CategoriesBlog by

KRK Classic 7 G3 vs. Rokit 7 G4

KRK Studio Monitors: Classic 7 G3 vs Rokit 7 G4

Studio monitors aren’t just for the professional music producers and recording musicians. Casual music listeners can benefit from a nice pair of studio monitors as a high quality way to listen to music around the house. Even DJ’s use studio monitors hooked up to their controllers to practice at home. Having said this, different studio monitors give off different types of sounds.

 

Today, we are taking a look at industry standard KRK monitors: the Classic 7 G3 vs the Rokit 7 G4.  We tested out these two monitors side by side to make sure you know which monitors are going to work best for you.

KRK Classic 7 G3: A studio monitor for everyone

The minute we turned on the Classic 7 G3’s, we felt the powerful bass of these monitors. If you’re a DJ, then you know that it’s all about that bass. Who doesn’t love a good bass when dancing at the club? A strong bass sound is what gets crowds moving on the dance floor. The Classic 7 G3’s are a good option for practicing your DJ mixes at home. On the other hand, if you want a pair of studio monitors in your house or apartment to blast your favorite tunes, you’ll find that the Classic 7 G3’s create the feel of a mini dance floor right in the comfort of your own home. Throwing a small party in your apartment? Your guests will surely enjoy the heavy bass of these monitors. 

 

If you’re looking for a monitor for mixing and mastering, the heavy bass of these monitors can be a bit problematic.  When mixing tracks, we recommend using studio monitors that produce a “flat” sound.  A “flat” sound means that the monitors are producing exactly the same sound as the original source.  With the Classic 7 G3’s, this is not the case, since the monitors are producing a bass that is louder than that of the original sound source. However, just because you don’t want to use these monitors to mix, does not mean that they don’t serve any purpose for the working producer or recording musician.  Once you are finished mixing, you will want to listen to the finished track on a variety of different speakers.  After releasing a song, some of your listeners will be playing the song on a car radio, some will be listening on headphones connected to their phone, and others will be listening from the sound system of a night club. Playing your finished track on the Classic 7 G3’s will give you an idea of what your song sounds like on bass-heavy sound systems, such as those often found at clubs and event venues.

KRK Rokit 7 G4: Leave it to the Pros

The Rokit 7 G4’s produce a sound much more suitable for professional music producers.  KRK installed new Kevlar drivers on the G4, which aim to produce sonic integrity across all frequency levels.

 

The Rokit 7 G4’s contain extensive tuning options to cater the sound to your needs and allow you to adjust the audio depending on the room and setup of your monitors. Its DSP driven room tuning comes with 25 graphic EQ settings to choose from. EQ, or equalization, means adjusting the relative levels of the different frequencies. Being able to fine tune the EQ means we can assure we are getting a flat sound before we start mixing.

 

This DSP tuning is a big step up from the adjustable frequency knobs on the back of G3. The G3 gives you the option to adjust the sound levels of the high, low, and mid range frequencies. However, these ranges can be quite broad and undefined.  If I want to adjust the sound level of only the the sub-bass frequencies, I won’t be able to without adjusting all other low frequency instruments and vocals as well.  

 

The Rokit 7 G4 solves this issue. Rather than just being able to tune up or down the high, low, and medium frequency ranges, you can adjust the levels of specific ranges within the high, low, and medium categories. For instance, you may choose the setting “L. Shelf, -2B, 60Hz”.  This means you want to tune down sound at the 60Hz frequency level by 2dB. As for music producers, this will allow you to make sure your EQ is completely flat before you begin. 

Which KRK studio monitor is better for you? 

 DJ’s, producers, and non-music industry professionals can all benefit by adding the Classic 7 G3’s to their home.  DJ’s and casual music listeners will find that the strong bass provides higher energy and a fun listening experience.  Music producers and recording musicians should take advantage of the opportunity of playing their finished track on powerful bass speakers to see what their listeners will experience when their song is played on heavy bass systems. If you need something to mix with, then the advanced DSP settings on the Rokit 7 G4 will prove to be very helpful to you.  The LCD screen and advanced settings will make sure you find a perfectly flat EQ before starting your mix. Buy the Classic 7 G3 on our website for $199.00, or the Rokit 7 G4 for $249.00.

CategoriesBlog by

The Hercules DJControl Starlight

The Hercules DJControl Starlight

Under 15 inches long and 6 inches wide, the Hercules DJControl Starlight may just be the smallest DJ controller on the market.  This super compact controller is guaranteed to be the lightest piece of equipment in your bag, smaller than even your laptop.  Given this controller’s incredibly small size, what can it do?

The Hercules DJControl Starlight controller is redefining the meaning of compact. Despite its extremely small size, this controller packs a punch.  It has hot cues, filter knobs, and even scratch features.  While this may not be enough to get through a full gig, it certainly is enough to practice your basic mixes.

 

 The Starlight Fits into Your Pocket 

 

That’s exactly where the compact size of this controller comes in handy.  The Hercules DJControl Starlight is under 15 inches long and 6 inches wide.  It’s smaller than your laptop.  You can easily stuff this controller into your backpack, take it with you on the plane, start preparing your set in the air, and even take it out and practice in the hotel room before your gig.  The set-up of the Hercules DJ Starlight is very easy.  If you are on the road and need to keep the noise down while you practice, you will only need to connect your laptop and a pair of headphones to get started mixing.  If you are working with a larger space and have speakers at your disposal, feel free to connect those as well via the stereo output. 

 

Just getting started DJing?

 

While this controller does serve as a great option for professional DJs working on the go, it also has great implications for the DJ just getting started at home. Beginner DJs can benefit greatly from the Hercules DJ’s simple layout and the Starlight’s fun lighting features to help you mix.  The Beat 1 and Beat 2 lighting programs cause red LED lights to light up at the first beat of a main song, and then blue lights to light up on the following beats. Transitions when DJing often happen on the  “down beat”, or first beat of a song. The Beat program on the Hercules DJControl Starlight controller will make sure you always know when the down beat is. Furthermore,  the Master Volume program causes white LEDs to light up, with their intensity changing with the volume level. You generally want to keep the Master Volume relatively steady throughout your mix. The change in LED white light intensity will help you become aware of any drastic changes to the volume.  The WaveForm Color Program reproduces the colors of your waveform of the respective tracks on each channel, allowing you to visually see what you’re hearing and immerse yourself into the music. Lastly, the Cue Point Color Program lights up progressively in response to an upcoming cue.  The light will take on the color of the cue they are representing.  A common problem for beginner DJ’s is missing the spot in a song where you had planned a transition or mix. The Starlight’s Cue Point Color Program ensures you are aware and prepared for upcoming transitions.  

 

A lot to offer at an affordable price point

 

Both experienced and beginner DJ’s can benefit tremendously from the Hercules DJ Starlight. At only $99.99, this is an extremely affordable option for  DJs of all levels to take advantage of.  It may not be a club ready controller, however practicing on your full CDJ3000 set up is not always possible, such as when traveling or warming up your mixes backstage. The Hercules DJControl Starlight makes sure you always have something in your back pocket to practice on.  For Beginner DJs, there’s really no better place to start than on one of the most affordable, easy-to-use controllers on the market. The Hercules DJControl Starlight walks you through the basics of mixing via its innovative light features. Buy the Hercules DJControl Starlight controller alone for only $99.99 on our website. Or, if this is your first time mixing, we recommend buying the Hercules DJ starter kit that comes with the Starlight controller,  DJ Monitor 32 speakers and HDP DJ M40.1 headphones to ensure you have all the right equipment you need to get started.