Consumer speakers for mixing?

[cap217]

I currently use the Event ASP 8's, NS-10m's, and KRK V8's for mixing but then I get some mixes with the vox a little loud. I was wondering if there was a standard consumer speaker to refrence with? Or should I get a boom-box type stereo from Best Buy? I just want to hear what is happening to real life situations. Or should I just trust my ears and keep doing what I am doing? I have no complaints for mixes but I just want to fix what I hear and I just got a 3 record deal from a label so I want to stand out with great mixes! I am now mixing a lot of hip-hop heavy bass stuff where the listener (CEO of the label) listens to the mixes in his Escalade with a crazy system... I realized its all highs and lows.... This is what the customer wants so I have to deliver. What to do?

[Marjan]

Originally Posted by cap217

I currently use the Event ASP 8's, NS-10m's, and KRK V8's for mixing but then I get some mixes with the vox a little loud. I was wondering if there was a standard consumer speaker to refrence with?

I have a basic cheap Sony "Hi-Fi" in one of the outputs of my monitor controler, so that I check how the stuff sounds through it when I get to the final stage of mixing...
Occasionally I make some adjustments according to it, but I keep my studio monitors as main reference 98% of the time.
I think that either we have an expensive consumer system or we wont be able to listen to half of what goes on in our mixes... and even if we do have the money for it, I don't think that would work, as they all sound very soft...
It seems they're optimized for "confortable" (as opposed to analytical) listening.
I just do it in the end to have a rough idea before the mastering of what it will sound like in home systems, which is what most people will put the CD in.
As we all know, that's why the majority of the mastering engineers have (good) consumer systems in their rooms.

Just my 2 c.

[De chromium cob]

Originally Posted by cap217

I currently use the Event ASP 8's, NS-10m's, and KRK V8's for mixing but then I get some mixes with the vox a little loud. I was wondering if there was a standard consumer speaker to refrence with? Or should I get a boom-box type stereo from Best Buy? I just want to hear what is happening to real life situations. Or should I just trust my ears and keep doing what I am doing? I have no complaints for mixes but I just want to fix what I hear and I just got a 3 record deal from a label so I want to stand out with great mixes! I am now mixing a lot of hip-hop heavy bass stuff where the listener (CEO of the label) listens to the mixes in his Escalade with a crazy system... I realized its all highs and lows.... This is what the customer wants so I have to deliver. What to do?

It could be your room I suppose... Since you now have a 'three record deal from a label' why don't you hire a good mix engineer to do what a good mix engineer specializes in (mixing!)? People are good because they know their monitors, their room and how to get a great mix that will translate to the outside world like it should.

[asylum]

sony has a boom box with an external in, plus lots of stupid eq settings they really help you hear your mixs in a 'real life' situ! cost 100 bucks

[De chromium cob]

Originally Posted by asylum

sony has a boom box with an external in, plus lots of stupid eq settings they really help you hear your mixs in a 'real life' situ! cost 100 bucks

I doubt a $100 Sony boombox will tell him how the mix is going to sound in an Escalade car stereo system that most likely has its sub up too loud.

[everybody's x]

funny you should mention this, I have a low-end studio where my nearfields are m-audio sp-8b's and I monitor my mixes through them for the most part, I have an old breakin II electric boogaloo-style panasonic boom-box that I switch between.

For tracking I have 2 PA speakers with 15 inch JBLs and a horn, and two home stereo speakers with 12's and amt heil motion transformer ribbon tweeters all slaved to a crown xls 802, basically a big cheap LOUD setup to give the talent the vibe that they are performing live.

My normal MO is to do several mixes take them out to my Durango and discover that the whole bottom end is out of whack and keep remixing until it sounds good in there (yeah my acoustics are jacked).

anyway long story short, Last night I completed a project that I mixed entirely on my "BIGS" only switching to the nearfields and the boombox occasionally.
I mixed it,burned it, took it to the truck, BAM its done. that has never happened before, so in my case either it is perfectly reasonable to mix on home stereo speakers, or my nearfields suck, or I need a sub, or most likely a combination of all of the above. All I know is I was happy the client was happy and I saved myself a lot of mixing time, until I stuff my room full of 703 I will continue to mix this way

[I C LIGHT]

Doesn't car stereos make up for the extra compression that radio stations use. exciter or so. Or the psycho-acoustics that is used for these surround sound mix.
O well; thats today. 3 inch speaker with a thumping sub. I like Bagend ta12speakers for Longfield monitoring. Pure an clear. Dry recording are my fav an thats what's missing today. At least in the 70's an 80's speaker where larger. No sub wolfer teck that is used today though.

