Headphones for mixing

[EVT]

Hi everybody,

I was wondering what suggestions you have for mixing headphones. The problem is I get the songs in my Fostex16 to sound good using the headphones, but then when I put it onto cd and listen to it in different systems, I want to kill myself. ok....
I currently am using the ...
Audio Technica ATHM40fs
http://www.zzounds.com/item--AUTATHM40FS
I HATE these headphones.... because I get the songs to sound good in these things..... and then when I play the songs everywhere else they have too much bass...I don't like the idea of just lowering bass.. to assume that it needs less to sound good... I want to here it the way I like it.. and then it sound that way in other systems.... It says flat frequency response.. but I guess this is the only source that has FFR.. because it sounds horrid everywhere else.

In the past, I've tried AKG headpones... which the model I guess isn't made anymore, because I didn't find it online... well anywayz, they stunk, so I decided to boycott akg headphones.

I've tried Sony MDRV700DJ
http://www.zzounds.com/item--SNYMDRV700DJ
I hate them too... they are uncomfortable, they have a digitally high endy quality in them, and..heavy bass... why the hell did I try dj headphones to mix, I realize sometimes later on and wonder why I do stupid things sometimes..

OK, well the only headphones I can say I really liked a lot were the...
Sennheiser HD280Pro
http://www.zzounds.com/item--SENHD280PRO
They were great, and the sound was good in other systems too.. but, the wires that connected to each headphone ear cup were very flimsy, and after stepping on the wire and yanking my head down a few times, they got messed up.
I need something more sturdy, comfy, and of course accurate as per the sound in different systems afterwards. THe sennheisers were almost it.

I was thinking about trying out the -Fostex T50RP
http://www.zzounds.com/item--FOST50RP

What do you think?
thanx
evt

[Blue Bear Sound]

Whad'ya Mean I Can't Mix With Headphones????

[pdadda]

Before everyone jumps all over you, I will tell you this. DON'T FREAKING MIX ON HEADPHONES!!! You can use them to monitor while tracking and to do early editing (hear if it sucks so bad you need to re-record it), but not to mix. I have the HD280's and they are great for live monitoring, but they are nearly impossible to mix on. It is MUCH harder to get to know and adjust to the fequency curve of headphones than monitors.

[EVT]

Hello,
OK...here's the thing... I do have tannoy reveals.. which i think are great, and I used to use them for mixing as much as I could... living at my parents and my mom flipping out with her bedroom right above the speakers in the basement.. i had them powered through a receiver...i know, i know.... but that's just what I had...and now to make matters worse... I moved out and into a building with many neighbors and thin walls.....I won't be able to play out the mixes through monitors here unless they are kind of low, and I like to really hear it out... i can't get the full sound really...
Would you recommend just doing it through the speakers low, or continue searching for headphones that maybe will be helpful in that they kind of will act as monitors(i know it won't be the same but..... ugugugugu
I'm sorry for my rambling... ok, so if I do go through the monitors, since I used the receiver in the living room for the entertainment center, I need a power amp... that you all know wouldn't need to make things ultra loud.... low or no fan noise if possible-cheap.. just to do the job of powering up my tannoys....and headphones????
thanx,
evt

[EVT]

HI,
sorry for posting twice in a row, but I just found a link
http://homerecording.com/monitors.html
that spoke about what you guys were saying.

thanx for the link blue bear sound....

Pdadda- I'm going to look for info. on the HD280's...thanx

ok, so nearfield speakers... would be good.. if that means i wouldn't have to pump them really loud... what do you think about the tannoy reveals??
I need a power amp for them too...
ok,
thanx
evt

[noisedude]

I have the HD280s and the best thing about them is that they are serviceable. You can change the wire if it breaks and also the ear pieces and headband padding. And they're very good as well, of course!

[mishagolin]

i also have the HD280's. i like them a lot as headphone monitors. they've held up very well for the past few months. but i'm looking to get a pair of nearfields so that i dont have to use them to mix anymore. it got annoying to have headphones on while mixing. and there is definitely a more distinct stereo image with headphones which isn't always desireable.

[Divine]

I use Sennheiser 580s to mix with. You can mix with head phones (At least I can with hip-hop). You should still get some type of speaker to use as a reference. I have a cd that is sold in retail stores and sounds fine.

[jkvd]

I always mix on my hifi speakers. Far from ideal, I know. But I'm doing it for so long and keep comparing the mixes on all kinds of systems that I know how to use them. E few weeks ago I bought the Beyerdynamics DT 770 (closed) for my vocalists, drummers. Now I noticed they reveal a lot of detail. Great to solo tracks and spot the problems. Just for fun I mixed on them a few times. For me they seem to work. No funny stuff when I put listen to my mix on my reference speakers. Try them.

[kylen]

Originally Posted by jkvd

I always mix on my hifi speakers. Far from ideal, I know. But I'm doing it for so long and keep comparing the mixes on all kinds of systems that I know how to use them. E few weeks ago I bought the Beyerdynamics DT 770 (closed) for my vocalists, drummers. Now I noticed they reveal a lot of detail. Great to solo tracks and spot the problems. Just for fun I mixed on them a few times. For me they seem to work. No funny stuff when I put listen to my mix on my reference speakers. Try them.

jkvd - it sounds like you have found a situation that works well for you and your mixes translate well over other systems - this is situation we all strive for.

I second the Beyerdynamic 770/80 closed headphones for mixing (when you need a headset to check certain details (like fades, crossfades, reverb tails, general levels, distortion & clipping, etc.). I tend to use these more than the Senn 600's since the Senns make everything sound good - I use those to listen to music when I'm done with the critical work.

The hi-fi speakers also add an important general point of reference - how does the mix sound on the general commercial system ? Nice to have in the studio, helps you hear things like - does the mix pump or rock out, what does the mix sound like when it's 'hyped' by a commercial set. I have an old set of Radio Shack Maximus 50's (12" woofer) and the smaller black bookshelf speakers (4" woofer).

For stereo imaging, the majority of mixing, setting reverb, EQ, and compression I use a pair of Event ASP8 nearfields for those details. It's pretty easy to hear accurate detail in all of the freq ranges on those guys as well as other psychoacoustic details such as imaging,, depth, height, etc. Adjusting the room acoustics helped here too. The speakers are driven by a Benchmark DAC-1 directly from the DAW so I think the signal to the monitoring system is pretty clean itself.

[acquit music]

try with akg h.phones

greets y.

[JARIK5760]

i made that mistake, mixing with head phones during a practice. sounded horrible. i just use them to trouble shoot now, just as a reference.

[guhlenn]

I thougth , "a BLUE bear?"... can't be right! so mixed on headphones. Now I accept that nature has quirky ways and you should not mix on headphones. Still... a BLUE bear? Damn!

[leddy]

I don't "mix" in the cans, but I find it useful to put them on occasionally during the process for an additional perspective on the sound if there is something specific I am listening for.

That said, I love my AKG 240's.