KrK monitors & EQ

Dr Buds

Dr Buds

Inspired
Hi all,

So after a few weeks with the AF2 playing solely through headphones I tried it out through my studio monitors for the first time over the weekend - Krk rokit 8's. I've found that I had to radically alter the global EQ settings to take out all the bottom end as they were VERY boomy, especially with palm muting. Obviously the presets I've dialled in using headphones were always going to sound different through speakers, but none have particularly crazy low frequency settings and some other factory presets I tried were the same. There's a dial on the rear panel to adjust High Frequency, but nothing else. Obviously they're not the ideal speakers to be playing the AXE through, but until I can get a CLR or alike I'm sort of stuck with this setup. Just wondering if anyone else has had experience with these monitors??

Thanks
 
I had the rockit 8's (gen2) for a while and I also found them to be boomy and muddy. The cabinet also made cracking noises as they heated up. Much happier with my yamaha hs80's.
 
I just bought some PreSonus Eris E8's yesterday at GC and compared them to the KRK Rokit 8's that I was initially going to get, and that is exactly what the difference was, they were boomy (lots of bass, a little muddy as compared to these). Now the ones I bought are in a box still and my AFX is on the way to my house, SO, I have to realy world review, yet.

Many guys used the Rokit 8's and said they sounded good with the Axe-FX. I am sure there is a way to fix it.
 
I have those speakers too, although with the Ultra, and my experience has been the same. I just raise the low cut option in the advance tab of the amp block and all is well again.
 
Hmmm? I have the Gen 2 rokit 8's and don't find them to be boomy at all (and I play a lot of 7 string stuff) I will have to look at the back as I know there are some knobs back there that must do something to "adjust" the EQ of the speaker.
 
Hmm, ok. I guess I'll have to upgrade at some point but for the time being I'll have to put up with it. My only worry now is, will this be an issue for me when it comes to recording? Sorry, my lack of experience is really going to shine through here! But if I'm having to compensate for the sound I'm hearing in the room with EQ, is this going to be a false representation of what I'm actually recording? In other words, if I get it sounding ok through my setup and record something, is it going to sound totally empty and lacking bottom end once I complete a track and upload it for other people to hear??


Thanks for the replies by the way!
 
When you switch from headphones to speakers, you're going to get a change in EQ. With speakers, there's a feedback loop from speaker to guitar to amp to speaker to guitar to...

With headphones, there's no feedback loop.

That feedback loop is going to emphasize some frequencies and cut back other frequencies. That can cause a major EQ change. A big part of the change you're hearing is caused by room resonances, not by the speaker.
 
kmanick said:
Hmmm? I have the Gen 2 rokit 8's and don't find them to be boomy at all (and I play a lot of 7 string stuff) I will have to look at the back as I know there are some knobs back there that must do something to "adjust" the EQ of the speaker.
Click to expand...

Not boomy for me. They sound awesome....
 
kmanick said:
Hmmm? I have the Gen 2 rokit 8's and don't find them to be boomy at all (and I play a lot of 7 string stuff) I will have to look at the back as I know there are some knobs back there that must do something to "adjust" the EQ of the speaker.
Click to expand...

kmanick - They only have a knob for high frequency adjustment and a volume control. It is strange that you're not experiencing the same thing. I obviously need to play around with it some more before I give them the boot!
 
Rex said:
When you switch from headphones to speakers, you're going to get a change in EQ. With speakers, there's a feedback loop from speaker to guitar to amp to speaker to guitar to...

With headphones, there's no feedback loop.

That feedback loop is going to emphasize some frequencies and cut back other frequencies. That can cause a major EQ change. A big part of the change you're hearing is caused by room resonances, not by the speaker.
Click to expand...

Thanks Rex - I figured they'd be different, but didn't expect that they would require such radical adjustment. So it's feeding back through the guitar p/ups?? I have them setup on a desk, just as any home setup would, and I obviously sit there at the desk and play, but that shouldn't really be an issue should it??
 
I have the $1200 set of Mackie 824s I use for my real studio stuff but wanted a small set to just use with the axefx so I didn't have to turn a bunch of stuff on and off. I tested a bunch at guitar center and actually bought the little Rokit 5's and they sound really well balanced and good. I tested them against a every monitor at GC that were in that range and some about $50-75 more and they actually sounded the best. The aren't awesome like my good Mackies but they do sound pretty great for the $129 each I paid for them.
 
