Alright, last chance to stop me...

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
... before I go pick up some HS8's from Guitar Center. I've been using headphones (sennHD280) since I started mixing my own music, about 4 years ago. Although I could probably make incremental steps toward a better mix with the headphones, I feel like the pace is going to be very slow and level. I've become accustomed to what they can offer me.

I think it's time for the upgrade. Is it an upgrade? If not, why? I will not have treatment set up yet. That'll be over the summer. The mixing room is also the office room, so small steps to keep everyone happy and not overwhelm them :)

They are $699 for the pair, brand new. Plus I need stands for each. Should I get these?

edit: I'm realizing some might say to spend less and get used. I'd rather have new.
 
Oops, totally overlooked that.
Start a thread about it, man. I don't think you'll have any problems with a 7b and your interface for vocal, gain wise, but I'm not sure it'll solve the problem you're trying to solve. :p
Probably good to get a range of opinions, and sorry for derailing here, but I generally reach for those big dynamics when I want to get close and minimise room reflections, or minimise lisps/sibilance.
If you're trying to tame mids, something like a 7b might end up being worse.
 
Fair enough. How close would you usually be to your current microphone?
If there's room to get closer but plosives are making it hard, right now, maybe a dynamic can help.

I'm inclined to think that some rockwool panels might help more, if that's an option.
 
Go get em. :) it's gonna open up a whole new world.

How about just making some stands?

Hell yeah! I have a shit ton of money invested in my studio. My monitor stands are just cinder blocks painted black on both sides behind my desk with a painted 1" thick shelf of wood between them. Well, there is also a center support as there are two sets of audio monitors and two video monitors mounted there as well.

It not really visible behind the desk and the open spaces are great for stashing your flash drives, software disks, direct boxes, weed? :)

I also agree that that would be a good start for monitor purchase based solely on mixes I have heard from others that use them. Always a good idea to move from headphones only. Even if the room is shit acoustically.
 
Alright, did it. Everything's set up. They gave them to me, brand new, for $262 apiece. Then I got two stands, cables, and a new mic boom since I needed one anyway. Excited to work in a new environment. Moved my room around too. I'll link to the "show me your studio" thread in a few, if you guys wanted to see the pic.

Any tips on using the switches on the back? High boost? How about volume pot... any theory as to the speakers performing better/worse at certain positions?
 
Alright, did it. Everything's set up. They gave them to me, brand new, for $262 apiece. Then I got two stands, cables, and a new mic boom since I needed one anyway. Excited to work in a new environment. Moved my room around too. I'll link to the "show me your studio" thread in a few, if you guys wanted to see the pic.

Any tips on using the switches on the back? High boost? How about volume pot... any theory as to the speakers performing better/worse at certain positions?

I would say keep any EQ on monitors flat. Move back from that wall about 12" and get some viable acoustic treatment on the back corners. They seem to be pointed in like you are too close to them, but hard to tell from the pic. Window to your right is tough but even a panel on the left at reflection point and a heavy curtain will help.

Great to see you have moved away from the dark side! :)

You will soon understand...It wasn't just a Star Wars reference. Honestly, I should not have even said that.
 
Looks good Taras! I have been using the same cans as my main reference even though I have a set of barely used LSR308's sitting on my desk(probably why I am having so much issue with bottom end). But I need to do room treatment myself and maybe that is why I am afraid to rely on them much. I have a dedicated 12' x14' room I am using but still just pegboard and moving blankets(in my basement). Getting away from the cans is hard because of sound traveling upstairs. Hope you can get them to work out and get some treatment in your room. Let us know how it goes.
 
i've listened to a lot of your songs and if those mixes are being done on headphones you are doing a fine job. not really a fan of yamaha monitors. always seem be wanting. i bought a pair of presonus sceptre8's ( a few hundred more than the hs8's) but i'll never look back. these things are friggin" awesome. just my opinion
 
i've listened to a lot of your songs and if those mixes are being done on headphones you are doing a fine job. not really a fan of yamaha monitors. always seem be wanting. i bought a pair of presonus sceptre8's ( a few hundred more than the hs8's) but i'll never look back. these things are friggin" awesome. just my opinion

thanks man. I'm sure I'll upgrade the monitors at some point, but I'll use em for a few yrs and do the best I can with them.
 

Nice. The angle looks pretty sharp, but there's diagrams online for determining best position. Maybe that's fine for your needs.

Even though they're 8" drivers, you might conclude they don't produce enough of the sub frequencies. Depending on genres and mixing preference, you may want to add a sub. It's not a terribly expensive upgrade and they even make lower end models with high pass outputs to the monitors, so there's no frequency overlap.

I was primarily doing headphone mixing for my first few years. Monitors definitely help in the final adjustment stages (fine tuning the mix, mastering). There's just no substituting them. I could get darn close on headphones and still use headphones for all the basic mixing while tracking, but that extra polish I was missing the monitors helped achieve. Now I can't imagine mixing without them.
 
There is a huge difference between mixing on headphones and then mixing with monitors. But that comes with another huge elephant in the room...

There is also a huge difference between mixing on cheap monitors in a room that does not have adequate room treatment.

I don't have the time now to go much more deep on this other than the fact that once I figured it out and got the room and monitors working right, tracking/mixing just got really easy. KRK G28's were shit. Event TR8's are not bad but needed sub to support. Hell, the ADAM A7x need the sub in my space but it needs it and it is treated well.

Take one step at a time and realize that the room you are in may be the biggest issue you have. Treating that is not necessarily easy, but it is cheap to get it to where it works as good as it can for you.

Headphones and I do not get along.... I would never mix with them. But we do what we can with what we have. Do what you can and make music. :)
 
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