Why mix with monitor speakers?

ledhed

New member
I've gotta ask a question here...so, we buy monitor speakers so we can get a true representation of our music without the enhancements that regular stereo speakers provide, right? During mixdown we set volume levels and EQ settings so the mix sounds good through these ridiculously expensive monitor speakers. Then, we mixdown and the finished product will be listened to on stereo speakers that enhance the sound. What's the point? Here's my dilema...I tweak all my settings so the mix sounds great on my monitor speakers, do a test mixdown to cassette (I'm all analog), take the cassette out to my kick-ass car stereo (my acid test of a good-sounding mix) and it sounds like crap! I have to go back and reset everything and do a few more test mixes until it sounds great on my car stereo and my home stereo, and then I've got a good mix. Help me out here!
 
I'm using Event 20/20P's and getting my mix sounding good... comparing the mix with other good sounding CD's through my monitors... Then I burn a CD and listen on my real stereo and it sounds like ass...
I thought studio monitors were supposed to let you hear the problem sources in a mix but my cheap assed Kenwoods bring out the crap whereas the "real" monitors seem to hide it...
My next step is to make a 50ft aux cable to run a line out of my mixer to my home stereo...

Frustr8-ed

S8-N
 
Ya, unless you spend alot (I mean alot) of money on monitors, you're probably beter off just checking your mixes on as many different stereos as you can.

I'm actually starting to think that the 'prosumer' monitors that one can buy are just making everything sound better so we amateurs don't feel so bad about our mixes. :)

Good luck, anyway...

William Underwood

P.S. Gotta love having 50 foot cables running all over the house, eh?

[This message has been edited by cwillu (edited 11-25-1999).]
 
I don't know guys, my mixes sound almost identical on home stereos. They actually tend to sound a bit better. I use Event 20/20's with a Hafler power amp. Moster cable (Studiolink 1000) on the whole path. Like I say, not much difference between what I hear in the control room, and what I hear on most consumer systems with like sized speakers. the Events to tend bring out a bit more definition though.

Try these things while mixing.

Monitor in mono except when you need to place an instrument in the stereo field.

Never mix louder than 80 db for long periods of time. Save that pumping volume for when you think you are done, but then only for maybe 30 seconds.

Pay very close attention to the 200-250 hz region if you are using digital, and 8-12khz in analog. If you don't know why, well, you aren't listening.

Next, don't reference with cassettes. Way too many times a cassette deck is not cleaned properly, and the bias is not set for the type of cassette you are using. GET SOMEKIND OF CD BURNER!!! IT IS ALMOST Y2K YOU KNOW!!!

Make sure that you are in a perfect triangle with your speakers. Your speakers should be at ear level, or a bit above with the speakers facing down at you. Try to be about 3-4 feet away from either speaker.

Take a lot of breaks from mixing.

Don't focus in on one thing too much. Using a magnifying glass on something that looks okay from a distance ALWAYS makes it uglier up close.

Remember that you are a hobbyist, and not a professional, so you are not going to get big time results with a little $5k recording setup. Sorry, that had to be said.

Always use the shortest signal path possible. By the same token, always use the shortest cable lengths you can.

Always get the best quality cable you can afford. Bad wire sounds bad and restricts bandwidth.

Good luck.

Ed Rei
Echo Star Studio www.echostarstudio.com
 
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