How I Get GREAT MIXES Using HEADPHONES
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How I Get GREAT MIXES Using HEADPHONES
Yes, my friend… you can get great mixes using your studio headphones!
Look, we all know that part of working out of your home studio is that everything is not going to be perfect all the time.
Sometimes you need to do everything on those headphones.
Don’t listen to the folks who tell you that it’s impossible to mix this way.
Instead, check out my top 5 tips for mixing well on headphones!
Do you have any other tips? What are your favorite headphones to mix on? Let me know in the comments!
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STREAM DECK amzn.to/3OFVHaO
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SPEAKER CONTROLLER sweetwater.sjv...
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STUDIO MONITORS:
KALI Audio IN-8 sweetwater.sjv...
HEADPHONES:
Audeze MM-500 www.audeze.com...
Austrian Audio Hi-X65 sweetwater.sjv...
Beyer Dynamics DT770 sweetwater.sjv...
STUDIO MONITOR CONTROLLER sweetwater.sjv...
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I mix on headphones 95% of the time. I own nice monitors (Dynaudio LYD8), but my room is untreated. I usually mix on Sennheiser HD600 thru SoundID correction software. I get really good results with this setup. My mixes often get played in a club setting and they sound great. Mixing and mastering is absolutely possible. Don't let haters tell you otherwise!
I can't have speakers where I live. What do you compose? I'm thinking of going with a pair of Audeze MM-500.
awesome advice I end up making a comment that talks about that 90-95% usage on headphones as well.
This video would make a great drinking game; take a shot every time Chris says "headphones" 🎧😝😉
I mix mostly on headphones and it's all about learning the sound of them. Good video Chris.
LOL! Ok, its' Friday, I'm trying this out tonight LOL!
I tried it... I'm a bit tipsy now. 😆
I'm a hybrid headphones and monitors I bounce back and forth, depending if there is anyone home. If my family is home I use my Beyerdynamic dt 990 pro and Blue Lola's. If no one is home then it's my Focal Evo 65 monitors. You nailed all the issues I have using headphones. I thought I was just me 😂. Great advice brother. Thank you
Lol! Glad you enjoyed this video, bro!
For mixing I use AKG K612 Pro headphones with Sonarworks and previously used the more affordable AKG 240 Studio. If on a very tight budget, I would go for Superlux HD-861 ($25-ish).
For tracking duties I have Beyerdynamic DT150s, though the original style pads don't last long!
Good stuff, Adrian! Thanks for watching!
Best laugh out loud moment for my day? Seeing that quick flash of Chris’s headphone collection…!
Lol, wait till you see my next video
My experience as a guitarist/hobby mixer: because of the precise monitoring of the low end, I always used headphones - even when they said "it's not professional". On the other hand, the final touches and final proportions are always given to the mix on monitor speakers.
You're right, headphones are very good to check the low end. Thanks for watching!
I have RME and Apollo (just got the RME yesterday) and using RME in combo with good headphones has been a God-Send. The amplification on the RME, you don't think you need it until you have it. the tracks feel more lively and things stick out a bit more which help understand if there needed a lot. Switch to Speakers for that 5-10% of mixing is great , because I feel like it gets us back into the "mixing for emotions' mode that we sometime leave and start getting too technical.
Longtime headphone mixer. I use the Audeze LCD X with sonarworks which are great for low end and the Slate vsx can be useful for that too but take a bit of getting used to. I also like the status cb 1 they are great for checking the high end including sibilance. I also run into wet mixes on time's that need to be tamed and vocals can be on the loud side when checked on speaker's. But after a few tweaks you're good to go. I do have a pair of Genelec's on my desk but they are hardly ever used.
Never tried the Audeze LCD X, but have the MM-500. Thanks for watching :-)
I have to use headphones as well and use audio technica ath-m50x + Sound id + cla nx same as you mentioned
Thanks for sharing the importance of listening to train ears with references. I need to improve this in my side as my mixes are still not at the level needed.
The M50x with Sound id works very well!
i’m using Neumann ndh 30 for mixing and mastering
Once I started using sonar works my mixes became WAY BETTER! I have DT880 pros and they sound great as is, but lack bass so before sonar works I was adding way too much sub and cutting too many highs out.
