About headphones for mixing

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paokz

Member
Hi!..I am thinking of buying new headphones..I have Audio technica m30x but my problem is that i can't mix with these headphones..so i am think to go in m40x model of this series ..Will i be able to mix or should i take semi open headphones?..Is there any headphones for tracking good and mixing?
My question is it worth to take cheap closed back headphones for tracking and expensive semi open headphones for mixing or the opposite?
I mean that i could hold m30x and take semi open headphones
 
Use monitors for mixing. Headphones can be used (there's a million threads here about it, do a search) but your mix will suffer.
 
mjbphotos pretty much sums it up. There's no model or style of headphone that's automatically right for mixing...and mixing on headphones is never as good/easy as on monitors. You can read up on the psychoacoustics of it but having your sound source plastered against you ear (or, worse, in your ear with buds) creates a situation you hearing is not designed to use for judgement calls on the sound.

If you MUST mix on headphones for reasons you haven't explained, the "secret" isn't finding a special make or model. It's learning your headphones. Listen to favourite commercial tracks and analyse how they sound on headphones. Then do a trial mix and see how it sounds on a variety of systems...your car stereo, you home hifi, your iPhone...then figure out what you do and don't like and try another mix. You'll eventually learn how things have to sound on your cans to sound okay elsewhere.

For the record, you have to do a bit of this on monitors as well. Every system has to be "learned". However, it's quicker and easier to get good results with monitors.
 
The problem is that i have apllifier with speakers 110 watt..In this aplifier i have connected 4 speakers jama and aiwa
for the moment i cant take monitors so i am thinking for headphones..So i have m30x but indeed it tones the mid frequency too much so i cant mix..There is no soundstage..Thats why im thinking either buying m40x either going in semi open headphones and hold that cheap closed back headphones only for recording..My question is still is it worth to take cheap closed back headphones for tracking and expensive semi open headphones for mixing or the opposite?
 
paokz said:
The problem is that i have apllifier with speakers 110 watt..In this aplifier i have connected 4 speakers jama and aiwa
for the moment i cant take monitors so i am thinking for headphones..So i have m30x but indeed it tones the mid frequency too much so i cant mix..There is no soundstage..Thats why im thinking either buying m40x either going in semi open headphones and hold that cheap closed back headphones only for recording..My question is still is it worth to take cheap closed back headphones for tracking and expensive semi open headphones for mixing or the opposite?
Click to expand...

The sound stage on any headphone is never going to be natural to mix on unless you're maybe doing a mono mix with no effects.....and even then it's a compromise at best. But since you cannot use monitors.......keep the closed backs you have for tracking and get some open backs for mixing. I advise that you don't overspend on the open backs. It's easy to get carried away and do that. As Bobbsy has mentioned.......learn how they sound on the music you're already VERY familiar with. Get the feel for how the bass and other ranges sound and then use trial and error as you mix on them.
 
paokz said:
Hi!..I am thinking of buying new headphones..I have Audio technica m30x but my problem is that i can't mix with these headphones..so i am think to go in m40x model of this series ..Will i be able to mix or should i take semi open headphones?..Is there any headphones for tracking good and mixing?
My question is it worth to take cheap closed back headphones for tracking and expensive semi open headphones for mixing or the opposite?
I mean that i could hold m30x and take semi open headphones
Click to expand...

You can get the Sony MDR 7506, you can mix through them, but your ears will suffer real soon!

90% on monitors, 10% on headphones if needed
 
I bought Seinheiser headphones to mix with, since I have roommates who wouldn't appreciate blasting music all hours of the night. I regret it now. There is poor low end representation, so my I turn up the low end in my DAW and then find out in my car that it's blasting. At the worst though, it's just a lot of back and forth with my mixes. Frustrting, but if you have time, it may be the better option. Especially for those with roommates.
 
paokz said:
The problem is that i have apllifier with speakers 110 watt..In this aplifier i have connected 4 speakers jama and aiwa
for the moment i cant take monitors so i am thinking for headphones..So i have m30x but indeed it tones the mid frequency too much so i cant mix..There is no soundstage..Thats why im thinking either buying m40x either going in semi open headphones and hold that cheap closed back headphones only for recording..My question is still is it worth to take cheap closed back headphones for tracking and expensive semi open headphones for mixing or the opposite?
Click to expand...

Whoa there. There's lots of other ways to look at this.

You can get cheap switching units for speakers so you can decide which you're using at any given time.

Do you NEED those four speakers so much that you're willing to compromise your mix?

If you do need them, how good are the speakers? Any decent hifi speaker can be better than headphones for mixing.

If none of the above works, many (even most) basic monitors are active, i.e. they have built in amps and wouldn't need to be connected to your 110 watt unit anyway.

Etc. etc.

If you're dead set on mixing in headphones, on your head be it. (Pun intended there! :) ) However, if so, re-read what I had to say about learning your headphones. That'll make a bigger difference than any specific style. Also, add some of the mid range Sennheisers to your list. They make a better try at neutrality than many other brands of cans.
 
Paschalis I. said:
You can get the Sony MDR 7506, you can mix through them, but your ears will suffer real soon!

90% on monitors, 10% on headphones if needed
Click to expand...

My favorite 'cheapie' headphones when I have to suffer.

Even after 5 hours in front of monitors, my ears get too fatigued to make good judgements. Maybe 20 minutes before my ears are done with headphones.

Just saying...
 
Not for mixing..
But I wish I could get the sound (the effect) of AKG240's on some tracks -and have it come over on the speakers.
It's kind of a throaty' low mid effect (light on the low end), but nothing I can find in eq, must be something else going on.
 
Thank you all..Finally decided to take akg k271 mk2 but i dont know if the impedance of the heaphones will be loud enough with the focusrite scarlett 6i6
 
If you've got the m30x's then youll have to make quite a big jump in price before you get a significant gain in sound quality - and even then all the comments on mixing in headphones still apply. Going to the m40x's or similar priced phones won't be a MASSIVE difference (though I'm sure they'll be a bit nicer).
 
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