Best Sampling Rate For Audio (2025 Updated)

First and foremost, the price cannot be beat! I opted for this bundle over the 306P bundle for more headroom in sound. Second, despite the crazy winter freeze we had, my order arrived at a decent time frame in CA.

Now on to the items. THE SPEAKERS: 5 Stars. Very robust and well built. I might’ve bought more that what I needed (maybe I should’ve gone with the 306P bundle). But nonetheless these speakers are well built, has some decent weight to it, and the option of either a 1/4″ or XLR input is a plus.

Volume adjust knob is your basic 0-10 scale. I have these set to 6 with my DDJ-SX3 main volume and EQs at 12 o’clock. it is plenty loud at that level. You will need plenty of room if you are planning on using these as “book case” speakers.

THE STANDS: 4 Stars. I think the platforms are a bit small for the speakers imo, but they still hold and support the speakers just fine. Although a bit teeter-tottery, they work well (they are sitting on carpet).

Centering the speaker on it allows for a decent stand. The base weight will do well for speakers of this size and smaller. Adjustments are easy. Having a safety pin is a plus as well. However, be careful that you do not over tighten the knobs, or you can potentially strip the threads.

THE MOPADS: 3 Stars. I am using them now. But honestly, I do not think they do too much at the volume I have them at. I can see them working better if the volumes are higher. But for now it is a meh for the pads for me.

So i am satisfied with them. What they do add, is a larger platform for the speakers to sit on. THE TRS CABLES: 5 Stars. What DJ will not appreciate an extra pair of audio cables? These cables come in handy for when I actually need to use the 308Ps as monitors once I start gigging again.

My DDJ-SX3 has dedicated outs for monitors and these TRS cables are an appreciated addition. A great bundle at a great price! Pick it up when they are in stock. They sell out fast so do not ponder on whether you should get them or not.

GET THEM!!!.

I had the opportunity to preview these at one of my jobs. I was debating between these and the yamaha HS8. Ultimately these won. Why? Their sound from top to bottom is beautifully clean!!!! While they do colorize the bass a little, its a clean colorization (no mud) and keeps the mids and highs true!$! (Thats flat/factory setting) With the colorization, you really dont need to add subs #tko The boundary eq functionality is a plus based on my studio’s layout.

They are good for any genre, though you may want to cut the bass for rock/classical. Ive always been a fan of jbl in the live sound realm. This is my first venture into the studio realm and i must say, im extremely pleased!.

A big complaint about these monitors is their lack of sub bass. If you’re buying these to produce HipHop or electronic music these may not deliver the sub bass frequencies you need unless you couple them with a separate subwoofer which was a little unexpected given the 8 inch drivers.

The only slightly annoying thing about these monitors to me personally is the mild droning between 125 and 135 mhz. That being said, Kicks are punchy, high hats sound crisp and bright, and vocals mix well with the rest of the sound.

Perfect for mixing things like rock/metal, country, or voice over work.

Build is good (yes it’s plastic I know), encoders and buttons work well, no stickiness or stiffness but the pads are way too stiff for finger drumming so you will have to use an external controller for that.

Sequencer has some depth and will take some time to learn if you are not familiar with Elektron sequencers. The one function per knob synth parameter controls are great and shift functions are logical.

Menus are fine but the screen is tiny. It’s actually not a problem tho. There’s actually not a lot to the menus on this one which will be a welcome change for some. It sounds very good with plenty of range on each voice.

However it does have “a sound” but so does a 606 or an 808 or a 303, so if you like what it does it never really sounds bad. The only negative for me are those pads but I can live with using another controller for velocity real time playing; the vast majority of the time I’m programming the sequencer anyway.

I actually think it’s a future classic as you can get a lot from it and working within the limitations that it has is kind of the point of this style of design. It’s great for just turning on and noodling away for hours, very immediate and fun and it strikes me as very suitable for incorporation into a live setup.

Nice one Elektron.

Best drum sequencer for the price, hands down. Makes a fun, albeit basic, rompler as well. The filters, reverb, and delay are surprisingly deep. Plus, it’s an audio interface of sorts. I could see this being good for brain dance or ambient production.

Or, for those live situations where you’d need a sampler but not a computer. The downside for me is the way you get samples into it. It’s easy enough, but I found myself just using Ableton since I was already on the computer.

So, this is something you’d dump a library of prepared samples into. If you are dumping large chunks of songs for sample based production styles, they will be summed to mono and you may have trouble finding the perfect point.

So basically this device does exactly what it’s supposed to do really well. If you are trying to make this replace more technical parts of your setup or workflow you may want to stick with software or go for a stronger sampler like the SP-404 or Digitakt.

I am new to electronic music, and I am new to a sampling technique. Just like indoor hobby. I wanted a sampler to learn what it was like to play samples. I watched and read hundreds of reviews and feedbacks.

And Model:Samples got me interested in parallel with Korg Volca Sample 2. I ordered both instruments. First I received Elektron. Being new to this kind of instruments I did not face some serious problems to learn how to play M:S.

In 2 hours I was able to program a simple 64 step sequence while playing a main melody live on a chromatic keyboard. Yes, to play M:S like a pro I need to spend not hours but weeks or even month but it appeared easier to learn its interface and basic operation than I was expecting! You can find on YouTube true masterpieces performed by musicians on Model:Samples and his brother Model:Cycles.

Model:Samples has 300 cool sounds from drums and percussion to synth oscillators. Its sound modulation capabilities are reach so the music making possibilities are endless. I like its original Elektron’s sequencer, that can be found on the elder instruments by Elektron.

I really enjoy its design! One russian music blogger called Model:Samples as “Snowy” for its smooth white colour and clean lines. I love this instrument. When you turn it on, the inspiration comesto you and no-one knows what you end up with in a couple of hours.

Thanks, Elektron!.

I’ve had this for a little over a week and it has exceeded any expectations. While I’ve owned a surround system off and on for a long time, I haven’t owned a Subwoofer for nearly 2 decades since college where I had a subwoofer as part of a home theater in a box kit.

I was always hesitant to get a subwoofer because of the “boomy” nature of what I thought bass from a home subwoofer was supposed to sound like. But after all the reviews, and considering room logistics, budget and having small kids, this sub seemed like the ideal compromise of price, size, and power.

