Axe FX III: Studio Monitors or PA Speakers

rmg471

rmg471

Member
All:

I've looked through many, many posts. I've yet to see a conclusion. Is there a "best" way to listen to the output of the Axe FX? I have 2 12" powered mains that I have been using. Only because of curiosity, I've wondered if it would sound "better" with a pair of studio monitors. I used to have a pair of KRK Rokit 8 G3s. The Axe FX sounds "different" through the mains, but not necessarily "better" or "worse." I'm sitting about 3 feet from the speakers in a home office.

I thought that the mains would let me know more of what to expect at a gig, but studio monitors may be more "proper" in my office scenario.

Thanks, everyone.

Ryan
 
Too many variables to say one is "better" than the other. You could EQ your 12" speakers perfectly in your office, then in a live situation in another room it will sound completely different.

I create my patches on studio monitors, check them against live recordings of my band from the board to see how it sits in the mix, and listen during sound check to see how everything is fitting. After a while you'll get the hang of what works best all around.
 
ColemanEuclid said:
Too many variables to say one is "better" than the other. You could EQ your 12" speakers perfectly in your office, then in a live situation in another room it will sound completely different.

I create my patches on studio monitors, check them against live recordings of my band from the board to see how it sits in the mix, and listen during sound check to see how everything is fitting. After a while you'll get the hang of what works best all around.
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Why did you choose to use studio monitors to create your patches rather than normal 12" PA mains?
 
Create patches as close to gig volume and using same or similar gear. Then when you get to the gig not much has changed.

Many use studio monitors for a pleasant listening experience but they don’t always translate to a loud gig situation. You’ll just have to try and see what works. There is no “best” for every situation.
 
Being that close, studio monitors make more sense IMO; they usually fall into the "near-field" monitor category. I don't have any issues creating presets that translate very well to a PA using my studio monitors. I have yet to need to make any adjustments from home to venue.
 
If it's more in the office I'd stick with the studio monitors. If you're planning on playing live a lot the PA styled ones are the way to go
 
Creating patches through PA speakers rather than studio monitors makes no sense to me. A PA speaker is the last thing I would ever use as a reference. They are inaccurate and differ wildly from one another. They are meant to be efficient (loud), and not much else. IMO.
 
steadystate said:
Creating patches through PA speakers rather than studio monitors makes no sense to me. A PA speaker is the last thing I would ever use as a reference. They are inaccurate and differ wildly from one another. They are meant to be efficient (loud), and not much else. IMO.
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But that’s how the audience hear your guitar, so to me it makes perfect sense to use a pa to make patches.

It’s Good to have options and I agree with you more if I’m creating patches for recording/studio/YouTube etc
 
Everyone will have a different opinion, but it would make sense to use the best Studio Monitors you could afford ( preferably with as Flat of a frequency response as possible ). Good Studio Monitors are designed to allow you to hear more detail in audio ( frequency, spatial, etc. ) than you would ever be able to hear in a PA type speaker. If you fine tune your patches in really good studio monitors, you should be able to create presets free of audio defects ( low end rumble, too much reverb, etc... ) than you might be able to detect in a PA type speaker, and thus, a Live engineer will need to do less to tune your sound for a good PA. Genelecs are great ( but everyone will have their favorites ) because they allow you to hear great detail in the audio spectrum, but they are pricey... Mackie HR824's are a great alternative and sound eerily similar to Genelecs, but you can find them used for about $500 a pair.
 
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i think the main issue going from bedroom to stage is the volume at which you listen to things. if you create presets quietly, then turn it up at the gig, the FM curve will cause things to sound too bass and treble heavy.

regardless of the speakers you choose, being as close to gig volume as possible - even just for a few seconds - will show you what it may sound like at the gig. but room size, amount of people in there, and many other factors affect all aspects of audio, not just guitar sounds.
 
And being very familiar with how your speakers sound... reference your favorite guitar tones from your music collection and A/B them...
 
There is still a gap in available PA speakers for affordable 'genuinely' accurate set of roadworthy studio monitors. You can get them (Meyer for example) but bloody expensive.
+1 for Studio Monitors. If you make all your patches with PA speakers, they will all sound different what you change to a different brand/model. (and you will). If you make them with good studio monitors, you have a chance of the patches translating ok from one pa/room/environment to another.
Thanks
Pauly
 
Callan said:
But that’s how the audience hear your guitar, so to me it makes perfect sense to use a pa to make patches.

It’s Good to have options and I agree with you more if I’m creating patches for recording/studio/YouTube etc
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This was exactly my thought, but after researching near-field and all of that... I thought otherwise. I still don't know.. sounds like studio monitors may give me a different result.
 
If you listen to or play along with music from your computer, another good thing about studio monitors is that they will provide a huge improvement in fidelity. I hear things I missed before. I use Adams studio monitors at home and a CLR to gig. I don't even try to make gig patches on the monitors. I do that on the CLR at gig volume.
 
So for you guys that prefer studio monitors... the only local choice I have is the Yamaha HS8 or the KRK Rokit 8 G4. Any thoughts on which you would prefer? The Yamahas have been out for 6 years and the KRK is a new model just released.

I've searched online and read comparisons, but it's almost always someone trying to produce EDM, not reproduce a guitar signal.
 
chris said:
i think the main issue going from bedroom to stage is the volume at which you listen to things. if you create presets quietly, then turn it up at the gig, the FM curve will cause things to sound too bass and treble heavy.

regardless of the speakers you choose, being as close to gig volume as possible - even just for a few seconds - will show you what it may sound like at the gig. but room size, amount of people in there, and many other factors affect all aspects of audio, not just guitar sounds.
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Definitely this. Whenever people complain about presets not translating well from home to venue, the level at which the user is finalizing their presets is usually the culprit. Personal experience has led me to finalize presets @ 70-75dB with studio monitors in order to translate well to a venue that runs @ 100dB. These levels seem to provide the same perceived volume where I typically play; studio monitors at 3-4 feet, line arrays at 75-100 feet.
 
rmg471 said:
So for you guys that prefer studio monitors... the only local choice I have is the Yamaha HS8 or the KRK Rokit 8 G4. Any thoughts on which you would prefer? The Yamahas have been out for 6 years and the KRK is a new model just released.

I've searched online and read comparisons, but it's almost always someone trying to produce EDM, not reproduce a guitar signal.
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i've read that the KRK isn't preferred by most. i've heard some and don't like the high end personally.

most enjoy the Yamaha if they've tried them.
 
I do NOT like listening to PA speaker mains in close proximity. They already tend to have a dodgy mid-range if you don't spend a bajillion dollars, and then in close quarters the treble and bass images don't merge properly at all. You end up with this weird muddy mess that doesn't seem to respond to EQ in any sensible way. I think you need to get 10+ feet away to start feeling decent about the sound coming off a horn loaded PA style speaker.

KRKs suck too.
 
Promit said:
I do NOT like listening to PA speaker mains in close proximity. They already tend to have a dodgy mid-range if you don't spend a bajillion dollars, and then in close quarters the treble and bass images don't merge properly at all. You end up with this weird muddy mess that doesn't seem to respond to EQ in any sensible way. I think you need to get 10+ feet away to start feeling decent about the sound coming off a horn loaded PA style speaker.

KRKs suck too.
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I was afraid that’s what I was hearing. Standing in line to pay for a pair of HS8 monitors now.
 
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