Studio monitors for home recording

[notuno]

I'm considering buying entry-level studio monitors, such as Presonus Eris 3.5, to be used with a computer, possibly via an interface (I have a Focusrite Scarlett i2 laying around that I could use). Considering my intended uses below, is this a good idea or does it make more sense to get good computer speakers instead? Budget is around 200 euros.

Intended uses:
- play backing tracks of classical music, usually piano and orchestra, on the computer while playing (and sometimes recording) one or two violins.

- play jazz backing tracks while playing (and sometimes recording) electric guitar.

- mix recordings, usually one or two instruments (violins, guitars), plus sometimes a backing track. These are usually shared with family and friends, often with video as well, and sometimes they are shared a bit more widely. No more than 4 stereo tracks total. I usually record the acoustic instruments with a Zoom H4n pro in standalone mode, or sometimes via USB through Audacity. Right now I'm using a pair of DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm Beyerdynamic headphones for this. In the not so distant future I will probably be compelled to learn how to record solo violin to a better level.

- listen to music from the computer.

The default room is quite small, so the violin or guitar player is quite close to the speakers (no more than 2 meters), though sometimes we use a bigger room (6m x 5m) and I move the monitors/speakers. The main reason I'm considering studio monitors instead of computer speakers is that I assume monitors would produce a more detailed and realistic sound with the backing tracks, especially the orchestral ones, which would be important for the player. Am I correct?

[Aled Hughes]

What’s your budget?

Bax-shop has a seemingly bonkers good deal on the Pioneer RM05 at the moment. Just over £300 a pair.
They were very well received in the SOS review, with a stated price of around £900.

I have no experience of them though.

Aled

EDIT: Just seens the price for the Eris 3.5. I’ve no ideal around that budget sorry.

[Mike Stranks]

According to the O/P the budget is around 200 euros.

I have no direct experience m'self, but Paul White quite liked the Fluid Audio F4: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/fluid-audio-f4

... but with sort of budget I'd either be getting a decent set of headphones or exploring the secondhand market...

[Aled Hughes]

According to the O/P the budget is around 200 .

Oops missed that bit!

Perhaps worth trying to stretch to the Pioneers? They do seem a terrific bargain.

Phil Ward’s review here: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/pioneer-rm-05

[notuno]

According to the O/P the budget is around 200 .

Oops missed that bit!

Perhaps worth trying to stretch to the Pioneers? They do seem a terrific bargain.

Phil Ward’s review here: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/pioneer-rm-05

Thanks, I added the budget after reading your post. Unfortunately where I live I can't seem to find the Pioneers for less than 195 EUR each, which is way too much. They are also bulkier than the Eris 3.5. The Fluid Audio F4 fit in the budget, I'll take a look. But my main question is still if I should consider studio monitors at all or would I be better suited with computer speakers.

[CS70]

iLoud Micro monitors is my go-to recommendation in that range (well they are a little more on Thomann but not much).

[cyrano.mac]

Around that price point, a 2nd hand pair of Behringer Truth speakers sounds like a good bet. Unless you're set on buying new, of course.

[CS70]

But my main question is still if I should consider studio monitors at all or would I be better suited with computer speakers.

The general advice is that you get much more bang for the buck with room treatment. So if you don't have any in your room, that's usually the first thing to look at. Even an iphone will sound better in good-sounding room (or at least it will sound as it's supposed to sound).

[Mike Stranks]

Re: Computer Speakers...

... No

If you're serious about your music and the recording thereof, avoid them. Their purpose is complete different to audio 'monitors'.

[notuno]

Re: Computer Speakers...

... No

If you're serious about your music and the recording thereof, avoid them. Their purpose is complete different to audio 'monitors'.

Thanks everybody, I'll research a bit the Fluid Audio F4 and iLoud Micro, and maybe Presonus Eris 4.5 as well. With any of these, should I hook them up to the computer via the Scarlett i2? The Eris 3.5 can also be connected directly to the heaphone line out.

Regarding the room, unfortunately it doubles as office for my real job so the options are limited, but I should look into getting some panels. Recording is all brand new territory for me.

[Mike Stranks]

Yup! Use the Scarlett...

Avoid connecting anything to computer audio ins/outs if at all possible... connection via USB, Lightning etc almost always much better.

Regarding room treatment, my room is tiny... sitting in my studio chair I can almost touch the walls either side of me.

My use is a bit specialised... used for recording/editing spoken word and a tiny bit of music mixing, so needs decent treatment in the human voice range.

I make extensive use of these https://www.studiospares.com/Studio-Gear/Acoustic-Panels/Acoustic-Panel-1200-x-600-x-25mm-Grey_465220.htm available in various sizes and colours. Most of mine are fastened 25mm away from the wall on battens, but where space is ultra-tight they're fastened flat against the wall.

The reason for spacing them off the wall is that the air-gap means they're more effective.

