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Mixer vs. A/V receiver?


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Hello all,

 

This forum helped me tremendously in the past week with my 'B' equipment, so I'm back with more possibly dumb questions, this time about my 'A' equipment.

 

I'm planning to get a synth and a 400 disc CD changer that I want to connect to the same speakers. I want the most realistic sound possible for a small studio-sized room. Can anyone comment on which of the following setups is preferable, stupid, impractical, or dangerous, or all or none of the above? Or can anyone recommend replacement components which would be better? I can spend up to $30,000 but want to get the best value possible.

 

1) (Fantom-S and Sony ES CD changer) -> (Yamaha A/V receiver) -> (Celestion speakers)

 

2) (Fantom-S and Sony ES CD changer) -> (Behringer mixer) -> (Behringer powered speakers)

 

Please bear with me, I'll be the first to admit that I don't know what the really good products are. But I will gladly hear any suggestions and/or explanations! Thank you again.

 

brahmz118

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I would personally go this route for a studio type room:

synth & cd into a mixer (Behringer or other), into an amp, into studio quality monitors. I can't comment on any specific monitor speakers as I've never had a set-up like this, but this is basically what I do in my studio using my live pa rig when it isn't in use.

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I've not spent too much time thinking about how to spend $30k on a soundsystem and I have no experience with mixers and powered speakers. But I do have extensive experiece setting up $10k home theaters. So take anything that I say hear with a home theater bias. You can get tremendous sound nowadays with a $4000 A/V receiver and up to seven monitor quallity speakers. I have a Denon AVR5803 and klipsch speakers. With your budget, you can probaly do much better than klipsch speakers, but its hard to imagine a much better amp without spending thousands more. If you have any interest in multichannel sound (surround sound), the denon has 2 sets of 6 channel analog inputs that you could run from a mixer. Plus the Denon is a state of the art home theater piece of equipment and if you have any interest in adding video down the road, you would have it made. The only thing it does not have is DVI switching, but it does not exist yet (as far as I know).

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Thanks for weighing in. I should mention, I'd love to save as much of my $30K budget as possible because I could then do some creative spending on other stuff.

 

I have no doubt that the hi-fi option (i.e., receiver vs. mixer) would be great for the CD changer. But I just want to know about throwing the synth into the equation.

 

So far it seems I have one vote for each option. I feel like there's something super obvious which I don't know, which would point to one over the other.

 

Any other help?

 

brahmz118

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Ok, I guess I can add a bit more. I'm not sure what you are shooting for, but it sounds like a quasi home studio / AV room. If this is the case you do not want to go with option #2.

 

First of all, Behringer, while generally accepted as good quality considering it's cost, is still considered on the low end of the audio spectrum. Also, due to the relative low cost and poor support/service, it is also known as "disposable" gear.

 

Secondly, if you want realism and accuracy, you really don't want "sound reinforcement" gear in your studio room.

 

If you want good quality stereo sound for CD's and synth then just get a good quality power amp and studio type monitors (perhaps with a subwoofer)

 

Not sure how much this matters, but the CD's will be compressed music that's already premixed, the synth will not be. May be a good idea to put a compressor / limiter in line after the synth. That said I've run my synth through PC's and stereos and never had a problem.

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Thank you that was very helpful. I really don't know the reputations of various companies. When I was looking for recommendations for my B gear, someone mentioned a "cheap" pair of Behringer speakers costing $800 so I thought maybe their good stuff was really elite. And I have a very limited Denon stereo mini system which led me to believe that they were some econo-brand.

 

I suppose I was considering the mixer/amp/speaker system because my E-Mu PK-6 manual suggests that the preferred setup involves precisely those components.

 

My follow-up question would be: any specific recommendations for a power amp and monitors and sub? Anyone? Thanks for bearing with me so far.

 

brahmz118

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Actually I am planning to do listening and digital recording and performing for very small audiences (i.e., five v.i.p.'s). Occasionally performances will be broadcast from the room onto a closed-circuit tv channel.

 

After following some other threads, I have another question - should I just stick with hi-fi speakers instead of monitors? Wouldn't the monitors be unflattering for the CD player because they lack any enhanced EQ? Is my understanding of that correct? Or is there some reason I don't know about to get monitors instead?

 

brahmz118

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