Monitor Comparison - Mixed the same song on 2 sets of monitors (clips included)...

Blue Bear Sound

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This has all the makings of another subjective "shoot-out" but there ya go.........

Obligatory Notes and Disclaimers
I took this tune and mixed it using Event PS6s with Tannoy Proto-Js as secondaries... this was back in November.

When I recently upgraded my control room monitors to KRK V8s, I was curious about the difference in translation and mixing (especially since the V8s seemed so much more revealing) that I mixed the tune again using the V8s and Yorkville YSM-1i as secondaries.

Both the Tannoys and Yorkvilles were powered by a Hafler P3000 amp.

Now, there will of course be some difference in the mix due to the fact that on any given day, it isn't likely that a person will mix the same song the exact same way twice, even using the same monitors! So the way I approached this is to mix it on each set WITHOUT comparison to the other - I was simply mixing the track as I would have based solely on what I was hearing.

The Clips and My Impressions
I thought about doing this blind, but there's really no point, since I learned what I needed to know from the exercise, and the "blind" factor wouldn't be of any use to anyone else!

As I said, I found the KRKs much more revealing and less forgiving about tonal "strangeness" than the PS6s and comparing these two clips in the control room bore that out...

As well, I found it much easier to translate mixes using the V8s than I did with the PS6s... although the PS6s are quite reasonable monitors - they do have their weaknesses....

Anyways, enough blabbering....






Bruce
 
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I hear the biggest differences with the drums...with the hh and snare being more pronounced and crispy on the 2nd version. The overall mix sounds a little brighter too...leading me to think that either you're getting older!(and the ears are losing it due to age:D), or the little Events push the high end out a little more.

On a side note, I sent a mix to Harvey G. about two years ago, when debating whether or not you could tell what monitors you mixed on, soley by listening to the mix....and he picked 'em...the JBL 4311's that I've primarily been using for the last 20 years. I didn't know that's what he used also, but I found it kinda amazing. I certainly couldn't do it, and lost that debate:)
 
Gotta echo mix's comment on the second mix being brighter. The hats in particular which would lead me to the same conclusion about highend response on one set of the monitors.
 
Yes, the PS6s tend to give this glossiness to the highs and I usually ended up with less bright mixes than I wanted, so I had to compensate....

The V8s however tend to tell it more like it is... when I had played the mix from the PS6s on them, I found the PS6 mix sounded muddy and dark, whereas the V8 mix sounded more open and natural, even when played back on the PS6s!

The biggest change I find is that had I heard things on the V8s, I wouldn't have mixed them the way I had on the PS6s. The brightness, the slight muddiness in the vocal, the slight boominess on the bass... all these things didn't show up when monitoring on the Events - but they were very clearly audible on the KRKs though!

Bruce
 
nice mixes. personally felt that the brass came out a little too much. that track needs some cymbals! where are they?

nice work man.
 
LongWaveStudio said:
nice mixes. personally felt that the brass came out a little too much. that track needs some cymbals! where are they?

nice work man.
Thanks! I only mixed the tracks I had! (I didn't track it...)

I had done a mix with the brass lower, but I didn't care for it -- personal preference I suppose, I like brass that punches through a bit....

Bruce
 
Where's the bass drum? Don't tell me the drummer was playing with one of those "jazzy" sets (?) That's what I'm guessing, but if not, then I'd say both monitors may have been too strong in the 60-80 hz region . . . but I'm guessing that was probably just the style of the music, right? Good mixes, though. Great high-end detail on mix #2.
 
Listen on a REAL monitoring system, and you'd hear the kick drum, chess! ;)

:D :D

Actually though, if I took it out of the mix, you'd definitely notice it missing... it is there reinforcing the bass, exactly where it needs to be!

Bruce
 
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Blue Bear Sound said:
Listen on a REAL monitoring system, and you'd hear the kick drum, chess! ;)

:D :D

Actually though, if I took it out of the mix, you'd definitely notice it missing... it is there reinforcing the bass, exactly where it needs to be!

Bruce

That's what I was afraid of -- if "real" monitors are needed in order to hear it, then that pretty much leaves out only 99.9% of the consumer listening market. ;) :D :D

Still, I know a bass drum with a Jazz head on it (usually the Yamahas) when I hear one, and that one sounds pretty jazzy. It works for that syle, though, Bruce. Sounds rather more percussive, if you ask me. Although I wouldn't go so far as to say it "supports" the bass, at least I don't hear it getting in the way of it. Nope. Pretty far out of harm's way of anything in that mix.

I was going to say you should give it to me for mastering: I can go crazy with the maxx bass plugin and pump the shit out a' that kick! :) :D)
 
Originally posted by chessrock Although I wouldn't go so far as to say it "supports" the bass, at least I don't hear it getting in the way of it.
As I said, if I actually took it out, you'd hear it missing right away! And I DO happen to know what I'm doing with kick/bass relationships - I spend a lot of time on that particular aspect of mixing because it is a critical component of the track's rhythm! :)

Besides, I don't know what you're talking about chess, because I can clearly hear it even on my cheap ass computer speakers! Do you have the lo-shelf EQ on in "cut" mode or something??? ;)

I wasn't involved in the tracking of this tune in any way, so I have no idea what was used as far as instrumentation or even signal chain!

Bruce
 
Originally posted by chessrock I was going to say you should give it to me for mastering: I can go crazy with the maxx bass plugin and pump the shit out a' that kick! :) :D)
OK... but only if you put a sh*tload of reverb on it too! ;)

:D :D :D

(just teasin' dude!) ;)
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
I wasn't involved in the tracking of this tune in any way, so I have no idea what was used as far as instrumentation or even signal chain!

Bruce

I bet the kick was tracked thru a POD to 'simulate' a jazz set...but was really off a rock set.:D
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
I wasn't involved in the tracking of this tune in any way, so I have no idea what was used as far as instrumentation or even signal chain!

I will bet you $20 that the bass drum had the words: "YAMAHA" written in big white letters on the front of it. :)
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
Ha! No Aural Exciter of any kind was used in the making of this mix!


Bruce

HOLY SIGNAL ENHANCEMENT, BATMAN!

Our evil adversary Blue Bear has abandoned his secret weapon!
 
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