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[Viitalahde]

OK, sounds like GS topic, but it's not.

I'm thinking of getting a pair of small (active)speakers for various tasks like occasional fooling around with synths and similar. While I'm at it, why not get something that could be useful for catastrophic situations, such as finishing an urgent single master and the main amps just let the smoke out.

Are there any options that might be suitable? Extended bass response is out of the question, I'm looking for a good midrange.

Small Genelecs are out of the question, although I'm thinking of getting a pair, remove the drivers and tie them up into the tree for a bird house.

[Hermetech Mastering]

I'm still in love with my Yamaha MSP5s. Been using them for about 11 years. Use them with my modular synth almost daily. They are small, built like a tank, active, sound good, and have nice mid-range for the extremely low price. I am sure the MSP7s would be even nicer, but then you're getting into larger and heavier territory pretty quickly.

Please note I am not saying these are great/amazing speakers, but they really do fit all the requirements you stated. Go and check a pair out!

Am sure if you are tech savvy you could probably swap out a load of the amp components for a better sound too.

[bblackwood]

Interesting topic, Jaakko - I've thought about something similar for a while now. Have found nothing suitable, though I've admittedly not looked very hard...

[Hermetech Mastering]

Or what about the little active Avantone/Auratone clone/copies? I'm thinking of getting one for mono "kitchen radio" checking in the near future, but haven't heard them yet.

[Thomas W. Bethel]

How cheap and how small.

Dynaudio and Genelec  come to mind at the high end and KRKs at the lower end.

[ggidluck]

I bought these really for surround channels and for checking mixes, but I use the Yamaha HS50M's. They are active and a replacement for the NS10's but they don't have the bump at 2K like the NS10's.

Actually you can tune them at 2k up or down 2db using switches on the back. If you want to you can add the HS10W subwoofer to fill out the bottom end. The HS50M's go down to about 59hz.

Relatively cheap, good sound and build quality.

[Viitalahde]

I heard the Yamaha HS50's once, and remember they sounded pretty good.

As a rough generalization, I'd think a 5½" woofer would be better for midrange reproduction, because most of the problems associated with 2-ways come from the woofer-tweeter transition with larger cones needed for more bass output.

Dynaudios I had years ago, BM6A's. I thought they were OK.

Maybe active isn't the final word here. A kit might be OK, such as this:

http://www.aos-lautsprecher.de/deutsch/lautsprecher/revelator/s12.html

In the passive land.. Smaller Proac's? A mixing engineer I know bought a pair of Tablette series Proacs and seems to like them.

[bblackwood]

I've actually considered getting a pair of cheap-ish bookshelf B&Ws as, from the little I've heard, the overall 'tone' of their speakers are all similar. I already have a couple of backup amplifiers, so passive will work here, assuming something drastic takes out the entire monitoring chain...

Hrm...

[jamesp]

Acoustic Energy AE22's seem to be gaining a good reputation for small reasonably priced monitors.

James.

[SafeandSoundMastering]

It depends what cheap is, I think Dynaudio is as cheap as I would go, even for an emergency.

I have mixed BBC radio programmes in the past in an emergency with fairly well recorded / critical music recordings within on Fostex PM0.5's, did the job. You are not only going to get innacuracy in mids it will be to a degree in the bass too.

I think whatever you get will be disatisfactory on some level. 

[Waltz Mastering]

I don't know if I could take adjusting to or using an additional set of speakers.. even for occasional tracking or mixing.  I probably haven't listened to anything I've done in the studio on an outside system for almost over a year... I'd like to keep it that way.

[bblackwood]

I don't know if I could take adjusting to or using an additional set of speakers.. even for occasional tracking or mixing.  I probably haven't listened to anything I've done in the studio on an outside system for almost over a year... I'd like to keep it that way.

Sure, but if you have a driver die, it'd be nice to have something to work on you were familiar with...

[Waltz Mastering]

Sure, but if you have a driver die, it'd be nice to have something to work on you were familiar with...

You're right.  I think the notion comes from, after years of using multiple sets of speakers and never being quite satisfied to then finding something to trust.   I do have a full extra set of drivers (except woofers) and spare amps. Sometimes I think I'm a little stupidly superstitious, almost like a baseball player in regards to some things audio.

[Viitalahde]

I'm most definately going to stock up on drivers + amps, myself.

And there's not going to be a 2nd set of speakers in the room, ever. I find it much too confusing.

Right now I'm thinking I should get something British and in the same sonic family I'm used to. Perhaps I'll find a 2nd hand pair of small Questeds from somewhere.

[PBM]

I'm most definately going to stock up on drivers + amps, myself.

And there's not going to be a 2nd set of speakers in the room, ever. I find it much too confusing.

Right now I'm thinking I should get something British and in the same sonic family I'm used to. Perhaps I'll find a 2nd hand pair of small Questeds from somewhere.

You mentioned small ProAc before - I had the Tablette Ref 8 and thought they were right on the money for mids. Not a ususal choice I know, but the smaller speakers made by ATC for the hi-fi market are also very good in that area and (2nd hand) a bit of a bargain. I use the smallest 7 (an older model) for my home chamber listening which is probably too small for more pro work, but the slightly bigger models might be worth looking at.

Cheers,

Eric