Monitors and Machinedrum

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#1

It’s pretty simple really: my machinedrum sounds great in my earbuds, i can hear so much depth in each sound. When i play it through my monitors, it sounds like someone is hitting cardboard boxes with drum sticks.

I’m not a total noob when it comes to electronic music, sound design etc. But I am a terrible scientist.

Can someone offer some advice here? Do i need to go out and invest in ridiculously expensive professional quality monitors just to hear my fabulous machinedrum in the open air? If so, any suggestions?

Adjusting my room really isn’t an option sadly. It’s a laundry room that also contains a litter box (maybe that’s where the kick drum decay is ending up).

#2

Hey joshailes, signal flow from MD? Mixer? Finally, model of loud speaker?

#3

Maybe the bass is drowning everything out.

#4

Check your wires as well.

#5

Do other things sound great through the monitors?

If not you could have one set of speaker wires mixed up, which would cause sounds to sound thin as the phase of each speaker cancels out the other.

#6

what kind of monitors do you have? What is the size of the woofer?

No matter what it would probably be ill advised to invest in expensive monitors if treating your room is no option.

#7

did u try to use the headphone out for the monitors, or only the individual outs for the monitors?

#8

This is one of those classic gear topics that people can go pages about. A sample of this kind of discussion is here.

You’ve already raised several of the classic issues: the room, the monitors, the headphones.

For what it’s worth, I don’t use headphones for mixing much except for later on to check things. They’re great for revealing little weird clicks and noises which you can’t hear on speakers. Certain aspects of bass are easier for me to judge on headphones.

You’re asking the right question but the right answer seems to vary depending on the person, the headphones, the room, the monitor, and the sound source(s).

#9

Yeah, this response makes the most sense. I mean, i’ve been through lots of different “monitoring” methods over the years. For a few years i even had a fancy set of tannoys. I’m kind of a drum machine spaz. I love listening to them and focusing on them in my creative process.

Anyway, my point is, even then i remember the jomox just didnt translate well in the low range on those expensive tannoy monitors.

Anyone have any suggestions for speakers that translate the range of the machinedrum best?

#10

i think that’s part of the problem, that i have no real bass translation with my speakers. Or not enough. I was explaining in a later reply that i’ve never gotten good response from monitors when it comes to drum machines, they always sound boxy.

but this could easily be me and my inability to properly eq the sounds in open air. ;

i’ll work on it.

#11

I recommend a 2.1 system.

the JBL LSR305s for tops sound remarkably good for the price.
I’ve been using a 10" KRK sub for the last 10 years along with some higher priced Genelecs. It knocks properly, old RP-10s model.
It’s kinda funny, as it is the only thing with a KRK logo on it that I have ever liked.