DAW users!?!?!

[Leevibe]

My stands are built from ikea drawer fronts. Rack rail from parts express and free mopads that came with the yamahas complete the package.

[Jabulani Jonny]

My stands are built from ikea drawer fronts. Rack rail from parts express and free mopads that came with the yamahas complete the package.

Those Yamaha HSM80's?  I've got those same monitors.  They're great. 

[Leevibe]

My stands are built from ikea drawer fronts. Rack rail from parts express and free mopads that came with the yamahas complete the package.

Those Yamaha HSM80's?  I've got those same monitors.  They're great.

These are the HS50M's. I got them because they're supposed to be closest to the NS10 nastiness. They do lack bass and I haven't spent time mixing on them yet really, so I haven't learned them. I've never used NS10's so I don't know how close they come.

[lincolnic]

These are the HS50M's. I got them because they're supposed to be closest to the NS10 nastiness. They do lack bass and I haven't spent time mixing on them yet really, so I haven't learned them. I've never used NS10's so I don't know how close they come.

I've A/B'd them. Unfortunately, they don't sound like NS10s. It was a few years ago, so I don't quite remember specifically what's different, but they're a bit more forgiving than the NS10s are.

[Leevibe]

Wow, that's scary. The hs50ms are NOT fun to listen to.

[lincolnic]

Oh yeah. NS10s are the ultimate "Are you sure your mix sounds good?" tool.

[jkokura]

I use Event TR6s. When I got into recording, a sales guy convinced me they were awesome. I figure it's too much effort to move to another set, and selling these would likely be tough.

Never listened to those Yamahas. Are the NS-10s the yellow cone ones?

Jacob

[lincolnic]

I use Event TR6s. When I got into recording, a sales guy convinced me they were awesome. I figure it's too much effort to move to another set, and selling these would likely be tough.

Never listened to those Yamahas. Are the NS-10s the yellow cone ones?

Jacob

No, NS-10s have white woofers.

[Leevibe]

Oh yeah. NS10s are the ultimate "Are you sure your mix sounds good?" tool.

I wanted a pair but I would have had to invest in a proper amp and probably spare tweeters. I figured these would do for me. I'm sure I'm the weak link in the chain as I have a ton to learn about recording. My mixing desk is on casters so I can roll it away from the wall for mixing. I hope to build some bass traps and maybe build some cool gear to fill up all my empty rack space. I also kind of want to build a mic. I remember finding boards for a Neumann U87 clone. That would be a fun project.

I think this is where I found the mic project:

http://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=48030.0

[peAk]

I use Event PS8s, I am used to them . I always wanted a pair of NS10s as well as a  pair of Auratones, but never found a good deal.

[lincolnic]

I use Event PS8s, I am used to them . I always wanted a pair of NS10s as well as a  pair of Auratones, but never found a good deal.

Auratones are even harder to find than NS10s now! Which is a shame, because the Avantones actually don't sound anything like them...they actually sound too good, if you can believe it.

[pickdropper]

Oh yeah. NS10s are the ultimate "Are you sure your mix sounds good?" tool.

I've always felt that NS10s were the ultimate "how to hear how your mix sounds on terrible speakers" test.  I think they were popular more because they were a standard that recording engineers were so familiar with that they could mix around their considerable defects.

Genelecs, on the other hand are ruthlessly revealing of a mix, but good speakers.  Admittedly a bit pricey, but for pro studios they make more sense to me.

[Leevibe]

The whole NS10 philosophy as I understand it is that they tend to accentuate ugly frequencies, thus when you mix on them, you tend to pull those back. The saying goes, "If it sounds good on these, it will sound good on anything."

In a sense they are revealing but accurate they are not. They started life as consumer bookshelf speakers and it was discovered that they made a good proxy for crappy consumer grade stereo gear. Good mixes on them seemed to translate to a wide range of stereo equipment. The idea caught on and they are a studio staple even though Yamaha doesn't make them anymore. Countless hit records seem to confirm that there is something special about them.

I think they are a little bit analogous to the TS9/808 in that they are pretty polarizing. People love them or hate them. And, like the TS, many people don't understand how best to use them.

That's the way I see it anyway. Never owned a pair but would love to just to be part of the hype and legend.

[lincolnic]

I've always felt that NS10s were the ultimate "how to hear how your mix sounds on terrible speakers" test.  I think they were popular more because they were a standard that recording engineers were so familiar with that they could mix around their considerable defects.

Genelecs, on the other hand are ruthlessly revealing of a mix, but good speakers.  Admittedly a bit pricey, but for pro studios they make more sense to me.

In my experience, Genelecs are extremely flattering - not ruthless at all. They're also really bass heavy, so you've got to be careful with your low end there. I'd want a second set of speakers to check my work on for sure. For a long time, Genelecs and NS10s were a standard combo in a lot of studios. Still are, actually.

NS10s have very little bass content - their roll-off is around 100 Hz - and they really push midrange. They're not terrible speakers, but they do have a distinct sound. They'll tell you if your vocals are too loud, or if your cymbals are too bright. Most engineers I know (myself included) won't do an entire mix on them, but we will check in with them every so often to see how things are translating.

This is a really good article on their history and their current use, if anyone's interested: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep08/articles/yamahans10.htm

And if anyone really wants a pair, I just saw someone on BYOC is selling theirs for a decent price (you'll need an amp, though): http://byocelectronics.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=48658