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Looking for studio headphones (monitoring/mixing/mastering) ? Am I Wrong?

Shayzer

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2023
Messages
30
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9
Hello everyone,

I've tried to read as much as I can but still don't know what to do.

I’ve been using the HD660S2 headphones for some time now, though not constantly. I really like them, but I struggle to achieve proper mixes with them (just to clarify, I didn’t buy them for this purpose, it was for chilling, listening and gaming). My mixes often turn out too bright, with poorly managed dynamics. What sounds good on these headphones ends up being terrible on other systems. I find myself resorting to my AirPods Pro 2, which yield much better results.

I have a budget of up to 1000€ (tax included) to get a pair specially for monitoring/mixing/mastering. What headphone for mixing and mastering would you recommend. Initially, I was leaning towards the Slate VSX, but I’m hesitant due to mixed reviews. I’m not a professional, it’s just a hobby
Smile smiley


If you recommend open-back headphones, I’ll need to allocate some of the budget for closed-back headphones just for tracking vocals, as I’m getting tired of the sound leakage from my HD660S2 during recordings. But that should not be a problem since monitoring headphone can be found for like 50ish bucks.

I talked with some people, and there’s a big disagreement, so it’s hard to decide. Some say mixing on headphones is really bad because there are too many variables, like positioning, bone structure, ear shape, etc. They recommended me getting iLoud Micro monitors instead (available for $185 USD or approximately €170 in second hand).

Do you have any advice please?

I’ve heard of the Audeze MM-500, OLLO X1, Sennheiser HD490 Pro, Slate VSX, Neumann NDH30, Sony MDR M1 / MDR 7506, Mega5-EST IEM etc.

(In case you are wondering, I have a Neumann MT48 audio interface which has an amazing headphone dac / amp).

Thanks in advance.
 
Are you using EQ with the Sennheisers? That may be all you need
 
I talked with some people, and there’s a big disagreement, so it’s hard to decide
In my experience of recording studios, main and near field monitors were the only tools used for mixing music of all genres. Headphones were used for checking for issues or when monitoring speakers were not possible.
 
In my experience of recording studios, main and near field monitors were the only tools used for mixing music of all genres. Headphones were used for checking for issues or when monitoring speakers were not possible.
That's how they do it, yes. I'm mixing at home as well, but I use my Genelecs mostly - and check for reverbs and certain details on headphones. Sonarworks has EQ for both, which I use as a plugin (with SoundSource) on mains so I can easily switch from monitors to headphones.
There's a plugin for headphones I use as well from GoodHertz called 'CanOpener' which adapts the crossfeed, so it's more like you're listening to speakers.
 
Hello everyone,

I've tried to read as much as I can but still don't know what to do.

I’ve been using the HD660S2 headphones for some time now, though not constantly. I really like them, but I struggle to achieve proper mixes with them (just to clarify, I didn’t buy them for this purpose, it was for chilling, listening and gaming). My mixes often turn out too bright, with poorly managed dynamics. What sounds good on these headphones ends up being terrible on other systems. I find myself resorting to my AirPods Pro 2, which yield much better results.

I have a budget of up to 1000€ (tax included) to get a pair specially for monitoring/mixing/mastering. What headphone for mixing and mastering would you recommend. Initially, I was leaning towards the Slate VSX, but I’m hesitant due to mixed reviews. I’m not a professional, it’s just a hobby
Smile smiley


If you recommend open-back headphones, I’ll need to allocate some of the budget for closed-back headphones just for tracking vocals, as I’m getting tired of the sound leakage from my HD660S2 during recordings. But that should not be a problem since monitoring headphone can be found for like 50ish bucks.

I talked with some people, and there’s a big disagreement, so it’s hard to decide. Some say mixing on headphones is really bad because there are too many variables, like positioning, bone structure, ear shape, etc. They recommended me getting iLoud Micro monitors instead (available for $185 USD or approximately €170 in second hand).

Do you have any advice please?

I’ve heard of the Audeze MM-500, OLLO X1, Sennheiser HD490 Pro, Slate VSX, Neumann NDH30, Sony MDR M1 / MDR 7506, Mega5-EST IEM etc.

(In case you are wondering, I have a Neumann MT48 audio interface which has an amazing headphone dac / amp).

