Studio Amp question

[Tony]

I have a set of budget Studio monitors and need an amp.
My question is, do I need a proper studio amp or can I just use a good
hi-fi amp.
What is the difference?
I the amp will be used at home, I record with cubase and a few
keyboards.
Thanks in advance
Tony

[[email protected]]

I have a pair of Yorkville YSM-1s that I've used with a Samson Servo
60, an Yamaha 60 WPC integrated amp, and currently using a Crown
CE1000. The Samson really sucked, the Yamaha sounded good, but it's
old and one channel stopped working. The Crown has plenty of power,
but real Pro Audio critics hate them. So, I'm looking at Bryston amp.
They're made in Canada, supposed to sound excellent with real pro audio
build quality. Not cheap either. They build a 60 WPC amp that retails
right at $500.00.

I've read good reviews about Adcom amps. Old American made Haflers
ususally get a thumbs up too. I think you need the headroom of a pro
audio amp for consistent results. You're not listening to processed
audio as if you were playing back a CD.

DaveT

On Jan 26, 11:30 am, Tony > wrote:
> I have a set of budget Studio monitors and need an amp.
> My question is, do I need a proper studio amp or can I just use a good
> hi-fi amp.
> What is the difference?
> I the amp will be used at home, I record with cubase and a few
> keyboards.
> Thanks in advance
> Tony

[Paul Stamler]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> I have a pair of Yorkville YSM-1s that I've used with a Samson Servo
> 60, an Yamaha 60 WPC integrated amp, and currently using a Crown
> CE1000. The Samson really sucked, the Yamaha sounded good, but it's
> old and one channel stopped working. The Crown has plenty of power,
> but real Pro Audio critics hate them. So, I'm looking at Bryston amp.
> They're made in Canada, supposed to sound excellent with real pro audio
> build quality. Not cheap either. They build a 60 WPC amp that retails
> right at $500.00.
>
> I've read good reviews about Adcom amps. Old American made Haflers
> ususally get a thumbs up too. I think you need the headroom of a pro
> audio amp for consistent results. You're not listening to processed
> audio as if you were playing back a CD.

In my experience, pro audio amps do not differ appreciably from good home
stereo amps with regard to headroom. They tend to be somewhat more reliable
(leaving aside Samsonesque crap), and they typically have the advantage of
balanced inputs. But you could do fine with an Adcom, a Hafler, a Parasound,
or another good hi-fi amp.

Peace,
Paul

[Abemeister]

For a simple studio, use a receiver with reference monitors (your
choice) on the second speaker terminals. Works great.

On Jan 26, 3:06 pm, "Paul Stamler" > wrote:
> > wrote in ooglegroups.com...
>
> > I have a pair of Yorkville YSM-1s that I've used with a Samson Servo
> > 60, an Yamaha 60 WPC integrated amp, and currently using a Crown
> > CE1000. The Samson really sucked, the Yamaha sounded good, but it's
> > old and one channel stopped working. The Crown has plenty of power,
> > but real Pro Audio critics hate them. So, I'm looking at Bryston amp.
> > They're made in Canada, supposed to sound excellent with real pro audio
> > build quality. Not cheap either. They build a 60 WPC amp that retails
> > right at $500.00.
>
> > I've read good reviews about Adcom amps. Old American made Haflers
> > ususally get a thumbs up too. I think you need the headroom of a pro
> > audio amp for consistent results. You're not listening to processed
> > audio as if you were playing back a CD.In my experience, pro audio amps do not differ appreciably from good home
> stereo amps with regard to headroom. They tend to be somewhat more reliable
> (leaving aside Samsonesque crap), and they typically have the advantage of
> balanced inputs. But you could do fine with an Adcom, a Hafler, a Parasound,
> or another good hi-fi amp.
>
> Peace,
> Paul

[Scott Dorsey]

Tony > wrote:
>I have a set of budget Studio monitors and need an amp.
>My question is, do I need a proper studio amp or can I just use a good
>hi-fi amp.

Depends on how good the hi-fi amp is.

>What is the difference?

Mostly things like balanced inputs and ruggedness, but sometimes other
things as well.

>I the amp will be used at home, I record with cubase and a few
>keyboards.

Since you don't mention what kind of monitors you're using or what sort
of console or monitor panel you're driving the amp with, nobody can really
make much of a guess about what you're looking for. But if you are looking
for a decent-sounding hi-fi amp with straight unabalanced inputs available
in the UK, try the lower end of the Creek line.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Jake]

Tony wrote:
> I have a set of budget Studio monitors and need an amp.
> My question is, do I need a proper studio amp or can I just use a good
> hi-fi amp.
> What is the difference?
> I the amp will be used at home, I record with cubase and a few
> keyboards.
> Thanks in advance
> Tony
Probably best to find something that doesn't hiss. I mixed through a
Sony stereo receiver for years and it sounded great, except for the
slight hiss masking up little details. Oh, and when i accidentally
bumped the bass or treble knobs. That screwed me up too. I'd highly
recommend self-powered monitors. They're worth saving for for ease of
use and setup.

[Daniel Mandic]

Tony wrote:

> I have a set of budget Studio monitors and need an amp.
> My question is, do I need a proper studio amp or can I just use a good
> hi-fi amp.
> What is the difference?
> I the amp will be used at home, I record with cubase and a few
> keyboards.
> Thanks in advance
> Tony

Hi Tony!



Pro Amps are stronger.

Consumer Amps are not build to work a long time at maximum power, or
high power. (generate too much heat)
They have mainly no ventilation, what I like more, but when having
loudspeakers with more energy-need you would destroy the consumer amp
in a short time. They are made for living-room loudness, IMO.


On the other hand, consumer amps are not so bad and sound better than
many pro-amp.
Keep care for good ventilation, leave amps with (synthetic) too much
treble (often found with cheaper consumer-amps). They would disturb
your work, better take a cheap pro-amp with mildly filtered
cheap-trebles.

I am at my Consumer-amp, with the treble-poti almost at the minus-end
when playing :-)))), but I need just 2x20W or so, so it's still un use.
[2x45W Integrated Amp]
With my 2x300W power amp, the Keyboard-Speakers sound much better, but
then my living-room would miss a tone :)


I am personally thinking to 1-way speaker (Paper, of course!!!) and a
nice tube-poweramp. My treble-problems should vanish :-) and I can make
objective settings to my synth then (chiseling presets/sounds/voices
etc.).
Although, tube-amps distort the sound as well, as mid- high-tweeter
etc. do so, on the other side..... but not so materialistic as plastic
chassis etc etc....



Well, you have already your LS. Hmmm, lookout for 'Alesis' PowerAmps
(Pro). They are not expensive and can deliver much more power than
integrated amps. Consumer Power-Amps as that, are nice but too
expensive for that case, IMHO.
Also, if you care to use an integrated amp, lookout for Pre-In
connectors on the Amp, so that you can connect your Pre-Amp (Mixer)
rightly. (Let's say, a broken Volume-Poti or other unnecessary broken
buttons on an Integrated-Amp with Pre-IN, and the Amplifier inside is
working well. Why not!!)
Otherwise, if you care to listen a full ensemble, Cubase driven :),
with more than one synth, you will not come around a Mixer.

So you can also watch for Mixer with Amps built in. Like the
astonishing 'Dynacord' series Mixer, with and without amps. (My
favourite Brand....)




Best regards,

Daniel Mandic