Adam Audio a8h

[forumuser828520]

Hello.

After reading the Adam-audio-a8h review,
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/adam-audio-a8h

is a bit confusing to me why for "tracking, writing and recreational listening"
it needs to be equed

Shouldn´t sound great in "Pure mode" ?

[Sam Spoons]

Studio monitor speakers are not designed to sound 'nice', they are designed to sound 'accurate', 'detailed' and 'revealing'. On any but the best recorded/mixed material they should show the inadequacies of the recording or mixing and when you are evaluation a mix that is a good thing. But that may also be fatiguing so for casual listening and, to a lesser extent, writing and tracking a more benign tonality might be appropriate.

[Hugh Robjohns]

is a bit confusing to me why for "tracking, writing and recreational listening"
it needs to be equed

Shouldn´t sound great in "Pure mode" ?

I'm sure it does 'sound great' in pure mode... but it also sounds 'ruthlessly revealing', and that can become distracting and wearing when trying to focus on the musical aspects, rather than the technical ones — at least for some people.

Personally, I like my speakers to be revealing, and I am able to ignore any source defects if they're not relevant to the listening situation. But the nice thing about those ADAMs is that thry offer options to set them up however the listener pleases, re-voicing them easily to personal taste for different situations, if that's what is preferred.

But you can just leave them in pure mode if that avoids confusion...

[jellyjim]

I use my Genelec 8330a (with SAM room correction active) for everyday listening as well as monitoring without issue.

[ef37a]

There is a tendency, happily rarer now I am glad to say, for people on forums to dismiss "hi fi" speakers for studio use because they say they are "sweetened" to make home reproduced music "nicer" or possibly more exciting.

This is very unfair on speaker manufacturers such as KEF, Celesition, Quad and many other, mainly British, makes who have strived for decades to produce accurate "faithful" reproducers.

Such speakers are however almost all passive and due to their need to fit into domestic surroundings rather expensive* because more has been spent on cosmetics than your generally rather functional monitor. Hi fi speakers also rarely have the SPL capability or protections that monitors have.

But since I live alone I don't care a stuff what sits in my living room so long as it sounds good!
*Some of course are just silly, silly bloody expensive!

Dave.

[James Perrett]

Here I have hifi speakers as my main monitors in the studio and BBC designed monitor speakers in the living room.

[Sam Spoons]

My monitors are 40+ year old Kef Kit 104aB that I have owned from new. I don't have a domestic HiFi system anymore as I do any serious listening in the studio.

[amanise]

Yep. Running a nice pair of TDL KV1 transmission line jobbies here via a Denon amp.
http://www.tdl-loudspeakers.co.uk/kv1.htm
Had them about 18 years I reckon. I also reckon I'd have to spend a great deal to match them.

[Arpangel]

There is a tendency, happily rarer now I am glad to say, for people on forums to dismiss "hi fi" speakers for studio use because they say they are "sweetened" to make home reproduced music "nicer" or possibly more exciting.

This is very unfair on speaker manufacturers such as KEF, Celesition, Quad and many other, mainly British, makes who have strived for decades to produce accurate "faithful" reproducers.

Such speakers are however almost all passive and due to their need to fit into domestic surroundings rather expensive* because more has been spent on cosmetics than your generally rather functional monitor. Hi fi speakers also rarely have the SPL capability or protections that monitors have.

But since I live alone I don't care a stuff what sits in my living room so long as it sounds good!
*Some of course are just silly, silly bloody expensive!

Dave.

You could say, as I do, that it’s better to monitor on similar types of speakers that the average listener will use.
But, these A8h monitors need investigating, like, today.

[ef37a]

"You could say, as I do, that it’s better to monitor on similar types of speakers that the average listener will use."

In the past Tony that would have been a Dansette record player with a single UL84 amplifier driving a 3x4 elliptical speaker and using a TCA8H cartridge tracking north of 10g!
Today it is either some 50mm drivers in tiny AV speakers or 5 quid buds.

Sorry mate but I have always believed that professional recording gear should be THE best and most transparent available.

Dave.

[Arpangel]

"You could say, as I do, that it’s better to monitor on similar types of speakers that the average listener will use."

