You can't.
It's not about experience; It's about physics.
So, let me get this straight. You are saying, even though some claim to be able to and even though we have an industry professional telling you that there are those doing it and recommending it as part of the further way of things, that a human being cannot mix a set of tracks into a perfectly playable, translatable song on a set of headphones. That there is the matter of actual, immovable scientific laws that make this an impossiblility, rather like humans flying or breathing unaided underwater for 15 days or males producing eggs that, if fertilized and nurtured for 9 months will become babies, or females producing spermatozoa ? And that no matter how many times in how many years one mixes on headphones, all their experience will count for absolutely nothing because it simply can't be done ?
What does that make Warren Huart then ? A liar ? A charlatan ? A master of self deceit ? Someone who wants YouTube views ?
You won't be surprised to learn I disagree with your quote. It has everything to do with experience and repetition.
it seems to me more about knowing how whatever you are using translates which kinda circles back to using references that you know inside and out when dialing in your listening setup
You won't be surprised to learn I agree with your quote.
it's no surprise that he avoids making any claims to quality, or suggesting how people should go.
Well, he'd probably be criticized for doing the latter. But the former is implicit in what he says. If he recommends something and goes as far as to say that the old way of thinking on the subject is dead as far as he's concerned and then goes on to mention 2 or 3 phones that he likes {even going as far as to tell us the levels ie, high end, entry etc}, then he's making some
claims as to the quality and what can be achieved.
I think the problem is that many people will/do interpret it to mean that now X&Y can replace A&B completely, and it's just as good...but at a fraction of the cost of A&B.
Well so what if they do ?
I live in the world of nuances and paradox. I'm well acquainted with life between the cracks. I've heard songs from people here that I regard as fantastic, mixed by guys with Hitachi amps and stereo speakers and off a Tascam Neo. I've also heard songs by people here that were done on much higher end stuff that were fantastic. It makes not a whit of difference to me how much their rigs cost. I'm not at all bothered if "Fred" thinks his rig is just as good as "Pauline's" but only cost a fifth of Fred's. Same way, I don't care if my neighbour's car cost £24,000 and mine only cost £2,500. They both get us where we need to go and the speed limit is the same.
If I had spent £100,000 on putting a studio together and some kid came along and played me his brilliant mixes that were better than mine and he told me he did them on headphones that cost £280, I couldn't care less because my joy comes from what I have when it comes to music. I already said I was a shitty mixer. But using mellotron sounds and being able to come up with what I consider sometimes to be great bass parts, even if they're played on a shitty university project bass that cost me £120 14 years ago and having a few bits that enable me to pursue my hobby......I don't have time to be bothered by someone else's gear or what they think of it.
There's a difference between "checking" a mix with headphones...and "mixing" with headphones. My understanding is that this discussion is about mixing with headphones instead of monitors...and not along with monitors, etc.
Yes, there is a difference. But the one can often shine a light on the other. Hopefully, it is noticeable that I am not actually telling anyone that they should go out and now mix with phones. That would be daft, not least because those that are already used to monitors {the great majority, I'd happily wager} would have to spend time on a new learning curve, and for what ? To do something that you certainly don't need to do and in many cases, don't like doing anyway ?
As an aside, would it be fair to say that
most of the songs in the MP3 clinic or that have ever been there are not or were not headphone mixes ?
Also...if every discussion about gear and recording is resolved with the "anything goes" or "whatever you prefer" answers, then it's kinda meaningless to even have them, because all perspectives become valid with those comments...
Again, this is nuanced. It really depends on what we are talking about and the different levels of knowledge and experience. A few years ago, a couple of guys ragged on you mercilessly because of your support for the practice of copying a track, adding some delay to the pulse of an organ for a cool effect. What really struck me at the time {I think it was about 2011} was these two's blind insistence that it was shit, even though you, by your own experience had done it a few times. But quite a number of useful things came out of the discussion. And discussions generally have a number elements to them, such as opinion, fact, science masquerading as argument closers, morals and experiences. I won't ignore the role preference plays in a conversation about something subjective. And being located in a paradox does actually mean that there can be a few different levels interacting in a conversation between multiple people.
at the same time it's implied that the playing field is leveled, regardless what people use or how they use it...
...but in reality, that is most certainly not the case
Nuanced again. It depends what you mean. My kids are into music, much of which I think is pretty lame
for my own listening. But they dig it. They get something out of it. I listen to much of it and they ask me what I think and I tell them and why. We have great chats about it that go on for ages. But someone using a sampler and just wolfing Ringo's snare, Carlton Barrett's kick, Billy Cobham's cymbals & hats and Tony Williams' toms
is on the same playing field as the many greats and not so great in both the pro and home recording worlds. I may not like what they come up with, but like Dave, I don't have to listen to it, whatever it was mixed on. Swapping views is one of the main reasons I like these threads. I love to know what people are doing, how and what they feel about it.
Ah! Now Rob, one thing you CANNOT avoid with headphones is the fact that the stereo picture (however mangled!) of the entire bloody Boston Symph' moves around with you! Speakers produce a fixed point in space
In relation to your brain, your ears are a fixed point. Whether I'm cycling, riding the bus, driving or walking, I still love my classical music.
A funny thing happened in the school I work in the other day. It was lashing down with rain so the kids {10~11 year olds} couldn't play outside. So there were 29 kids in a small class and varying degrees of chaos all around me and panrific levels of noise and I was seated, reading a book. One of the kids came up to me and said "how can you just sit there and read with all this noise going on ?" They're so used to teachers and lunch staff screeching at them for the slightest noise.
I guess I thrive in chaos.
Indeed - I didn't bring the monitors, thinking I could make do with a set of Edirol 5" things - and I cannot make ANY sensible judgements with them stereo wise. the frequency response to get bass out of them seems to make any panning below 100Hz or so just invisible. I'm resigned to headphones and I hate them already!
But is that because you cannot utilize them ? You may have something to report by mid-Jan.