Inexpensive sub to help out my nearfields?

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Mbira

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Joined
Jun 4, 2004
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Location
Austin, TX
I'm sure people will laugh, but I use a pair of Roland RSM-90s as my nearfields.  I've had them over 10 years, and I know them really well, so I've never really felt a need to invest in anything more expensive.  I'm just using an alesis RA-100 power amp.  I don't ever really need o turn the amp beyond half power, so I'm not going very loud.

I'm getting more into some electronica and dubstep style music and I'm now seeing that I really need a sub to hear and work with some of the frequencies I'm exploring.  Can anyone recommend an inexpensive sub that would compliment my system?  I guess a powered sub would be preferred-otherwise, I'll also need an inexpensive power amp-probably a second alesis. 

Any advice is appreciated.  Thanks!
 
Joel,

My first thought is ... watch out.  The word inexpensive worries me. 

Subs can be a very hard and dangerous thing to play with at times.  One of the most important things to me with a sub is that it has, at minimum, a polarity switch.  Even better would be a greater phase control than just the 180 degree flip.  Sub placement and time alignment aren't an easy thing to do correctly some days.

It's not as simple as just buying a sub and hooking it up.  If you know all of this then just ignore me.  :)  Otherwise happy hunting.  I've usually found that finding a sub with a phase control jumps the price....

In truth, I've only been in a couple of rooms where I thought someone got it right and I didn't ask to have the sub turned off.

Michael
 
Am I missing something, or couldn't I just control phase within my DAW?  For that matter, why not just a phase plugin on the sub bus with a variable phase?

I hear you about you get what you pay for, but really I don't monitor that loudly, and I'm thinking I'll only need to use it on the tracks I need it for... am definately needing it now, because some of the songs I'm working on, I'm not even getting any of the sine wave frequencies I'm working with...

If I had the money for more (right now) I would do it, but money is pretty darn tight right now.
 
Try to get a second hand Sunfire...
The seem to go between 400 and 300 usd on ebay.
I don't know what model so do some research first.
 
I like the Behringer B2092A, although they seem to be out of stock everywhere.  I just picked up three of them from Craigslist for $500 total.  I had one, so now I have two for the studio and two for the living room.  I don't think you can get a better sub for less than $1,000.

You can hook them up by feeding your L,(C),R to them and using their crossover output to feed your speakers, or you can just feed them from a sub output, or you can do both!  I run them with both, so that they extend the bottom of the mains and get the LFE.  This works well to keep the stereo image tight with dual subs.

If you get a sub with an adjustable crossover, I suggest that turn up the gain on the sub and adjust the crossover point to the least objectionable place and then turn the sub down all the way, then back up slowly until you just hear it as a distinct source, then down again until it just vanishes as a distinct source.  Live with it a little while like this and then make a small adjustment, up or down, to suit the widest range of musical styles.  A sub can easily sound cool in a hyped mode for pop music and then sound big and flabby for jazz.  If you get it where it sounds like there is nothing objectionable happening for pop, jazz, and orchestral music, as well as some film content, you're doing pretty well.
 
If you are having bass problems the first thing you need to check is the room. This is likely to have large amplitude variations at the listening position at low frequencies and until they are reduced/corrected a sub is not going to make things better.

Cheers

Ian
 
I understand the need for good room treatment, and my monitors only go down to 62 hZ.
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=297


 
I'm using a Samson Resolv 120A in my home studio and it works fine for me.  I compared it with my $800 Velodyne from my audio system downstairs and there was no appreciable difference.  After spending some time on proper placement, the room shoots pretty flat in the bass frequencies.
 
Mbira said:
I understand the need for good room treatment, and my monitors only go down to 62 hZ.
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=297

OK, I understand that, but depending on your room dimensions, significant peaks and troughs can occur well above 62Hz. Many of these cannot be completely tamed and often it is necessary to move the listening position to get the best compromise.

All I am suggesting is you first make sure you current set up is as good as it can be before resorting to a sub.

Cheers

Ian
 
ruffrecords said:
All I am suggesting is you first make sure you current set up is as good as it can be before resorting to a sub.

Cheers

Ian

With a SUB you'll need to start all over...You'll find that with a SUB attached the position of your speakers needs to be changed most of the time.

THE best solution is to get 2 SUB's actually...
 
I have had good luck with the cheaper Focal sub. It is very powerful and I only use a homeopathic dose with my mains in a rather large (45 sq. m) control room. That works well, especially for electronic music.
 
I got a Blue Sky Sub 12 used quite cheap. gives me good beef down there, but tight and integrates nice with my BM6As. AND its not a ported sub.
also got a phase switch....
 

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