Some Questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Loyct
  • Start date Start date
L

Loyct

New member
I'd be getting my Firebox and SM57 soon.

1)Can i use my current PCI FW/USB combo card temporarily? If i experience no problems? I heard combo and Non TI chipsets are bad?

2)Monitoring system. I don't have enough to get a Reference monitor. Will headphones be enough (for a demo). I've seen US$30 AKGs, are those good?

Thanks.
 
Headphones are good for an alternate view of things, focussing in on issues and isolation and monitoring while tracking, but mixing works out better on speakers.
Wayne
 
Mixing on headphones are just horrible. They all provide an inaccurate structure of the sound you are producing. Currently, i mix on my crappy headphones too. And to be honest, i am absolutely dying to get a pair of active monitors. It's really annoying when my mixes sound bad on different sound systems because of the poor mixing stages i go through with the headphones. By getting a pair of studio monitors, you can mix with them and get close to accurate results because no monitor is perfect.
 
So mixing with headphones will result in the track sounding different on different systems?
 
You can work out a lot of the various tasks on them but it's a different perspective than the 3-d image and balances on speakers. Vocal levels, verb, panning... Getting it to translate to other systems is the challenge no mater which though. You get to that point any way you can -then go back and work from there. :)
 
If you can't afford monitors yet, then by all means mix with headphones.

As others have noted, there are difficulties with using headphones. If you are clever, you can work around them.
 
If you've got reasonable computer speakers or a decent sounding stereo, mixing on that and using headphones for checking would be better than using headphones alone. Might just take a bit more tweaking to get your mixes to translate well to other systems.
 
Mixing with headphones is less than ideal,but you've got to work with what you've got.

It's a good idea to burn a CD and play it on as many systems as you've got.I will mix a song on my monitors,but I'm never really sure until I've listened to it in my cars,stereo's and a boombox.
If you've got limited acess to systems,take it to friends houses,relatives,whatever,take notes on what you think the track needs and then appy that to you're mix.

Also I recommend doing a couple of different mixes so you can avoid repeating this process to many times.

Take extended breaks between listening sessions also,because after awhile your ears will start playing tricks on you.


GOOD LUCK!!!
 
So on my DAW i'd do everything on headphones (track + mix), burn onto CD, use the DVD player outside, friend's stereo, father's car to "re-"monitor the mix?

Even if i had monitors, i still have to do this, right?
 
Loyct said:
So on my DAW i'd do everything on headphones (track + mix), burn onto CD, use the DVD player outside, friend's stereo, father's car to "re-"monitor the mix?

Even if i had monitors, i still have to do this, right?

It's a good idea.
You'll find that even with great monitors what sounds like a "killer mix' can sound drasticly different on different systems and different volumes.
Doing this will help improve your mixing skills.
 
I am in the same position you are.
I picked up a pair of Samson CH700's for $39.97, and it is working out well for me. They are pretty accurate.

Also if you have enough $, getting a headphone amp is a good idea. Especially if you are going to be multi-tracking loud instruments (drums/elec.gits). Be careful with the headfones though, try and limit your use; they will kill your hearing pretty quick.
 
Get decent headphones.Even after you get monitors you'll still need headphones.Full size,NO EAR BUDS.

A crappy pair will burn you ears out real quick and not be much use other than tracking.

Also they should "contain" the sound coming through the headset,so you don't get "bleed" if you're micing vocals.
 
Back
Top