In the past Tony that would have been a Dansette record player with a single UL84 amplifier driving a 3x4 elliptical speaker and using a TCA8H cartridge tracking north of 10g!
Today it is either some 50mm drivers in tiny AV speakers or 5 quid buds.

Sorry mate but I have always believed that professional recording gear should be THE best and most transparent available.

Dave.

A keybaord player that I used to record with, the great Clive Lineham, used a Panasonic ghetto blaster to monitor with in his home studio, when he brought finished mixes to my place they sounded fine, on my Spendor SP1’s, I could make tracks on anything, if I had to, it really doesn’t bother me, or the listeners it seems, no one has complained about my records, and they’ve been done on anything from music centre speakers to Neumann 310’s.

[amanise]

I'm pretty sure you're risking missing a ton of detail those small speakers can't even reproduce doing it that way round. Safest way would seem to mix and master on the most transparent platform you can afford, and then test on the listening equipment you expect to be played on. That works for me because I get about 23-25 plays per track on average - so my testing can be minimal But most of the bases are covered by mixing on decent speakers in a treated room. I'm sure those 25 people really appreciate my efforts.

But you were joking, right? Ho, Ho.

[Hugh Robjohns]

You could say, as I do, that it’s better to check on similar types of speakers that the average listener will use.

FTFY

[Arpangel]

You could say, as I do, that it’s better to check on similar types of speakers that the average listener will use.

FTFY

Thanks Hugh

But you were joking, right? Ho, Ho.

What? me?

[ef37a]

I really don't understand this approach?
There is a thread elsewhere about "High fi! and in that I outlined my "progress" in sound repro from pre teen to present day.

The first thing anyone who hears live music, be it only the Sally army band in the street, misses on a radio is the bass. Much of my early work was getting down to 50Hz or so. Later on as FM was acquired a tweeter was added. Stereo was first experienced on a Pye stereogram with a train going past but as the years went by I began to understand more of the theory of accurate stereo reproduction. Not all speaker makers understood this! Sonab was one with those blasted reflectors.

My musical leanings were classical, acoustic but I also enjoy Beatles, Quo, Straights di-dah. IMHO, "electric" people deserve accurate reproduction just as much as the long haired brigade!

Dave.

[Arpangel]

I really don't understand this approach?
There is a thread elsewhere about "High fi! and in that I outlined my "progress" in sound repro from pre teen to present day.

The first thing anyone who hears live music, be it only the Sally army band in the street, misses on a radio is the bass. Much of my early work was getting down to 50Hz or so. Later on as FM was acquired a tweeter was added. Stereo was first experienced on a Pye stereogram with a train going past but as the years went by I began to understand more of the theory of accurate stereo reproduction. Not all speaker makers understood this! Sonab was one with those blasted reflectors.

My musical leanings were classical, acoustic but I also enjoy Beatles, Quo, Straights di-dah. IMHO, "electric" people deserve accurate reproduction just as much as the long haired brigade!

Dave.

When dealing with acoustic music, there are definite reference points.
Electronic music doesn’t have them, no one knows what a synthesiser sounds like, so you just have to get stuff that makes your music sound as you’d like it.

[Sam Spoons]

I think Dave is talking about the middle ground, the 'electric band' be it the Beatles or Pink Floyd or Weather Report. A mix of acoustic, electric and synthesised instruments played together, amplified or miked, in a room.

[ef37a]

I think Dave is talking about the middle ground, the 'electric band' be it the Beatles or Pink Floyd or Weather Report. A mix of acoustic, electric and synthesised instruments played together, amplified or miked, in a room.

Yes a bit Sam but even synths go very low and have harmonics way beyond 'grot box' speakers. How can you hope to get a decent balance of what you can't hear? Be like ME trying to do it! (I am great at tracking down 50/100Hz hum tho'but!)

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

How can you hope to get a decent balance of what you can't hear?

You can't.... but there's some ambiguity over what counts as "decent"... and often good enough is good enough.

You don't need Rolls Royce comfort or Ferrari technology if you're happy just driving to Lidl...

[ef37a]

How can you hope to get a decent balance of what you can't hear?

You can't.... but there's some ambiguity over what counts as "decent"... and often good enough is good enough.

