Sound on Matrixbrute

[juangcg]

Hello there.
I have a very basic question: What is the best way to get the sound out of Matrixbrute, using Studio Monitor speakers or guitar amplifier? If I want to listen to other instruments or sources, what is the best way to connect them to the sound: Mixer or sound interface? If monitor speakers what basic features should they have? Do you recommend any particular brand or model of monitor speakers?
Thanks a lot,
Juan

[DrJustice]

Studio monitors will give you a true representation of the sound. A guitar amp will colour the sound a lot. Sometimes the colour and distortion of a guitar amp is desirable, sometimes not. If you want the sound of the guitar amp when recording, you'll have to use microphones, whereas the sound from studio monitors is exactly what you get when recording straight to a sound interface.

A mixer is perhaps the most useful of all studio tools - everyone should have one. You get mixers with built in sound interfaces, which lets you just play without a computer, then switch on the computer and you have a multitrack recording interface.

Monitor speakers can be passive (requiring an amplifier), or active (built in amplifiers). Active ones are qiute popular since they're easy to set up and the amp/speaker combo is made to work together to give that precise monitoring sound. As for specific brands, I can't say, as there are so many (mine are from JBL). Sign up on  a gear/recording forum for recommendations and/or go to a shop and listen for yourself.

[juangcg]

Thanks a lot
Juan

[Processaurus]

For playing music with other musicians an amp is good, like a keyboard amp (Roland, Fender). A bass amp (Ampeg, Eden, Fender, etc.) will do in a pinch (especially if it has the “ice pick” horn). Guitar amps don’t have a lot of low end or sparkly high end, but maybe that’s fine if you are going for a funky, midrangey sound.  My favorite is just a powered PA speaker or two (Mackie or JBL, QSC if you have extra money), and a little mixer (like Behringer, Mackie, Soundraft) to mix a couple things (synthesizer or two, drum machine, computer/iPad, reverb effect).

Studio monitors (KRK, Yamaha, Event, etc.) are what you want for recording and mixing music, the idea that what you hear coming out of them will be similar to what people will hear out of their stereos. I play synths out of studio monitors (via a mixer that is also an audio interface), because it is all set up for recording, but, for just playing a synth like the matrixbrute, an amp with bigger speakers will sound impressive/full. Extra points for stereo, like a stereo amp (I like the Roland JC120), or a small stereo PA, like 2 powered speakers or floor monitors and a little mixer.