need new monitors (opinions please)

[sabianq]

Hey all,
I need some new floor monitors.
I would love to get some in ear monitors but don't have the cash for 5 of them.
the Hot Spots i am using just arent cutting it anymore as the band has gotten louder.

i am looking at either, Gemini, TOA, Carvin, or Yamaha. the JBLs are a bit pricey. unless i can get them used.

what is you're experience with floor monitors and do any of you musicians out there have any preferences?

thanks

[87PRS]

hi sabi, I have had alot of different floor monitors over the years, and the Carvins 15"/horn (I still have) are over 12 years old and still rockin', since these I have bought and sold others. Yamaha makes a good speaker cab....

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-YAM-SM12V.html

http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?product=LS1002&cid=22

http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?product=LS1202&cid=22

More inexpensive.......

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-BEH-P1220F.html

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-NAD-PFW12.html

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-SAM-RS12M.html

OR.............

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-ELE-FIEMON.html

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-JBL-SRX712M.html

Tryin' to help out like you always do....87'

[sabianq]

hey 87,
thank you so much for you're input.
I'm going to go look at a pair of used TOA SL120M monitors for 100 bucks. Ever use these? do you have a preference between the wedge shaped ones of the sideways, "rectangle with an angled back" type ones?

[amradioguy]

hey sabi I am using a pair of the LS 10 series by carvin they are the 10 inch
they sound great and are pretty easy to transport shipped to the door $475
bands i worked with at the last gig liked them they have both 1/4 in and speakon connectors for input and thru put hope this helps


amradioguy

[87PRS]

sabi, I don't really have a preference of either style cab, its the projection and sound quality, especially how the floor monitor cuts through on a stage mix (very important for the singers)...Carvin lists those LS10's at $180 each, they make good speakers. I'm kinda squimish about $100 monitors, but...this new band I joined uses 4 Nady 12's and they come through good, I have one at gigs under my synth and can hear it well. One thing is most of these come with plastic molded (piezo) horns that can not be fixed, we just found this out by blowing 2 mains (inexpensive cabs). TOA has never been a speaker choice for me, name sounds cool though haha...I'm a believer (in my own gear) that you get what you pay for...and if you could at least double your budget you'd be better off in the long run....amrg is right, the Carvins do sound good and mine have always been reliable.

[sabianq]

hey guys,
i really appreciate the input. the only issue i have with getting new monitors is that fact that i need to keep my weight down as much as possible.
given that fact that i am cramming all of this crap in a Jetta Wagon.
if i had access to a cargo van, then the sky would be the limit.
so i am looking at getting a pair of Warfedale Titan 12 passive loud speakers.
a pair runs about 500 bucks. and the spec's are quite attractive.
http://www.wharfedalepro.com/upload/products/73/TITAN12_MID.jpg
98 db/1 meter
with a peak of 129 db
and they only weigh in at 30 lbs and they are quite small.

at the same time, im starting to get to the point where i just want to sell all of my gear and buy a couple of these>> (any takers)

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/images/LargerPhoto/AG-HVX200Angle.jpg

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/images/LargerPhoto/AG-HVX200FullBack.jpg

800 lbs is a lot of weight to carry around.

I go to the gigs, and start settin' up like 3 hours before the band arrives, then i engineer the show, which lasts for nearly 6 hours. then after the show, it takes me over an hour to clean up. plus the last show i did, i got stuck in the freight elevator for nearly 20 min. ARUGG...:mad:

it kills me to watch the videographer come in 15 min befor the show, set up, grab a line mix from my board, do the show, then walk out, (down the stairs) carrying all of his gear only after a 10 min clean up.

plus he gets way more money than i do.

[sabianq]

Ok,
I have narrowed down my search to two different monitors.

the EV-ZX1
http://www.electrovoice.com/images/product_images/ZX!-90_family_large.jpg

or the Wharfedale Twin X10

http://www.wharfedalepro.com/%5Cupload%5Cproducts%5C79%5CTWIN-10X_MID.jpg

both seem to be very comparable and are in the right price range for what i am looking for.

i have talked to people who use both and everyone who uses these monitors raves about them.

anybody use either of these?

hey 87PRS, I would Love to get my hands on a PLX512 or the SLX712 but i just dont have the cash right now.

