Pro Audio Review - June 2008 - (Page 12) STUDIO | KRK Continued From Page 10 REVIEW the bottom of the cabinet. Video shielding is part of the G2 design, so there was never a concern of any interference from the monitors. The setup was within 4 inches of the back wall and, in one instance, within a foot of corners on both sides. Granted — this is not the ideal setup but sometimes we just have to work within the confines we are dealt. the immediate noticeable difference between the two was in low end, as the BX5a are rear ported. Because of this, I have a built-in notch filter programmed somewhere in my mind to cut out the apparent low-mid build up. The KRK’s front port design remedies this as all low frequency information comes right at me from a slot at the bottom of the speaker. Here, I heard what the low end was doing and was pleasantly surprised at the punchiness that came from the small package. My usual sub was disconnected during large, acoustically correct control room (meaning it wasn’t converted office space or a den) and, yes, a converted office space (where proper acoustics are on a long to-do list). In the larger facility I had the KRKs on their sides about 45 inches apart. This was a unique setup; I used the KRKs as near field monitors while the two-mix was also being fed to a set of larger monitors for an acoustic showcase in the other room. I was limited on how hard I could push the mix due to the possibility of feedback in the other room, so I quickly took a liking to the +6 dB of gain available on the KRKs. Although the power capability of the 8-inch model would have been a better fit for this large of a room, the 5-inch hung in there and, after listening back to the live mixes, had proven itself as a reliable monitoring source. Probably the best fit in my trial run with the Rokit was in smaller rooms with the speakers located on each side of a dual monitor DAW, about 40 inches apart, sitting vertically on the 1/4 inch foam pad adhered to I played these for hours on end and was not fatigued when monitoring from the KRKs. I compared the KRKs with my current speakers of choice for smaller DAW-type work, the M-Audio Studiophile BX5a and a passive pair of KRK ST6s powered by a SAE TWO amplifier. I have an acquired taste for the ST6, but the Rokit 5 far outshined them in smoothness, imaging and accuracy across the spectrum. The BX5a is a comparable speaker to the Rokit 5, both in price and size; this instance and remained off — the translation of the audio was very accurate from top to bottom. I played these for hours on end and was not fatigued when monitoring from the KRKs. When it was time to crank up the mix, the G2’s sound was consistent with the sound when at lower levels. The other difference in the BX5a and the G2 was in the sonic characteristics between the speakers. The KRK G2 was relatively flat across the spectrum and high-end hype, sometimes associated with former KRK models, was not there. The G2 was very pleasant to listen to, highlighting the shortcomings of the BX5As upper mid-range boost. | SUMMARY The Rokit 5 G2 would be a solid fit for an application where acoustic environment is an issue, surround mixes are taking place, or the on-the-go engineer needs a monitor able to quickly adapt to acoustic spaces and connectivity. Whether against a wall or in open space, I found these to provide a consistent and accurate reference point without wearing out their welcome on my ears. The new cabinet design adds sleekness to the look but, more importantly, lends to an accurate monitor that takes little time to adjust the ears. I can only imagine the same is true for the rest of the Rokit family. Throw in the $300 street price for a 5” inch pair ($400 for the 6 inch pair, and $500 for the 8 inch pair) and the Rokit G2 Series becomes a serious player in the ‘lower cost quality reference monitor ’ market. Dan Wothke currently runs the gauntlet of all things media in his role as Media Director at Belmont Church in Nashville. He invites you to contact him at dwothke@yahoo.com. 12 | ProAudio Review | June 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.thatcorp.com http://www.thatcorp.com http://www.proaudioreview.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.