Newbie question about mixing

  • Thread starter Thread starter L3beats
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L3beats

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Hey guys, so I've been producing rap beats for quite some time now, however I've only used headphones or speakers connected to my laptop on FL studio to mix. I recently got a new laptop and I can tell when I listen to the sound, it is just awful and muddy. I know it's not my headphones because the music sounds good when I listen on my phone. Anyways, I'm looking to really help with my mixing cause it is extremely hard to mix on this laptop. My question is, should I get an audio interface, if so what type (reasonable price). Also, if an audio interface would even fix this problem of mine? To be honest, I don't know entirely what an audio interface does. I'm not looking to record anything, just simply need to figure out how I can actually hear clearly what I'm mixing. Thanks so much!
 
If you're using FL as your DAW, an audio interface will help most if you intend to add live playing to your mixes. you may try getting a pair of powered monitors fed by your headphone jack to hear everything fully and clearly.
 
Not looking to record live playing. Just looking for something that will help me take my mixes to the next level. If i buy an audio interface and mix with my headphones will I get a better result than mixing with just my headphones plugged into my laptop?
 
BUmping this. I’m going to simplify my question if anyone could help please. Is there anything I can do/buy so I can listen to my music how it ACTUALLY sounds and not how my laptop makes it sound. It affects my mixing because the laptop is making it sound way different
 
Buy an external audio interface man. Onboard sound cards suck.

Pick any one. Even the cheapest $50 shit will be better than the one in your laptop. I would start there for your purpose. Then decide if you need better.

Though are you sure the laptop player you are using does not have effects running on the player you are using?

Do you record/make beats on your laptop or on another computer? How is the laptop involved as a listening device? It could be just a setting that is skewing your judgement...
 
jimmys69 said:
Buy an external audio interface man. Onboard sound cards suck.

Pick any one. Even the cheapest $50 shit will be better than the one in your laptop. I would start there for your purpose. Then decide if you need better.

Though are you sure the laptop player you are using does not have effects running on the player you are using?

Do you record/make beats on your laptop or on another computer? How is the laptop involved as a listening device? It could be just a setting that is skewing your judgement...
Click to expand...

Appreciate your response man! I know for a fact its the laptop because even professional songs on itunes sound weird. And when I listen to songs on my iphone with the same headphones it sounds better. So An external audio interface would benefit me even though I'm a bedroom producer who is not recording live instruments?
 
Find out what it is about the laptop that is altering the audio and see if you can disable it. A while ago, someone here bought a new laptop that had some kind of "Beats" processing that really messed up his recordings. Don't remember what he did to get around it. Might have switched over to an interface....
 
As others have said, there is some 'enhancement' setup in the sound channel of that laptop (WMP?) but in any case an external USB connected D to A converter can only be good. The Behringer UCA 202 might seem a ridiculously cheap suggestion (abt $30) but the headphone output is really very good (and as a bonus you can use it to dub stuff from a 'hi fi' rig.

But! You would do better to look into the several interfaces now available with a 'Top Knob' and often just minimal inputs. Presonus make nice one...

Dave.
 
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