[Bops2000]

As a drummer, on the road, I always ran headphones with the mains mix. That's partially because i sang also.
shoot just give them side fills... I tease
As far as video check out the panasonic AG-DV7, weighs about 2lbs, works great with any video software. I use it for a lotta stuff. The unit with filters, wideangle, and zooms will cost ya a grand.
(2 or three weddings should cover it)

http://www.thecameraprofessionals.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=288

[87PRS]

sabi, both of them look like they would fill the bill for floor monitors, one thing positive about the pole mounts, if one of your mains die you can throw a monitor up to finish out the gig...understand cash flow, I'd have some eaw gear.

cameraman....never, once an audio head always audio!!! Then there's....its never too late to teach an ol' dawg a new trick haha. btw I like movie camera's, dates back to 8mm when I was kid, loved splicing tape for my dad.

[sabianq]

Hey 87PRS,

I got 2 new JBL MRX512M from guitar center.
the gave them to me for 500 bucks each (sorry sweetwater)

http://www.jblpro.com/products/portablesound/mrx/mrx512small.jpg

interesting, here is a picture of the driver.
http://www.jacksmusicfactory.com/images/products/91347.jpg

lets see how they act in the real world.
im going to be using the plx 1602 to drive them

thanks for the input.

ill do a review on them after my next gig.

cheers

[87PRS]

sabi...I woke up feelin' in the pink, then all of a sudden I turned this nasty shade of green, hahahaha....those JBL floor monitors are da bomb dude! Talkin' about doin a complete 180 on us, man o' man. Outside of going for the PRX line, the MRX's are going to last you forever and are very very versatile ( I love the words "multi-purpose" ), lotsa headroom in there. Hey, don't think Sweetwater will take offense, they don't sell JBL floor monitors, so you done good sabi...plus you got a great deal at $500 ea....check 'em out here
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/JBL-MRX512M-12-Inch-2-Way-PA-Monitor-Loudspeaker?sku=600406

Congratulations! '87

[jmail]

I think you'll like the JBLs. An old bandmate of mine uses those almost exclusively. They are what I call "focused". In other words, they have a narrow "throw", which helps with feedback control "at volume", so he's able to get them up loud (in fact, the stage volume is too much for this old man... lolol). He also uses some side fills for when a person backs off from the singing mic, they still have a "sense" of their "space"...

As for the "videography" kick... Folks want you to work "magic"... "Can you make my Uncle Ralph like, *disappear* in my video?"... "Marge's hair looks hideous. Can you fix that?".... So you've got your minimum of two cameras (don't forget the backups!!!) and extra media to record to (don't lose or erase the wrong one!!!) and then the processing (another grand minimum, for that program). When things come together, it's great. But... there are those "experiences" (shall we call them *"Nightmares"*??) where *nothing* goes right. I prefer audio, but have fun with video...

[Bops2000]

Hey 87PRS,

I got 2 new JBL MRX512M from guitar center.
the gave them to me for 500 bucks each (sorry sweetwater)

http://www.jblpro.com/products/portablesound/mrx/mrx512small.jpg

interesting, here is a picture of the driver.
http://www.jacksmusicfactory.com/images/products/91347.jpg

lets see how they act in the real world.
im going to be using the plx 1602 to drive them

thanks for the input.

ill do a review on them after my next gig.

cheers
sabi, looks like you will push some air on that setup. I think it's cool how you call them drivers, us dumb guys jus say "hey, I can't hear this in the speaker" too cool. serious design on that -looks like aluminum, big ass voice coil, or do they call them voice coils anymore?.

[GZsound]

Hey 87PRS,

I got 2 new JBL MRX512M from guitar center.
the gave them to me for 500 bucks each (sorry sweetwater)

http://www.jblpro.com/products/portablesound/mrx/mrx512small.jpg

interesting, here is a picture of the driver.
http://www.jacksmusicfactory.com/images/products/91347.jpg

lets see how they act in the real world.
im going to be using the plx 1602 to drive them

thanks for the input.

ill do a review on them after my next gig.

cheers

I did a festival sound gig with four MRX 512's and was really, really impressed with the sound. We used them as mains with a single Peavey sub under them and they simply kicked major butt...

That's a good purchase..

I also really like the Yamaha 12" combo PA/Monitor speakers, they handle a lot of power and sound very nice.