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[David Das]

I'm a stereo-only producer (who ends up engineering much of my own stuff) who'd like to dip my toe into surround and start getting used to it. My current stereo monitors are Mackie 824's. I know many people hate them -- let's try not to bash on them too hard. I know them well, I can mix to them well.

I could carve out a budget of around $1-2k. Here are some options I've been looking at:

1) Completing the Mackie set, perhaps using 624's as the rears. This is out of my budget for right now. Maybe I could just add the Mackie sub for now (completing a 2.1 system), and add the 624's later next year when I have the budget. What are people's thoughts on how a 2.1 Mackie system will/won't be an improvement upon my current 2.0 system?

2) Blue Sky Media Desk 5.1. At around $1000, it's in my price range. I'm a little concerned that it's a pro-sumer kind of product. Granted, I won't be mixing the next Star Wars movie. But can I get some good mileage out of a basic product like this? It's gotten good reviews...

3) Tannoy Reveal Active surround set (http://macmidimusic.com/prod.itml/icOid/6727). This is right at $2k -- the top of my budget.

4) (I'm almost too shy to mention this, but...) I do have a consumer surround system in my living room -- a $300 Kenwood from Best Buy that does have component surround inputs. I'm toying with the idea of going to the trouble of disconnecting it and moving it into the studio just to have my first taste of mixing in surround. Honestly -- I can't get any serious studio work done on it, can I?

5) Any other options within the price range gratefully considered.

The studio room is a 20x20 room, but I don't need to amplify for all of it. I work at an Omnirax-type desk, am all computer-based, so I really only want to amplify the sweet spot around my computer area -- so it's almost like having a 10x10 working area in the middle of a 20x20 room, with lots of room on the "outside" of the sweet spot. A small surround system would be just fine by me. I am all computer-based. My DAW has bass management and calibration plug-ins built-in, and my interfaces are multi-channel, so I'm really just looking for the speakers.

[Bo]

now I can't vouch for their surround use but I like my Reveals...with one exception: I think use of a subwoofer is needed.  But that's just an opinion, as I find I struggle hearing lows and mid lows (350 and down) properly....

[seriousfun]

If I were you I would complete my Mackie set with three more identical speakers, and one or more subwoofer to meet your needs (the Mackies aren't my personal favorites but not deal-breakers, either). Use a proper system crossover - bass management, which is absolutely not a software issue - and pay some attention to positioning, calibration, phase adjustment, etc.

I would not mix 'n' match brands or models within brands.

The Blue Sky (Skywlker Sound is reportedly working on the next/last Star Wars movie with these...) and Tannoy (as well as Dynaudio, Adam, Genelec, etc., etc., etc.,) can certainly be great tools. Your consumer could be used to give you a glimpse of what can be done, but I would bet that their linearity in frequency and dynamic response would be questionable.

Remember that bass works in a room differently than highs, and you might need more subwoofer than you think to achieve the same SPL as the rest of your speakers.