Thanks in advance.
The 1st thing I would say is - please STOP. Do not buy anything for a while. Please STOP, and focus on WHY? And WHAT, and please stop listening to so many people out there. There is just as much bad information as there is good information.

So many of the people out there are just "influencers" - salesmen, for the headphone and speaker manufacturers. So truly, just PAUSE, and think. what do you want to achieve, an what is most important to you. Everyone's needs are different. So take stock.

1st there is no either or. i.e speakers or headphones or IEMs. Most mixing engineers today, tend to mix with all of these, or at least check their mixes on all of these. So there is no perfect answer, with your budget, if you spend it wisely, you can have all of the above, i.e a decent set of speakers, and a good headphone and a good IEM. You could also have more than one headphone and more than one good IEM, with that budget., as well as a decent set of speakers.

So please take it easy. Relax, let us spend another week or two, even a month, talking you through the key issues, and over time together we can arrive at a solution of what is best for you, then you decide, and go ahead to buy what you need, well informed, and with a lot of the risks eliminated. You buy once and buy right.

I sincerely think that with your budget you can get everything you need for listening, including possibly a decent audio interface also, within $1,000. Speakers, headphones maybe even two headphones, and a few IEM's and some custom ear tips, to get the best fit, and an audio interface, and cables, all within $1,000, if you think through what is important to you, and apply this priority, to your budget, to know where to focus most of the money.

In my next post, I will ask you a few important questions., about what you want to achieve and about your environment.
 
Hello everyone,

I've tried to read as much as I can but still don't know what to do.

I’ve been using the HD660S2 headphones for some time now, though not constantly. I really like them, but I struggle to achieve proper mixes with them (just to clarify, I didn’t buy them for this purpose, it was for chilling, listening and gaming). My mixes often turn out too bright, with poorly managed dynamics. What sounds good on these headphones ends up being terrible on other systems. I find myself resorting to my AirPods Pro 2, which yield much better results.

I have a budget of up to 1000€ (tax included) to get a pair specially for monitoring/mixing/mastering. What headphone for mixing and mastering would you recommend. Initially, I was leaning towards the Slate VSX, but I’m hesitant due to mixed reviews. I’m not a professional, it’s just a hobby
Smile smiley


If you recommend open-back headphones, I’ll need to allocate some of the budget for closed-back headphones just for tracking vocals, as I’m getting tired of the sound leakage from my HD660S2 during recordings. But that should not be a problem since monitoring headphone can be found for like 50ish bucks.

I talked with some people, and there’s a big disagreement, so it’s hard to decide. Some say mixing on headphones is really bad because there are too many variables, like positioning, bone structure, ear shape, etc. They recommended me getting iLoud Micro monitors instead (available for $185 USD or approximately €170 in second hand).

Do you have any advice please?

I’ve heard of the Audeze MM-500, OLLO X1, Sennheiser HD490 Pro, Slate VSX, Neumann NDH30, Sony MDR M1 / MDR 7506, Mega5-EST IEM etc.

(In case you are wondering, I have a Neumann MT48 audio interface which has an amazing headphone dac / amp).

Thanks in advance.

1. What is the size of your room?

2. How much ambient noise do you have produced in the room (such as airconditioners, heating, television, other people who live with you, etc, etc)?

3. How much noise do you have coming into the room from outside (e..g planes and helicopters, flying over, noise from wind and rain, and noise from the street, people, cars, ambulances, children playing and shouting, noise from neighbours< etc, etc)?

4. Is there any acoustic treatment or soft furnishing in the room? Carpets, curtains, mattresses, anything that can absorb sound.

5. Do you already have any kind of speakers or headphones?

6. Are you aware of the risks of buying used? If there is a fault with your used speakers, will you be able to know that something is wrong? 1st thing I would say is speakers are such a critical part of your listening, and that is one place I would not advise you to buy used, unless you have considered the risks. If the used speaker you buy, is faulty, you may not know, and it will affect everything you mix. I think you can buy a very good new speaker much better than the iLoud micro, well within your budget.

