Auditioning the MEG RL-901K

Hi,

The thread was on the previous Mana forum, which is no longer available online. My friend Alan, who has a recording studio in his home, asked me if I'd mind, as it was a Glasgow band, and he likes my room's acoustics. He brought up mics, mixing desk & I don't know what else, the band rehearsed, then recorded three or four songs. It was a three-piece acoustic band: singer, with tambourine (but no timing!), and two acoustic guitarists, one of whom also sang - so 2 male vocals, 2 guitars & a tambourine*. TBH, the music was pretty awful, IMO, but the sound quality was stunning. Playback was genuinely astonishing, the band sat there literally open-mouthed..

This is the only experience I have with live music in my home, but it really showed how accurate the ATC monitors are.


*tambourine was later taken away from him, because he had no idea!

 

Hi,

So, you have no way of knowing if what you heard replayed was a direct mike feed, unaltered, unprocessed (most likely not) or if it had been jazzed up, compressed and eq'ed, quite possibly (if your friend monitored during setup via the ATC's) such that it would offset the character of the ATC's.

THAT is why I was asking for the details.

I had the chance to test the old MEG's (the east german mid 80's RL-900) against direct mike feeds, as I had the chance to do later on occasions with many western monitors, including ATC, PMC, Tannoy, Urei, JBL and many others (I liked best personally some massive TAD custom in wall system, big wooden horn, 2" exit driver, 15" Woofer, passive X-Over, timealignment via mechanical means). I found the MEG RL-900 to be very faithfull to what I heard when I walked up to where the mikes where.

Many highly regarded western studio monitors showed anywhere between some mild to extreme colorations (the old JBL's where jolly well all over the place, as the studios fiddeled with the midrange and treble controls instead of leaving "flat", but even flat they where pretty far of "neutral").

As for my Pink Floyd reference, their music is what I call "artificially created in the laboratory". It has scant if any reference to actual real instruments. It is therefore particulary unsuited as measure of accuracy or quality.

Try purely acoustical classical recordings, like Tony Faulker does during live performances at the Barbican (shame he cannot make the at RFH, the acoustics at the Barbican are awful).

Ciao T

 

Well, as I said, it was an acoustic band, and AFAIK Alan didn't try to 'jazz it up' in any way, just a direct mic feed. Alan aims for as 'natural' a sound as possible with his recordings. Monitoring during the recording was done on headphones.

Pink Floyd certainly experimented with electronics, that's true. But they used plenty of 'real' instruments, too. You can hear them quite easily on a decent system.

 

I have heard pink floyd (produced on atc) played on atc. It still didnt sound right to me.

 

Shop demos are of little value: this thread illustrates that. You must surely be aware that set-up is crucial with hi-fi in general, and speakers in particular.

 

http://www.lasvegasproaudio.com/atcstmo.html

Read & learn, dude. ;-)

 

Who said it was in a shop? It was a home installation. Shop dems have value if done properly.

"The reason you may have not heard of ATC is that the top folks in the industry don't want their secret to get out". Yeah... right...

 

Yes indeed they do. Pink Floyd think their music is great but I think it's rubbish. Their opinion is just that - opinion.

Dont start name calling bub. You know where it leads.

 

Whether you like Pink Floyd's music, or not, is completely immaterial to the discussion, Mr Expert. They chose ATC for their accuracy.

If it sounds "wrong" to you, you are, in fact, wrong. How unusual!

 

No its relevent. It means that their expert opinion is in fact still subjective. I dont like their choice of monitors or their music. My opinion is as valid as theirs on both counts.

 

Call me old-fashioned, but I think that Pink Floyd actually might know what their own music is supposed to sound like.

But Mr Expert here always seems to know best - in the same way as his opinion on Lyra cartridges, and numerous other hi-fi items, is right.

Has it occurred to you that the rest of the system, in this newly-alleged home ATC installation, might not have been "up to it"?

 

And who do you think has more experience of studio monitors? Is it you, or is it possibly some world-famous musicians, each with more than 35 years' experience recording music?

 

Dear Moderator, housecleaning please?

Order Gentlemen,

Could we kindly take all ATC related mudslinging off into another thread? I would like to see this thread remain on-topic.

If you have heard MEG's and you think you like them, or that they are dreadful, by all means comment. If you want to ask questions for clarification, please ask. If you want to know or talk about the other Monitors present and listened to during the audition, please freel free.

As ATC Monitors where NOT present talk about them elsewhere please.

On an unrelated subject, Dear Dr. James, you are probably the #1 force against ATC, based on your on-line behaviour, there are some forums and discussion groups that have not yet had the benefit of your wisdom and well-reasoned argument. Why don't spread the word there....

Ciao T (to the Mod)
L8er T (to the mud slingers)

 

you gotta see the irony though, all that system and only one record

 

Bub,

Both Thorsten and I have reminded you - this thread is not about atc. Go start one if you want. I never claimed I have said "The Truth" - I have just stated my opinion and tastes. Have you heard a lyra cartridge (also not a topic for discussion on this thread)? Stop calling people names James - its blatant antogonism and has no place on this forum. Get me unblocked on PFM if you want to haress me.

Nick.

Thorsten - any update on the amps used yet for the pmc active setup? I am in North london - whereabouts is the meg dealer? Any chance of coming along for a listen next time?

 

ATC were mentioned in the first post, but the ATC argument is clearly won by me, so you'll hear no more about them from me unless you have any further queries about them.

I used to own a Lyra Lydian.

 

Hi,

Nope, sorry.

KMR are in Whetstone High Street (a few minutes walk from Totteridge & Whetstone Tube) and easy to find, a nearby Pizza Express outlet makes sure one can eat before/after auditioning (recommend before, food and beer/wine are not so good on ye olde hearing):

http://www.kmraudio.com/

Niki @ KMR told me to just drop in when convenient, so I did. They where quite cool to let us play for ourselves, switch between monitors, fiddle with gear etc., it's a Pro outlett, so they really expect you to do "self service".

Ciao T

 

Hi,

For their absence. And I'd suggest that is how they should be from this thread.

L8er T

 

If you ask no more about them, you'll hear no more from me. I'm only trying to help you out because you appear confused about their capabilities, and I have a wealth of experience with them.

Cheers!

 

I can't seem to find MEG on KMR's site.