[Sam Spoons]

Some kind of acoustic treatment is the biggest improvement you can make to a mixing room, almost anything you can do will improve things and it needn't preclude use of the room for other purposes (in fact IMHO it will improve the environment for anything that involves audio, whether it's zoom meetings, making, recording or listening to presentations or even just listening to the radio while you work). I would be perfectly happy working in my studio if I wasn't retired, it's a very pleasant place to be. My panels are finished in blue Cara fabric but, as the only cosmetically related requirement of an acoustic panel is that it be acoustically transparent they could look like paintings or prints and Gik Acoustics actually do panels made to look like prints.

The only downside is that when you listen to the other zoom* participants in their offices, conservatories, kitchens or living rooms you will wince at the sound they are sending you

* Not the case with zoom SoS meets, obviously.....

[James Perrett]

The only downside is that when you listen to the other zoom* participants in their offices, conservatories, kitchens or living rooms you will wince at the sound they are sending you

* Not the case with zoom SOS meets, obviously.....

Well there was someone who was trying to use the mic built-in to a noisy laptop at the last meet

Blinddrew's setup has to be the most impressive though with the movable treatment.

[Drew Stephenson]

Ha! No-one is more surprised than me that it actually all works.

[Sam Spoons]

Cummon Drew, it ain't rocket science, genius maybe, but not rocket science......

[Sam Spoons]

Well there was someone who was trying to use the mic built-in to a noisy laptop at the last meet

Ok ok 'twas me, in my defence I wasn't't planning to attend until the last minute and only stayed for a vert short time.......

I'm sure you all noticed I had trimmed my nasal hair especially for the occasion as it was quicker than finding a higher stool for the laptop.... (note to self, why not just sit on the floor?)

[James Perrett]

Well there was someone who was trying to use the mic built-in to a noisy laptop at the last meet

Ok ok 'twas me, in my defence I wasn't't planning to attend until the last minute and only stayed for a vert short time.......

I thought it was me that everyone was complaining about (hence the embarrassed face)!

[Mike Stranks]

Just a brief diversion on the subject of Zoom meetings...

A relative is rector of a church in N London with a substantial congregation. Her sermon during their first 'Zoom Church' gathering was interrupted by a shout of, "Philip? Can you put the potatoes on please?"

They now have a 'Zoom Verger' who, amongst other things, has control of all the mics and switches them on and off as necessary at the appropriate time...

[jaminem]

Blinddrew's setup has to be the most impressive though with the movable treatment.

Yeah, it kinda reminds me of a fighter jet cockpit, they way you can pull it over your head...

[Drew Stephenson]

Blinddrew's setup has to be the most impressive though with the movable treatment.

Yeah, it kinda reminds me of a fighter jet cockpit, they way you can pull it over your head...

Ha! Most people make parallels to padded cells...

Sometimes they haven't even seen the studio...

[Hugh Robjohns]

Recommendations, Drew, not parallels....

[ConcertinaChap]

* Not the case with zoom SOS meets, obviously.....

I host quite a few Zoom sessions nowadays (mostly involving music) including the SoS ones and believe me the SoS ones are easiest to cope with (people with names related to Bonzos and cutlery excepted). All the other sessions start with 10-15 minutes or more of online technical support

CC

[Sam Spoons]

I endeavour to confuse.....

[notuno]

I looked into iLoud Micro and Fluid Audio F4, as well as into a few others, but I'm still leaning towards Presonus Eris 3.5 or Eris 4.5. The iLoud Micro looks great but a bit too pricey, the F4 has no tone adjustments and no balanced input. I'd like to adjust to the room which is small with speakers against a wall, and I will use them with the balanced output of the Scarlett 2i2.

The only difference between Eris 3.5 and 4.5 is the woofer diameter, and accordingly the low frequency cutoff (80 Hz vs 70 Hz). Considering my DT 770 Pro headphones go to 10Hz, would you pay 177 EUR instead of the 98 EUR of the 3.5 just for 10 Hz more? Most of my use is for listening while playing, and I never mix instruments with low frequency.

I'm looking into acoustic panels, thanks for the suggestion. I don't want a very dry room because it's awful for violin.

[Sam Spoons]

I'm looking into acoustic panels, thanks for the suggestion. I don't want a very dry room because it's awful for violin.

For recording/tracking in a small room you can't really have it too dry* though you will need an awful lot of panels before that becomes a problem. The usual issue is that thin, cheap, foam panels absorb the high frequencies without affecting the mids and LF. The basic aim is to get a reasonably even frequency response from 20kHz down to the low mid range and minimum reflections at the recording and mixing positions.

As a minimum you need to control first reflections (mirror points on the side walls, ceiling and maybe back wall). For tracking a panel on the ceiling above the recording position to control flutter echoes and a duvet behind the performer can work wonders. You do have the benefit of not recording or mixing LF content so you have the possibility to have a room that is well controlled over most of the frequency range of your recordings, low frequencies are by far the hardest thing to control in a domestic space.

* The natural reverb in a small room is never going to sound good enough to be worth preserving for recording purposes. With great sounding reverb plug-ins available you'll get much better results by recording as dry as possible and add ambience at the mix stage.