It’s paired with a Polk Audio Signature Series S30 Center Channel and 4 S15s as front and surround speakers. I have hard wood floors so I also got the isolation kit. I’ve only had a few opportunities to really test out different movie scenes and music, but this subwoofer is nothing less than astonishing.

The “boomyness” I’d long associated with a subwoofer has been replaced by crisp, clear, and really beautiful sounding bass. Watching the T-REX scene in Jurassic Park transported me back to the first time I watched it.

Additionally, it not only sounds amazing, but it also makes my other speakers sound so much better too. I didn’t try the subwoofer without the isolation kit, but with the isolation kit, it’s astonishing to get such powerful bass and not get any of the associated rattles.

I haven’t taken advantage of customer service support, but look forward to doing so to make sure I’ve set up everything as best as possible.

I decided some time ago, that I wanted to go with dual subs. After finding a new home for my current sub, I started researching what would be the best sub to accomplish my goal. It had to be a sub that would be able to simultaneously work for 2-channel audio and home theater.

I was more interested in accurate bass for 2-channel audio, than being knocked out of my seat with home theater use. After doing a lot of homework, it looked like a SVS sub with its DSP technology would fit my needs.

I kept reading rave reviews of the SB3000 model, so I ordered a pair of SB3000s. The subs came quickly and thanks to the stellar SVS tech support, I got them setup correctly. I really enjoyed the SB3000s, with their tight accurate bass.

As much as I enjoyed the SB3000s, the extra features of the SB4000, with the remote, extra power and XLR connections were enticing. My previous sub was a $3000 unit, so it was impressive that the SB3000s faired very well up against that competition.

With the return policy, I decided to send the SB3000s back and upgrade to the SB4000s. While the SB3000 is excellent, the SB4000 is AMAZING. The power and quality of the bass are first class. The bass was tighter and deeper than my previous sub.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever use the remote control. wrong. it is very convenient. My only gripe is that at 102lbs, it took some work getting them into place. I opted for the SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System.

The feet tighten up the bass and keep objects from rattling as much. I’d highly recommend getting them up front, so you don’t have to move the sub later. The customer service at SVS is the best I’ve experienced.

I talked to several different people and they were all very helpful and patient. I’ve been involved with customer support for years at my job. You can tell when people are just doing their job and when they really care about what they are doing.

SVS support cares about the customer.

I’ve now had the SB-4000 for about 2 weeks. This sub replaces my Axiom EP350, which costs about the same amount, but the SB-4000 is a clear upgrade. I had to keep the EP350 turned almost all the way up and it still didn’t quite fill my large living room.

The SB-4000 balances out the soundstage nicely and fills the room with a robust and tight bass. If sound was all I cared about, it might get 5. 0 stars, but there are 2 small blemishes: (1) the 12-volt trigger creates a ground hum.

The same 12-volt cable didn’t produce a hum with the EP350 – or was at least mostly inaudible. Fortunately, this feature is redundant because there is a”subwoofer standby” option that can be set to “auto”.

This allows the subwoofer to wake when in use and turn off when not in use. Still, for the money, the 12-volt trigger should work without a hum! I took off 0. 2 points for this. (2) It looks OK, but it is not sexy, which all high-end speakers should be.

This subwoofer is mated with my Sonus faber Olympica Nova IIIs, which add to the atmosphere like a beautiful woman. The SB-4000 isn’t even in the same ballpark with respect to looks. The SVS engineers are clearly focused on sound, but should focus just as much on making their products beautiful.

For this mediocre look, I deducted another 0. 2 stars.

I did purchase this device because it has a good usability, and is known to have enough gain to drive even problematic microphones. I tested it with two different microphones. The Sure SM58 works perfectly with this interface.

There is especially no white noise on the line. So if you have a dynamic microphone then this interface might be a good fit. The AT2020 is a condenser mic and this one didn’t work as well as with other audio interfaces that I tested.

Switching the phantom power on (which is necessary for this mic) results in a hearable white noise on the line. I listened to other Youtube videos and could hear the same issue with the AT2020 on their recordings.

I guess it is the built-in amp. Another Audio-interface of another company didn’t show the same issue with the same settings (-12. -16dB). Another indicator that it could be the built-in mic amp is that I was able to solve the issue by adding a phantom powered in-line preamp that adds 25dB of gain by itself.

This allowed me to lower the application of the Wave XLR down to a degree that I don’t hear the white noise anymore by being able to record clean audio at -12. -16dB. Pros: – Software is cool and does what it is intended to do – The interface itself is really simple to use.

The LED indicators are allowing to fine tune the levels quite fine-grained – Works great with dynamic mics Contra: – UX of the software Wave Link could be better (e. g. , enabling/disabling monitoring output) – I had issues with the AT2020 producing too much white noise.

I suspect that this is an issue with other phantom powered mics, too.

– In the box: the Wave XLR, USB-C to USB-A cable, some documentation. – Lots of plastic, but solid build quality. There’s no wobble to the unit no matter how hard you touch it. The gain control does tilt slightly – not an issue in day to day use.

– Once you install the Wave Link software, you can adjust the gain and mute colors around the knob. The colour controls aren’t entirely accurate; selecting yellow in the software, for example, gives you a dull white on the unit.

– Wave Link installs multiple virtual audio cables for you to play with (think an easier version of VoiceMeeter), as well as a monitor mix and stream mix. So you could listen to copyrighted music or a risque video using one input, but withhold that in your stream output so your viewers don’t hear anything.

You can choose to listen to your monitor mix or stream mix in realtime so you can make adjustments on the fly. – 75db is absurd overkill even for hard to drive dynamic microphones like the Shure SM7B.

Seriously, this thing gets extremely loud if you max out the gain. You won’t need a Fethead or Cloudlifter. If you are planning to use a dynamic mic, then it’s potentially good value as an all-on-one unit.

– Clipguard works as advertised – between this and the quality of the mic input, there’s no audible distortion or clipping if you do raise your voice or get excited. – On the other hand, you only get one input.

Other interfaces around this price (like the Motu M2 or Audient ID4 Mk2) come with both a mic input and line input, plus lower noise floors for condenser microphones. But then you forgo the software.

