5.1 monitoring on a budget

[JFreak]

Well...

Genelec 7060 sub costs about 1600 euros. That would be my recommendation for a starting point. You would have to stretch that budget but it'll be well worth it. Five satellites (8020) cost about the same in addition. So double your budget and be happy "forever" :)

I can safely say that because I bought a pair of pre-production Genelec 8050's straight from the factory in 2004 when no money could buy those things if you didn't know the right people. The pair is still in active use and have seen lots of live abusing but still sound amazing. Few years ago, I bought a said 7060 sub and 8040 satellites, and have been very happy.

Just something to consider; whether you spend 2 grand now and 4 grand later, or spend that 4 grand now and dont think about it for ages...

[JFreak]

ButI'm totally biased as Genelecs are made in Finland :)

[sprotnik]

Thanks for the advice.
What do you think about the spl smc 2489 monitor control?

[sprotnik]

Thanks for the advice.
You are right about the long life of a good monitors.
It's like a good microphone. Use it, take care of it and enjoy it for lifetime.
...but I think I can't afford the money of a genelec system for a very long time.
I have to consider other options...

About controling the room loudness...
What do you think about the spl smc 2489 monitor control?

[reichman]

About controling the room loudness...
What do you think about the spl smc 2489 monitor control?

I think you should save money in this area. MBox Pro 3's are on eBay new for $350, and the big knob on the front can be used as a surround monitor controller. Same for some of the Apogee line-up. Spend the money on the speakers and run your monitoring direct. Make sense?

[V5V]

Originally Posted by sprotnik

What do you think about the spl smc 2489 monitor control?

Love it.

We used two until recently, now using just one.

I've been hanging on to the one we're not using with the idea that I'll find a use for it someday, but that's seeming less and less likely and it's a shame for it to just sit around in a box. If you want lightly used and can't find a good deal locally, send me a PM.

[sprotnik]

Going direct to loudspeakers makes sense, yes...
I would prefer using third party interfaces rather than mbox 3 pro...

Thanks V5V for the offering. I'll keep it in mind.

So... Nobody is using yamaha hs5, hs8, jbl lsr 305 or lsr308 for a budget surround system?

[albee1952]

In a small room, the LSR305's would do well as far as I'm concerned. I absolutely love the pair I have(mains are Genelec 8050's)

[sprotnik]

Dave, I have seen some comments about some hiss and electrical noise in the LSR305. Do you hear it in yours?
I have read a lot of rewiews and user's comments and everything are good words about the 305, but some people talks about that noise...

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by sprotnik

Going direct to loudspeakers makes sense

It's a good money saver to get you started, but at some point in life it makes sense to add a monitor controller for various reasons, such as:
- being able to easily mute/unmute in case of something unexpected (blast of white noise, etc)
- being able to use headphones is a common feature, multiple pairs desirable
- being able to adjust volume without affecting your session

But just as I said, this is a good place to save money to get you started. Buy this later, you first need monitors not controller.