I didn't know about the room emulation plugins! I will have to demo a few out
The room emulation is pretty cool, especially when I'm on the road, and don't have access to my speakers
GoodHertz CanOpener is better, imo. I really don't like room emulations - they all do weird things to the sound which fight against the job of mixing, and I feel like they are heavily sacrificing representation for their spatial illusion. CanOpener does none of that, and just gives you a good crossover like some high-end headphone amps do.
My mastering phones are NEUMANN NDH 30's.
The headphones do not have natural headroom, so it needs to be created in order to simulate the behavior of regular speakers. Therefore, it is best to reduce the input signal to -18dB. This way, every sound in the headphone space will not blast from all directions like stereo, but will be directional. A good headphone preamp takes care of this, and if there is an option for a PAD on the interface, I also recommend using it as a natural space limiter.
dt 990 is my best choice, i never regret it
Because of my environment I've had to mix on headphones. I use the Sonarworks reference 4 that you mentioned. Fabulous! I also use several different NX plug-ins such as the Abbey Road, CLA, Ocean Way, Germanio. All of these have EQ profiles that for my particular headphones (Sennheiser HD 280 Pro) so I know what I'm hearing is correct. I get lots of compliments on my mixes and masters from my clients. As you pointed out the main thing is to listen to everything this way.
Exactly! If you're getting good feedbacks from clients, that means your mixes translates pretty well, so good job!
Hey the 280's are great. I had those for a while until I got Focal Sprit Pros at $350 - the 280's and the Focals sound have almost exactly the same balance when used with Sonarworks. The Focals have a bit more detail, but if you are wondering, there is no hurry to upgrade. I love the 280's and you can great a great mix on them.
I always mix on headphones, mainly because I don't have a dedicated studio, my setup is in my living room which I share with the family, but I do check the mix on my monitors when I'm a good way into the mix. Both my headphones and speakers have been calibrated with Sonarworks, and I do also use the Waves NX studio plugins (thanks to you for that tip Chris). My headphones are the Beyer Dynamic DT 770 Pro. I'm still learning, but even if I do say so myself, my mixes are coming out well and have received some good reviews on Produce Like a Pro, but I'm not a professional (yet).
Cool stuff! Keep on going, Mark!
Hi, thanks for the Video. I had doing it exactly like u tell for many years. Exept for the emulation program, because all of the solutions i testet i did not like! Also the one from waves... since december last year, than i testet the Slate VSX system, man i hate superlatives, but this was a complete gamechanger! When u take your time and learn this thing like u would learn a new room, man! I would prefer this solution over 10k monitores in a not well treatet room! I am a headphone nerd and own all of the classics, but mixing and mastering only on VSX since 2023. A special thing was also that a client of me also buy the vsx system, know we can realy listen to the nerly exact same acustics, massive time saver!😍
That's petty cool! I never tried the Steven Slate VSX, but heard good stuff about them
Yes headphones I use Sony MDR-V6 with Morphit on the monitor buss. Will go Sony 7506 next time.
Cool stuff!
I use Sennheiser HD 280 PRo with can opener and toneBooster Morphit for correction.
Cheap set up but work well
Thanks for watching!
I love mixing on phones I have Beyer Dynamic DT 1990 Pro phones and I use them exclusively. I use my monitors for casual listening and to see how it translates in a room.
That's pretty cool, Chris!
Love it! Useful advice as always. As with your course where you agree its fine to mix in stereo, this is sound. I do my own music and you've helped loads, mixing and working cubase. Ive been around the houses and im now comfortable to say i have cheap monitors and a garden room as a studio. I am now more relaxed and do what i feels right and work with my limitations. I mix on headphones checking with my other pair and monitors. In stereo, with a check in mono now and again. I enjoy it more now. Next step is to get some one to mix one of my songs so i truly know how close im getting 😊
I love the cla nx plugin but it takes too much of my processing power near the end of my mix 😢
Glad my course helped you out! Thanks for watching!
I actually use Neuman NDH 30 + CLA Nx. I get good results.