7. How many songs a month, do you think you will be working on/mixing?

8. Will you also be recording vocals, and instruments, in the same room?

9. Do you already have an audio interface, or have any audio interface in mind?

10. What kind of computer will you be working on - laptop, desktop, Mac, PC.?

11. What is your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) - Cubase, Logic, Reaper, Ableton Live, Fruity Loops/FL Studio, Sonar, Cakewalk, Reason, Studio One, Luna, ProTools. What are you using or planning to use.

I just moved from this being my hobby, to mixing professionally, starting a few months ago, so hope I can share some useful tips, to help you along, and help you avoid repeat expenditure and waste of money, on things that you do not need.
 
IMO What you should do is
1. EQ your current headphones to the Harman target
2. Install a room simulation. I use APL Virtuoso 2 which is best IMO, but Canopeners is a popular alternative.

Only then does it make sense to try a different headphone IMO.

The main take away is that headphones make it too easy to focus on individual sounds, making balance issues less obvious. A room simulation removes that disadvantage.

The HD660 does have an issue in the bass. The Ollo X1 would not disappoint (I have the S5X), but I think most the other alternative options you posted would work fine as well.

I produce and mix on headphones exclusively, while for mastering I also use mains. That is to take the physical bass pressure into account. Whether you should mix on headphones exclusively is something you should decide on preference.

Many professional mixers and even mastering engineers are working on headphones all or most of the time. Headphone mixing has only been viable recently, so the majority of experienced engineers will tell you that it can’t be done.
The only way to find out if it works for you is to just try it and see how good you can make your mixes.
 
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1. What is the size of your room?

2. How much ambient noise do you have produced in the room (such as airconditioners, heating, television, other people who live with you, etc, etc)?

3. How much noise do you have coming into the room from outside (e..g planes and helicopters, flying over, noise from wind and rain, and noise from the street, people, cars, ambulances, children playing and shouting, noise from neighbours< etc, etc)?

4. Is there any acoustic treatment or soft furnishing in the room? Carpets, curtains, mattresses, anything that can absorb sound.

5. Do you already have any kind of speakers or headphones?

6. Are you aware of the risks of buying used? If there is a fault with your used speakers, will you be able to know that something is wrong? 1st thing I would say is speakers are such a critical part of your listening, and that is one place I would not advise you to buy used, unless you have considered the risks. If the used speaker you buy, is faulty, you may not know, and it will affect everything you mix. I think you can buy a very good new speaker much better than the iLoud micro, well within your budget.

7. How many songs a month, do you think you will be working on/mixing?

8. Will you also be recording vocals, and instruments, in the same room?

9. Do you already have an audio interface, or have any audio interface in mind?

10. What kind of computer will you be working on - laptop, desktop, Mac, PC.?

11. What is your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) - Cubase, Logic, Reaper, Ableton Live, Fruity Loops/FL Studio, Sonar, Cakewalk, Reason, Studio One, Luna, ProTools. What are you using or planning to use.

I just moved from this being my hobby, to mixing professionally, starting a few months ago, so hope I can share some useful tips, to help you along, and help you avoid repeat expenditure and waste of money, on things that you do not need.
Hi!

This is just a hobby for now, but I admit that if an opportunity arises one day, I wouldn’t say no.

To answer your questions:

  1. My room (which is also my bedroom) has dimensions of 2m x 4 m (and between 2m50 and 3m height depending on where). There is a mezzanine too on 1/3 of the room.

  2. There are ambient noises coming from the water heating system behind my door, but it has never been particularly disturbing so far (thanks to an Aston Halo on my mic and a sheet behind me).

  3. Occasionally, I hear planes or my neighbors using the metal stairs outside. Luckily, I don't hear cars, and I barely hear my housemates since I’m on the opposite side of them and the living room. I do hear them when they’re in the kitchen, but at that time, I’m usually with them, so I’m not recording or mixing.

  4. I haven’t done any acoustic treatment to the room. The only "treatment" is on my mic, with the Aston Halo and a sheet behind me that I use occasionally.

  5. I have the AirPods Pro 2, HD660s2, my MacBook Pro M2 speakers, and I’m planning on getting either the 7506 or Linsoul 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 for tracking during recording (not for mixing).

  6. Yes, I’m aware of the risks of buying second-hand gear. I always make sure to purchase either brand-new sealed items (through auctions) or items with a manufacturer’s warranty. So far, I haven’t had any issues (knock on wood).