Pick your poison. I paid £119. 39 for my unit, which is good given the hardware, software, and my need to power a Rode Procaster. The price typically seems to fluctuate between £135 and £160 – the value proposition isn’t there on the upper end of that spectrum, unless you’re desperate for Elgato integration or you’re willing to pay extra for something that doesn’t blatantly look like an audio interface.

Pros – Device makes everything simplified through software only. -Great routing through easy User Interface Cons – Software will crash randomly and all of your audio will stop – Bad Support, the company doesn’t have solutions for the many bugs of the device and software.

– You cannot get a best buy warranty for this device and it really needs it Overall while it does what it advertises, it does not do it consistently. There will be issues at random times. If you are using this for recording, content, or even basic calls.

Then this will be a major inconvenience.

This card used with the elgato has been a life saver. If you have a dual pc one gaming one streaming then this will help with all of the audio issues. Use digital out from the gaming to the input of this card which is in the streaming pc and then in the sound settings make sure to check listen to this device.

Plug your headset into the streaming pc and select it as output and the sound blaster digital in as input. There you go all is working sounds great as well.

I an hearing impaired as a result of my service in Viet Nam. (Think guns, bombs and explosions) The VA has furnished me very functional hearing assist devices, which sends the audio from the computer directly into my hearing aids by means of an adapter using Bluetooth technology.

The audio equipment found on motherboards is second rate, resulting in garbled, undecipherable human voices. After I got it configured, the Sound Blaster card cleared up the garbled human voices instantly.

The Creative Sound Z SE is a great card for audio output. It has multitude of fine control when you define your own profile and the default profiles can be on the louder side if you are unprepared. Overall I use my card for gaming, content creation and general watching of streaming content.

The sound is crisp clear and doesnt pop like standard onboard audio.

Upgraded after my Firestudio Mobile bit the dust. This is a great unit for someone that does not have a permanent studio (although it can be synced with other units to form a larger interface) and does a lot of their recording on the fly.

If you happen to run a jam or are an open mic host and you want to start offering low-cost recording options, this should work well. Additionally, if you want to run this in a live setup in addition to recording, you can assign several different pairs of mixes to route to speakers, with or without built-in FX from the interface.

To top it all off, you can ditch the computer completely and run this as a standalone mixer. I have not spent too much time with the available program CueMix, but it looks to be a competent PC/Mac program with some useful tools for both recording and live sound options.

I am using an older system with a firewire port (Mid 2009 MacBook Pro) and these two work seamlessly together.

This is a ROCK SOLID ULTRA LOW-LATENCY HIGH QUALITY (up to 192KHz) audio interface. I use it on an older Mac Pro Early 2009 that I hacked the EFI firmware and upgraded the processor (Used to be Quadcore Nehalem 2.

66GHz stock) and now is a 6 Core Westmere 3. 33GHz that runs 32GB of 1033MHz RAM and it runs FLAWLESSLY. I am used to higher-end audio interfaces such as an RME Fireface and a RME UFX. I didn’t need the inputs anymore got used to the quality, ultra low-latency, reliability, onboard DSP and sound quality of higher end devices RME interfaces.

The MOTU has been ROCK SOLID. The CueMix Software works well and the sound quality, ultra low-latency, onboard DSP like the British parametric EQ, reverb and especially the compression and leveling are top notch.

It supports about 30 plugins half of which are demanding Native Instruments such as a few instances of Maschine 2, several Reaktor, and several Logic X 10. 3. 2 plugins on my OLDER MacPro 2009 (upgraded to a Mid 2010).

No issues to speak of. Audio performance is better than expected and I love it. It also mixes without a computer. Can’t go wrong with it.

I’m running FL Studio signature (current version as of the releaser of this reveiw) on a ASUS G73-sw (Gaming laptop, woo!) and my latency under optimal (not the tightest I could go for but it works with everything I’ve thrown at it) with my sampling at 44.

1 (mixer 64 hermit) my buffer at 128 smp, my total latency including plugins I commonly use were at 7ms. My playback in daw while running a live channels been flawless and I feel no need to hesitate for using this at a live show.

Its midi clock is well done as always. One thing I wish it had was a hardware access to listen in the mix, this of course is easily enabled in cuemix but its my only downside, its minor and rarely do I see using this device without a computer handy so its not a big deal.

If it were a desktop system and I wanted to pull more from the CPU i’d get it down tighter, (lowest smp you can clock at is 64) but it isnt necessary. Being a Synth voice and guitarist, This little box definately suited my needs.

Everything that recorded in came in loud, bright and clear, and I didnt have to crank up the headphone amp to listen back. and when doing voice work, I love this little box. Yeah it costs an arm and a leg, but it works great, and if your using it under the same circumstances that I am, it is ideal and fitting.

All the bells and whistles expected from an I/O of this flagship quality. Current win7 drivers and CUEMIX (its included soft controller) are a breeze to work with, I keep a small lightweight and mobile studio so for me it was worth every penny.

As an I/O All the connections slip in very solid, NO WIGGLING, built in compression eq options and verb like all good devices should have. Great internal eiditing setup and the ability to record at 192? USB 2.

0 works like a dream, it doesnt impair bootup with my computer like my older device did. It also has FW and USB so I’m not shafted and having to rely opn questionable chipsets on FW support. It included a half rack kit so If I nab another half rack motu I can link em up and mount them.

on a USB only laptop this was an idea buy for me, if I wanted more ins I’d have gotten a mixer or saved a little longer and gotten the 828. Built like a bloody tank! The knobs on it look chinsey but they do their job, Neutrik connections are solid and the rear TRS ports are snug and tight.

Its a little heavy but you want it to be! You’ve got a wide range of recording spectrom which is clean, quiet and does give you unwanted hissing or sass unless your gear is noisey. CueMix, its software controller program works like a VCR level of simple, if your lost, just read the manual, that’s what it’s there for.

Now here is where some people will fuss, if you’re really pickey about latency and you want a tight real time recording or perfrmance, this device has your back. if your using a daw and bouncing your tracks.

This will be wildly above your price range, get a Tascam or something for that stuff. This device is very flexible for my needs in the studio and considering the performance environment I operate under and perform with, it was worth the buy.

Many of its features are adjustable so its more comfertable to work with.

I’ve been obsessed with the Elektron workflow for a few years now. The Octatrack is the ultimate. This thing is just so insanely versatile and powerful and can be set up to work in so many different and unique ways.

