If you absolutely had to mixdown with headphones... which?

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jeffree

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I know, I know... not to mixdown with headphones. But my situation is such that I must, no choice, and I'm wondering which might be the best bet. AKG? Sennies? Sony?

I'd appreciate your input! Thanks.

Jeffree
 
IMO, you're actually better off not mixing then!

Personally, I can't recommend anything because I simply wouldn't do it!
 
I mix down with Sony MDR 7506 headphones all the time. I am getting pretty used to the sound. However, I own several pairs, and they all sound a little different!! {and even feel diff. on the noggin too!}. I have one pair I use mainly for "listening", tracking, mixing... hey...pretty utilitarian...eh?;)

I almost feel that I can hear better with the phones...better detail, buzzes, reverb decays, and all that groovy stuff. Whether you are supposed to mix with headphones or not, I'm starting to get hooked:eek:

and it's not like I have shit monitors either... they're oldish, but pretty kickass in there own right....URIE, Jbls...

The Sony headphones with their hyped bass sound great to me. I luv em.
 
You shouldn't, but if you must, you must!
I like the fostex t-20
I have a set that I've had for 10 years or more, they are very accurate & very comfortable. The main problem I've had myself mixing down on headphones, is I always mix the vocals too loud because the center of the stereo image seems to collapse more on headphones. Also, bass instruments become very difficult to judge if they're too loud or soft.
I think you are setting yourself up for mucho frustration dude.
 
If you have to mix with headphones, your best bet would be to get as many different ones as possible. Audition a bunch of them, and pick up at least one pair that are lighter in the bass, like the K240. Throw in something with more bass like a Sony, and if you have any money left, pick up whatever else you can get your hands on.

Some things to keep in mind:

*Be conservative in how you pan. Your stereo perception will be much wider, so the temptation will be to use a lot more of it than what would normally sound "right" over speakers.

* Try cheating your vocals up a hair more than what normally sounds right (1 to 1.5 db), as they can be easier to hear/distinguish over the cans than they would over speakers, making you think they're louder than they really are.

Reverbs are also more evident over the phones, so don't be surprized if you apply what sounded like the perfect amount of verb, only to have it lost when you play back on speakers.

and most important,

* check everything often for mono-compatibility.

If you can get everything to translate well on all of the different headphones at the same time, and they check out well in mono, then chances are you've got a pretty decent mix.

Contrary to what some people may tell you, mixing on the cans does have a few advantages. For one, you get a flatter frequency response than if you mix in a small, square, poorly-treated room. Secondly, you'll be able to catch small things better, like random pops, random noises that creep in where you forgot to silence a track, performance glitches, etc. Like anything else, familiarize yourself with how they sound. Listen to great mixes on them.
 
Yo Jeffree:

Anything is possible.

I like the Beyer 250 cans; but as the other folks have said, "yea, & nay, you can try with whatever you have and see what happens. Maybe if you do it a few times you might get a decent mix.

Green Hornet :D :cool: :p
 
I have 4 pairs of the Fostex T20s.... they make good tracking cans but that's about it........! (Even then, they can't handle a lot of level....)

If you're going to do it, use some flavour of open-air design.... that will minimize "hype" to some degree.......
 
I would never dream of mixing down with headphones...

but...

If I really had to, and there was no other way, then I would use a pair of headphones with which I was so familiar that I could anticipate all (or most of) the problems I would be likely to come across using headphones for mixing. In my case I'd most probably use a pair of AKG-K240s

Well, you did ask...

- Wil
 
The AKG 240DF & Sony 7506 (or MDR-V6) is a good combo.
I have those two as reference headphones.
For a bit more, the Sennheiser 580's are outstanding, and offer
excellent contrast to the Sony's. Some people like the Grado's
too, the Sennheiser is more comfy!

Chris
 
maestro_dmc said:
You shouldn't, but if you must, you must!
I like the Fostex T-20's. I have a set that I've had for 10 years or more, they are very accurate & very comfortable.

Same here. Mine lasted 17, count 'em, seventeen years before the left channel crapped out on me. They are fairly accurate without any boosting or cutting at any one frequency.

But they are not comfortable by a long stretch. After two hours of wearing them my ears are killing me and begging me to take them off.

When I started out and not knowing any better, I would mix occassionally using them when it was very late at night. (read, early morning.) I lived in a trailer court back then and sound carried incredibly far.
 
Very helpful stuff here, guys. Thanks! And your suggestions, Chessrock, are good ones... I've been using some older Sennies and have been frustrated by certain parts (like hard-panned stereo guitar appegios) sounding great on the phones but then nearly disappearing over actual speakers. Grrr...

Again, my warmest thanks to all who've responded (or do respond)! I'll keep your thoughts in mind while choosing some phones soon.

Best,
J.
 
Simple.................

Either Sony MDR's or AKG 240's.
 
Regardless of what everyone else seems to be recommending, I would strongly encourage you NOT to use tracking style headphones. For accuracy you want an open design, which in the affordable category means something like the Sennheiser 580 or 600.

If money is no object look into the Grado line. But remember, if you are spending that kind of money on headphones, you should also invest in a good headphone preamp - don't even consider using the crappy built in one on your mixing board.
 
Heres a question , if hes looking at that kind of money(nice HPs+amp) why not just invest that money into monitors?
Or is it a matter of loudness/noise/upsetting the neighbors?
 
Maybe he's mixing to kill time on transcontinental airplane trips...
 
I just like the way phones make my rock-n-roll hair look in our
P.R. shots...

(It's a noise porblem, wise guys! But thanks for your concern.)

J.
 
I have to agree with Blue Bear on this, I would not do it. I use my AKG 240s sometimes when I am tracking, to hear some detail stuff, but never for mixing. I find that as time goes by, and my ears get better, I use headphones less and less. I just don't need them as much. I most only ever put them on anymore is to check the headphone mix for the musicians.

Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
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