need help choosing between these monitor systems for a filmmaking setup

M

martianfilm

New member
I am trying to set up a workstation for doing my movies in final cut,. I need something that is professional enough to create accurate soundtracks, but would also like to be able to use the system to enjoy watching dvds since this will serve as my entertainment center as well. My question is , can you make good quality sound with these plastic logitechs , are they better than the M audio since they are THX certified?

Also, these M audio dont have a woofer like the logitech does. To me, that makes it look like the Logitech is a better deal, but I also question whether you can make create a soundtrack with what looks like consumer multimedia system, whereas the M Audio looks like a prosumer system.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...0&cs=04&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=25747&lid=585573



http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/DX4-main.html
 
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The m audio are going to be much more accurate. Do not get the logitech. Neither of these options are really very close to ideal, but there is nothing wrong with getting some cheap entry level monitors to get started. There may be other models in that price range (or a little more) that are better.

Again, do not buy any consumer computer speakers!!
 
Well you have two very different systems there neither of which are "professional enough to create accurate soundtracks". THX doesn't mean much. It started out as a way to ensure some sort of quality in commercial theatres. But they have some pretty strange ideas about do's and don't and they have totally diluted the name by selling it to anybody. People think it's like UL or something but it isn't.
Anyway the Logitech stuff is VERY consumer sub or no sub you are not going to get anything accurate out of speaker that size and that is not what they are about. They are about gaming and whiz bang sound FX. And that is a 5.1 set up which means you will need six outs from somewhere. The M-Audio are at least music oriented and will give you a MUCH better sound and poss come close to accurate. They are a stereo pair. I love inexpensive choices but $200 for two powered speakers would make me VERY skeptical of quality. I have inexpensive speakers that are pretty accurate and that work well and they are not powered and go for around $250-$300 each. It may seem expensive to spend $600-$800 (including an amp) for speakers but the standard (about as close to one as there is, which isn't very close) are Genelec 1032A speakers. Those will set you back $2,500 each.
I would look a little higher up the M-Audio line. Avid bought them (after eating Digidesign) and some of there better speakers are supposed to be good. Also Event 20/20's are pretty affordable and well thought of for post.
My personal recommendation is to stay with a stereo set up.
You also need some kind of sound box to get the signal out of the computer with decent quality. The "audio out" from the computer is not a good choice. It's noisy and is going to clip with loud sounds. M-Audio makes some decent boxes, MOTU makes better ones and you might consider an Alesis mixer with firewire port. They are very affordable and sound good plus you can use it as a regular mixer.
 
I will have to look into the sound box and mixer. Any specific soundbox model you might reccomend? Do you think its better to go with Stereo setup because its easier to mix for that format than trying to get a surround sound mix.
 
martianfilm said:
I will have to look into the sound box and mixer. Any specific soundbox model you might reccomend? Do you think its better to go with Stereo setup because its easier to mix for that format than trying to get a surround sound mix.
Click to expand...

Good surround mixes start with good stereo mixes.

In addition to those already mentioned by Noiz, you might take a look at Echo Audio interfaces. I have an Echo AudioFire8 8 channel that I really like - very clean sound. For monitors I have a stereo pair of JBL Pro LSR4328's, soon to add a sub, and would recommend giving them a listen. The reason I suggest considering the JBLs is they have an automatic room correction mode that calibrates the speakers and adjusts them for problem room acoustics. (Even told me my left speaker was 2 inches farther from my mix position than the right speaker LOL.) It's not a substitute for conditioning your workspace but it is a very big help when your circumstances prevent a full room treatment and the difference when RMC is active is dramatic.
 
Steve,
How are you liking those? I've been using Yorkville YSM-1's (a sort of quiet secret) and they translate to the big screen really well but always looking for options. The other thing that everyone who has been here working with them has mentioned is that they don't fatigue your ears as fast as what they are used to. I like hearing that but god knows if they are calibrating their rooms or listening to over amped NS-10's.
My room has worked out pretty well (by accident, a wall of bookshelves behind you can do wonders for a room) but I will probably move in the not too distant future and it might be really nice to have speakers that helped the ??? space I end up working in.
 
Noiz2 said:
Steve,
How are you liking those? I've been using Yorkville YSM-1's (a sort of quiet secret) and they translate to the big screen really well but always looking for options. The other thing that everyone who has been here working with them has mentioned is that they don't fatigue your ears as fast as what they are used to. I like hearing that but god knows if they are calibrating their rooms or listening to over amped NS-10's.
My room has worked out pretty well (by accident, a wall of bookshelves behind you can do wonders for a room) but I will probably move in the not too distant future and it might be really nice to have speakers that helped the ??? space I end up working in.
Click to expand...

I really like the JBL's. Very smooth and accurate response to my ears and I don't find them at all fatiguing. When I was in the final stages of decision making I A/B auditioned them against Dynaudio, Genelec, and K&H and to get noticably better sound I'd have had to go with the K&H O300 at almost 8 kilobucks. The RMC is uncanny - the kit comes with a reference mic tht you plug into the left speaker and set up where your head would be when mixing. Hold down a button until the meters start to sweep and then step back out of the way. The system starts to emit a series of sweep tones from each speaker and records the results, and then their on-board computers set up each speaker's equalization, phase, delay, etc to tune out any bumps or dips, standing wave peakiness, phase shifts due to distance variations, etc. It's really amazing. The speakers are networked to each other and your workstation through ethernet for system control (audio, of course is on its own conventional analog or AES/SPDif digital connections).
 
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I also have the JBL 4326 monitors and I love them! If you were going to add the sub anyway, you could probably just go with the 6".
I love the remote and the fact that you can turn them on or off with one click too!
 
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