You don't need Rolls Royce comfort or Ferrari technology if you're happy just driving to Lidl...

Ha ha! Not sure what that says about Tony's music Hugh!

Dave.

[Sam Spoons]

I think Dave is talking about the middle ground, the 'electric band' be it the Beatles or Pink Floyd or Weather Report. A mix of acoustic, electric and synthesised instruments played together, amplified or miked, in a room.

Yes a bit Sam but even synths go very low and have harmonics way beyond 'grot box' speakers. How can you hope to get a decent balance of what you can't hear? Be like ME trying to do it! (I am great at tracking down 50/100Hz hum tho'but!)

Dave.

Yes, but my point was more in answer to Tony's assertion that

When dealing with acoustic music, there are definite reference points.
Electronic music doesn’t have them, no one knows what a synthesiser sounds like, so you just have to get stuff that makes your music sound as you’d like it.

i.e. that they do know what the synths (and electric guitars) sound like coming out of the speakers required to amplify them so fidelity in the monitoring chain does matter if you want your listeners to hear your music as you intended it sound.

[ef37a]

I think Dave is talking about the middle ground, the 'electric band' be it the Beatles or Pink Floyd or Weather Report. A mix of acoustic, electric and synthesised instruments played together, amplified or miked, in a room.

Yes a bit Sam but even synths go very low and have harmonics way beyond 'grot box' speakers. How can you hope to get a decent balance of what you can't hear? Be like ME trying to do it! (I am great at tracking down 50/100Hz hum tho'but!)

Dave.

Yes, but my point was more in answer to Tony's assertion that

When dealing with acoustic music, there are definite reference points.
Electronic music doesn’t have them, no one knows what a synthesiser sounds like, so you just have to get stuff that makes your music sound as you’d like it.

i.e. that they do know what the synths (and electric guitars) sound like coming out of the speakers required to amplify them so fidelity in the monitoring chain does matter if you want your listeners to hear your music as you intended it sound.

In any case I knew "what a synth sounds like" way before the buggers were invented because we had a Cossor sig genny at work with sine/square modulation! Plus the organ Co dad worked at made a VALVE! electronic church organ with, iirc a 32ft stop. Talking early '60s.

Dave.

[Arpangel]

In any case I knew "what a synth sounds like" way before the buggers were invented because we had a Cossor sig genny at work with sine/square modulation! Plus the organ Co dad worked at made a VALVE! electronic church organ with, iirc a 32ft stop. Talking early '60s.

Dave.

Ha Ha! yes, and now all those trendy "experimentalists" can’t get hold of 60’s sig-gen's quick enough.



In the meantime, just trying to book a demo of these Adams, with no success, here in central London, ironic really.

[ef37a]

In any case I knew "what a synth sounds like" way before the buggers were invented because we had a Cossor sig genny at work with sine/square modulation! Plus the organ Co dad worked at made a VALVE! electronic church organ with, iirc a 32ft stop. Talking early '60s.

Dave.

Ha Ha! yes, and now all those trendy "experimentalists" can’t get hold of 60’s sig-gen's quick enough.



In the meantime, just trying to book a demo of these Adams, with no success, here in central London, ironic really.

Actually Arp' if you could find one of those "Gregorian" valve organs you would I am sure have a lot of fun with one. Build like a BSH, massive Jones plugs so easy to restore. You could have the manuals upstairs and the electronics in the cellar...keep it cosy!

Dave.

[Arpangel]

In any case I knew "what a synth sounds like" way before the buggers were invented because we had a Cossor sig genny at work with sine/square modulation! Plus the organ Co dad worked at made a VALVE! electronic church organ with, iirc a 32ft stop. Talking early '60s.

Dave.

Ha Ha! yes, and now all those trendy "experimentalists" can’t get hold of 60’s sig-gen's quick enough.



In the meantime, just trying to book a demo of these Adams, with no success, here in central London, ironic really.

Actually Arp' if you could find one of those "Gregorian" valve organs you would I am sure have a lot of fun with one. Build like a BSH, massive Jones plugs so easy to restore. You could have the manuals upstairs and the electronics in the cellar...keep it cosy!

Dave.

Amazing! but I’ve still got this big Farfisa taking up room, must do something about it.