Wow that doesnt sound the same!

djst · 2022-10-15T11:15:29.988Z

I find this happens all the time to me, although it’s gotten a bit better over time. I’ve learned that mixing relative levels is particularly hard with headphones and much easier with monitors.

natehorn · 2022-10-15T11:36:19.320Z

Suspect_Frequency:

All of my work now starts and ends on a average quality Bluetooth speaker.

There’s a lot to be said for this approach!

I used to work with a software designer that used a modest, poorly calibrated display specifically so they were designing to the environment of the people using the products, rather than appealing to some highly calibrated aesthetic that only he would get to enjoy.

Oxenholme · 2022-10-15T11:47:23.516Z

For relative levels I mix using a pink noise sample a lot. Just set all indivual levels so they’re barely audible above the pink noise and you’ll have a good baseline in my experience, whatever your listening environment.

Jeanne · 2022-10-15T11:50:35.149Z

Suspect_Frequency:

All of my work now starts and ends on a average quality Bluetooth speaker.

This!

On Headphones, everything always sounds awesome and crunchy. And that’s one of the reasons the Yamaha NS-10 monitors - which originally weren’t intended as studio monitors - are legendary.

(Still, good headphones are necessary to find mistakes and hear the fleas cough.)

spikysimon · 2022-10-15T12:02:28.993Z

DaveMech:

The solution is to listen carefully to which problems you have every time you listen back on speakers. And then being very conscious about these the next time you mix on headphones. After some time you will have trained your ears and learn how to get closer to a good mix on headphones.

Totally! I’m pretty happy with mixes on my headphones (with Sonarworks), but I know I usually end up mixing the kicks too loud. I’m not sure why that happens as other bass and sub sit OK. but really it doesn’t matter- I know to pay attention to the kicks, mix them a little lower, and check on my monitors and laptop speakers and fix it

Phillip · 2022-10-15T12:23:23.712Z

This happening to me for years is what drove me to learning mixing and ultimately working as an audio engineer. It fucking sucked that things sounded great in my studio but playing next to professionally mixed records everything fell apart. It is a crumbling feeling. I do not enjoy it.

Noisebuddy · 2022-10-15T12:34:04.877Z

maybe coaxial speakers (ultra-nearfield) can help like the KS-Digital - even in an untreated room

Andreas_R · 2022-10-15T12:56:36.191Z

That + auratone cubes

Endlosregler · 2022-10-15T13:26:10.629Z

Jeanne:

Suspect_Frequency:

All of my work now starts and ends on a average quality Bluetooth speaker.

This!

On Headphones, everything always sounds awesome and crunchy. And that’s one of the reasons the Yamaha NS-10 monitors - which originally weren’t intended as studio monitors - are legendary.

(Still, good headphones are necessary to find mistakes and hear the fleas cough.)

Funny… this just showed up on instagram

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjfLqRJAWo9/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

djst · 2022-10-15T13:27:44.022Z

Phillip:

This happening to me for years is what drove me to learning mixing and ultimately working as an audio engineer. It fucking sucked that things sounded great in my studio but playing next to professionally mixed records everything fell apart. It is a crumbling feeling. I do not enjoy it.

What are your best tips from your experience?

Phillip · 2022-10-15T14:42:03.090Z

Besides the obvious of learning your headphones/monitors insideand out, learning as many mixing tehniques you can, taking courses and learning from a professional… using properly mixed material within the style you’re producing on for referencing is extremely important. But it only helps if you already tackled the obvious ones which build your listening skills and allows you to effectively reach a goal using the tools at your disposal.

Jeanne · 2022-10-15T16:47:40.505Z

Endlosregler:

Funny… this just showed up on instagram

… perhaps a good time to delete your instagram account

Endlosregler · 2022-10-15T16:59:00.817Z

Jeanne:

Endlosregler:

Funny… this just showed up on instagram

… perhaps a good time to delete your instagram account

Maybe

thermionic · 2022-10-15T20:43:29.482Z

DaveMech:

this is the problem with mixing on headphones. You tend to either push sub or bass too loud depending on the headphones frequency response. Bass is also perceived different as its pressure rather than real vibrations.

Thank you for the reminder! I have monitors but you use the setup that’s most convenient and productive sometimes and forget to A/B regularly.

williohm · 2022-10-15T23:37:59.981Z

I only listen to music either with some type of headphones/ear buds or in the car alone while driving. Because nobody around me shares my tastes and I politely spare them. So when I’m making music I make sure it sounds ok in either of those situations and make adjustments for anything that bothers me. This method hasn’t really failed me yet. And yes, time does initially alter my perceptions so I try to be patient and do a few test listenings before saying it’s finished. This advice is really meant for people like me who can’t afford studio monitors but who’s significant other gifted them $100 headphones for their birthday. I forgot the brand.

Disclaimer - I totally passed an audio engineering course at a community college like 20 years ago so I’m basically a pro 🥸

badbass · 2022-10-16T01:14:47.583Z

The solution for me is to always work in Mono. Reduces so many variables

Sternenlicht · 2022-10-16T01:23:39.535Z

I use gain staging everywhere, there is also an automatic gain staging max for live effect. I mostly level everything down to minus 12 and then boost plus 12 on the master. That gives more range for the faders to work with. Also mixing with faders and closed eyes can help. I do also mostly mono mixes (extta audio out to bluetooth box), and i try to have not too much elements at the same time.

thermionic · 2022-10-16T05:00:25.611Z

badbass:

The solution for me is to always work in Mono. Reduces so many variables

So do you do in the end? Mix in mono and have the mastering engineer mid/side process everything?

percussionboy · 2023-08-20T01:52:05.335Z

This is a good thread and I wanted to revive it.

I am still a baby engineer (with grey hair), trying to check mixes across different brands of headphone and small speakers in an acoustically sinful room (boxy, untreated). Just trying to find some acceptable mix that would work when posting music to the forum, without the bass disappearing or the highs driving icepicks into the listener’s head. The references of professional music I use, and even some of other posters’ work here, are so goddam good, across different speakers/phones … it’s like voodoo, must I sacrifice a child at the full moon? (Unlike some here, I don’t even make club music, … so can say screw the sub—bass.)

So … no useful information here. Just commiserating. It’s a weary battle, but enjoyable to try to mix better.

percussionboy · 2023-08-20T02:52:47.294Z

An actual question: Does anyone else try to compensate for a poor speaker situation (no speakers, or weak ones in a bad room) by switching back and forth between different headphones?

I’m floating between Sonys, Audiotechnicas, Sennheisers, and earbuds. My Beyer 880 pros just died, waiting on some Shures (srh1840 iirc). And little JBL 305 nearfield monitors.