Would you use.. Monitor Headphones.. Or your standard, crappy speakers to mix on!?

PizzImperfect

New member
Afternoon,

My problem at the minute is, well I don't have any cash to spend on monitor speakers (though i've been looking all day... droooool)..
I own a pair of Roland RH-200S Monitor Headphones, and a pretty standard 2.1 computer speaker system.
I always use my headphones when doing a mix, but its a habit i'm trying to get out of as.. It can sound great with the cans on.. but then when played through the speakers, the vocal is too loud.. or i can't hear the lead guitar.. etc.

Would you switch to the rubbish speakers? Or still with the cans until I can afford monitor speakers?

Thanks!
 
If you do not have the funds for monitors you will need to mix with the cans then take the recording to your car or stereo listen to it take notes then go back and adjust and do it all over again till it sounds good on a system outside the headphones
Tim
 
Yup...pretty much but I'd use both.
It'll be trial n error and a lot of wasted CD's but it can be done and sound decent.

I used to use a HiFi home stereo as monitors. Took awhile but I got some pretty fair mixes outta them.
One thing you can do is...if your mixes are coming out bass heavy...turn UP the bass on your computer or whatever you're using.
Turning up the bass on that will force you to lower it in the mix.
Stuff like that will help ya get closer.

Luck man...
 
Given the choice, I'd try both. In fact, both is what I used to do. And that's why I use monitors now. I feel that both have their merits but 'phones for me need to be used in conjunction with speakers of some sort. But people are different.
 
Sounds like the best plan. The difference in sound between the 2 is outragious.. I'll just have to find a happy medium!

Thanks all.
 
Getting a car stereo with a usb input helps to cut down wasted time and cdr's. That will eat into you monitor budget tho. I found a $100 one at Wallmart that actually serves the purpose well for me.
 
No need for any of that!
You can find small FM transmitters all over the net for as low as $.99 and I have done this and it's way cool just hook up the transmitter to where you would plug your head phones in and go out to your car or to your home stereo and listen away!
This has saved me on purchasing a butt load of blank CDs and the clients think that it's cool to have their music coming over the airwaves to their cars just outside.
 
I tried one of those but the sound quality was so horrible I returned it. It was a $20 one from Micro Center. What is the model of the one you use? A good quality one would be absolutely priceless!!!!!

I bet Dave has one too. :)
 
I'll have to go over and take a look.

Did yours have muti tunable channels? I think that is the key to having a good sound quality from these. I think the ones I have have a total of 7 different choices and believe me a few of the channels were caa caa poo poo then the rest of the channels were crystal clear.

If Dave doesn't have one he should ... for he'll be just that more famous!
 
Yeah it did. It was actually a cigarette lighter FM transmitter dealio with a usb/ipod input on it. All channels were fuzzy with no low end. Basically useless. I noticed they stopped carrying the model. Guess I wasn't the only unhappy feller.

Dave is 'The most interesting man in the world'. When he drinks beer, he drinks Dos Equis. Stay thirsty Dave's friends.
 
Even with good monitor speakers in an acoustically treated control room, you still need to "learn" the sound by listening to the same material on a wide variety of other speakers. This only comes from experience but you CAN learn to judge what will sound "right".

I must admit that my monitor speakers are now more than 30 years old because I'm loathe to go through the learning curve again! However, I can pretty much know what my mixes will sound like elsewhere!

Bob
 
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