About to pull the trigger on an AX8, but what speaker/speakers to get?

C

cleanplanets

Member
hey guys,

I know this has been asked before, and i have read some stuff but there is just way too much info to make a informed decision.

Im not going to be doing a ton of recording ( maybe a little) - mostly just bedroom practice and my biggest concern is tone.

I want something that will sound killer for high gain/delay solo and rhythm stuff. Something with a nice bottom end to dial in recto type bottom end chugging.

Should i go with monitors or a wedge? Im not looking to break the bank so whats the consensus on best bang for the buck? maybe in the 5-800 range.

thanks for any input.
 
Studio monitors are great, but they should have a certain size. I wouldn't go for anything with less than 6" drivers. Small monitors can be extremely high quality with very precise output, but for guitar, you want oompf more than extreme quality.
 
Smittefar said:
Studio monitors are great, but they should have a certain size. I wouldn't go for anything with less than 6" drivers. Small monitors can be extremely high quality with very precise output, but for guitar, you want oompf more than extreme quality.
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What do you mean by oompf? I bought the new Adam T7V, they are 70 Watts each, was that a wrong decision :(?
 
QSC K8.2 goes for $650 (U.S.) new. Try it with the Studio Monitor preset. It translates great to small venues, too.
 
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I use Focale Alpha 50s which are 5 inch and they sound great. I also have a Yamaha DXR10 which I like a lot, but I wouldn't go back from stereo I get from the monitors. Just my $.02
 
Wigam2 said:
I use Focale Alpha 50s which are 5 inch and they sound great. I also have a Yamaha DXR10 which I like a lot, but I wouldn't go back from stereo I get from the monitors. Just my $.02
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I use focal alpha 50s too and a Yamaha DBR10 when gigging. They are both great and reasonably priced here in Canada.
 
I just bought the Adam T7V's they are plenty loud for playing along to CD's and YT video / music, in my studio.
Looking at my SPL meter jamming at 90db, the Adams are on cruise control sounding great.
I also have the Presonus Eris E8's and like those a lot too.
The QSC K 8.2 is also a nice floor monitor.
 
scottp said:
I just bought the Adam T7V's they are plenty loud for playing along to CD's and YT video / music, in my studio.
Looking at my SPL meter jamming at 90db, the Adams are on cruise control sounding great.
I also have the Presonus Eris E8's and like those a lot too.
The QSC K 8.2 is also a nice floor monitor.
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Hi, I'm new to all this, I have set my t7v right on the 0db mark on it's level pot, I tried some presets, the majority of them came set at -12 to -18 db on the level knob and they sound ok, but if I turn down the level knob to -9 for example, the notes sound more clear, more trebbly, but also the monitors make a scratchy sound, I don't know if it's vibration or normal distortion but sounds a bit unpleasing to me and I'm afraid I could be pushing them to much and that I could harm them, does this happens to you? The only way I know right now to solve this is lowering the level knob till that crackling noise disappears. How do I know if that sound is normal? Or if I'm damaging my monitors? Could you give me some advice?

Thanks!!!
 
Follow directions to level your presets found in the manual. They should hover near the line on the utility VU meter on the AX.

Then set your OUT1 or OUT2 level to not overload the device you are going into. Straight into a powered monitor this could be as low as 9 o’clock which is as low as 6-7% output level when you are looking at the utility meter (AX8). If you are driving pro monitors or a mixer this is all it will most likely need to get real loud on a powered mixer in your home.

You can set global options to reduce output level for OUT1 level from +4 to -10 if it is too hot. Again that is on an AX8. Or you can set your speaker to negative gain to lower it on the speakers amp.

Hope some of this helps. There is also a good video on setting levels in the sticky videos section for AX8 discussion.
 
WhiteSpace said:
Follow directions to level your presets found in the manual. They should hover near the line on the utility VU meter on the AX.

Then set your OUT1 or OUT2 level to not overload the device you are going into. Straight into a powered monitor this could be as low as 9 o’clock which is as low as 6-7% output level when you are looking at the utility meter (AX8). If you are driving pro monitors or a mixer this is all it will most likely need to get real loud on a powered mixer in your home.

You can set global options to reduce output level for OUT1 level from +4 to -10 if it is too hot. Again that is on an AX8. Or you can set your speaker to negative gain to lower it on the speakers amp.

Hope some of this helps. There is also a good video on setting levels in the sticky videos section for AX8 discussion.
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Signal is not clipping, but if I go on level knob from -15 to -9, monitors start making that noise I'm talking about even if signal is not clipping which makes me worry I'm damaging them :s
 
You mean ‘main out clip’ on AX is not lit. That’s good. But the OUT1 and OUT2 do not have clip indicators in the AX unit.

They just send out signal and if it’s too hot for what it’s going into (ie mixer) you will see it on the mixer clip meter as too hot coming into the mixer. Or in your case it may be overloading your powered speaker because you say it sounds distorted. Sometimes there is a red light on back of powered speaker for limit. I have this on my powered monitor.
 
In other words the clip indicators in the AX front panel really indicate if the preset level output is too hot for the OUT1 out OUT2 input which are the analogue output converters.

I could be wrong but that is how I understand it to work.
 
WhiteSpace said:
In other words the clip indicators in the AX front panel really indicate if the preset level output is too hot for the OUT1 out OUT2 input which are the analogue output converters.

I could be wrong but that is how I understand it to work.
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The Adam t7v are only 70 Watts... Could that be the problem? Should I sell them and get a higher wattage pair?
 
What position is you OUT main level at?

Try this: turn down your OUT1 main or OUT2 fx send (whichever is going into Adam) almost all the way to the left. And then slowly turn it up till it doesn’t make the noise and you get an ok level.

You actually want the preset level closer to zero which you will be able to do if you first turn down the main out level. The knob marked Level beside master is your preset level (volume) before it gets sent to the OUT1 ouput to go out the AX.

The alternative is too turn the speaker down if possible. I have 50 watt focal alpha 50 and I can power them louder than I need to without clipping and I only need the OUT level at a very low setting like between 7 and 9. o’clock.
 
WhiteSpace said:
What position is you OUT main level at?

Try this: turn down your OUT1 main or OUT2 fx send (whichever is going into Adam) almost all the way to the left. And then slowly turn it up till it doesn’t make the noise and you get an ok level.

You actually want the preset level closer to zero which you will be able to do if you first turn down the main out level. The knob marked Level beside master is your preset level (volume) before it gets sent to the OUT1 ouput to go out the AX.

The alternative is too turn the speaker down if possible. I have 50 watt focal alpha 50 and I can power them louder than I need to without clipping and I only need the OUT level at a very low setting like between 7 and 9. o’clock.
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My main out 1 volume knob isit always at 100% because that's unity gain, I learned that on Austin buddy videos and that that's the way it should be, then I compensate with master volume and level on amp block. How do you do it?
 
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