good or bad - Alesis M1 Active USB Monitors

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Level 1

35 points

good or bad - Alesis M1 Active USB Monitors

Was just searching around for 'USB Sound Cards + Active Monitor Speaker' set ups and stumbled across the Alesis M1 Active USB Monitors.

These are the point of interest or these

I know the Logic forums are full of people with Opinions and that's just what I need.

I find the easy set up extremely attractive as they seem so practical - I find the cost very seductive as decent USB SoundCards are really quite pricey and then one has to buy the speakers as well . . . Komplete Audio 6 alone is €299 and although it sure looks sexy . . . that's quite a stake for a piece of kit required just to hook up an iMac to Studio Monitors.

So clever people with all the knowledge and experience you have . . . what say you ?

Who would like to sing their praises and who wishes to slam them with a recommendation to burn them on sight and reject their very existence ?

Posted on Aug 17, 2011 9:52 PM

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Answer 1

Eriksimon

Level 6

15,428 points

Aug 18, 2011 2:24 AM in response to djcartel

I've got the 320's, and they perform as you'ld expect from cheap, small monitors - well, a bit better than I expected, actually. But I only paid € 30 for them (it was the last set in the shop). I use them as a third monitoring option, to check a mix for compatibility. For serious mixing/monitoring you just need bigger speakers. Not louder, but bigger. Don't know about the 520's, never heard those.

But as an audio interface I would not recommend either of those sets, for although they use a Texas Instrument soundchip (which is good!), it is only 16 bit (not good (enough)) and you'd want a 24 bit interface. Rule of thumb: if the bitdepth of a cheap interface is not mentioned in the promotional text (or even not in the specs), it is most likely 16.

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Answer 2

djcartel Author

Level 1

35 points

Aug 30, 2011 5:09 AM in response to Eriksimon

Thanks very much for the feedback eriksimon - that's useful info

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Answer 3

Pancenter

Level 6

14,782 points

Aug 30, 2011 6:54 PM in response to djcartel

djcartel wrote:

I find the easy set up extremely attractive as they seem so practical - I find the cost very seductive as decent USB SoundCards are really quite pricey and then one has to buy the speakers as well . . . Komplete Audio 6 alone is €299 and although it sure looks sexy . . . that's quite a stake for a piece of kit required just to hook up an iMac to Studio Monitors.

re: Alesis M1

Never mind!

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Answer 4

djcartel Author

Level 1

35 points

Aug 31, 2011 12:56 PM in response to Pancenter

There are other makes and models : ) Choosing the right ones seems to be a mine field.

A reliable and trusted dealer recommended either these or these and since he has them on Demo in the shop - tried and tested I am probably going to opt for one of those.

After some research it seems the Montitors with USB connection cause more problems than they solve so the Komplete Audio 6 is being purchased . . . it's not all bad Pancenter - nice to know you are still alive and kicking sir

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Answer 5

Pancenter

Level 6

14,782 points

Aug 31, 2011 1:17 PM in response to djcartel

After some research it seems the Montitors with USB connection cause more problems than they solve so the Komplete Audio 6 is being purchased . . . it's not all bad Pancenter - nice to know you are still alive and kicking sir

dj,

Actually, my post slammed USB monitors as being unreliable, especially those that double as a recording interface... I then admitted to myself that I had no direct experience with the Alesis.. only hearsay...

so I deleted what I'd posted.. the "never mind" was in reference to my post, not the Alesis.

Tannoy Reveals have always been a solid product although... depending on what you're producing the 5" woofer might not give you a complete idea of what's going on in the very low end.. then again, neither will the 6.5".

Either of those will be good once you're familiar with them... listen to something commercial through both speakers, something that you know well.

pancenter-

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Answer 6

djcartel Author

Level 1

35 points

Aug 31, 2011 1:56 PM in response to Pancenter

I got that notion Pan' . . . after some research I agree . . . they seem ok if one just wants to hook up speakers rather than putting up with the internal set up but that's as far as it goes. It is a quick and fast easy set up but as Eriksimon pointed out, the hook up is only 16 bit which is another black mark. Fine I guess for general sound but not great for mixing and mastering.

At the low end of the price range, nothing is perfect right, one has to give something up to stay in budget. I have read so many reviews and there's always a down side to each given model or product - hence - mine field right - and if you got USB monitors - you can't hook them up to most if not all of the Audio Interfaces - as pointed out to me by Native Staff last night.

In my case I am still on the learning curve and 3 years after starting to record tracks . . . I am finally getting to the stage where trials and demo tracks have finally started to become reasonable edits and now I have to start thinking about the mixing and mastering stages . . . I want some semi-decent monitors to develop my experience and learn from for now - just something to kick start the process and then maybe in a year when reasonable edits have become fully developed tracks I will have worked with the Monitors and got a grasp of it all . . . I can always sell them on then and buy decent fully fledged monitors to mix and master the final cuts for release. I'd love to have £2,000.00 monitors but it's just not worth it for me yet. Still got too much to learn to make it worthwhile for now. If I have to settle for O.K but not perfect . . . that's fine with me.

best wishes

p.s - * in fairness to Alesis - the Not USB versions got good reviews from Sound on Sound magazine

M1 Active MkII review and M1 Active 620 and 520's

links may be useful for others who pick up on this thread . . . people are always asking questions about monitors - i have noticed that

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