Dr Buds said:
So it's feeding back through the guitar p/ups?? I have them setup on a desk, just as any home setup would, and I obviously sit there at the desk and play, but that shouldn't really be an issue should it??
Click to expand...
Nope. For most people it's a good thing. That super-smooth, singing sustain you get when playing at gig volume—that's caused by feedback from your speakers into your guitar. So is the actual, high-pitched harmonic feedback that loud notes bloom into; the stuff that actually sounds like "feedback." And best of all, there's nothing like the feel you get when you're playing a loud amp next to your guitar.

But it will change the EQ. So if you're going to play through speakers, dial in your tone while listening to those speakers.
 
I got Rokit 8s. Got them in a pretty good listening environment.

Check your tones man. When they come out boomy on these, they usually come out boomy on everything else too.

What amps and cabs you using?
 
Rex said:
Nope. For most people it's a good thing. That super-smooth, singing sustain you get when playing at gig volume—that's caused by feedback from your speakers into your guitar. So is the actual, high-pitched harmonic feedback that loud notes bloom into; the stuff that actually sounds like "feedback." And best of all, there's nothing like the feel you get when you're playing a loud amp next to your guitar.

But it will change the EQ. So if you're going to play through speakers, dial in your tone while listening to those speakers.
Click to expand...

Well I will, most likely be going back and forth between headphones and speakers, which is a bit annoying. But if I have to, I'll just make 2 versions of the presets I use most and EQ them for each purpose.

Before I do anything though, I'll look at the room setup. When I think about it, this makes the most sense as the desk is in a corner and the left speaker in particular (which is in that corner) is definitely gonna get boomy if it's too close to the wall. Didn't even think about that at the time!! I'll set the global EQ back to normal and reposition them and see if that makes the difference. I also might be getting some of the bass through the desk as it's an old wooden thing. Maybe something under them to help absorb the low end a little might help too. If that's all it is, then sorry for the silly questions guys. Usually I'd test this all out before posting a query but it was a quiet morning at work so....what the hey??
 
schlagdog said:
I have the $1200 set of Mackie 824s I use for my real studio stuff but wanted a small set to just use with the axefx so I didn't have to turn a bunch of stuff on and off. I tested a bunch at guitar center and actually bought the little Rokit 5's and they sound really well balanced and good. I tested them against a every monitor at GC that were in that range and some about $50-75 more and they actually sounded the best. The aren't awesome like my good Mackies but they do sound pretty great for the $129 each I paid for them.
Click to expand...

I have a set of Gen1 Rokit 5's that I use as my desktop monitors / PC speakers for listening to music, video playback, general audio, and for family-friendly playing volume with the AxeFX II. For these applications I really like them.

I've not had occasion to demo the Rokit 8's. I would have assumed them to have a similar sound to the Rokit 5's.
 
ALaz502 said:
I got Rokit 8s. Got them in a pretty good listening environment.

Check your tones man. When they come out boomy on these, they usually come out boomy on everything else too.

What amps and cabs you using?
Click to expand...

I was mainly using the USA Pre Yellow with a 4x12 mesa and 1960 4x12. Also an energyball with similar cabs. I know these 2 would be pretty boomy in the flesh anyway. It's probably just a combination of me getting used to the headphone sound, which is never going to have the same bottom end coming through as speakers would, and also my room setup (see previous post). I'm sure I'll get this sorted once I change that! If not, I'll just dial the tones to suit. Cheers
 
Dr Buds said:
Before I do anything though, I'll look at the room setup. When I think about it, this makes the most sense as the desk is in a corner and the left speaker in particular (which is in that corner) is definitely gonna get boomy if it's too close to the wall. Didn't even think about that at the time!!
Click to expand...
Yeah, corner placement will make a tin can sound boomy. :)
 
Deaj said:
I have a set of Gen1 Rokit 5's that I use as my desktop monitors / PC speakers for listening to music, video playback, general audio, and for family-friendly playing volume with the AxeFX II. For these applications I really like them.
Click to expand...
That's what I've got in my practice room. The sound really isn't bad—actually, quite good for the price—but I wish they had a bit more power for those rare occassions when I get to turn it up a little.
 
I had The rokit 6's for a day when I get my first axe II. Got rid of them the next day for adam a7x and now have genelecs. I read how the rokits were not "flat" and were made to emphasize the low frequencies which is exactly how I experienced them. People compare them to the dre "beats" of the monitor world. I didnt like them but some people do.
 
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