It is a bit complex and takes some manual reading, tutorial watching and some serious practice. But all that effort is 100000% worth it. I was waiting to see if Elektron would release an mk3. The day they dropped the anniversary edition I knew an mk3 wasn’t coming so I literally ordered one that day.

The Fact that you have a fader that can change hundreds of parameters with one sweep and 16 different variations of that. Plus “parts” were are a bit of a mind f*+% at first but once you wrap your head around them you realize how insanely powerful it is.

Plus they just updated the firmware (after 10 years) to match the new digi box features. Huge game changer !! I could go on for days about how powerful and awesome the Octatrack is but I’ll just leave it at this : This is the ultimate in sample manipulation, sequencing and even loop box style workflows.

If you enjoy making music you have to try the Octatrack. There’s nothing else like it !!!!.

I just received the Octatrack after having my eye on it for the better part of two years. Thankfully that was just in time for the “black” version of the MKII to come out, solidifying any justification I had to buy it.

I plugged in my Digitone and Analog Rytm MKII to the Octatrack, and started playing around with re sampling tracks i already made on the digitone. To my surprise, the Octatrack offered MUCH deeper and more flexibility with arrangements than with just the digitone or Rytm on their own.

Not only is this machine incredibly intuitive with other Elektron hardware, it works with any other piece of equipment you could have in your setup. The SP-404A pairs nicely with the Octatrack, offering re sampling capabilities and well as flexibility with existing patterns.

You could easily load your entire set into this machine (lots of storage) and just jam away! no other equipment needed. I would highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in a performance sampler that can do just about anything imaginable (did i mention LFO designer?) and need a “brain” for their setup!.

It is complex and like learning a new language. I dove deep and now jamming away. Advice I would give is to read the manual and forums thoroughly merlin’s manual and electron’s before getting stuck. 2, run it through a mixer or interface as it will max out powered monitors.

3, save parts regularly. I got to an Ableton alternative and slices and mangles well. It is nothing like a DAW that’s why I like it and the endless possibilities.

Was told by sw**tw*t*r that my December preorder shipment was pushed to March, then April, then June- Then AUGUST. A quick Google search showed that Sam Ash had a few in stock (and apparently they’re getting them quite often).

I placed my order, and a helpful rep named Steven personally confirmed shipment by EOD that day. In three days it was in my hands. Incredible! The MKII certainly fixes many of the frustrations of the original, but also adds a few of its own.

The up side is that it seems like some of the problems can be fixed through firmware updates. First major issue is the lack of auto-snap when setting loop points on a sample. Nearly every sampler, loop pedal, and DAW these days automatically zero-crosses samples to prevent an audible click at their start and end points, but not the MKII (why?).

I have to go in and edit the envelope of each loop every time, and the envelope is not fine-grained enough to avoid a perceptible gap in the loop. As for setting the loop points themselves, don’t expect to just hit MARK while the sample is playing, like on the old 404.

You can do something similar in the CHOP mode (which is a cool addition) but I wish the ease of marking was left in place for the OG 404 users. My second biggest complaint is the half-*ssed computer integration.

Librarian software works fine, but as an audio interface this thing is silly. The MKII’s three inputs cannot route signals individually. They act as one combined stereo input, which includes the sample pads.

The MKII is marketed as being powered by USB-C plugged into a phone, iPad, or computer, but that’s strictly over a USB C to USB C cable- you cannot adapt or use a C to A or C to Lightning (which even the iPhone 13 uses).

Won’t replace your current interface by a long shot. Great update in a lot of ways, and the effects are super nice and creative, but just like the original 404, there are a few functions that will make you ask “why would they do it this way?”.

There’s plenty of in-depth reviews including the MKII features set. so I am largely basing this review on my user experience. Many of the button combination shortcuts are not obvious. but there are not too many of them either.

I’ve found myself regularly having to hit YouTube tutorials and initially, learning how the first two effects busses work/function with the pads and 5 fx buttons at the top – it was a little confusing, But when “the penny drops” it is straight forward.

It is great fun, inspiring to use. The USB over Audio works great – but you have to bear in mind the main volume out knob affects the digital usb c out level. so (point worth mentioning) is its not incredibly suitable to use as an audio interface without a mixer.

but to be fair, Roland aren’t selling it as that anyhow. It doesn’t come with an SD Card so you will need to go buy one. The 404 will format it for you, so no need for a computer here. Dropping samples on the card using my computer worked fine.

I found Some samples were the wrong sample type to be imported. if that happens you will have to convert them. Essentially, you can have a “library” of samples (fave drums, loops etc) to import into various Projects.

There’s also an app on the computer to create projects via a drag and drop interface. Feature wise. it does a bit more than I expected. There’s only a basic envelope per sample. No filters or EQ per sample, which is achievable by resampling the FX that do it.

that’s the workflow. which is good as resampling is almost like “committing to tape”. The sample chop and fine tuning of chop points is easy and works great. Having a sampler where you don’t really need to worry about sample time, is great.

(16 minute per sample length limit). The Skip Back feature is marvellous. if you play something or get something cool out the effects and youvwasn’t sampling at the time, the last 25 (or 40 with recent update) seconds of audio can easily be captured after the occasion.

Im giving it 4 stars due to some of the less obvious/unintuitive user interface functions. but hey. its a 404 and that’s how they are.

I really dig the sp404 mkii, it’s a solid little sampler only workstation that tries to make itself easy to use, and for most part pulls it off. The first update out of the box is critical and improved the workflow immensely.

The sound of the machine is great, the fx are fun to use, sound great and have lots of controls. The skip back record feature works super well, as does editing and slicing. There is no step sequencer, only a live one.

You can midi trigger it from an external sequencer just fine though so with the sp 404 you either play your triggers live or get a second box to do trig programming. I’d recommend this to someone that wants to make sample based, live played music.

Any lofi or boom bap producers. Anyone that wants to make your head bop. Portablists that want to make backing beats. If you want a cool gift for your musically inclined 14 yo, consider getting them one of these.

Not for someone that wants to make complete tracks with a lot of detail on each layer in one box.

I was looking for near-field speakers that weren’t so bass-oriented as the Bose pancake I’ve had connected to my notebook for many years. Now that I received these Eris E3. 5 powered monitors and set them up, how impressive – the improvement I’m hearing in dynamic range! (I’ve placed them on my corner desk top, set at 45 degrees towards me – the powered speaker to my left, and the passive speaker to my right.

