Home recording speakers. Any advice?

Totally recommend getting a 2.1 system. I have a 7 inch sub that goes down to 32hz. The two near field monitors are 4.5 inches, and they're not that great for bass. The Sub handles the low frequencies below 80hz, and the two hear field monitors handle the frequencies above 60hz. So the combination of the three produces a fantastic sound. Another idea is to isolate the monitors from the desk to get a decent sound from your monitors. If you're mixing tracks with drums, you'll need that sub to hear the interaction with the bass and kick. I also use a pair of Audio Technica M50x headphones, which are great for tracking and sound good with bass frequencies.

 

Just looking at Sweetwater prices, a pair of Adam Audio T5V near field monitors is $400, and an Adam Audio T10S Sub for $400. That 2.1 system would give you an excellent sound and many years of use out of it. Yamaha and KRK do 2.1 systems also.

When I'm tracking, I have the volume just above talking level. Mixing and editing, I'll sometimes have it as quiet as possible, or if I need it loud I use headphones. My DIY mastering, I've got a pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones for loud playback. Those headphones have a lot detail and bottom end. I live in a quiet apartment block too. So for my home project studio, it's a combination of monitors and headphones, which seems to work well. I'd love to do everything on monitors at all volumes, but not possible at this stage.

 

I'm kind of on that journey myself. I've been using at set of Mackie MR5 mkIII. They're OK. I thought about investing in set of better nearfield monitors. But then I started to realize that my room needs treatment and/or possible reconstruction. Estimates for that started adding up. So I bought a nice set of headphones (Sennheiser HD600s) for tracking, mixing and mastering. Way cheaper than chasing down optimal room acoustics to make best use of a good set of monitors. It's working for me at the moment.

 

To find that play back sweet spot with the gear you already have is simple. Listen to a lot of great recordings in your current room and speaker system. Know that these recordings are recorded under the best of conditions. They sound great under great conditions. Hear what they sound like in your room, which is not the best of conditions. After a while, you'll get used to how great recordings sound in your not optimal room. If your recordings start to sound like those, you're in the good range.

Headphones are a good idea to add to what you already have. If you do want to upgrade speakers, hearing them in person is best. When music stores open up in your city again, check them out with uncompressed recordings you know well.

 

2.1 systems are great for playing/tracking bass without over-exerting the mains. The one thing to watch out for is that tracks may end up being a little bit light on bass if you have the sub too loud during tracking. I have the Yamaha HS-8 with matching sub with a default (but adjustable) crossover point at 100Hz. Generally speaking, the more sub you hear, the less bass you will actually be tracking. My advice is to turn the sub down to where you barely notice it when tracking.

 

If you're on a tight budget the sub can wait for a bit. A good set of monitors with 5" cones or bigger will give you a clear and defined picture of what's getting recorded.
I would spend money on room treatments before getting a sub as its placement is the key factor in sending bass frequencies out into a room properly but that's just my opinion and I know I'm in the minority here.
Good luck and welcome to T.B.

 

Agree with waiting on sub until you hear the speakers. I used KRK bookshelves (think 6in) for a while but wish I had gotten the sub. When I need monitors I'm going to get KRK again. They're popular for a reason IMO.

 

I really really like these little nearfields: Transparent Zero | Vanatoo

Super clarity and LOTS OF BASS (check the reviews)

 

My studio doesn’t have a sub. The only thing that matters is how well your mixes translate to your car and other systems. If you know the speakers well, anything will work for you. That being said, it’s great to have expensive monitors but it’s not absolutely necessary to get a great recording.