For tracking and rough mixing, Sony MDR-7506; for final mixing and mastering, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro [OG ... 250ohm]
That's a good combination :-)
I'm using dSONIQ Realphones with my pair of Sennheiser HD650s and absolutely love it! I use VST version in Cubase (Control Room) and WaveLab (Playback section) and Standalone version for casual music listening/video watching/etc.
It provides both frequency curve correction and crossfeed/HRTF/room emulation. It also have many different mix check presets (a car, sets of studio monitors in real studio room (with impulse response measured), club, different types of speakers (Yamaha NS-like, cubes, near/mid/far field monitors, open/closed headphones, earbuds, etc).
The new version (2.0) to come soon with even more great features, better simulation and new studios.
Thank you, Chris 🙌
You're welcome Katrina! :-)
I added Slate VSX to the headphones collection.
GREAT RESULTS I AM OVER THE MOON
I never tried the Steven Slate VSX, but heard good stuff about them! Glad you like them!
Once again - thanks for your info. Longtime been told to have decent or better monitors, but like so many have told me not to use headphones - great to know headphones are actually not a bad idea.
There's always pros and cons, like their is with speakers. Thanks for watching!
Can't wait to watch your special about your experience with various models! Please hurry up😄 I am using the Hornet headphone correction plugin (wich costs just a few dollars).
Coming out this Friday :-)
I have noticed that my Beyerdynamic DT-1990 Pro are amazing and when I mix with them...these same mixes seem to sound just as good in my room with my KRK VXT 8 monitors. Either I am missing something or I am just lucky..thanks Chris.
Great video Chris! I have an attic room so frequency response is all over the shop. I get round that by mixing on low volumes using my Adam’s studio monitors and recently bought some better dynamic dt-990 pros which are AMAZING! Think I’ll invest in the sonar works - I’ve heard loads of great stuff about it.
That's a good combination!
You're 💯% right I had all these issues in the same way.
Glad you agree!
Very helpful ngl 🔥
That's awesome!
Great class...Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
I always use headphones the make last decisions on vocals levels. It's easier to find the perfect balance of the main vocal in my opinion
Pretty cool! Thanks for watching!
@@mixdownonline Thanks for the info too!
Nice video 🎉
Im thibking of using fe the 650 because it sounds good listening to music and for electronic music production sometimes too. With sonarworx then as plug-in for the flatter frequency response 🤔🙌
When you work completely ITB, do you need an interface when you create music with a headphone?
Do you use any portable headphone dac/amp for cellphone!? What headphone stand is that!? Love my new Neumann NDH 30. No need for any eq correction.
Hey Vlad, I use my audio interface, and even the DA out of my Macbook Pro M1 is not that bad
I've bene using my ath r70x for years now and i dont really miss monitors
These a pretty good open back headphones...man they a re light!
Salut Chris. Comment va le VictoAlbertain ? . je pense acheter le Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X . qu est-ce que tu pense du choix. ?😃
Lol, je vais très bien! J'ai jamais essayé les ProX mais Beyerdynamic c'est habituellement très bien!
Chris love what you do, I too work with headphones and then try to get a feel for what my mixes sound like through Sonarworks calibration to monitors! Quick question, when you transferred to your new computer, were you able to move the speaker and headphones Sonarworks Sound ID calibrations over to your new computer relatively easy?
there are plugins that allow you to hear that bleed like listening to speakers while mixing is there not?
Thank you 👍👍👍
You're welcome!
I use scarlet headphones super cool 😎
How about ear fatigue? I try to listen on low volume, but after a while I want to brighten stuff up.
I check the bass with headphones, that's it. I don't trust my ears to mix totally yet.
Hi Chris Been following your Videos for a while now. Would Love to hear your thoughts On the Steven Slate VSX Headphone system , I do own one of these. but to be honest not sure if it actually works , I do have a soundproof drums studio but feel that the drums affect the sound coming out of the speakers and without packing away my drums every time I want to mix. I am looking for the best solution for Headphone Mixing, Would love to hear you thoughts on the above Cheers Mick
Unfortunately, I never tried the Steven Slate VSX, but heard good stuff about them
Very true! :)
Thanks for confirming cause I have been toying with the idea for a while and since there is no access to neutral acoustics anywhere near at the moment I have no choice but to go with that. But I have a question:
Is it a good idea to also use some of the available mastering tools like stuff from Izotope for getting a "second opinion" just to make sure that the headphone's curve is not playing tricks on the ears?
