Using Stereo Speakers To Mix

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samich17

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i have to use them for now, because i have no money for monitors, so, is there way to create settings for my mixes so that they'd sound as though they were played through monitors? Since good monitors are suppose to have flat bass response and accurately convey the mids and highs, would it be possible to make my speakers sound like a good set of monitors? How could i figure out the colorings of my speakers? any advice appreciated.
 
you can't turn stereo speakers into monitors man.......not unless you know black magic or something....


-nave
 
here's what you do samick......and probably what you are doing now anyway.
Listen to your mixes on ALOT of systems. If it sounds bass heavy on other systems...then your speaker are deficiant..so crank up your bass on your amp (assuming you're using a receiver, or something that has EQ on it). Likewise...dull sounding on other systems...make it duller on yours too...you get the idea. If you can get a good "feel" what your speakers are going to do when you play your stuff on other systems, you *may not* need those "fancy" monitor speakers. See what I'm saying? Since monitor speakers are *supposedly* flat...they give you a zero starting point of bass and treble. If your speakers exaggerate a certain freq, and you don't know that..you're at a disadvantage already trying to make it sound good at your girl friends house. but....like I say, if you KNOW your speakers...you've basically won the battle....

listen, listen, listen....
then turn it up and listen, listen, listen....:D
 
Mix is right samich..........That's the only way too win this battle without the black magic....

-nave
 
if the stereo has eq, set it FLAT,FLAT,FALT...then follow everything mixmkr said......
 
Gidge said:
if the stereo has eq, set it FLAT,FLAT,FALT...then follow everything mixmkr said......
Click to expand...

normally, I would say that...especially if a stereo receiver is being used....and just get to learn your speakers better.. but...if the speakers are bass heavy, for instance, turn the bass down on the receiver to compensate (as long as it still sounds balanced with your fav. commercial cd...maybe?). that might be an easier work-around. Actually, listening to some commercial CDs would go a long way with learning the speakers..
We won't get into phasing problems with EQ on monitor speakers, etc. as at this point, I don't think that really enters the equation at this point in the learning curve.
 
I'm using Bose Interaudio as monitors. When I first set up, I listened to all the greats in recording for weeks straight to get a good idea of how they work. I listened to White Album, DSOTM, OK Computer. Everything! Now I know what a mix "should" sound like on my speakers so they all transfer well(I don't have anything too intracate, usually guitar vocals and piano and bass and some drum loops).
 

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hokypokynose...nice little setup...looks a tad like mine.. thanks for the responses.. does this sound like the right idea ---> i used the frequency analysis on every song on Radiohead's "Kid A" and to my surprise, every song looked identical in the analyzer..i wish i had some pics, but i think you get the idea...so with that info, i wouldn't really have to tweak my speakers to sound liek monitors...i could just try to match those frequency spectrums that have proven to work....and make my songs equal.. i suppose this makes it easy for the listener to grab the mood of the music much easier than having one song super bass/low frequency heavy and the next song weak. am i right? obviously i like to have little differences in there to make the music live on its own, but by trying to achieve some type of equilibrium, it will in turn be more relateable and easy to listen to....
 
My mixes also go through stereo speakers, and I know they suck. But I know where they suck so I try to compensate:). I know it isn't a great soluition, but I just can't afford descent monitors for the moment.
I also cooperate with a lot of fellow producers, so normalluy I'll find my way so I can still master my stuff on descent monitores, and often redord it elsewhere.
 
Thanks for the compliment samich. I agree with what you said about making songs consistant. Lack of frequency consistancy makes for a CD that sounds more like a mix than an album. Kid A, although a great album, possibly my favorite of Radiohead's, seems to lack high frequencies. Probably due to the lack of Phil's drums on quite a few tracks. Not to say it's not there, just not as much as OKC or even Amnesiac. Oh well, I'm sure you either noticed this or can prove me wrong since you analized the songs!

Some pink noise coming out of the speakers into the analyser would REALLY help you determine what kind of corection needs to be done on your speakers.
 
you are right about the lack of high frequencies on Kid A, very little in fact, but after analyzing Red Hot Chili Peppers "BSSM" the effect was the same...It seems that the low frequencies dominate/take up more space than the highs, this could simply be due to the fact that they are more powerful, take up more space sonically and affect the listener more than the highs, so even though visually the lows dominate the highs, this could be a good balance to reach for. I'm basshead at heart, however, it is hard to look passed a poorly mixed track that has too much low end...i'd say just go for a nice balance of the frequencies...since I don't have good monitors...I will just continue playing my stuff in many different mediums along side the cd's I love. seems to be the best bet...

can you explain more about the pink noise comment..i like new ideas to work with...thanks and you're welcome
 
Are you at all familiar with pink noise? If not it is just static noise that contains all audible frequencies at a constant volume level up the spectrum.

So if you see a -3db dip at 8k you know you have to eq up 3db to compensate. If you see a +4db boost at 100hz you know you have to eq 100hz down 4db to even it out. You can do that for all the frequencies to achieve flat response.
 
that's a great idea, but how do i see how my speakers affect the sound? if i create pink noise in Cool Edit Pro, it hasn't been affected by my speakers, so i won't see any dips or boosts...what would you suggest?
 
Can you get a sound analizer to check out the sound in an area?

Cheers Alan
 
frozen said:
Can you get a sound analizer to check out the sound in an area?

Cheers Alan
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. Do you have a Behringer ECM8000 samich? Those are perfect reference mics. Then you can go to a local shop and see if you can rent a real time analyzer to hook the mic up to. Place the mic dead in between your speakers and play the pink noise. Then use eq to flaten out the response.
 
I don't have one of those mikes, i use an Audix Om6...but i see what you are saying...if i can get myself motivated enough, i'll try that idea out...I've been recording with my new Echo Mia and the sound is so much cleaner than with the SB Live i was using..thanks for the advice..
 
this might not relate to the topic of this thread, but...what's spectrum analysis? I noticed that SoundForge has that function, but never used it before. What does it do? and how?
any help would be great, thanks in advance
 
Spectrum analysis is how you measure the way your amp/speakers/room color the sound. Actually placement/room treatment often has more effect than the speakers themselves. Placing your speakers against a wall or in the corners will increase bass response. Reflections/vibrations from walls/furniture will create peaks in the frequency response. I had to plug the ports on my cheap JBL's because they're on the back and close to the wall.

Since I too can't afford 'real' monitors, I use 2 pairs of home stereo speakers (old 12" 3-way Altecs, 8" 2-way JBL's) and headphones. When my mixes sound balanced on all 3 I'm there.;)
 
but that's wouldn't be a problem when I am recording direct-in, right? I opened up a track on SF and checked it w/ spectrum analysis. I see all these colors (or black/white if I choose to), now, what do they tell me? and what can I do about it??
 
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