I'm pretty new to mixing/mastering and my question is as follows. When I'm listening to my song through my headphones or monitors, it sounds great, I feel like it's done or almost done...then I go ahead and plug it in to the aux cable in my car (which has a pretty good sound system) and it sounds horrible. All of the depth is gone and it's just so empty compared to how it previously sounded. Any clues as to what's causing this or what I can do to fix it?
Noob question incoming...
- Thread starter NikDavila
- Start date
andrushkiwt
Well-known member
First thing's first - check your car stereos settings for audio. It's always possible that someone adjusted, for example, the treble/bass/stereo options and this is why it sounds like crap through it. How do CD's, radio sound through the car?
Next, what headphones and monitors are you using? Is the room you listen to your mixes in treated?
CD's sound totally fine. The settings were my first thought as well. The room is totally untreated, just a bedroom. The monitors are Mackie CR3s and the headphones are Behringer HPS3000s
jimmys69
MOODerator
Make sure your aux input in your car stereo does not have a preset eq.
Next thing will be the reason there is so much talk of room acoustic treatment and debate over how to mix in a small room. Headphones are not reliable and cheap monitors in a small space without huge amounts of acoustic treatment is going to give you hell finding and realizing what you are actually hearing. A bunch of back and forth listening on other devices.
Does your stereo in the car have a USB port? I would recommend doing that and not a aux cable from phone or whatever you are using. Not sure how you are listening. That could possibly be a issue. Hard to say without hearing what you are.
You could also post up a sample. That would make things easier to give real advice about.
Next thing will be the reason there is so much talk of room acoustic treatment and debate over how to mix in a small room. Headphones are not reliable and cheap monitors in a small space without huge amounts of acoustic treatment is going to give you hell finding and realizing what you are actually hearing. A bunch of back and forth listening on other devices.
Does your stereo in the car have a USB port? I would recommend doing that and not a aux cable from phone or whatever you are using. Not sure how you are listening. That could possibly be a issue. Hard to say without hearing what you are.
You could also post up a sample. That would make things easier to give real advice about.
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
If the mix is sounding good in your room, but without depth in the car, it's possible your monitoring system (which includes the room) is fooling you. If, for example, your monitoring system is strong on bass, you may be pulling some out of the mix to compensate, so that when you play it elsewhere, the bass is lacking.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Maybe mix it in the car.
Mack Caster
Banned
As [MENTION=112380]jimmys69[/MENTION] mentioned, it is your monitoring environment. If you are going to use headphone, which you should be as you are in an un-treated room and using mons will only trick your ears, they need to be open backed like the Bey DT 990s. Your room has more treatment then your car. That is why you are hearing two different versions. If you think you have enough low end in the room and it sounds thin in the car, think about this.
When is the last time you hear the bass thumping outside and watched the car drive by 30 sec later? The bass sounds good in the car as it is not trapped. In your un-treated room, you may think it sounds to bassy so you cut the low end. You listen in your car that has 0 bass trapping and you think, why is this happening? You cant mix what you cant hear and if your room is tricking your ears, you now have a good idea why this is happening.
When is the last time you hear the bass thumping outside and watched the car drive by 30 sec later? The bass sounds good in the car as it is not trapped. In your un-treated room, you may think it sounds to bassy so you cut the low end. You listen in your car that has 0 bass trapping and you think, why is this happening? You cant mix what you cant hear and if your room is tricking your ears, you now have a good idea why this is happening.