The left is ~ one inch from the wall and the right is ~ one inch from the corner. I’ve adjusted the treble up by ~ one third, and the bass down ~ one third. ) In these first few minutes I’ve listened to tunes by Bela Fleck, Al Petteway and Nickel Creek.

The clarity and presence I’m hearing is truly astonishing! I’ve even moved around my music room away from the speakers; the sound is still full up to 15 ft away. Nice to have front-facing access to power on/off, volume control, aux input and headphone jacks.

After only an hour or so of test driving I feel I can easily recommend these monitors – especially at this price point!!. Just. WOW!.

Presonus are more famous for their audio interfaces, yet I was surprised at how good these speakers sounded on these 5 1/4 inch speakers. Over the last 30 years I’ve mainly used various Tannoy Dual Concentrics or 2-ways designs as my main studio monitors.

For 2 years I did use some excellent Adams A7Xs, until I got a pair of Tannoy Precision 6D Dual Concentric actives, 7 years ago. I’ve been using the Precision 6Ds until one failed. In reality, the Tannoys were too big and too loud for my small studio, so I shortlisted the Tannoy Gold 5, KRK Rokit 5 4th gen and Presonus Eris 5 XT.

I’ve heard the Eris 5 and the Eris 5XT has deeper bass and a better overall sound to my ears. I decided on the Presonus offering, although there is no wrong answer here. They are all great speakers for the money.

I was expecting a really bass-lite sound, compared with the Tannoy 6Ds, but was pleasantly surprised. If you really need a lot of bottom end boom then you can use a sub woofer with these, but might be better off getting a larger speaker.

These small Eris 5 XT speakers surprised me with their stereo imaging too, something I had taken for granted with Tannoy’s Dual Concentrics. The Eris 5 XTs sound more neutral with less lower mid colouring than the Tannoys.

If my old Tannoys sounded warm, then the Eris 5XTs are thinner but are a bit more revealing. To my ears there is more clarity. Voices seem to sit back in the mix whereas the Tannoys were notorious for projecting vocals forwards more in the sound stage.

On some tracks the Eris 5 XTs sounded like the singer was lost in the mix to some degree, but this is all part and parcel of retraining my ears to the new speakers. The bass is lighter than the Tannoy 6 inch drivers, but only by a small margin.

If anything, the Eris 5 XT bass sounds tighter and more focused compared with my bigger old Tannoy speakers. There are a plethora of controls and inputs on the rear and the front firing bass port means the bass is less boomy than rear ported designs like the Tannoy 6Ds, so I suppose you could have them closer to the wall of your studio if space was an issue.

There are various Acoustic Tuning compensators for High, Mid and Space (bass) cut/boost filters to suit positioning and to provide some acoustic compensation for the room. That said, I run them with all Acoustic Tuning levels flat.

I decouple them on acoustic foam with a gap of over 7 inches between the rear of the speaker and the wall. Allow a few days running in before the sound opens up. Absolutely no regrets. They suit my room and needs better than the Tannoy 6Ds, but there is a learning curve to retraining my ears.

I was looking for some monitor speakers to use with a Tascam Portastudio and these fit the bill perfectly. They are very reasonably priced and have a compact footprint. There are a number of ways to connect the speakers to equipment and they come supplied with a selection of connecting leads.

It’s convenient that the on/off switch, volume control, headphone socket and aux in are located on the front of the main unit. I am happy with the sound. Maybe they are a little “trebly” as some other reviews suggest but in fairness I have only been recording classical guitar and there are bass and treble controls on the rear to adjust the sound.

My only criticism is that the volume control has just a tiny dot (like braille) to indicate it’s position. It’s virtually invisible, so it you cannot see at a glance how the volume is set.

this workstation is a powerhouse — as strong as any computer at the same price point — and functions wonderfully. editing is a snap, mixing is fast and straightforward. only complaint is that some of the functions have yet to be added, since the device is so new.

highly recommend if you’re looking for a physical replacement for your DAW.

Really quite amazing. Responsive touchscreen and the effects are decent too. Really nice to get away from the computer for a bit. Once you get used the the Akai work flow it becomes very quick to tweak your samples.

Very poor audio quality. Bass too high, mids too low, frequency gaps in crossover to tweeters, no ability to EQ. The small size is wonderful, but get better audio out of a cheap consumer grade computer speaker set.

Surprised Alesis put their quality name to this product. Would not recommend.

Top of the range performance for studio or home use, if you have the space buy these Speakers. On set up you will hear sounds you didnt hear before on old and new music also will give you everything and more to produce the new sounds in your studio.

Highly Recommended.

Work well in a small amateur home studio setup with limited desk space. Sound is very good and ample volume for the space.

Sound: The monitors sounded great with different types of genres. In sounded great in open area but it surpassed my expectations in the appropriate listening environment. It handled just about anything I threw at it but I did notice it lacked on anything below 50 Hz but that is expected given the size.

Features: Most useful features are the switches in the back that allow you to cut or boost the low or high end. The flat switch is also great. I want to listen to music with monitors that are as flat as possible.

I make it a point to do this with my studio monitors. Ease of Use: There was no learning curve. You just need to have the appropriate cables to connect your source to your monitors. In my instance, I needed a 1/8 inch stereo (male) to Dual TRS cable so that I can connect the output of my interface to the monitors.

Aside from that, these monitors are extremely easy to use and setup. Quality: There are not many moving parts to the monitors other then the little stands and switches and they feel very sturdy. They seem to be very reliable.

At the price point, they feel really reliable. Value: Compared to other products out there, these are definitely great for the price if you are looking for a small footprint. Manufacturer Support: I have yet to deal with the manufacturer of the monitors.

Only time will tell how my experience will be. The Wow Factor: For me it was a combo of meeting my needs and sound quality. I wanted a small pair of monitors to listen to masters for QC purposes at home along with my headphones.

I also like to listen to music while doing admin work. It is imperative that the monitors I use serve more than one function. These happen to meet that criteria. Overall: First off, I don’t buy into the snake oil or gimmicks.

I like to investigate and research before making any purchase. Big or small. I came across these in the beginning of the pandemic. Was looking for a small footprint set of monitors for my home desk. I looked at Genelec, Neumann, Fuid, PMC, ATC, Dynaudio, JBL, Yamaha, shot you name it.

