Hi guys,

Looking for a few opinions/advice on what is a subjective topic but I'd still appreciate to hear your reviews....

I am looking for a new set of speakers for home use. My studio setup includes a Tyros2 but also a karaoke setup, so I like to have a fair bit of volume.

I have been impressed by the reviews of the Roland CM30 cube monitor speakers, and I would be intrigued to hear what differences there are or how they compare to the likes of the....

Alesis M1 active 520
KRK RP5 ROKIT
Behringer MS40

Stein....

I own two ROLAND CM30's & love em for my super small jobs, but....
this is a super subjective topic....with so many Monitors on the market its really boils down to "PERSONAL CHOICE" with your own ears..I would really suggest you try to go out and demo a few different models A/Bing with "YOUR" keyboard and make a serious selection choice as it pertains to YOUR NEEDS. Reading & talking wont solve anything when it comes to speakers of any kind. Have a great Thanks Giving I wish you luck in your selection.

I just bought a CM30 yesterday and I love it. I have a set of Alesis M1's in my recording studio and I love them also. For recording I think I prefer the M1's. But I'd never take them out on a gig. The CM30 really puts out a clear and ballsy sound. I would definitely recomend the Rolands for a louder, more in your face setup. I'm getting another one tomorrow so I'll have a stereo pair. I'll try them as recording monitors and let you know what I think.

Ciao,

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

While Donny is, of course, correct, I will have to agree with Joe. I own two of them and they have been the best small speakers I have ever had. Unless you are in an auditorium, you needn't worry about enough volume.
Bernie

Another thing.....

Studio monitors are made for that specific purpose and most have NO obstructional grills, etc, to obscure the sound...where as the CM30's is more of a multipurpose unit that can be used in many more situations....on the other if you really want good studio monitors check out the

Mackie HR Series Monitors...
http://www.digitalconsole.com/products/studiomonitors/index.html

Actually, as these ARE only 30 watt amps, I would recommend turning them up at the store (if they'll let you!), and putting a bass heavy style through them that you use (you DID bring along YOUR arranger so you know what you are listening to, didn't you? ), and then stand back about 30' if you can.

Up close and personal (like nearfield studio monitors) sounds pretty decent on almost anything, but push ANYTHING this small hard, especially bottom end, and stand back a bit, and you may find them a bit lacking. For teeny tiny rooms and background levels, these may indeed be the bee's knees, but I would take bernie's 'anything short of an auditorium' quote with a grain of salt...

These are 30 watt amps. Your home stereo is probably three or four times more powerful. In fact, most arranger built-in speaker systems are considerably more powerful!

Try before you buy, and CRANK IT...!

Diki please dont try to make them more then they are, ....I have always said that the CM30's are great for small jobs nothing more or less....they fill MY Needs and sound Great in that situation. Why even say to put heavy Bass thru them they werent created for that? If that's what someone needs then when they try them they'll make a decision for their needs...if you need that much Bass add on a Sub also like cass does.....these are lightweight, small and powerful enough to do the job period.

The CM-30 is a great 30 watt multi-channel, multi-purpose amp. At 30w, it is far louder than on-board speakers, for some reason. A pair of CM-30's are great for a small to medium space. Is it a good recording monitor, I don't know. i do know they are priced right, and as you read you can see that many of us who bought one also bought another.

I like their versatility and portability. I feel that for in-house use 2 of these would be more than enough to meet most people's needs. I would not suggest you buy them until you try them, especially if you are looking at recording monitors - kind of like comparing guinea pigs and gerbils, if you know what I mean.

Thanks a million for all the replies guys. I really appreciate it and the feedback from CM30 owners is certainly very positive.

I'm actually the manager of a music instrument retailer but unfortunately we don't really stock small monitor style speakers

I am actually hoping to get a Roland RD700sx digital piano so I want something punchy that will allow me to simply plug this up and a mic and crank the volume up at home and get back to ENJOYING playing rather than pressing buttons, learning the ins and outs of new VSTs etc..., but thats another story for another day!!

Thanks again guys, I'll make my decision very soon and report back with my findings.

Cheers
Stein67

You might also want to consider the Roland AC-60 or AC-90 amp AC-90 . It's more expensive, about $750-799, but it's a one-piece dedicated acoustice amp/PA. I feel the CM-30's offer more inputs and a feature or two, but no effects.

The CM-30's are great for something in their class. They are not a replacement for a good solid amp with maybe a 12" or 15" speaker. It depends on what you are looking for. An RD-700 would sound very good and tight thru CM-30's in a home studio.