How to get clean mixes for all listeners?

[chrisjames105]

How can I be sure that my mixes are going to sound good no matter what someone is using? I only have a surround sound system for my computer so I know it has to be messing up my mixes cause it never sounds the same in headphones, a car stereo, etc...

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Steenamaroo]

Hi there,
You're talking about making your mix translate well to other systems, right?

For me the key is to reference similar commercial material.
If you sound like bon jovi, line up a bon jovi track in your daw and compare it to yours step by step.
Obviously there'll be a massive volume difference during mix stages, so turn the commercial track down in your daw to compensate.

Listen for the crucial elements. Kick, bass, cymbals, vocals...This will give you guidelines for these extremes or focal points

Of course an ideal listening environment and monitoring chain is the key, but not always accessible.
Reputable quality studio monitors well positioned within a good or well treated environment is the way forward.

Most of us can't afford that; If that's the case just get decent full range speakers, stay close to them, and reference commercial tracks at every stage.

If you can get a mix to be pretty damn close and let a mastering engineer sort out the final balance, you're gonna do OK.

 

[DegreeProd]

If the mix sounds about right through decent Studio monitors it will typiclly sound good through most everything else. Studio Moniters display the mix in the rawest form of the mix without boosting and cutting certain frequencies and sounds that commercial audio systems and earbuds come built in with.

 

[RAMI]

"Studio monitors" can be slapped on any speaker, it doesn't mean much. Other than that, even the best "studio monitors" will not give you a decent mix unless you're also in a good, well treated room with everything placed where it should be.I'd take a good room with consumer speakers over great monitors in an un-treated room if given the choice.

 

[godchuanz]

Hi chrisjames105,

Of course the same song would sound different in different speakers/environment. It'll be both scary and delightful if the sound coming out of iPod earbuds is exactly the same as those from top-of-the-range high-end speakers

Anyway, if you want your mixes to translate well, you have got to get the most accurate speakers you can afford, and treat your listening room as much as you can. I believe there's really no way around it. You can audition your mixes in multiple environments - cars, headphones, different computer speakers - and then go back to the mix and tweak based on what you remember you have heard. But frankly, it's all gonna be more or less guesswork.

I recommend saving up money to buy good speakers and perform some room treatment. Do both, and I guarantee your mixes will improve.

 

[heatmiser]

If you sound like bon jovi...

Well, then stop right there.

Assuming you don't though, listening to CDs on whatever monitoring system you have in whatever room you have and getting to know how it sounds will do wonders. I think you can create mixes that translate well to other systems using just about any speaker/room combo if you're familiar enough with it

Now, getting them to sound good on all systems is kind of another story. That means it has to start by sounding good to you in your environment and recognizing when it sounds good is the hard part imo.

Realizing that it will sound somewhat different on buds, vs. cans, vs. speakers etc., just due to the nature of those devices, getting it to sound reasonably similar on each isn't too difficult.

 

[JeffroMixesYou]

Good mixes sound good on any system.
Use reference mixes, use multiple speakers, car stereos, computer speakers, everything you can.

For me, anyone can make a mix that sounds great on the big monitors (if you turn them up loud enough). The trick is to make the mix kick ass in the small, crappy speakers. I've done so many re-mixes of bad mixes where the artist told me, "But it sounded so good when we were in the studio!".
I'm sure it did. But it didn't sound so good in their ear buds or in their car.

I'm not saying you shouldn't have accurate monitors as your main way of listening, I'm just saying that you should also be spending a whole lot of time listening in different ways.

How can I be sure that my mixes are going to sound good no matter what someone is using? I only have a surround sound system for my computer so I know it has to be messing up my mixes cause it never sounds the same in headphones, a car stereo, etc...

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[john2223]

If you mixed a track and you can hear everything clearly you've done a great job. As long as you can hear everything and the hook stands out you should be fine.