  7. Not a lot, since it’s just for my vocals right now. Honestly, I don’t really know.

  8. I’ll record my vocals in the same room, but that shouldn’t be an issue.

  9. Yes, I have a Neumann MT48, which should have plenty of power for any headphones or speakers. :)

  10. I use a MacBook Pro M2 MAX.

  11. Sometimes I use Logic Pro 11, and sometimes I use Studio One 7, depending on my mood, to be honest.


One important thing: I travel a lot between France and Canada, so the more portable, the better.
 
Hi!

This is just a hobby for now, but I admit that if an opportunity arises one day, I wouldn’t say no.

To answer your questions:

  1. My room (which is also my bedroom) has dimensions of 2m x 4 m (and between 2m50 and 3m height depending on where). There is a mezzanine too on 1/3 of the room.

  2. There are ambient noises coming from the water heating system behind my door, but it has never been particularly disturbing so far (thanks to an Aston Halo on my mic and a sheet behind me).

  3. Occasionally, I hear planes or my neighbors using the metal stairs outside. Luckily, I don't hear cars, and I barely hear my housemates since I’m on the opposite side of them and the living room. I do hear them when they’re in the kitchen, but at that time, I’m usually with them, so I’m not recording or mixing.

  4. I haven’t done any acoustic treatment to the room. The only "treatment" is on my mic, with the Aston Halo and a sheet behind me that I use occasionally.

  5. I have the AirPods Pro 2, HD660s2, my MacBook Pro M2 speakers, and I’m planning on getting either the 7506 or Linsoul 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 for tracking during recording (not for mixing).

  6. Yes, I’m aware of the risks of buying second-hand gear. I always make sure to purchase either brand-new sealed items (through auctions) or items with a manufacturer’s warranty. So far, I haven’t had any issues (knock on wood).

  7. Not a lot, since it’s just for my vocals right now. Honestly, I don’t really know.

  8. I’ll record my vocals in the same room, but that shouldn’t be an issue.

  9. Yes, I have a Neumann MT48, which should have plenty of power for any headphones or speakers. :)

  10. I use a MacBook Pro M2 MAX.

  11. Sometimes I use Logic Pro 11, and sometimes I use Studio One 7, depending on my mood, to be honest.


One important thing: I travel a lot between France and Canada, so the more portable, the better.
Thank you for your comprehensive response.

I was about to get to bed, to get enough rest ahead of tomorrow, its almost midnight here, when I saw the notification in my email, of your response.

Tomorrow, is Sunday i.e church, and I also volunteer as the audio engineer @ church, and we have a packed day, with a meeting in the morning, and Xmas Carols in the late afternoon/evening.

I'll think through your responses, and provide a step by step logical approach, that addresses your needs, and plan to respond on Monday 23rd December 2024.
 
LONGWINDED! Shayzer im new to asr but have lurked here A LOT and read soooo many of the reviews and threads related to the reviews. This is the BEST audiophile resource! I am also a studio musician first and foremost and prefer the process of doing “most” mixing in headphones even though this is not the pro method.

Ive mixed with sennheisers, sonys and then last few years using the cheap Status Audio CB-1. A “pro” (who knows if hes “good” haha) studio engineer friend of mine suggested i try them. I have gotten my best mixes yet with these (but my skill and plugin count has also grown). What these headphones do is they just seem to not lend to making mixing mistakes lets say. Was wonderful to see amirm do a review. He does not recommend and i dont blame him because they suck at articulating bass frequencies and have distortion artifacts and are not a good quality build.

Soooo, i just bought focal lensys (no good asr reviews yet but based on other focals, might not make the grade?). They do 300 hz and lower really well but the rest of just weird. Inauthentic mid/trebles is how hear it. I spent multiple hours with these thinking maybe these were like the old yamaha ns-10=if you can make music sound good in them, you will have a great mix….so i tried to mix some acoustic guitar and vocals and no matter what sounded terrible when i turned up the jbl 308s…..

So then i brought in ndh20, and dt1770 pro mkii (no reviews until i just saw @solderdude did one thank you!!). His review and my ears confirm innaccurate bass = sucky translation to monitors and good mixes in general. So i didnt go very far with these.