[sardi]

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

It could be your room I suppose... Since you now have a 'three record deal from a label' why don't you hire a good mix engineer to do what a good mix engineer specializes in (mixing!)? People are good because they know their monitors, their room and how to get a great mix that will translate to the outside world like it should.

Correct me if Im wrong, but Im pretty sure he is the mix engineer, and his 3 record deal is for him doing the mixes for these 3 records. Thats how I read it. Cos he says these days he is MIXING mainly hip hop.

If that how you read it too, and still made that remark, id be WELL pissed!! HAHA!!

Funny.

[everybody's x]

Originally Posted by I C LIGHT

Doesn't car stereos make up for the extra compression that radio stations use. exciter or so. Or the psycho-acoustics that is used for these surround sound mix.
O well; thats today. 3 inch speaker with a thumping sub. I like Bagend ta12speakers for Longfield monitoring. Pure an clear. Dry recording are my fav an thats what's missing today. At least in the 70's an 80's speaker where larger. No sub wolfer teck that is used today though.

My Durango has the infinity designed stereo system in it, it definitely has a compression circuit in it, at high levels it sounds pretty nasty and it is really BASS HEAVY. It has 6 6 1/2" woofers in it. It is my giant $30,000 NS-10, if it sounds good in there it sounds good anywhere

[De chromium cob]

Originally Posted by sardi

Correct me if Im wrong, but Im pretty sure he is the mix engineer, and his 3 record deal is for him doing the mixes for these 3 records. Thats how I read it. Cos he says these days he is MIXING mainly hip hop.

If that how you read it too, and still made that remark, id be WELL pissed!! HAHA!!

Funny.

I got the impression he's the artist, got a three record deal and he's mixing his own stuff.

[I C LIGHT]

I was just making a comment about mixing for car stereos is a pain. Where is the happy medium. I agree with him. 3 inch speakers is not the same as longfield speakers. Thats what i'm looking for extra tips on todays mix. Don't be pissed. Thanks everybody's X. WE should be trying our mix in different car speaker systems and knowing what to expect. opps i have a complex

[Jax]

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

I got the impression he's the artist, got a three record deal and he's mixing his own stuff.

Kind of obnoxious, dude. Why assume he's making shit up? That's lame.

[De chromium cob]

Originally Posted by Jax

Kind of obnoxious, dude. Why assume he's making shit up? That's lame.

Well, that's how I read it. Who said he's making stuff up? I've never heard of a mix engineer getting a 'three record deal', so I assumed he's the artist and he's mixing his stuff in his own home studio. IMO thats fine for composition, but if that IS the case, he might be better served in the end by stepping it up a notch and having it mixed by a 'specialist'. If I'm reading it wrong, I'm reading it wrong (but then again , maybe you are). I'm not trying to bust the guys balls.

[Jax]

To stay on topic, I think smaller speakers are where it's at for picking out how loud or midrangey the midrange stuff is, like vocals. To that end, I am growing to trust my circa 1983 apple powered speakers (the one's Clearmountain raved about). They give me alot more midrange information than my "bigs" the JBL LSR28p's.

I also have some small RCA home stereo speakers that were sold as part of a small hi-fi system. The RCA's show me what's going on in the "air" frequencies and how clear the glassy stuff is (or not).

My final precaution to mix translation is a pair of Boston Acoustics A60's that I got back when I thought I could rely on Consumer Reports for speaker advice. Actually, they weren't wrong. They chose the A60's as the top rated home hi-fi speakers back in 1988 (? - I forget the exact year). These buggers have served me well with catching a little more of what the JBL's miss in the lower mids (mud). You can still find these on ebay (but don't get 'em if the tweetwers are silver with a silver plate).

[Jax]

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

Well, that's how I read it. Who said he's making stuff up? I've never heard of a mix engineer getting a 'three record deal', so I assumed he's the artist and he's mixing his stuff in his own home studio. IMO thats fine for composition, but if that IS the case, he might be better served in the end by stepping it up a notch and having it mixed by a 'specialist'. If I'm reading it wrong, I'm reading it wrong (but then again , maybe you are). I'm not trying to bust the guys balls.