Lots of great options out there, but, the size of the monitors was not something that would fit my needs. A great friend of mine happened to have purchased a pair of the iLoud Micro Monitors and could not stop raving about them.

So I said, screw it. Worst case I don’t like them and I send them back. So I put in the order. As I waited for my monitors my friend kept feeding more fuel to the fire. So much so that I was feeling like she was getting a cut of the sales for these monitors.

Finally, they arrive. To my surprise the packaging is small for two monitors. I figured there was another box coming, nope! Two little monitors where in there. I was shocked to see how small and light the speakers were.

I laid them out on my kitchen counter and decided to put them to the test. I connected to them via my iPhone using Bluetooth. Simple process. I launch Spotify and start playing music. I must have listened to about 15 seconds of a song and was sold on them.

I listened to all kinds of genres of music; Metalcore, Deathcore, anything with core at the end of it, country, hip hop, rap, and symphony music. I was blown away. I could not believe my ears. I finally decided it was time to listen to them at my work station.

Setup was easy and straight forward. My only gripes are the extremely thick cable that runs from the Left speaker to the right speaker and no XLR or 1/4 TRS inputs. Aside from that, they are more than I expected.

Things to note, while the low end is very impressive, do not plan to hear your walls shaking and mirror shattering. They are after all really small monitors but they do pack a punch. The high frequencies are not harsh and the imaging is incredible.

If you are on the fence about these little guys, do it. You owe it to yourself.

Sound: Great sounding compact monitors. Would sound better if they had balanced 1/4 inch TRS inputs. Features: Bluetooth. Quality: These are excellent powered near field monitors. The sound is great and they take up minimal space.

Perfect monitors for small or untreated rooms. Just can’t get over having to connect to unbalanced RCA jacks. Plenty of room for 1/4 TRS inputs and I’d give these an 11 out of 10 if they had 1/4 inputs.

Value: Good value but it should have 1/4 inputs. Manufacturer Support: Easy to reach no good explanation for why they didn’t include 1/4 inputs. The Wow Factor: These sound great, perfect for monitoring and mixing.

Overall: These are excellent powered near field monitors. The sound is great and they take up minimal space. Perfect monitors for small or untreated rooms. Just can’t get over having to connect to unbalanced RCA jacks.

Plenty of room for 1/4 TRS inputs and I’d give these an 11 out of 10 if they had 1/4 inputs.

I bought these off the back of numerous online reviews, slightly disbelieving some of what was said. I mean, they’re so small. Now, I’m not going to say that you’ll throw full sized monitors out any time soon, but at the distances these will be listened to they’re pretty stellar.

Treble is smooth and surprisingly detailed and the midband is open and transparent enough. At lower volumes, I feel the bass is ramped up probably a bit too far and it simply cannot go that deep, but as you increase volume the internal DSP progressively limits bass output (you can’t defeat physics) until at moderate volumes it’s output is inline with the rest of the frequency range.

At least it plays tunes rather than being one-note Bose-esque style. To put this in comparison, they can’t be mentioned in the same breath as my £4k floorstanders, but within a week I’d sold my Bluesound Pulse Flex 2i speakers purchased at 4x the price.

Complete bargain!.

Well I’m very impressed with this tiny, robust, little digital recorder. Very easy to use and has great sound. I ordered a separate connector to complement it and attach it to a mic stand – which works very well.

I was expecting this to be good, however I am surprised about just how good this device is. Simply click the rehearsal button to let the internal workings determine the required volumes, then after a few seconds you are good to go.

I recorded a local stream and it sounded superb, and then a full band practice with quality results. Next will be recording live shows from the front of house to blend the outputs with video and soundboard recordings.

Recommended.

One of the main features on this recorder was the ability to connect to a smartphone and the FIRST ONE being able to real time monitor it (listen). Well. you can’t. While other recorders have tried the Bluetooth control before (like tascam) you couldn’t real time monitor the audio, you had to stop the recording, and later listen to it.

A big selling point of this recorder was being able to do THAT, do it with your phone or with bluetooth headphones. I’ve tried it in three smartphones from different brands and besides that all where able to connect and remote control it (a lot of people were not even able to do this), none of them were able to listen anything, not even in playback mode, you hit playback and it plays back in the device, not in the phone, totally useless.

I bought it JUST because of being able to listen with my phone, but I can’t. so I’m totally disappointed about this. As well you cannot control the dual recording level, that’s a real bummer, even when it was a feature that was mentioned in the release.

And the SD card is almost IMPOSSIBLE to remove with your fingers, I don’t know who designed this. Having said that, the recorder is fine, it works well has some interesting features. but you can do 90% of the job of this one with a cheaper 100 bucks recorder.

Don’t buy it if the REMOTE CONTROL is one of your reasons.

This new R07 has some very useful additions to the old Edirol R09 that has been a faithful of mine for around the last 12 years. Great features in the new version includes Bluetooth connection to speakers and iphone connection – and the scene set up function.

As a birdsong enthusiast this is particularly good. The device also connects to MAC OS. What’s not to like!.

I had to boost the high frequencies to get these studio monitors sounding more like the Event 20/20BAS studio monitors that I used for 20-years. Using the 7-band Graphic EQ in my Onkyo HT-RC370 receiver I had to boost the 6,300Hz frequency +5dB and the 16,000Hz frequency +6dB to get these studio monitors sounding best to my ears.

On the back of the JBL LSR308 studio monitors I increased the LF (Low Frequency) +2dB and left the HF (High Frequency) switch in the center. With any speaker I want to hear the super low bass all the way up to the super-high frequencies; These JBL LSR308 studio monitors lacked in the super-high frequencies area [Imagine turning the treble down; You’d lose that crisp clarity of all the sounds; That’s what these studio monitors sounded like with my ears].

So after making those changes I am finally happy with the sound I am getting from these studio monitors. These JBL LSR308 studio monitors have a little more low-end than the (Version 3) Event 20/20BAS studio monitors that I use to own for 20 years.

These studio monitors are not as tight, punchy, clean, crisp, responsive as they Event 20/20BAS studio monitors because they don’t have as much power [The lack of power makes these studio monitors sound a little blended, mushy, less responsive/punchy/tight].

