recs on sub to pair with mackie hr824
cporro
some alesis m1 mk2 actives. wow, what a difference for not that much
more used. the alesis literally sounded like cardboard tubes after
hearing the mackies.
at the time i wasn't that interested in subs. the mackies get down
much lower then the alesis and are much cleaner doing it. but now
after doing a lot of ear training where the lowest pitch to ID is 31hz
i'm rethinking subs. i can actually pick it out on the mackies...and
through some miracle of room modes even the alesis. but, it's much
quieter.
if i do pick up a sub what would people who used them recommend to
pair with these speakers? my obvious first guess would be the mackie
companion sub...i think hrs150.
one thing to consider, i don't monitor much past 75db normally.
and looking at the pricy-ness of subs, i don't mind going used, or
perhaps using a lower wattage if advisable.
thanks.
Scott Dorsey
>i got these mackies based in part on comments/recs here. they replaced
>some alesis m1 mk2 actives. wow, what a difference for not that much
>more used. the alesis literally sounded like cardboard tubes after
>hearing the mackies.
Yes. You can actually mix on the Mackies.
>at the time i wasn't that interested in subs. the mackies get down
>much lower then the alesis and are much cleaner doing it. but now
>after doing a lot of ear training where the lowest pitch to ID is 31hz
>i'm rethinking subs. i can actually pick it out on the mackies...and
>through some miracle of room modes even the alesis. but, it's much
>quieter.
The problem is that unless your room is fixed, adding subs is going to
cause more trouble than it solves.
>if i do pick up a sub what would people who used them recommend to
>pair with these speakers? my obvious first guess would be the mackie
>companion sub...i think hrs150.
It's a little tubby, but it's okay. I'd be more apt to recommend the
Hsu Research STF-1. The STF-1 does not have a real crossover; only the
low-pass is built into the sub, so you will need the Hsu high pass box
(or an external crossover) to keep the bass out of the Mackies.
>one thing to consider, i don't monitor much past 75db normally.
>
>and looking at the pricy-ness of subs, i don't mind going used, or
>perhaps using a lower wattage if advisable.
The Hsu is designed to go pretty low without being designed to be loud.
NHT also makes an inexpensive sub like this as well. And you can build your
own; a sealed box sub is a good first speaker construction project.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Ethan Winer
> at the time i wasn't that interested in subs. the mackies get down
> much lower then the alesis and are much cleaner doing it. but now
> after doing a lot of ear training where the lowest pitch to ID is 31hz
> i'm rethinking subs.
I agree with Scott that a subwoofer is not as important as bass traps
and other room treatment. Mackie 824s go plenty low for mixing typical
pop music. If you're doing movie sound tracks in 5.1 surround then you
need a sub. Otherwise, I'd stick with just the 824s.
--Ethan
hank alrich
What he said. Placement is critical to get the best from the HR824's,
and there is no substitute for room treatment.
A week ago I got to play live music with Shaidri in Jerry Tubb's
mastering room at Terra Nova Digital Audio in Austin TX, and man, what a
thrill. Acoustic guitar, fiddle, and vocals in a room where one can hear
tiny tweaks to a recorded sound really show off the benefits of a
gorgeously set up space.
--
ha
shut up and play your guitar
cporro
saves me some cash that will spend elsewhere on studio gear.
my room is kinda ghetto and the last time i posted on another studio
building board people were more concerned about fire hazards then my
standing waves.
it's pretty big for a place in san francisco. a bit more then 3500 cu/
ft. i do have 6 GIK panels and 4 corner traps. but i feel i need a lot
more. one thing i may have going for me is a large concrete slab and
walls that aren't very rigid. so really low bass can exit a bit
better. although i do hear a room mode around 50hz.
i don't know how well r-19 works as a bass trap but the ceiling is
filled with it and open. likewise i will put r13 on most of the walls,
also open. i need it anyway for thermal insulation. now the room has
way less boxy-ness to it, but the kraftface on the insulation has made
it a bit reflective for highs i feel.
i've run some acoustic tools...room eq wizard...and the room comes up
with some of the modes predicted by mode calculators. it still sounds
way better to my ears then any other residential room i've worked in.
stay tuned for my next ghetto mcgyver adventure.
hank alrich
> ah, the voices of reason. thx. you are probably right and may have
> saves me some cash that will spend elsewhere on studio gear.
>
> my room is kinda ghetto and the last time i posted on another studio
> building board people were more concerned about fire hazards then my
> standing waves.
>
> it's pretty big for a place in san francisco. a bit more then 3500 cu/
> ft. i do have 6 GIK panels and 4 corner traps. but i feel i need a lot
> more. one thing i may have going for me is a large concrete slab and
> walls that aren't very rigid. so really low bass can exit a bit
> better. although i do hear a room mode around 50hz.
>
> i don't know how well r-19 works as a bass trap but the ceiling is
> filled with it and open. likewise i will put r13 on most of the walls,
> also open. i need it anyway for thermal insulation. now the room has
> way less boxy-ness to it, but the kraftface on the insulation has made
> it a bit reflective for highs i feel.
Check out this stuff:
http://www.asiproaudio.com/cotton_acoustical_panel.htm
Recycled cotton acoustical panels, very friendly physically and
environmentally, and very effective, too, moreso than fiberglas.
> i've run some acoustic tools...room eq wizard...and the room comes up
> with some of the modes predicted by mode calculators. it still sounds
> way better to my ears then any other residential room i've worked in.
>
> stay tuned for my next ghetto mcgyver adventure.
Standing by... <g>.
cporro
treatment.
i guess, i'm also looking for a way to seal up the walls and ceiling
so that the fiberglass isn't right there in site. it's about 1000
sqft. something that absorbs upwards of 2k and is transparent for the
lower stuff. that way the fiberglass can contribute.
in my imagination is see a product cheap as dywall, semi rigid, light,
and easy to fasten to 24OC framing. basically gets the stuff that the
kraftface paper is reflecting back.
i'm aways looking for the contractor/industrial version of acoustic
treatment. like the cinder block speaker stand mentioned here.
already spent 20k on this space. not a lot, but a lot for me.
cporro
barrier material and frost cover. super cheap, strong, and very
breathable. even looks kinda cool. comes in black and frost barrier
white.
i look forward to constructing my wall size semi effective acoustic
panel.
Scott Dorsey
>
>i'm aways looking for the contractor/industrial version of acoustic
>treatment. like the cinder block speaker stand mentioned here.
>
>already spent 20k on this space. not a lot, but a lot for me.
Depends what you need. If you need diffusion, piles of old junk and random
brick or wood panels will do. If you need high frequency absorption,
fibreglass banners look ugly but give you more absorption for your dollar than
anything else. If you have low frequency issues, you need traps and you can
build them with the plans on Ethan's site.
Drop ceilings are nightmares, no matter WHAT is up above them. There's no
real solution other than to just remove them, I don't think. No matter what
you do, you still have a resonant chamber up there.