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Mixing: Monitors vs. Headphones

2K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  fproject.music 
#1 ·
Since I'm going to be getting my new computer up and running this week, I plan on loading it with Reaper so I can finally start recording (I've got a keyboard to handle MIDI for drums, and a bass, so all bases covered for instruments) and I'm curious what the consensus is for the two. I'm 99% sure it's just "always mix with monitors" but figured I'd throw it out there to see if it might be worth starting with headphones first as there's less variables to account for.
 
#2 ·
Open back headphones are on par with monitors as far as mixing goes IMO. The thing I like about headphones is being able to turn up and down in extreme swings to try and pick out issues, in a way that doesn't work as well with monitors :2c:
 
#4 ·
If your alternative to headphones is regular speakers, then a good set of headphones is a good idea. However, mixing on monitors is very important because headphones will exaggerate the stereo effect, so you'll make decisions you'd never make with monitors.

My recommendation: get a half-decent set of monitors as well as a good pair of headphones. Use them in conjunction with one another to make your mix decisions.
 
#6 ·
If your alternative to headphones is regular speakers, then a good set of headphones is a good idea. However, mixing on monitors is very important because headphones will exaggerate the stereo effect, so you'll make decisions you'd never make with monitors.

My recommendation: get a half-decent set of monitors as well as a good pair of headphones. Use them in conjunction with one another to make your mix decisions.
Headphones are better for detailed listening until you are spending a few hundred k on treated rooms but they won't give you a good stereo image like speakers so use both :yesway:
Open back headphones are on par with monitors as far as mixing goes IMO. The thing I like about headphones is being able to turn up and down in extreme swings to try and pick out issues, in a way that doesn't work as well with monitors :2c:
So, this kind of went how I figured where they both have their moments of use, but currently my only PC speakers are some Phillips something-somethings, and ideally I'd be going for one or the other for now, since good headphones seem to be 2/3rds the cost of a set of decent monitors, so I'll rephrase:

If you were to get one before the other, especially since throwing down that much money for both on something I'm just starting out at is a lot, which one would be the more practical?
 
#8 ·
I do the base stuff with headphones, then use my monitors to fine tune. Then I take the song and listen to it on a cheap mono source, then with cheap ear buds and in my car to pick out any little things I can. Granted, I'm not the best audio engineer on here, so take my advice with a large grain of salt. :lol:
 
#9 ·
Look up Sound on Sound's feature about the difference between Hi-Fi speakers and Monitors. Classic article.

Basically, until you get to a certain price point, cheaper Monitors aren't really any better than Hi-Fi speakers.

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/monitors-vs-hi-fi-speakers-part-1

Nearfield Monitors as we think of them didn't even exist until the 80s.

A lot of pro audio people will tell you the important thing isn't what you use, it's familiarity with it. Loads of times it's better to work on something you have listened to loads of shit on, because you know how it reacts to music.

As far as headphones go, I'd say you need to make sure you have a proper discrete amp to drive them. Headphones into just an interface or a 1/8th inch computer jack is just shit. Some headphones sound fine being driven by things like Ipods, but a lot of the serious ones require an amp.
 
#12 ·
A lot of pro audio people will tell you the important thing isn't what you use, it's familiarity with it. Loads of times it's better to work on something you have listened to loads of shit on, because you know how it reacts to music.
I'm not even a pro audio guy, and this has been my experience. No matter what monitors you use, you have to 'normalize' your ears by playing your favorite reference tracks through them.

That said, even relatively inexpensive studio monitors are probably better at revealing details than a lot of consumer speakers. That's the key--whether you everything that's going on in your mix.
 
#10 ·
If you are going headphones, Audio Technica ATH-M50s. I've had my pair forever. Great phones. $150 I think, but they are worth every penny.

Think they might have updated the design a year or two ago, as far as phones go, they are a benchmark set for closed back phones.

Randy pointed out the difference between closed back and open back, which is its own can of worms. Most people will tell you that for metal, closed back is prefferable. I like open backs too, I have a nice pair of Sennheisers, HD something or other, which are OK. If I had to pick just one, I would go closed back though. Especially if you are doing things like mic'ing amps.
 
#11 ·
If you are going headphones, Audio Technica ATH-M50s. I've had my pair forever. Great phones. $150 I think, but they are worth every penny.

Think they might have updated the design a year or two ago, as far as phones go, they are a benchmark set for closed back phones.

Randy pointed out the difference between closed back and open back, which is its own can of worms. Most people will tell you that for metal, closed back is prefferable. I like open backs too, I have a nice pair of Sennheisers, HD something or other, which are OK. If I had to pick just one, I would go closed back though. Especially if you are doing things like mic'ing amps.
Those were the pair I'd be picking up, so at least I've got that one right :lol:
 
#22 ·
It's not bullshit lol, spiders loosen up as they are used up to a certain point. They're a lot more inflexible when new, this is why guitar speakers sound really bright and stiff when you first install them. The extent of it obviously varies a lot due to differences in driver design as well as the weight of the driver itself.

I've only used the high end sennheiser models and they are just about the opposite of hyped as you can get lol, people complain all the time about them not having enough bass & treble and sounding boring. :lol: (why HD650 was released, it is a more fun sounding HD600) Beyers are much more high/low oriented, if you listen to DT770 and DT990 you can tell this. The DT880 model was their attempt at having a more neutral sounding headphone.

I used to really be into headphones and tried a LOT of models back in early to mid 2000s but I only use my HD600s now, really. I have a few others but don't listen much on them.

In the end knowing your stuff is more important than focusing on gear but I did make my point about the DT770s because it's true, they do have bass emphasis and are known as basshead cans for a reason, all closed headphones have this problem. It's like sticking your speakers in the corner and increases the bass response. Open headphones are like having your speakers on stands isolated from your work desk and walls. They have a lot less bass but the sound is much clearer.

Look here if you want to see how flat headphones are and note this has nothing to do with sound quality itself lol just the EQ curve https://www.innerfidelity.com/headphone-measurements
 
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