Sooo Zee....and anyone interested....I finally used my monitors to mix and...

Doughboy · 11-02-2009, 04:41 PM

....here is my conclusion. This by the way, based on the thread we had goin' the other day on mixing with headphones. I love mixing with phones....I know...I know....I am sorry....but, so I tweaked this mix with my headphones like normal....(Sennheiser HD380's) then...left my Recliner Studio and headed for the basement to my real studio/man cave. My first opinion was......Hey.....that ain't bad....then.....after listening....I decided my two rhythm guitars were a tad loud....sooo, I lowered them.....then the lead came and the bottom seemed to fall out of the song because I think the rhythm guitars were suddenly too quiet. So....I raised there volume a tad. Back to where I believe they were. And......I am happy to report.....that I can't do any better with my monitors then I can with my headphones. The skills of my mix...not being the question....they may suck...but the point is.....I think I have a pretty good grasp on mixing with headphones. Howthefuckever.....it is good to have another listening reference....especially since those speakers cost a fair amount of money, and.....it was basically my 5 millionth mix with the phones.

cheers.

bear · 11-02-2009, 04:47 PM

Gaylord.... snicker snicker (to whom it may concern - dogboy and I know each other from another forum - just giving him crap.....)

Tedwood · 11-02-2009, 04:52 PM

People get good at the things they do a lot of.

I said that before, and yet people still wonder

It's no mystery

Doughboy · 11-02-2009, 05:12 PM

Hi bear. Wondered if you ever came here or not?

Yep Ted.....if you do something over and over...you have to get better at it. Not saying it's right or anything...but....I usually do everything the hard way....so that might explain it too.

captain caveman · 11-02-2009, 05:34 PM

Getting levels can be difficult, but checking in mono rather than monitors/cans is more useful IMO. There are only two times when people listen to music in true stereo anyway....

1. Wearing headphones.
2. sitting in the sweet spot between two speakers.

.... since the chances of #2 ever happening are slim outside of the control room or an audiophiles music/media wing, the chances are that listening to stereo mixes on loudspeakers is more akin to a mono/imbalanced mix anyway.

Then there's the argument that when mixing on cans you don't get the interaction of "the room" and the natural acoustics of "the room" which affect mix decisions. The emphasis should be placed on "the", rather than "room". It's not my room, not a bar/longue, not a living room, not a bedroom, not an ME's room, it's "a" room.

But yeah, it's difficult to get levels right wearing cans which is where mono comes in and it's more important to get a mix sounding great on cans than for the 0.1% of listeners who find themselves in the sweet spot of a stereo system through some fortuitous twist of fate.

kindafishy · 11-03-2009, 07:18 AM

By the way Doughboy, I also don't think your mixes are over-compressed.

Perhaps my ears are not sensitive enough to hear what has been stated in the other thread you mentioned. Maybe I don't know what over-compressed sounds like, or maybe I am used to it because everything is over-compressed these days, but I like the sound of your mixes.

Honestly, I don't hear the problem. Maybe someone with more experienced and sensitive ears can point out a very specific instance where this is happening, but until then... Myth Busted.

Doughboy · 11-03-2009, 02:13 PM

Hey Kindafishy.......I really appreciate that.

Last night I bought the Breebarrt (spelling???) Plugin for monitoring with headphones.....it's pretty cool....definately worth checking out the demo.
Funny thing about the free demo.....every 30 seconds, which isn't that often, it puts a 2 second blank space in your song. Well......it's not like a guitar amp plugin ...... I mean....when your done with it.....your gonna turn it off right?????? I guess I don't get the logic. He might as well give a complete version with a nag screen.....but anyway.....I bought it.

Lastrite · 11-03-2009, 03:23 PM

There was some kind of beeping at first, but people didn't like that, so it was changed to this.

Besides that. JB works with a business-model much like Reaper's, trusting customers to do the right thing and promoting this behavior by offering tremendous value for money. You can see from your own purchase that it works to at least a certain degree

bluzkat · 11-03-2009, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bear

Gaylord.... snicker snicker (to whom it may concern - dogboy and I know each other from another forum - just giving him crap.....)

Alright Bear... don't make us go all Michigan on your arse!!

@doughboy,

Let me know how you make out with that plugin. I've been considering it because I mix with 'phones' 99% of the time. I was thinking it could be helpful. Yes?? No?? Maybe??

Doughboy · 11-03-2009, 04:48 PM

I think I like it......what it has is about a dozen different sounding monitor simulations...(I guess you'd say).....and simulations of what your song would sound like on a TV...a laptop....a this and a that....plus what it would sound like from the next room. It's pretty cool....I've made several adjustments to my mix based on these different ....aaaaaah.....different......hmmmm.....selection s. And of course it has a mono. And a few things I haven't figured out yet.....but...it does have a decent looking manual as well. I'd say it was well worth the $30.

Plus.....it has a demo as well. Giver er a try.....if ya like it.....you can help me kick bears ass. I'll be behind you all the way (I hear he's like 6'10" and 400 lbs of solid muscle)....I'll be way behind you.

Cujo · 11-03-2009, 11:07 PM

Prolly the most loved thing I ever recorded was mixed (fine tuned) on headphones mostly by the lead singer guitarist of the band. We broke so many rules on that record, I know so much more now, but nothing can get near the excitement of that record in all it lo fi glory.
He is a great musician and was at the time the guitarist for the Rivers Cuomo band. I need him to mix for me more often!

Lesson is I guess if it works for you it works.

Zee Wavesurfer · 11-03-2009, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doughboy

I think I have a pretty good grasp on mixing with headphones. .....it is good to have another listening reference....

You sure seem happier now.
There is no rule as to what is to be done in monitors and what is to be done with headphones.
If listening to your headphones mix in monitors confirms your mix, then I say monitors are good for that in your case.
The difference is, that you'll know.

Perspective over your own work is one of the keys to great results.

Doughboy · 11-04-2009, 05:48 PM

Zacchino · 11-05-2009, 07:55 AM

Doughboy,

If your mix can translate on Genelec 8030a with sub, then you really got skill. I hate these monitors, but I have to admit they're just telling you the truth about your mix, nothing else. All the other monitors I've tested were just pleasing my mix instead of detailing it. The equivalent of the Genelec 8030a + sub in headphones = UltraSone Pro 900.

- Zac