I need a Translation Dictionary

[Erockrazor]

I got KRK RP5's for Christmas and don't get me wrong they sound amazing. They playback my mixes with more clarity and detail than I have ever heard. But until today I started facing a problem. I'm sort of attacking this problem blindly because I don't really know how to go about beating it.

Problem :
-I cannot get my mixes to translate at all from my KRK's. Everything I mix sounds completely different on any other sound system I've tried (my car,stereo). I mixdown my tracks to mp3 and put it onto my mp3 player to play in my car and on a cd for my stereo. When I mixed with my computer speakers , the mixes translated much better than they do now.

Solution :
-Keep making mixes that don't translate and figure out how the speakers will translate after mixdown?
-Hook up my computer speakers to my interface and A/B with my computer speakers and headphones?
-I have no idea , you guys tell me.???


I feel stupid! Thanks for any help in advanced! Eric.

 

[ssscientist]

I love my KRK RP5's but it did take some time for my ear to become acclimated to them.

The best way to get used to what they sound like is to play your favorite CD's thru them whenever you get the chance. Listen for the concentration of bass and the juxtaposition of the bass instruments to the lower frequency elements of the drum kit. Also listen to the top of the mix - listen to where the vocal sits in the mix and what effects are used and not used. The midrange is crucial because that's where most of the music is, so practice differentiating the instruments there.

Compare your mix to a commercial CD that's in the same genre that you're working in.

Take breaks by listening to CD's that you think are well recorded.

Put favorite CD's on when you're not necessarily sitting at your recording setup --- maybe just cleaning up your studio room or some other mundane task.

If you just got them for Christmas don't be in a rush to learn them. They are professional quality monitors capable of pro quality mixes, but only if you give yourself a chance to find out exactly what a good mix sounds like thru them.


.

 

[theboy]

you'll get room treatment as a pretty big solution... on top of that, heaps of listening to music through your monitors to get the feel of them and definately mixing over and over till you know what a mix youve done should sound like on your monitoring system.

 

[rayc]

Treatment for the room &&&&&&&&& comparison speakers - not comp ones though.
As siad use a CD you know REALLY WELL & do the old A, B & possibly C.
Go to REALTRAPS & download theoir freebie mp3 of test tones & the graph & run them when you treat the room.

 

[Cult_Status02]

Yeah, as said, listen to mixes you have heard in various settings and have liked. I'm planning on getting the Mackie Big Knob for an easy, cheap monitoring/talkback system. Perhaps something you could look into down the road to A/B/C some mixes.

 

[ecktronic]

I got KRK RP5's for Christmas and don't get me wrong they sound amazing. They playback my mixes with more clarity and detail than I have ever heard. But until today I started facing a problem. I'm sort of attacking this problem blindly because I don't really know how to go about beating it.

Problem :
-I cannot get my mixes to translate at all from my KRK's. Everything I mix sounds completely different on any other sound system I've tried (my car,stereo). I mixdown my tracks to mp3 and put it onto my mp3 player to play in my car and on a cd for my stereo. When I mixed with my computer speakers , the mixes translated much better than they do now.

Solution :
-Keep making mixes that don't translate and figure out how the speakers will translate after mixdown?
-Hook up my computer speakers to my interface and A/B with my computer speakers and headphones?
-I have no idea , you guys tell me.???


I feel stupid! Thanks for any help in advanced! Eric.

I think you know the answer. A/B all the way!

Eck

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Everything I mix sounds completely different on any other sound system I've tried (my car,stereo).

That's excatly what translation is; knowing that if it sounds like A in the CR, it'll sound like B on the outside, but if it sounds like B in the CR, it sounds like C on the outside.

Yeah, I agree with the others that you probably need some room treatment to strt out with. That'll cut down how far you have to translate things and will increase the accuracy of your translation. But you'll still have to remember that what sounds best in the studio is not always what actually sounds best in the outside world, and you have to plan for that when you mix. Making you mixes toi sound best on the outside can often mean making them to sound a bit off in the studio so that they *translate* properly.

G.

 

[ecktronic]

Making you mixes toi sound best on the outside can often mean making them to sound a bit off in the studio so that they *translate* properly.

G.

Too right.

Eck