powderfinger
New member
Do any of you guys mix w/ headphones?? If so any kind that you recommend?? The ones that I always used broke yesterday and I'm looking for some more options......
L
littledog
New member
pglewis said:
Good advice about closed phones for tracking. Just make sure you put them away when it comes to checking your mixes.
For mix checks you want an accurate open design, like the Sennheiser 580.
Son of Mixerman
Mix Junior
littledog said:
Does anyone wanna clarifiy that the monitors should be used up until second before you hit the record button? I mean that trying to do mic placements for drums, guitars to find the right sound should be done through the monitors first, then put them on before you record. I accidentaly set up a guitar sound while the cans were on, tracked it, played back on the monitors and went....DOH! What happened...
SoMm
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ridl
New member
Try each, you'll see that on the headphones it sounds better/clearer. But on the monitors it sound less appealing, but true to what everyone else is gonna hear(assuming they don't use headphones also, which would be a plus).
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blipndub
New member
What do you think the percentage is of people who listen to music on headphones vs. speakers actually is?
I'll throw something out here. I bet as many if not more music fans listen to music on headphones more freqeuntly than on speakers. This is crazy talk I know but bear with me.
At work: headphones via pc
Gym/walking/dog: headphones
Late night listening: headphone
Riding the bus: headphones
help me out here, portable audio is THE thing, so many people are buying portable mp3 players and minidisc, i mean that's all headphones.
Personally I think you need to constantly shift back and forth between the two and not assume that everyone listening to your music will be doing so on nearfield monitors.
I'll throw something out here. I bet as many if not more music fans listen to music on headphones more freqeuntly than on speakers. This is crazy talk I know but bear with me.
At work: headphones via pc
Gym/walking/dog: headphones
Late night listening: headphone
Riding the bus: headphones
help me out here, portable audio is THE thing, so many people are buying portable mp3 players and minidisc, i mean that's all headphones.
Personally I think you need to constantly shift back and forth between the two and not assume that everyone listening to your music will be doing so on nearfield monitors.
L
littledog
New member
Blip's argument seems pretty compelling at first glance, but there is a problem with it:
You can safely assume that NO ONE will be listening on near field monitors, except for a handful of engineers. So by that logic, no one should mix on near fields at all.
So obviously that's not the reason to do so - the reason is to try and hear an accurate representation of what's going on in the music. Even so, with room anomalies, you still have to reference other CD's to get a baseline for mixing.
Nearfields at least give you a chance at a mix that will translate to a majority of other systems, including headphones. Mixing on headphones gives you no chance of that kind of translatability. As a test, try adding reverb into a mix using headphones - then listen to the results on your nearfields.
The implication that lots of people will be listening on headphones is true, but not helpful. There are more drastic differences between different sets of headphones than between speakers - so unless everyone was using your brand and model, you aren't accomplishing much anyway.
But there IS a reason to use headphones to check mixes - with headphones you push the program to ambient room noise ratio up to a much higher level, letting you hear how much grunge, hiss, belches, etc. slipped into your mix much more easily. Punch-ins or edits that sounded smooth on your speakers may reveal clicks through the headphones.
So they are good for checking fine details.
You can safely assume that NO ONE will be listening on near field monitors, except for a handful of engineers. So by that logic, no one should mix on near fields at all.
So obviously that's not the reason to do so - the reason is to try and hear an accurate representation of what's going on in the music. Even so, with room anomalies, you still have to reference other CD's to get a baseline for mixing.
Nearfields at least give you a chance at a mix that will translate to a majority of other systems, including headphones. Mixing on headphones gives you no chance of that kind of translatability. As a test, try adding reverb into a mix using headphones - then listen to the results on your nearfields.
The implication that lots of people will be listening on headphones is true, but not helpful. There are more drastic differences between different sets of headphones than between speakers - so unless everyone was using your brand and model, you aren't accomplishing much anyway.
But there IS a reason to use headphones to check mixes - with headphones you push the program to ambient room noise ratio up to a much higher level, letting you hear how much grunge, hiss, belches, etc. slipped into your mix much more easily. Punch-ins or edits that sounded smooth on your speakers may reveal clicks through the headphones.
So they are good for checking fine details.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
I second and third EVERYTHING that LD just said... he's absolutely right........!
stonepiano
Member
this thread is the best argument I've read for using headphones and monitors to mix so far.
I can honestly say I was not absolutely convinced to toss up the extra cash for decent monitors in addition to my k240's until I finished Littledog's paragraph.
thanks guys. I'm going shopping this weekend!
stone
I can honestly say I was not absolutely convinced to toss up the extra cash for decent monitors in addition to my k240's until I finished Littledog's paragraph.
thanks guys. I'm going shopping this weekend!
stone
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pglewis
New member
Dammit... now I discover I need mixing phones. And that'll probably lead to the need for a seperate headphone amp. Does it ever end?!
