learning the hard way

MrHope · 28th April 2007

Well, first I started out mixing on headphones. Of course my songs didn't translate to other playback systems very well, but I didn't know any better at the time. Then I bought some Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones thinking that they would be wide and flat. Of course they weren't so that was somewhat wasted money, although they sound better than the old pair of headphones.

Recently I learned that it is nearly impossible to mix on headphones, so I bought a really cheap pair of monitors. It's kind of strange because I knew I was gonna be cheap but I still ended up paying more money than I expected because I needed to buy a subwoofer.

Now I am thinking that my monitors aren't flat because when I mix on them, the mixes don't translate well to other playback systems. Another problem is that the frequency range of the subwoofer hasn't been properly set so it may be going too high.

Most people are telling me that I need to save up my money and buy some expensive monitors so that I won't have these problems. That's OK, but I'd like to be making music from now until then. I can't do it if I don't have some kind of proper monitoring system.

Ahhhhh!

zaczac · 28th April 2007

I know the feeling. You can still make progress with what you have. Try to get to know the sound of your setup so well that you can compensate for it's flaws. Also, toying with placement can make a huge difference (lots of threads about that here). My monitors are my weakest link at the moment. I use my HD580s to check for any problems in the mix, and my Edirol monitors for balance / spacing etc. After that, I listen on as many sources as I can find (and send it to my brother who has some beautiful Proac D80s).
When all's said and done, we sure will appreciate the difference when we get better monitors later.

reid · 29th April 2007

Unless the monitors you have at the moment are truly awful, forget saving up cash to buy 'better' set, and spend some of your hard earned on acoustic treatment. You could be monitoring on a $15k rig and it'll still be at best inaccurate, or at worst a bag of crap, if the room you're mixing in is untreated.

Do some searching on this and other forums, find out about buying or making some broadband absorbers / corner bass traps using hi density mineral wool, and be amazed at the difference spending just a few hundred dollars can make to your mixes.

Don't try and skimp and use Foam-by-Mail.

Don't kid yourself and hope that slapping 4 sheets of Auralex on the wall will do the trick tutt

And don't ignore the problem and hope everything will be better because you dropped $6k on a pair of S3as.

Get those absorbers into your room - NOW! thumbsup

28th April 2007	#1
MrHope Gear maniac Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 270 Thread Starter	learning the hard way Well, first I started out mixing on headphones. Of course my songs didn't translate to other playback systems very well, but I didn't know any better at the time. Then I bought some Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones thinking that they would be wide and flat. Of course they weren't so that was somewhat wasted money, although they sound better than the old pair of headphones. Recently I learned that it is nearly impossible to mix on headphones, so I bought a really cheap pair of monitors. It's kind of strange because I knew I was gonna be cheap but I still ended up paying more money than I expected because I needed to buy a subwoofer. Now I am thinking that my monitors aren't flat because when I mix on them, the mixes don't translate well to other playback systems. Another problem is that the frequency range of the subwoofer hasn't been properly set so it may be going too high. Most people are telling me that I need to save up my money and buy some expensive monitors so that I won't have these problems. That's OK, but I'd like to be making music from now until then. I can't do it if I don't have some kind of proper monitoring system. Ahhhhh!

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28th April 2007	#2
zaczac Gear maniac Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 277	I know the feeling. You can still make progress with what you have. Try to get to know the sound of your setup so well that you can compensate for it's flaws. Also, toying with placement can make a huge difference (lots of threads about that here). My monitors are my weakest link at the moment. I use my HD580s to check for any problems in the mix, and my Edirol monitors for balance / spacing etc. After that, I listen on as many sources as I can find (and send it to my brother who has some beautiful Proac D80s). When all's said and done, we sure will appreciate the difference when we get better monitors later.

29th April 2007	#3
reid Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2005 Location: Berlin-London Posts: 1,049	Unless the monitors you have at the moment are truly awful, forget saving up cash to buy 'better' set, and spend some of your hard earned on acoustic treatment. You could be monitoring on a $15k rig and it'll still be at best inaccurate, or at worst a bag of crap, if the room you're mixing in is untreated. Do some searching on this and other forums, find out about buying or making some broadband absorbers / corner bass traps using hi density mineral wool, and be amazed at the difference spending just a few hundred dollars can make to your mixes. Don't try and skimp and use Foam-by-Mail. Don't kid yourself and hope that slapping 4 sheets of Auralex on the wall will do the trick tutt And don't ignore the problem and hope everything will be better because you dropped $6k on a pair of S3as. Get those absorbers into your room - NOW! thumbsup