Roast my monitoring equipment

[jakecento]

Hello audiophiles, hobbyists and mastering engineers. I am looking for some feedback on the equipment I use to monitor while I am making music in Reason. Recently my monitors have started dying and I like them and am considering trying to find an approach to fix them, but I am not sure if it is worth the effort and if I am better off just getting new ones. Lately I have been getting some intermittent crackling (definitely coming from the monitors, not from buffering or other software end issues) as well as intermittent stereo issues where one monitor goes quiet. These problems are becoming more frequent over time. While I am considering getting new monitors, I want to know if the ones I have are decent enough for my unpaid hobby of making music in reason. Saying this, I am not looking for high end state of the art monitors, but something affordable that will give me an accurate sound. I am aware of the role that room setup, spacing, and acoustic treatment plays in this- but feel free to add your opinions on this if you feel it necessary- I am always happy to learn from other experienced producers and engineers. Granted my acoustic treatment options and positioning options are limited in my small room (and budget) dedicated to music making. I know very little about appropriate frequency ranges for monitors and headphones- so feel free to shed any insight you may have on that. To give you a picture, I listen through my monitors when I am composing and arranging and put the headphones on when I begin to mix and master, also switching back to my monitors often while I do so to keep everything in perspective. In the final stages of mastering, I will playback on other systems like a PA, my car speakers, and my phone (🤮).

The monitors I am currently using are Alesis Elevate 4s (Discontinued).
https://www.alesis.com/products/view/elevate-4

The headphones I use are Lyx HAS-30s.
https://www.lyxpro.com/products/lyxpro- ... tainment-1

I will take any advice or feedback if these are trash for mixing/mastering or if they are decent enough, I want to know your opinions. If you have any recommendations, I would also love to hear what anyone has to say. I am hoping to stay in the same budget range of these devices. Monitors ($200 and under) Headphones ($100 and under).

"Studio" picture attached for reference.

Music Room. Alesis Elevate 4 Studio Monitors. Lyx HAS-30 Headphones.

Studio001x900.jpg (638.14 KiB) Viewed 1049 times

P.S. There is nothing functionally wrong with my headphones right now. I am more or less just polling to see if any more experienced sound engineers/musicians think they are crap for my purposes.

Thank you everybody!

[challism]

Nice Siamese cat

[jakecento]

Nice Siamese cat

Thanks! And thanks for not roasting my cat! Ha

[gullum]

you must be very tall usually one would have the monitors/ speakers at ear level for mixing,

[motuscott]

Yeah I see no mixing position with those speakers placed where they are.

[huggermugger]

The sweet spot for mixing must be somewhere out in the street, on a ladder.

[motuscott]

As far as speakers dying, Have you thoroughly checked your cabling? Could be that or jacks.

[challism]

external-content.duckduckgo.png (4.64 KiB) Viewed 934 times

2.jpg (36.95 KiB) Viewed 934 times

[jakecento]

you must be very tall usually one would have the monitors/ speakers at ear level for mixing,

I actually do usually work standing, and not sitting

The sweet spot for mixing must be somewhere out in the street, on a ladder.

external-content.duckduckgo.png

2.jpg

As I did mention, I know the placement of my monitors is not ideal, but I do the best I can with the space I have in this room. I also mentioned that I do primarily wear my headphones for mixing/mastering. I'll stand back when I playback from my monitors for a better listen. Nonetheless I do appreciate this feedback and your comments may have motivated me to consider how I can re-arrange my room for a better monitoring setup. Something I will test out. Thank you, sincerely.

As far as speakers dying, Have you thoroughly checked your cabling? Could be that or jacks.

This is a good suggestion I will look into. Thank you. It could be the cause and I will investigate. However, I do believe my monitors may have an internal issue going on as the crackling and stereo drops seem to occur when adjusting the level dial which is also the power control for the monitors which makes me think the internal wiring of the power/level knob is failing.

Thank you all!

[gullum]

you must be very tall usually one would have the monitors/ speakers at ear level for mixing,

I actually do usually work standing, and not sitting

even standing up it looks like they are not ear level unless as I suggested you must be tall.
The crackling you hear can maybe be fixed with electric cleaning spray.

[jam-s]

This is a good suggestion I will look into. Thank you. It could be the cause and I will investigate. However, I do believe my monitors may have an internal issue going on as the crackling and stereo drops seem to occur when adjusting the level dial which is also the power control for the monitors which makes me think the internal wiring of the power/level knob is failing.

That sounds like either just a little dirt on the potentiometer for the volume control. You could try if turning it up and down a few dozen times after unplugging them first fixes the problem. If not the potentiometer might be worn out, but that's nothing a repair shop couldn't easily fix.

[motuscott]

I have an inline passive knob so I don't have to touch the interface or speaker knobs. But apparently not available anymore

[Kalm]

Need a pot