jono3
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Post by jono3 on Aug 23, 2023 10:37:06 GMT -6
I recently got a set of KH310s with the 750sub and love them (very happily moved from Focal Twins). Calibration and everything is amazing and mixes are translating really well. However, I still need to use a secondary pair of monitors to get everything inline. I was using a set of Proacs, which were a poor match with the KH310s, so I swapped my NS10s back in and they things have been working out reasonably well.
But.....the grass is ever-greener on the other side and I am looking at replacing the NS10s with SCM12s. Any insight from SCM12 users? Would they be a good compliment to the 310s and/or be better in the role or NS10s?
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Aug 23, 2023 12:45:46 GMT -6
The key here is your personal interpretation of replacement, the only thing the NS10 and the 12’s have in common is they are small speakers. While the little ATC’s are definitely a price point piece there is a family resemblance. If what you want is a more transparent NS10 there are a ton of other speakers that fit that bill ( first that comes to mind is ProAc).
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jono3
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Post by jono3 on Aug 23, 2023 13:16:26 GMT -6
Good point. I suppose the question is: Are SCM12s more useful/complimentary than NS10s when paired with KH310s?
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Aug 23, 2023 13:43:49 GMT -6
Good point. I suppose the question is: Are SCM12s more useful/complimentary than NS10s when paired with KH310s? First I am not an ns10 fan, in the glory days of the NS10 I can’t think of a single big time client that bought them who said “ these things sound great.” Lots of “ everyone has them and they are so cheap”. In fact the best thing I can say about the NS10 is because of the popularity and embarrassment the transducer engineers at Yamaha pro gave us their all out assault on the state of the art that was the NS1000. In general I’ll put the sound of the SCM12’s in the same camp as the kH310, the 12’s are just not going to go as loud. If you really want what ATC is known for you need to look at the 20’s. In fact I would recommend an old pair of passive 20’s over the 12’a. I’m not saying I don’t like 12’s I just don’t feel I would get much out of 12’s that I wouldn’t get from rolling off 310’s. Yeah the woofer in the 12’s will have better distortion specs, but as an overall speaker it just seams redundant. |
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jono3
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Post by jono3 on Aug 23, 2023 13:58:56 GMT -6
That is essentially the info I was looking for. I got the 310/750 combo as a "budget" option when the SCM25s were too much. Probably cost the same in the end, but c'est la vie, I am quite happy with them. So, if the 12s are in the same camp as the 310s, then keeping with the NS10s is probably best option—no need for something similar. Thanks!
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Aug 23, 2023 14:05:04 GMT -6
That is essentially the info I was looking for. I got the 310/750 combo as a "budget" option when the SCM25s were too much. Probably cost the same in the end, but c'est la vie, I am quite happy with them. So, if the 12s are in the same camp as the 310s, then keeping with the NS10s is probably best option—no need for something similar. Thanks! Yeah but with the 310/ 750 combo you got real lowend😁 |
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Post by svart on Aug 23, 2023 14:07:12 GMT -6
I'd go the opposite way. Use something of "lesser quality" like earbuds as your second monitoring option. 90% of the public is listening to your work through earbuds these days. Might as well mix through them too.
That's kind of the NS10 lore as well.. That a mixer wanted to monitor through something that simulated what an end consumer would be listening through and bought them and the rest was history.
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jono3
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Post by jono3 on Aug 23, 2023 14:13:25 GMT -6
I definitely do check with Apple earbuds. It's mostly just getting the vocal and bass level just right and the upper bass harmonics coming through. I often miss nailing it with just the 310/750 combo because the system can handle really great feeling low-end.
The second set of ProAcs or NS10s I have been using to sort those aspects out. I didn't ever find Avantone Mix cubes useful as the "worse" option either, just led me to tuck too much mid-range away. The NS10s have been the most useful in that regard and in a different way that earbuds. There is also a cool plug/app that lets you stream directly out of Pro Tools to your phone, which is also a great shitty-sounding reference.
Maybe the better NS10s in a compliment to the 310s are actually just NS10s and im looking for nothing?
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Post by svart on Aug 23, 2023 14:39:29 GMT -6
I definitely do check with Apple earbuds. It's mostly just getting the vocal and bass level just right and the upper bass harmonics coming through. I often miss nailing it with just the 310/750 combo because the system can handle really great feeling low-end. The second set of ProAcs or NS10s I have been using to sort those aspects out. I didn't ever find Avantone Mix cubes useful as the "worse" option either, just led me to tuck too much mid-range away. The NS10s have been the most useful in that regard and in a different way that earbuds. There is also a cool plug/app that lets you stream directly out of Pro Tools to your phone, which is also a great shitty-sounding reference. Maybe the better NS10s in a compliment to the 310s are actually just NS10s and im looking for nothing? I use NS10's with my KH310D's as well. I think these days the NS10s have really taken a back seat to me using headphones (DT770s, earbuds or Sundaras) as my second listening solution. The KH310Ds get me so close that I'm mostly listening to the bottom end and the overall balance in the headphones. Headphones make those things a lot more intimate and easier to discern for me. |
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Post by thehightenor on Aug 23, 2023 14:43:32 GMT -6
Good point. I suppose the question is: Are SCM12s more useful/complimentary than NS10s when paired with KH310s? First I am not an ns10 fan, in the glory days of the NS10 I can’t think of a single big time client that bought them who said “ these things sound great.” Lots of “ everyone has them and they are so cheap”. In fact the best thing I can say about the NS10 is because of the popularity and embarrassment the transducer engineers at Yamaha pro gave us their all out assault on the state of the art that was the NS1000. In general I’ll put the sound of the SCM12’s in the same camp as the kH310, the 12’s are just not going to go as loud. If you really want what ATC is known for you need to look at the 20’s . In fact I would recommend an old pair of passive 20’s over the 12’a. I’m not saying I don’t like 12’s I just don’t feel I would get much out of 12’s that I wouldn’t get from rolling off 310’s. Yeah the woofer in the 12’s will have better distortion specs, but as an overall speaker it just seams redundant. Having demoed the 20's and the 25's and ended up buying the 25's - my experience was, the ATC thing starts with their 3 way systems and having the dedicated ATC mid driver. The 20's were really nice but lacked that x-ray thing the ATC mid dome gives you. |
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Aug 23, 2023 14:45:12 GMT -6
If I were doing mostly mix work these days I would go to Walmart and pick up a cheap Soundbar, the reasoning behind Auratones and NS10’s was they represented “ the everyman playback system “. Besides earbuds today that’s a soundbar.
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