Im going with ndh20 though amirm review shows some flaws that undoubtedly exist. I like em. Theyre bass is effective and i believe precise enough for me. Mids and trebles seem articulate even if they dont fit the harman perfectly. And they just sound good and fun and exciting which i was also looking for….note i dialed in vocal and acoustic guitar immediately with these….

BUT I have coming in the mail on monday the akg k371 because they came up on an electronic music forum i am on AND amirm+asr poll+solderdude all say they are fantastic. I will post here on monday or Tuesday if ya want:).
 
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Build quality and seal are issues for the K371/K361 though.
 
Here are some excerpts I've collected from Recording Magazine:

This is from "Readers Submissions" where readers send-in their recordings for evaluation:
As those of you who have followed this column for any length of time can attest, headphone mixing is one of the big no-no's around these parts. In our humble opinion, headphone mixes do not translate well in the real world, period, end of story. Other than checking for balance issues and the occasional hunting down of little details, they are tools best left for the tracking process.

And this is from a mixing engineer:
Can I mix on headphones?

No. But in all seriousness, headphones can be a secret weapon and it really doesn’t matter what they sound like…

Over time, after constantly listening back to my work from different studios on those headphones I really started to learn them. They became sort of a compass. Wherever I went… It became a pattern for me to reference these headphones to see if what I was hearing was “right”…

I learned them, I knew them, I trusted them. It didn’t matter whether or not I loved them…

So, can you mix on headphones? Probably. I just think you really need to put some time into learning them first…


This is from Floyd Tool's book, Sound Reproduction
Headphones entertain masses of people. Professionals occasionally mix on them when conditions demand it. Both rely on some connection to sound reproduction, that is, loudspeakers in rooms, because that's how stereo is intended to be heard. Stereo recordings are mixed on loudspeakers.
 
I've done some mixing. When I started it was phones due to being away from my home for a year. I am not highly experienced with mixing anyway. I couldn't do much with headphones. I can believe with some experience and sticking to one phone one might learn it. Starting out, don't do it that way.

I purchased some JBL LSR 305s and I was able to do pretty well with it. I would say you'll not likely find a better deal than the LSR 305 mk II's for such purposes. I would say any halfway good speaker would serve better than phones for someone not already experienced in mixing. The only chance I had doing phone based mixing is using crossfeed. Perhaps some of the room simulation software would be even more helpful with phones. My suggestion is learn it over speakers and whenever possible mix over speakers. Let me repeat however, the LSR 305s from JBL are super good for the money and very good not considering price. They are pretty balanced top to bottom, go surprisingly deep by themselves and generally quite clear as to what you are doing while mixing. You can get them for $238 per pair right now. Self powered so connect up your interface with XLR or TRS and you are ready to go.
 
Thank you for your comprehensive response.

I was about to get to bed, to get enough rest ahead of tomorrow, its almost midnight here, when I saw the notification in my email, of your response.

Tomorrow, is Sunday i.e church, and I also volunteer as the audio engineer @ church, and we have a packed day, with a meeting in the morning, and Xmas Carols in the late afternoon/evening.

I'll think through your responses, and provide a step by step logical approach, that addresses your needs, and plan to respond on Monday 23rd December 2024.
No problem take you time. Thank you and have a nice day :)
 
Here are some excerpts I've collected from Recording Magazine:

This is from "Readers Submissions" where readers send-in their recordings for evaluation:


And this is from a mixing engineer:



This is from Floyd Tool's book, Sound Reproduction


I hope that one day we will have a « magical » and practical solution. The only speakers that I’ve found that would be « portable » would be the iLoud Micro Monitors…. Buttttt… I don’t know I don’t see my self using that and traveling with that with only a cabin suitcase or bag.
 
LONGWINDED! Shayzer im new to asr but have lurked here A LOT and read soooo many of the reviews and threads related to the reviews. This is the BEST audiophile resource! I am also a studio musician first and foremost and prefer the process of doing “most” mixing in headphones even though this is not the pro method.

Ive mixed with sennheisers, sonys and then last few years using the cheap Status Audio CB-1. A “pro” (who knows if hes “good” haha) studio engineer friend of mine suggested i try them. I have gotten my best mixes yet with these (but my skill and plugin count has also grown). What these headphones do is they just seem to not lend to making mixing mistakes lets say. Was wonderful to see amirm do a review. He does not recommend and i dont blame him because they suck at articulating bass frequencies and have distortion artifacts and are not a good quality build.