Fair enough. Didn't think that's where you were coming from, so I did read you wrong.

Hey cap27 - are you mixing for clients or mixing yourself?

[cap217]

I am mixing for other artist... my mixes are fine, I have no problems. I have a good room and make final tweaks if needed in a great mixing room. I was just wondering how to refrence when the majority of the time my mixes are going to be heard in a car with a system. So i compensate for that? Meaning.... sounds great now but can sound better in cars with systems if I do some other stuff to it. Especially in the lowend. Just thought I would ask. BTW my car that I listen to stuff in is a Jaguar with the Alpine stereo... no system and they sound good in it. But when it goes to the Escalade he wants MORE BASS!!!!

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by cap217

I am mixing for other artist... my mixes are fine, I have no problems. I have a good room and make final tweaks if needed in a great mixing room. I was just wondering how to refrence when the majority of the time my mixes are going to be heard in a car with a system. So i compensate for that? Meaning.... sounds great now but can sound better in cars with systems if I do some other stuff to it. Especially in the lowend. Just thought I would ask. BTW my car that I listen to stuff in is a Jaguar with the Alpine stereo... no system and they sound good in it. But when it goes to the Escalade he wants MORE BASS!!!!

It seems you are monitoring with speakers that have 8" woofers... this is probably sufficient for most situations but for hip-hop you may need something bigger? maybe add a sub? just a suggestion..

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by everybody's x

My Durango has the infinity designed stereo system in it, it definitely has a compression circuit in it, at high levels it sounds pretty nasty and it is really BASS HEAVY. It has 6 6 1/2" woofers in it. It is my giant $30,000 NS-10, if it sounds good in there it sounds good anywhere

I always wanted to have a truck out back with a bodacious stereo. But have it up on blocks and just use it for playback.

[I C LIGHT]

You know, On one of my latest DVD of Peter Gabriel's (Growing Up)red recording studio( that's the color of most the room)He had one of those 80's boom boxes on top of the mixer. That I thought was cute. In a $100,000. studio.

[everybody's x]

Originally Posted by max cooper

I always wanted to have a truck out back with a bodacious stereo. But have it up on blocks and just use it for playback.

\m/ \m/


thats how we roll in the boondocks

[cap217]

I have a sub in every situation. I was in a session a while back with well known producer and they used a PA system to know what it was going to sound like in the club. I think I have heard of others doing this as well.... basically, I want to hear it like listener will!

[LightningBefore]

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

I doubt a $100 Sony boombox will tell him how the mix is going to sound in an Escalade car stereo system that most likely has its sub up too loud.

Yeah but its got "Mega Super Bass Boost"! Thats similar to an Escalade with that shit too loud. . . right?

[TapeOp]

Originally Posted by everybody's x

For tracking I have 2 PA speakers with 15 inch JBLs and a horn, and two home stereo speakers with 12's and amt heil motion transformer ribbon tweeters all slaved to a crown xls 802, basically a big cheap LOUD setup to give the talent the vibe that they are performing live.

A loud set up..??
That's a great idea... but...
How many mics do you use with a regular rock band? Do you just set up two mics for a stereo recording?
How do you deal with bleeding and feedback...?

I'm just asking cause I'd like to try that one day in a bigger room than mine...
I've seen cool pictures of the whole band recording in the same (big) room, but I always find it intriguing how they deal with bleeding during the mix stage.
Of course they use pannels to avoid too much bleeding, but it's still hard for me to understand how they do it... specially when I see a (sensitive) condenser mic in front of the vocalist...

[everybody's x]

Hi TapeOp,

My setup is a little bit different than you are describing. I have the drums set up in my living room, the room is 20x24 with an 18' ceiling. The drummer is in there alone with headphones.

Downstairs in my CR I will have the bass and guitars recording with the drums coming through the PA speakers. bass is a sansamp direct to the board and the guitars go through a randall isolation cabinet. So I have total isolation for everyone, I am just blasting through the PA in the CR so they can almost get the vibe they are playing live. Nobody has to have cans on except the drummer. If the drummer has to have a guide vocal I just have them sing through the talkback mic, or plug a 58 into the board.

At this point I am only concerned with getting good drum tracks and if the bass or gtr happen to be good I'll keep them.

I know there are people who get good results tracking everybody in one room, but I am not one of them

[TapeOp]

Oh... ok!
Thanks for your reply!
Good to read about your setup anyway...!