The LED light is white and a little bright/distracting for my eyes [I plan to buy congo blue light filter material to cut a little piece and place it over the LED light to make it dimmer and a dark blue color].

I would have made the JBL logo at the bottom light up in a dark blue color instead. For FUTURE models I recommend they allow a person to boost the super high frequencies with switches on the back, have more power to make them more responsive/tight sounding, and have the JBL logo at the bottom light up when the studio monitors are ON.

Very impressed with this speaker. Hooked it up to a Pi Zero W with a mini DAC module to make a cheaper alternative to buying Sonos. The sound reproduction is amazing given the tiny size. Even cranked up full it doesn’t distort or get muddy at all.

The bass really punches on this thing. My only complaint. I only bought 2. Also note, these are balanced input speakers, meaning if you plan to use a regular TRS stereo jack, for just one speaker you need a TRS to TS convertor.

Or, if you want to do that on your mixing software, mix the left and right channels together so you get mono. They also shipped very quickly.

Mind-blowing performance. Did not listened anything like these before. Vary satisfied with this purchase. If you are not using subwoofer with these beast ( which I don’t think is needed ) please use good sounds equalizer to increase LFE.

These are very good producing low but you need to setup property. Playes very loud and live clear. Remember the pure is the source the stunning will be it’s performance. 96 or 192khz playback using a DAC is recommended.

Whoever designed these small studio monitors didn’t miss a lick. Balanced 1/4 inch TRS inputs; RCA inputs; mini plug stereo input, volume, bass and treble tone controls. all for under $100? And they are clean, loud and clear.

You can even plug headphones into it! Really, they sound better than my JBL bookshelf/monitor speakers that I bought 17 years ago. And they’re powered with a built in 100 watt stereo power amp. The applications for these are limitless: TV, computer amplification, gaming.

any device that has a physical output jack. Comes with power cord, stereo mini plug to L/R RCA outputs cord, and mini male to mini male cord for plugging in older cellphones, MP3 players, computer, etc.

You can’t beat these.

I purchased the HS8s for Home Audio listening and not for Mixing or Studio purposes. Many reviews state that these powered speakers present a truthful sound when creating/mixing initial performances in studio.

For better or worse. Some say they are brutally honest, some say they present a necessary accuracy needed to create an appropriate mix. Bright, forward, real bass. I have for many years now discovered powered studio monitors have provided me with an affordable path toward audio bliss.

Currently I have several pairs of M-Audio studio monitors. Easily driven by the Cambridge Audio Dacmagic 200M or the Emotiva DC-1 Stealth DACs. Total cost of a complete system under $1500. I decided to try the HS8s as they have different tonal characteristics than the M-Audios.

After breaking in the HS8s after a month, I came to the following conclusions: The HS8s are forward and bright. Accurate and detailed. I agree they are more honest presenting what ever media is played through them.

The M-Audios are laid back. Warmer sounding. Still presenting much of the detail. The HS8s surprise you by making you aware of details not previously noticed. I hear more decay from the HS8s. The M-Audios draw you in with a pleasant, warm presentation not giving up tonal accuracy but with bit less bass articulation.

The M-Audios can be a warm blanket with some media. Always enjoyable and inviting. The HS8s challenge you. They tell you to wake up and listen! They can change perceived instrument location in the sound field compared to the M-Audios.

The bass is more articulate and still able to dig fairly deep depending on the media. The good news is I have two different sounding presentations yet both able to provide pleasing sound reproduction, once again, depending upon the media.

I have mostly conquered speaker hiss by plugging all devices into a Panamax 5100 power conditioner, upgrading power cables and XLR interconnects. I stopped turning the powered monitors off with their own power switches.

Power on, power off controlled by the Panamax for all devices. This may or may not help you as there are many variables in the audio chain.

Crisp, clear and honest sound. Timeless and elegant design. High quality feel and craftsmanship. I bought two white HS7’s that I use as studio monitors, and am mostly satisfied. The only issue is that one of the speakers pics up RF interference from our iMac and constantly makes little sounds.

I taped some tin foil to the side of the speaker which solved the issue. I assume that the speakers usually have internal RF shielding since my other speaker doesn’t have the same issue. Been contemplating to take the speaker apart and shielding it from the inside instead, but I don’t want to mess these beauties up.

What do I do? I still recommend these products and they are well worth the money. Would give it 4. 5 stars if I could.

As a producer of 20+ years, hiphop/rnb, the yamaha hs8s are amazing. I look for great highs, mids and solid lows and these live up to its name. Accuracy As a sound designer, the clarity reaponse is so clear, it picks up sound id usually not hear with other speakers, I am able to create big sound such as realistic strings that sounds huge.

Tweaking sounds is what I love, so tweaking frequencies with bass or 808s so they will not clash with other low end sounds, these speakers are perfect for that. Lots of producers have this issue, I highly recommend for aound clarity.

Bass Ive owned lots of speakers, as I work with lots of bass and 808 sounds, the hs8s by far have amazed me, solid and tight kicks, 808s etc. All sound amazing and not muddy, not to loud and over bearing and not to soft.

Perfect responses. The bass and kicks are so tight, id leave a beat I am creating on loop for hours because I be amazed on the clarity. Overall Highs, Mids, Lows are what my ears judge when it comes to speakers and Yamaha did a great job, id give this 10 stars.

So if you take your sound serious like I do, get the yamaha hs8s, you will not be disappointed.

Endless possibilities right out of the box but switching sample packs and especially making my own is a hassle owing to the planets needing to be aligned for the audio signal to transmit without error between my phone or computer and the Sample.

I suppose the USB port and extra memory on the new version would remedy this. The sequencer is really easy to use and having ten parts keeps me from having to try to combine parts to take up a single channel.

Creatively I see no issue with composition other than having to trick it to get melodies, but technically retrieving my work other than just through the audio jack seems limiting. The greatest almost pocketable drum machine around has inspired me to look at more serious samplers for my setup.

I’d recommend it to anyone as an idea machine.

Among the Korg Volca line of very compact, inexpensive, extremely powerful and capable step sequencers, this unit stands apart from the other three in a seperate class. The Volca Sample allows the user to choose from a stock library of 100 or so samples, and since no producer can just “stick with stock,” and Korg knows this, they have included the ability to download additional software to upload you own sample files in high quality.