Soooo, i just bought focal lensys (no good asr reviews yet but based on other focals, might not make the grade?). They do 300 hz and lower really well but the rest of just weird. Inauthentic mid/trebles is how hear it. I spent multiple hours with these thinking maybe these were like the old yamaha ns-10=if you can make music sound good in them, you will have a great mix….so i tried to mix some acoustic guitar and vocals and no matter what sounded terrible when i turned up the jbl 308s…..

So then i brought in ndh20, and dt1770 pro mkii (no reviews until i just saw @solderdude did one thank you!!). His review and my ears confirm innaccurate bass = sucky translation to monitors and good mixes in general. So i didnt go very far with these.

Im going with ndh20 though amirm review shows some flaws that undoubtedly exist. I like em. Theyre bass is effective and i believe precise enough for me. Mids and trebles seem articulate even if they dont fit the harman perfectly. And they just sound good and fun and exciting which i was also looking for….note i dialed in vocal and acoustic guitar immediately with these….

BUT I have coming in the mail on monday the akg k371 because they came up on an electronic music forum i am on AND amirm+asr poll+solderdude all say they are fantastic. I will post here on monday or Tuesday if ya want:).
Unfortunately I’ve already tried the K371 or 361 (can’t remember which one) and it was giving me crazy headaches because of the headband pressure on my head :/
 
I've done some mixing. When I started it was phones due to being away from my home for a year. I am not highly experienced with mixing anyway. I couldn't do much with headphones. I can believe with some experience and sticking to one phone one might learn it. Starting out, don't do it that way.

I purchased some JBL LSR 305s and I was able to do pretty well with it. I would say you'll not likely find a better deal than the LSR 305 mk II's for such purposes. I would say any halfway good speaker would serve better than phones for someone not already experienced in mixing. The only chance I had doing phone based mixing is using crossfeed. Perhaps some of the room simulation software would be even more helpful with phones. My suggestion is learn it over speakers and whenever possible mix over speakers. Let me repeat however, the LSR 305s from JBL are super good for the money and very good not considering price. They are pretty balanced top to bottom, go surprisingly deep by themselves and generally quite clear as to what you are doing while mixing. You can get them for $238 per pair right now. Self powered so connect up your interface with XLR or TRS and you are ready to go.
Thank you for the informations. I will see what I’m going to do, for now I’m just watching reviews because I don’t know what to do.

Slate VSX seems to be a good 50/50
 
Hi!

This is just a hobby for now, but I admit that if an opportunity arises one day, I wouldn’t say no.

To answer your questions:

  1. My room (which is also my bedroom) has dimensions of 2m x 4 m (and between 2m50 and 3m height depending on where). There is a mezzanine too on 1/3 of the room.

  2. There are ambient noises coming from the water heating system behind my door, but it has never been particularly disturbing so far (thanks to an Aston Halo on my mic and a sheet behind me).

  3. Occasionally, I hear planes or my neighbors using the metal stairs outside. Luckily, I don't hear cars, and I barely hear my housemates since I’m on the opposite side of them and the living room. I do hear them when they’re in the kitchen, but at that time, I’m usually with them, so I’m not recording or mixing.

  4. I haven’t done any acoustic treatment to the room. The only "treatment" is on my mic, with the Aston Halo and a sheet behind me that I use occasionally.

  5. I have the AirPods Pro 2, HD660s2, my MacBook Pro M2 speakers, and I’m planning on getting either the 7506 or Linsoul 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 for tracking during recording (not for mixing).

  6. Yes, I’m aware of the risks of buying second-hand gear. I always make sure to purchase either brand-new sealed items (through auctions) or items with a manufacturer’s warranty. So far, I haven’t had any issues (knock on wood).

  7. Not a lot, since it’s just for my vocals right now. Honestly, I don’t really know.

  8. I’ll record my vocals in the same room, but that shouldn’t be an issue.

  9. Yes, I have a Neumann MT48, which should have plenty of power for any headphones or speakers. :)

  10. I use a MacBook Pro M2 MAX.

  11. Sometimes I use Logic Pro 11, and sometimes I use Studio One 7, depending on my mood, to be honest.


One important thing: I travel a lot between France and Canada, so the more portable, the better.
Excellent. It's Monday. Back here.

