Multiple monitor setups?

I have some hs5s that are very solid but might upgrade soon for more low end information. I have headphones but can't wear them for more than a couple hours.

So I will probably want to use my hs5s along with the new pair. How do y'all go about plugging multiple pairs into your sound card/mixer?

Right now I have my pro40 going into a mackie802 and the monitors xlr out. Guess I could plug the others into the line out?

Any pointers?

yes

I guess I'd just get some headphone mixer to route the signal into 2 pairs of speakers. But if you're getting new monitors, why still keep the old ones? Seems like two pairs at the same time could be kind of messy sonically?

hey maybe i don't know what i'm talking about at all!

Patchbay!

I am running some Focal Alpha 80's as my mains and some Adam A5x's as secondary.

I'll rarely use the Adam's but good for low volume stuff as they don't throw any bottom end into this bigger room but because they have a volume knob unlike the Focal's they'll be usefull for chilling with details. The Focal's are constantly at full pelt so they are dynamically consistant and they throw out amazing low end, couldn't recommend them enough.

What about selling the Yamahas to fund a set of the best monitors you can afford instead? You just need the right pair really. At least that’s what I experience now with the Amphions (I used to have 2 sets FWIW).

I agree with Nil but I'd add that if you do keep both pairs, consider putting your B pair in a different room or something rather than using it as a second set of monitors in your studio.  That way you'd have a whole different listening environment to check mixes on, rather than just different speakers in the same room.  For me that's usually been more useful.

but yeah what others said, 2 pairs of speakers might be messy to setup without fucking up the acoustics... well at least for me that doesn't have that kind of experience...

Anyhow, you need something like this (but shop around because this one seems a bit too expensive for what is literally just a rotary witch and some jacks in a box - completely passive) but be aware that switching while audio is playing might cause pops or clicks that could damage your tweeters, it's the same as connecting a patch cable with the audio playing.  But this is the most affordable, reliable and transparent option.

  On 2/9/2018 at 6:21 PM, Nil said:

What about selling the Yamahas to fund a set of the best monitors you can afford instead? You just need the right pair really. At least that’s what I experience now with the Amphions (I used to have 2 sets FWIW).

that's what i did. i had the yamahas and wanted to add jbl monitors (was considering few models) but instead i sold the yamahas and some hw and bought neumann kh120. best decision ever!

What soundcard do you have?

  On 2/9/2018 at 7:53 PM, Squee said:

What soundcard do you have?

  On 2/9/2018 at 2:19 AM, sheathe said:

Right now I have my pro40

  On 2/9/2018 at 7:55 PM, THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON said:

 

  On 2/9/2018 at 7:53 PM, Squee said:

What soundcard do you have?

 

  On 2/9/2018 at 2:19 AM, sheathe said:

Right now I have my pro40

 

lol xD

Well, why not just plug in your new speakers into your 1/2 outputs and your reference monitors in 3/4 and then switch the output in your DAW?

  On 2/9/2018 at 7:58 PM, Squee said:

Well, why not just plug in your new speakers into your 1/2 outputs and your reference monitors in 3/4 and then switch the output in your DAW?

  On 2/9/2018 at 8:02 PM, THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON said:

 

  On 2/9/2018 at 7:58 PM, Squee said:

Well, why not just plug in your new speakers into your 1/2 outputs and your reference monitors in 3/4 and then switch the output in your DAW?

i think he wants to use them both at the same time...

 

Ok, apparently, I haven't read a single thing from the original post. I'll just back out of here...

(PS. Don't use two different pairs of speakers at the same time. For love of god...)

If you're happy with your monitors but want more low end, why not go with a sub instead of buying a new set of speakers?

both at the same time is generally a bad idea. For hi fi use it has it's proponents (I used to do it myself and it seemed to sound good at the time but once I switched back to one pair it sounded much better) but for monitoring it's just going to cause trouble. Even if you really go through the hassle of making sure both pairs of speakers are positioned so that the sound from them reaches your listening point without major phase problems, you'll basically have to be completely still at one specific point in space to have any kind of accuracy. I assumed the idea was to flip back and forth between them to check your mixes, which can theoretically be useful.

Sell the second pair and get a subwoofer has my vote.

Well, I’m about to get a release on rubadub. So maybe I will sell the hs5s plus proceeds and get new monitors.

Max budget is probably $1k. Also, how do you even hook up a sub? Never had one.

Never mind!

https://youtu.be/XJWKzPytw_U

$1k? Give APS monitors a try, they sound much more expensive than their price. I used to have a pair (now RSP’s) and they were amazing tools. I upgraded to high-end ones (Amphion One15s, which I love to bits) because I had the unexpected opportunity to do so, but the APS were a joy to use. FWIW I’m not a huge fan if the more popular brands à la Adam / Focal etc...

Neumann are also worth demoing from what I’ve been told.

  On 2/10/2018 at 3:43 AM, sheathe said:

Well, I’m about to get a release on rubadub. 

wow great news! congratz!

regarding monitors, you for the money you cant go wrong with either aps or neumanns

make him an offer:

https://reverb.com/item/10078595-neumann-kh-120-pair-with-neumann-case#description-tab

  On 2/9/2018 at 10:32 PM, Gocab said:

If you're happy with your monitors but want more low end, why not go with a sub instead of buying a new set of speakers?

I came here to post this.

I imagine the hs5’s bottom end just don’t fill your room as required , you could take a chance and pair them up with this...

https://www.yamahamusiclondon.com/HS8S-Subwoofer-Monitor/pidYAM-HS8S

Or alternatively, trade them in for new speakers.

  On 2/10/2018 at 12:34 PM, Nil said:

$1k? Give APS monitors a try, they sound much more expensive than their price. I used to have a pair (now RSP’s) and they were amazing tools. I upgraded to high-end ones (Amphion One15s, which I love to bits) because I had the unexpected opportunity to do so, but the APS were a joy to use. FWIW I’m not a huge fan if the more popular brands à la Adam / Focal etc...

Neumann are also worth demoing from what I’ve been told.

Seconding the APS.  I was specifically after sealed speakers and there aren't that many options in my price range so APS Coax were at the top of my list. I couldn't be happier.  If you're in the USA you'll probably have to go used, the retail price here is around $1800 (I haven't looked at any other APS prices so maybe there are others that are a little cheaper, but I thought the Coax was their least expensive model) because of the import costs and exchange rate, and they're heavy for their size (at least 25 pounds each) so shipping can be expensive.  They seem to go for about $1000 used here, if you can find them, and for that price they'd be hard to beat IMO.

They translate really well so far, although I've only been using them for about 7 months and I've only been in my current apartment for 5 months, so I'm still getting used to them and the room. On paper the bass roll off is pretty high but it has a smooth slope and they actually go really deep for speakers their size, it's just a bit attenuated.  They'll shake the floor even at low volumes (like, mixing at 11 pm volumes - LOW) no problem, but you won't FEEL the bass like you would with a big system.

EDIT: congrats on the release, sheath!

found on focal's IG. i swear i see dozens of dumb studio pics with 2 pairs

I imagine those are being used for checking mixes on different speakers, rather than all being on at once.

congrats on your release sheathe, where can i hear your music?