WAV format to the device. This makes the Volca Sample a pure powerhouse in custom DJ production. You could, for example, load all of the samples from a now extinct synth, or of course: make your own sounds from scratch to use in any combination or all of the sequencer steps.

The other variables that come with the Volca, ready to tweak are world class Korg filters and despite the size and price- all of these features make this Volca anything but a novelty or toy. This is a professional production tool to be sure.

To top itall off, Korg publishes the schematics for their Volcas and even prints common soldering points on the circuit board, ready to mod for those not afraid to solder a little bit and further expand the Volca capabilities.

I have given all my Volcas MIDI OUT with DI?N sockets or via USB, as well as other Volca model specific mods. The Sample, and all of the Volcas are totally worth their price, and then some. They are UNDER priced, IMO.

NOT owning a Volca or two or four is a crime once you embrace all they can do.

I already owned the first Volca sample and bought this, the Volca Sample 2, mainly because of the USB connection to enable backup to my computer. It’s a great instrument, which comes with some nice samples.

Other improvements over the original model are the ability to store 200 samples (up by 100), double the sample RAM and the ability to store 16 patterns rather than 10. It’s not perfect – I’d have preferred an SD card slot to store samples & patterns when away from my Mac, but it’s a fun instrument, and one that you can’t help but come up with ideas on.

The Mackie SR824 Mk-1 were already great speakers. The Mk-2 improved upon already great sound. They added ‘world power’ (110/220v), so you can go live anywhere and not have power issues. These are MONITORS, so the sound is very flat.

This means that if you are listening to streams, it will call out all the flaws and lack that ‘warmth’ and ‘color’ that home speakers will offer. These are for listening to music that has been professionally produced and is presented on a proper source.

Vinyl through a good mixer (eg: RANE) it’s so pleasing to the ear!.

Have a pair of mk1s from 1999 and they STILL SOUND GREAT. Use em everyday. Pro studio for 15 years and now integrated into home theater in 2020. Sound from movies and music is EPIC. People go to answer door when well recorded door knock sound is in movie.

They are THX certified, and produce exact sound.

I must admit, I’ve been using Prolinear 720’s, which was all I could afford at the time. And with the help of a BIG KNOB, I was able to have both sets of monitors connected simultaneously. So, I opened a DAW file with the Prolinear’s active.

got a good hot volume level. then punched in the HR’s. You figure you pay a certain amount for a pair of speakers, they better sound good. well, sound good they did! I can’t really articulate the awe of that moment.

saying I was blown away is not a strong enough expression. I have to say, after the initial shock. and switching the source back and fouth. my Prolinear’s sounded like they were playing under water. The HR’s give me confidence in saying I have a recording studio! I must admit, I’ve only been using the HR’s for about a month and I still have yet to acclimate my ears to them to produce multi-device friendly mixes.

but I can’t imagine a more enjoyable way to get there! I’d like to add that some reviews I read before I got the HR’s listed their 35 lb weight per speaker as a CON. honestly, I can’t imagine a speaker lighter than these putting out like the HR’s.

not a CON as far as I’m concerned. I’d be likely to attribute the weight to some very intentional quality components. The sound of the HR’s is just absolutely amazing! Incredible low end capacity and a -2db and +2db switch for the Hi’s.

I enjoy the song that I used the drum machine to make. I did it for a movie soundtrack. I made a loop and modulated the sound for about ten or so minutes. I don’t have the knowledge to use it, for specific themes yet, but I don’t feel the entry, is the worst song? I guess if loops are programmed by button, we don’t go into a session with a “theme in mind”, as if you played the cello, but the C.

G. I stuff I do keeps me from playing, to the extent, I felt, that if I have the option of having no new stuff, or rely on a button to just play, and acquire the knowledge, of being able to tinker with the sounds to modulate it, than, I can use that to accompany the movie themes I have, so I can put sound and music to slide shows, and snippets of my original movie concepts and it’s good for that.

I am not a DJ, so I can’t give a DJ’s advice, but I give it a high rating for what I do.

Ultra-portable, small footprint and low height. Nice feel to the buttons and knobs. Deep rezzy bass sounds, sparkling synth sounds. Mostly analog drum kits, but punchy kicks and crisp snares. Great sound tweaking capability, with multiple dedicated knobs.

Fully Ableton Live compatible, import your sounds directly to Live via USB! Has SD card port (if you need one) and MIDI in & out (with included MIDI adapters). Kaoss pad built in! I use this as a studio device, but it would work well stand-alone or in a live setting.

I’d been hankering after an Electribe since late last year, but decided instead on the cheaper Novation Circuit (which I also love, but still has many limitations compared to this box). Some months later I still found that the Electribe seemed to be offering more features that I wanted, especially when looking back at my original setups in the 90s (Yamaha RM1X and RS7000).

First off, I need to point out the learning curve, especially when compared to the Circuit, which is the definition of instant, so I really recommend reading the included manual and parameter guide, plus look at a few tutorials for the styles of music that interest you in particular.

Also, have a listen to the included Patterns, which really show off exactly what is possible, and spend some time looking at the individual parts/parameters which make the sounds so good. Once you have a grasp of what you’re trying to do, it’s simply a case of finding a free initialised pattern and constricting the parts as you see fit.

Parts can be played live and recorded or sequenced using a grid (best for beats), and you can assign up to 16 different instruments (ossicilators) split between drum sounds and synths. You can even record automation, such as filter movements or turning effects on and off for maximum flexibility.

The box is limited to 24 voice polyphony (24 things happening at the same time), some of which is used by insert effects, so it’s important to layer your sounds considerately. Also, there are 4 bars to play with, but this can be doubled by using BPM at half what you need, but placing beats and sounds at your intended BPM.

The sounds are fairly limited, but there are huge possibilities for variation by using the included filters and insert effects, so it’s quite easy to increase your sound bank. Overall, as a one-box solution, the Electribe is excellent (you can also export to Ableton, the Lite version of which is included, for computer based arrangements).

It goes without saying that this can also be integrated into any setup using Midi, the cables for which are supplied. My only real criticisms are that the learning curve is initially quite daunting (and there’s lots of menu diving, not assisted by small buttons), and that the polyphony needs to be considered as you construct your tracks.

Having a battery powered production station really makes up for the minor quibbles though, and you’ll get out what you put in effort wise.