[Drew]

Actually, I think you've got it backwards. :lol: Use your headphones for tracking (to minimize bleed), and mix on monitors. :lol:

That said, what's the deal with the computer speakers you're using now? They won't really be pro quality monitors, but for the time being a 2x1/4" mono male to 1x1/8" stereo female jack from Radio shack would let you hook them up...

 

[Drew]

You know, honestly, 'phones are useful for dialing in tones, but I'll always do a quick double-tracked test before I start tracking in earnest. My top concern while tracking with phones is making sure nothing's bleeding into the mic, and with a Rectifier I can pretty much track monitoring through my monitors and not hear a thing bleeding when I play back. :lol:

(I generally mic up anyway)

 

[Drew]

Drew, I did have it backward, but this is my point - if I'm doing my primary mixing on powered monitors, they have to have reasonable bass extension and accurate and flat response. A $200 set of JBLs doesn't seem like it would provide this.

Mixing on phones is such a nightmare, though, that you might actually be better on the $200 set of JBLs. :lol: That said, as a guy working on only slightly less cheap monitors, if recording is something you want to get into, if you have any other free interim solution, I'd roll with that and just start saving for something decent.

I mixed on a set of Kliptsch ProMedia 2.1s for years, and while I wasn't churning out awesome mixes, exactly, that probaby had more to do with recording straight into the soundcard than it did with my monitoring chain. :lol:

 

[Drew]

In general, recognizing the frequency response of your monitors is infinitely more important than which monitors you get.

PROVIDED that they're capable of producing a full-range reproduction of your mix, yes.

It's when you have speakers that can't do much below, say, 100hz, or are very uneven in the low end response that you start to run into problems with consistency from system to system in playback. As long as you can get the full picture from the speakers, though, you can mix on them.

 

[Drew]

Oh, right, I forgot he was one of YOU people. :lol:

In that case, right on - it's way more fun rocking out if you don't have a set of phones on.

 

[Drew]

I love the Mesa logo reflected on it. :lol:

 

[Drew]

Drew, I award you three Internets for your simple yet genius idea of adapting myself silly and plugging my 2.1 ProMedias into the main outs of my PreSonus. Works like a dream, and only $300 less than the cheapest set of active monitors worth owning.

I can has three Internets? :woohoo: