and I suspect that one could achieve better results with nicely
built
> passives, using say, Dynaudio drivers or such.


In my experience, having built a pair or two, Dynaudio drivers etc., DIY
monitors are the first in series of purchases which ends similar to what you
described above.

It's not a trivial task.

Predrag

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Scott Dorsey" <kludge@panix.com> wrote in message
news:cslra4$kcc$1@panix2.panix.com...
> chris@chris-melchior.com <chris@chris-melchior.com> wrote:
> >There are very good speakers available to build yourself. Designed by
> >the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) . . . small but great sound,
> >and cost effective. I can't remember the name of them currently, but
> >maybe someone else here knows, or you can find it on the net?
>
> If you're thinking of the LS 3/5a, you can't get the drivers for them
> any longer. Which is a shame, because they were nice field monitors in
> spite of the restricted low end.

Indeed; I still love mine. But the build-it-yourself units aren't really LS
3/5a's, because the specification includes performance from the bass driver
that's not anywhere near the center of the bell curve, and the drivers KEF
sold over the counter were, I suspect, precisely the ones that didn't meet
LS 3/5a spec.

Besides which, the spec included calibration against a reference standard,
so that any LS 3/5a you pulled off the shelf would match any other. The
original unit did this with a tapped inductor to adjust the tweeter
sensitivity.

Peace,
Paul

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:3_wHd.3092$8u5.1579@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net


> Indeed; I still love mine. But the build-it-yourself units aren't
> really LS 3/5a's, because the specification includes performance from
> the bass driver that's not anywhere near the center of the bell
> curve, and the drivers KEF sold over the counter were, I suspect,
> precisely the ones that didn't meet LS 3/5a spec.

This relates to my comments about the unavailability of Dynaudio driver
A-stock at retail. It's probable that loudspeaker manufacturer rejects skew
the statistics of a lot of drivers that are sold at retail.

> Besides which, the spec included calibration against a reference
> standard, so that any LS 3/5a you pulled off the shelf would match
> any other. The original unit did this with a tapped inductor to
> adjust the tweeter sensitivity.

If drivers are a tad off the center of the statistics curve, some bench
trimming of the crossover might bring system response back into spec.
Obviouisly not an option for someone who has just a table saw, a sabre saw,
snips, sandpaper and a soldering iron to work with.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"WE THE PEOPLE" <FREEPEOPLE@OFTHEWORLD.ARENOT
GOINGTOTAKEITANYMOREFROMLITTLESHITS> wrote in message
news:N1mHd.3128$Xz5.394643@wagner.videotron.net...
> What's a good book for designing your own studio monitor speakers?
>
> I was wondering if you knew of any diy projects to build studio monitor
> speakers like the mackie hr824: http/www.mackie.com/products/hr824/ or
> other types of pro monitor speakers?
>
> I'm putting together a home-recording studio and all I'm missing are the
> monitor speakers. I'd like to get the mackie hr824 or higher end products,
> but I can't afford them.


Worst thing you can do as an amateur recordist, IMHO. All of your audio
decisions are based on what you hear, and if what you hear doesn't have some
degree of accuracy you're going to be making wrong decisions. Good speakers
and a good room are a must, and the less experience you have the more
important it is (speaking as someone with lots of 'less experience').

Sean

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Arny Krueger" <arnyk@hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:lZ-dnVBkNLk5XXPcRVn-2g@comcast.com...
> "Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in message
> news:3_wHd.3092$8u5.1579@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net

> > Besides which, the spec included calibration against a reference
> > standard, so that any LS 3/5a you pulled off the shelf would match
> > any other. The original unit did this with a tapped inductor to
> > adjust the tweeter sensitivity.
>
> If drivers are a tad off the center of the statistics curve, some bench
> trimming of the crossover might bring system response back into spec.
> Obviouisly not an option for someone who has just a table saw, a sabre
saw,
> snips, sandpaper and a soldering iron to work with.

What was going on was that the original B110 had a particular resonance in
the upper midrange, the amplitude of which varied a good deal. The BBC
spec'd drivers of a given sensitivity, with a lower-amplitude-than-usual
resonance. The tweaking in the crossover, IIRC, was to match the
sensitivities of different T27 tweeters.

Peace,
Paul

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 19 Jan 2005 09:36:52 -0500, Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:

> chris@chris-melchior.com <chris@chris-melchior.com> wrote:
>> There are very good speakers available to build yourself. Designed by
>> the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) . . . small but great sound,
>> and cost effective. I can't remember the name of them currently, but
>> maybe someone else here knows, or you can find it on the net?
>
> If you're thinking of the LS 3/5a, you can't get the drivers for them
> any longer. Which is a shame, because they were nice field monitors in
> spite of the restricted low end.
> --scott

Have you checked the LS3/5a web site recently? I thought they were still
being made and available from Stirling Broadcast in the UK.

Cheers.

James.

 

[Puebow]

Hello,
Eminence has cabinet designs published on their site. I spoke with a rep and he recommended Beta CX they have 8-10-12 versions that are made to accept a coaxial Eminence driver. You will still need an x-over. I have been using (not the coax version) a beta 8" w/ peerless tweeter X-over 5k and a 2-12 sub cabinet. I use an elec. x-over and bi-am with 2 qsc amps. I use zero EQ on the output aside from the x-over. The Eminence speakers are brutal- if it sounds good on them it will most likely sound reasonable on most home stereo, car, mp3 etc.
All components are available on line at reasonable cost.
Joe Olenick
www.Omedia.us