I would like to clear up a few assumptions. We are dealing with stereo mixes, i.e mixing down to two channels - left and right. No multichannel/Dolby/Spatial mixing targets. We have a budget of up to $1,000. We need portability.

A few firm foundations.

Every single thing we do in audio, will be a compromise. Everything. So it is about deciding on what compromises are acceptable, and what compromises we cannot live with.

Audio capture and reproduction is and will always be, an illusion, at least in our own lifetimes. Why?

Our reproduction systems attempt to distil a 360 degree listening circle, into a small number of speakers. Once upon a time, all that was condensed to mono, a single speaker.

This is still the case, in most concerts, we are listening in mono, cos they send the mix to the audience in mono. Why? We are typically listening to only one speaker, the one closest to us., in the audience.

Then in stereo, our perception of the stereo field, between left and right, is a virtual illusion. For example there is no center speaker in a stereo system, but our ear tricks us to believe we are hearing something from a Phantom center - right in front of us. Same thing happens on headphones, if our ears are identical. But if one of our ears has a hearing anomaly, the stereo image may shift this phantom center to one side or the other, closer to the ear which hears better.

All this illusion that translates two speakers or two earpieces, into an illusion of left to right horizontal panorama, is just that - an illusion. A compromise.

So nothing will ever be perfect and sound exactly like real musicians, playing in front of us, on real instruments, or amplified instruments. We only make an effort to create the best or most acceptable illusion, one which will always hae compromises. But the compromises are one's we must accept.

To Be Continued (TBC)
 
Excellent. It's Monday. Back here.

I would like to clear up a few assumptions. We are dealing with stereo mixes, i.e mixing down to two channels - left and right. No multichannel/Dolby/Spatial mixing targets. We have a budget of up to $1,000. We need portability.

A few firm foundations.

Every single thing we do in audio, will be a compromise. Everything. So it is about deciding on what compromises are acceptable, and what compromises we cannot live with.

Audio capture and reproduction is and will always be, an illusion, at least in our own lifetimes. Why?

Our reproduction systems attempt to distil a 360 degree listening circle, into a small number of speakers. Once upon a time, all that was condensed to mono, a single speaker.

This is still the case, in most concerts, we are listening in mono, cos they send the mix to the audience in mono. Why? We are typically listening to only one speaker, the one closest to us., in the audience.

Then in stereo, our perception of the stereo field, between left and right, is a virtual illusion. For example there is no center speaker in a stereo system, but our ear tricks us to believe we are hearing something from a Phantom center - right in front of us. Same thing happens on headphones, if our ears are identical. But if one of our ears has a hearing anomaly, the stereo image may shift this phantom center to one side or the other, closer to the ear which hears better.

All this illusion that translates two speakers or two earpieces, into an illusion of left to right horizontal panorama, is just that - an illusion. A compromise.

So nothing will ever be perfect and sound exactly like real musicians, playing in front of us, on real instruments, or amplified instruments. We only make an effort to create the best or most acceptable illusion, one which will always hae compromises. But the compromises are one's we must accept.

To Be Continued (TBC)
Every type of transducer (in this case, speaker, IEM, headphone, etc) will have its own advantages and caveats. Therefore I propose that you divide your budget to provide multiple monitoring setups, that fit into your lifestyle. You may not need to buy some of these things, if you already have them.

1. At least 1 IEM listening device, with good fitting ear tips. Probably as many as 2, cos they are not expensive in today's world, if we choose carefully.

2. At least 1 over the ear headphone.

3. One pair of studio speakers. This will be used from the location where you spend the most time. It is not intended to be a "portable speaker" system.

4. This is optional - only you can decide if you need this or not. A portable set of speakers.

5. When mixing on IEM's or headphones, I would suggest some kind of monitoring suite of software that may assist you with delivering an optimal "image" of the mix on headphones, to overcome some of the inherent issues with mixing on headphones.

EDIT :

6. When mixing on speakers, some kind of speaker/room correction software, with a measurement microphone, may help improve the quality of what you hear.

TBC
 
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