Studio monitor advice??

[NAGEL]

Hello all,
I need some advice. I really need some good studio monitors to do some mixing on, but my budget is restricting me to $200-$400. I've been looking at the Edirol MA-20D pair by Roland. I can get them online for $230 -- Looks like a great buy for my money... any suggestions.. should i order these?

thanks

[Bezo]

I just got a set of Alesis M1 Actives. I've only mixed one song with them, but it translated beautifully to the home and car stereos.

Because my set up is not ideal(monitors too close to the back wall), Alesis recommendeds clogging one or both ports to control the bass. I did notice an exagerated bass before clogging the ports because of the sound reflection. Clogging the ports solved that problem.

I'm very satisfied with my purchase. However, this is my first set of studio monitors and my budget was similar to yours. These were $400 for the pair. They were the best I tested in that price range.

[Lucky]

I'd suggest Tannoy Reveal Actives.

[pk_hat]

Another vote for the Alesis M1mk2 Actives (this model specifically). Absolutely phenomenal speakers for the price, they shouldn't be compared to the previous incarnations of Alesis monitors, these are truly beautiful.

[Slim Shady]

You can get a pair of NS-10m's off ebay for about $400.

[underground]

Check out Event 20/20 good sound 8" woofer for good bass response.

[where02190]

Save your money 'til you can afford good monitors.

[audioeric]

I agree.. Save your money til you can get good monitors.. Go somewhere, and take some music that you know in and out and listen to it on them. If a place won't let you do that, they're not worth your money.. When you're spending more than $500 on anything, if you can't try it out at the store, don't bother.. Also make sure they have a return policy, incase you get back to your studio and find that you don't like them at all.. Definitely spend some time listening to ones you definitely can't afford, then ones that are super cheap, and then ones that are right in your price range.. That way you'll know what sounds great, what sounds like crap, and then see how you feel about what you can afford... If its not acceptable, like where said, don't settle..

eric

[pk_hat]

You should get the best monitors your budget will allow, and in some cases, if all you have is $400, then that's all you have. If it's between mixing on boombox/home speakers and a pair of decent $400 monitors, then by all means, get those now and plan to buy something better when you can. Besides, no matter what monitors you get, you need to learn them, their strengths and weaknesses, and therefore mix accordingly. One more thing, your room and it's acoustical properties may not justify spending more than what you need to for the time being, the ol' rule still applies - monitors will only sound as good as the room they are being placed in. I have the Alesis, granted, they're not the best thing out there, but they're lovely for $400.

When my budget allows it and I can mix in a more deadened and treated room, I will spring for the ones I've been eyeing for a while, the Dynaudio BM6-A. Truth is, I can buy those now if I want to, but it would be a silly move to do so until I can get the room sounding how I want it to.

Having said that, certainly, if you can double up on your budget, perhaps a pair of Mackie HR624's can do the trick, these weigh in at about $900/pair.

Good luck.

[tworooms]

say, how do u clog the ports of the M1 Actives? by stuffing tissue paper into each of the holes?(2 on each speakers?) do u stuff paper / other materials all the way into the holes and fill it till it's full??