B
blipndub
New member
I see the light
L
littledog
New member
Aw, c'mon you guys, dammit! What the hell's happening to this forum, anyway - everybody completely agrees with me???
Where's Jeep/Wascal or someone of that ilk to tell me I'm full of shit and my mother mixes on Auratones? Those were the good old days...!
Where's Jeep/Wascal or someone of that ilk to tell me I'm full of shit and my mother mixes on Auratones? Those were the good old days...!
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volltreffer
Imply depressed
Ok, ppls ...
Everything you say is completely shit! I track with speakers on, REAL loud, as I like these nice little feedback squieks. and for mixing, and can will be better as you hear all these nice little details...
But there is one thing that may become a little difficult with open cans when recording: if you don't have a separate control room, it may be VERY difficult to hear anything at all, if you don't use closed phones... In that case, I recommend closed phones AND to listen to EVERY single track in playback while you set up (and that with monitor phones, if it is possible...) May sound rather ridiculous to the pros, but at least can save you loads of time when recording in such an 'hostile' surrounding
aXel
Everything you say is completely shit! I track with speakers on, REAL loud, as I like these nice little feedback squieks. and for mixing, and can will be better as you hear all these nice little details...
But there is one thing that may become a little difficult with open cans when recording: if you don't have a separate control room, it may be VERY difficult to hear anything at all, if you don't use closed phones... In that case, I recommend closed phones AND to listen to EVERY single track in playback while you set up (and that with monitor phones, if it is possible...) May sound rather ridiculous to the pros, but at least can save you loads of time when recording in such an 'hostile' surrounding
aXel
mixmkr
we don't need rest!!
littledog said:
Hey dickweed
I've still got my Auratones. Sound like mini jbl4311's to me
and why would you part with your cubes??
Not checking mixes for AM radio or TV anymore?
L
laptoppop
Musical Technogeek
littledog said:
Well, the basic problem is that this topic is approaching the required "spend lots of money" quotient. Who can disagree with spending money? <grin>
1) Big ol' monitors for real mixing
2) Nearfields
3) Cheapo speakers for double checking
4) Tracking headphones
5) Mix checking headphones
6) lots of amps for the above...
Some of the best mastering engineers can listen just on one or two sets of speakers and know from experience how it translates into various listening environments. For me, its very helpful to listen to nearfields, headphones, boom box, car stereo, etc... They all seem to reveal different things in the mix. Once I've heard a particular musical wart in one of those environments, I can almost always start to hear it in the others, especially going from other environments to my nearfields which are my prime mixing speakers.
-lee-
Sennheiser
New member
I have never mixed on headphones and probably never will. All I use 'phones for is to record acoustic instruments.
The monitors I use translate very well to other systems and I can actually set up the mic that I use with the monitors on, the feedback rejection is that good and the room as fairly dead.
I still track with cans after I set up the mic though.
Just my 2 cents worth.
The monitors I use translate very well to other systems and I can actually set up the mic that I use with the monitors on, the feedback rejection is that good and the room as fairly dead.
I still track with cans after I set up the mic though.
Just my 2 cents worth.
mixmkr
we don't need rest!!
I am actually finding I can do "halfway" decent mixes (maybe) with headphones, and almost am preferring the hyped sound they give me over monitors. I figure if I know where the headphones will tend to exaggerate and error, I might slide by. My last post in the clinic (https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65115)was done almost exclusively with Sony mdr7506, and the monitors were a checking point, but I really made no adjustments listening thru the speakers.
I realize this is a 'bad' practice, but I seem to have slipped into it recently. However, nothing really beats a JBL speaker pushing some serious air....at least to me. In spite of "what is right", I prefer to monitor LOUD when using the speakers. However, 3 am loud monitoring and the wife sometimes don't "mix" (pardon the pun).
I realize this is a 'bad' practice, but I seem to have slipped into it recently. However, nothing really beats a JBL speaker pushing some serious air....at least to me. In spite of "what is right", I prefer to monitor LOUD when using the speakers. However, 3 am loud monitoring and the wife sometimes don't "mix" (pardon the pun).
R
ridl
New member
I may be biased thought...seeing that I DJ(so I always mix through headphones). BUT, depending on what style other stuff I was to record, monitor's would be smartest--especially if the band or whatever is planning on playing live shows.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
DJ mixing, and mixing tracks of a song are two completely separate things.... in DJ mixing, you are not concerned with the timbre and sonic spectrum of each individual track, which is a process that for headphones is very misleading.
In mixing whole songs together, the tracks have already been blended properly, so the sonic decision-making involved is significantly less critical.
Now the real question is -- is a DJ a musician????
In mixing whole songs together, the tracks have already been blended properly, so the sonic decision-making involved is significantly less critical.
Now the real question is -- is a DJ a musician????
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Sennheiser
New member
That's like asking, "Is mixing with cans as good as mixing with monitors?"
I think we all probably know the answer to both.