Grotboxes

[craigtumps]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for tips when it comes to grotbox speakers. Is anyone using PC speakers? Any ones you recommend?

Obviously there are Mixcubes but I'd rather not spend that kind of money.

I'm not looking to mix into the grotboxes, I just want something as more of a quick sanity check.

Are there any tips for this kind of thing, sealed-only speakers for example?

Currently my trick is to record a video of the tune I'm working on with my phone then listen to it back. Surprisingly it does give me an insight in to how its sounding at grot level. But I want something better now.

[Forum Admin]

Hi Craig,

I use an old Technics 'boombox' and also a Pure DAB radio (both via their Aux inputs) just to give me another reference to check if track components are out-of-whack or OK balance-wise.

[craigtumps]

Hmm I didn't think of that. I do actually have a little dab radio that I think has aux. I will give it a go.

[CS70]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for tips when it comes to grotbox speakers. Is anyone using PC speakers? Any ones you recommend?

Obviously there are Mixcubes but I'd rather not spend that kind of money.
I'm not looking to mix into the grotboxes, I just want something as more of a quick sanity check.

Are there any tips for this kind of thing, sealed only speakers for example?

Currently my trick is to record a video of the tune I'm working on with my phone then listen to it back. Surprisingly it does give me an insight in to how its sounding at grot level. But I want something better now.

If you have a modern smartphone, its speaker does the whole limited-frequency-response--in-mono pretty alright.

[The Elf]

I picked up a cheap mono plug-in Altec Lansing PC speaker in a bulk-buy a few years ago. It runs from batteries (which last months), and just hangs from a DAW output, such that it's available to audition any time I feel the need.

[Drew Stephenson]

I run an output from my AI to the aux in on my Yamaha THX10 guitar amp and hit mono. Gives me a pretty good ready-reckoner for budget systems. Beyond that I just use the speaker in my phone.

[craigtumps]

Looks like the phone is a popular choice after all!
Maybe we should get a little phone speaker driver, connect it up to balanced audio connections and sell it for £500. The Phone Master Reference speaker - for the "right" phone grot sound.

[Martin Walker]

I picked up a cheap mono plug-in Altec Lansing PC speaker in a bulk-buy a few years ago. It runs from batteries (which last months), and just hangs from a DAW output, such that it's available to audition any time I feel the need.

I use one of these as my grot box too:



A very handy reference!

Martin

[Forum Admin]

Nice - does the red 'glow' in your studio -- or is it merely a coloured ring?

[Forum Admin]

Looks like the phone is a popular choice after all!
Maybe we should get a little phone speaker driver, connect it up to balanced audio connections and sell it for £500. The Phone Master Reference speaker - for the "right" phone grot sound.

I think the SOS Grot Box Reference Speaker has a better ring about it. SOS Grot Box for short...

[The Elf]

Nice - does the red 'glow' in your studio -- or is it merely a coloured ring?

No red glow, but the power light at the bottom glows green - nice in a darkened studio!

[craigtumps]

Looks like the phone is a popular choice after all!
Maybe we should get a little phone speaker driver, connect it up to balanced audio connections and sell it for £500. The Phone Master Reference speaker - for the "right" phone grot sound.

I think the SOS Grot Box Reference Speaker has a better ring about it. SOS Grot Box for short...

Ok deal it was invented here after all!

[craigtumps]

So it looks like there is no pattern to what people use, just anything rubbish will do

I'm trying to find that Altec Lansing but I'm not finding much. I will try and find something similar because I think single driver is the way to go.

I already have a JBL Charge 2 but I feel it sounds too good!

[Sam Spoons]

Lots of those little bluetooth speakers around from under a tenner up to a fair few quid (but those probably don't qualify.....

[The Elf]

Lots of those little bluetooth speakers around from under a tenner up to a fair few quid (but those probably don't qualify.....

My problem with those is that you don't know what the Bluetooth conversion is doing to the audio before it hits the speaker, so it's hard to know what artifacts you're hearing - worth it for an extra check, though.

[craigtumps]

Yeah I would only use it with the line in connection not over the bluetooth.

[Sam Spoons]

Yeah that had occurred but they all seem to have a hard wired line input, maybe useful to check on both?

[Martin Walker]

I'm trying to find that Altec Lansing but I'm not finding much. I will try and find something similar because I think single driver is the way to go.

The one I have is the iM227, which I bought here in the UK at a Tesco supermarket for £15 a couple of years ago. I've actually been using this to check some mixes just this afternoon as it happens



They can still be found on eBay, but apparently only in the US:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Altec-Lansin ... 0033.m2042

Martin

[Ben Asaro]

I use my iPad as my grotbox, and a pair of cheap Sony ear buds.

[ConcertinaChap]

There's an old dodge I learned in these forums that works surprisingly well, I've found. Set the mix playing quite loud then go out of the room completely and listen from the other side of the door. It's surprising how many imbalances show up when you do that.

CC

[craigtumps]

There's an old dodge I learned in these forums that works surprisingly well, I've found. Set the mix playing quite loud then go out of the room completely and listen from the other side of the door. It's surprising how many imbalances show up when you do that.

CC

So now we gotta mix for the guys that are stuck in the queue outside the club. Making music is hard.

[Sam Spoons]

No, that 'outside the door' mix is for the people in the toilets........

[Drew Stephenson]

Given some of the venues I've played, that's pretty much how the house PA sounds...

[craigtumps]

[Sam Spoons]

Given some of the venues I've played, that's pretty much how the house PA sounds...

And, at many, smells too.....