The iZotope tools are great, and nice to work with, but I also like to compare my mixes with a reference mix(es)
Easier to hear on headphones without hearing the room reflections. But at least need decent headphones that one "know" how they sound (bassy, midrange focused or a bit bright). Takes maybe a few months to learn new headphones. Reference tracks is always needed imo to compare your lows, loudness, etc.
Inside Out Is the Key 👍
Definately
I always roll inside out! 👆
oh wait… 😅
@@Y42 having one in my hand 🎉
@@olibarahosasa1137 now I can say: SAME! 😂
Hey! Is sony mdr 1a a bad choice for mixing techno in my untreated bedroom? I use them...
Hi! Why do you use the HD 650, rather than the HD 600 … I always thought the 600 have a more neutral sound … ? Thanks!! 😎👍🏼🙏🏼
I just don't have the 600, and never tried them :) Thanks for watching!
I am also using the CLA NX.
funny site note - Chris Lord-Alge could’ve cleaned out the cables on the left side of the console. makes me go 😡
but I’m a clean freak haha 😂
LOL! I never noticed, now I will only see that, thanks to you LOL!
@@mixdownonline hahaha sorrryyyy 🙈
I am looking for a solution other than spending 3k-4k on room treatments. It sounds like I can do this on good headphones. Also with Dolby Atmos this can solve the issue without having to spend a ton on darn speakers and everything else that comes with it.
Now mixing Dolby Atmos on headphones is something else. Theirs already some studio headphone companies that are working on a Headphone Atmos immersive design for mixing. To be continued...
nice, do you use correction for the LCD-X ?
I don't have the LCD-X, but the Audeze MM-500. I don't use them with any correction softwares. I like them as they sound like :-)
@@mixdownonline oh I see, they are so similar, thanks for replying have a wonderful weekend 🥰
Been using Slate VSX for 2+ years now and loved them from the beginning. They really are game changing.
But you have to learn to use them.
I flick between different rooms. Once its balanced in all rooms (or my 4 faves) then it translates everywhere.
Cool stuff! I never tried the Steven Slate VSX, but heard good stuff about them
I know how to get a great mix with headphones…..throw them away! lol, no, kidding….im trying to implement them.
Chris, thanks for this as im trying to work around Sound id reference .What do you think of Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones to mix with ?
The ATH-M50X will be part of my upcoming video on 10 pair of headphones I'm gonna show up. That will come out next week :-)
@@mixdownonline Perfect !
Thanks Chris, what's your opinion about dSONIQ Realphones plugin to get the room emulation? cheers
Never tried dSONIQ, so I counld't tell
@@mixdownonline OK thanks Chris!
Why doesn't anyone ever mention what levels to listen at to prevent hearing damage?
Rule of thumb. You should be able to talk with a person sitting 1m away. Open backs help a lot too. Tech wise, if you're using monitors you get an spl meter and make sure you're at 85 spl on your sweet spot. But the 1m rough idea works the same
les NX de Waves ( Abbey Road 3 et CLA ) ont été un 'game changer" pour moi! Je n'ai pas la chance de pouvoir travailler dans un environnement sonore idéal alors c'est un gros plus pour faire de meilleurs mixs!
How about in ear monitor master?
Not a big fan on using inear monitors for mixing.
In ear monitors are great for tracking. I only have one room for tracking and mixing. In ear monitors are great for this because they really block out the background sounds well. Mine are custom molded from InEarz audio. (p350's). They have about a -26db attenuation compared to basic ear plugs at -16db to -19db attenuation.
They are not good for mixing because I'm can't apply an equalization to them. That's why I rely on my HD 280 Pro's and Sonarworks Reference 4.
Thx for your explanation master
HEADPHONES
YES
4:45 SPL crossfeed sound like you are using monitors for real
That's a monitor controller from what I can see? Looks pretty cool!
@@mixdownonline SPL Phonitor One D cost like $799 it’s for head phones i know the one you are talking about tho but this is what you need bet u won’t regret it
hello, is it bad for our ears to spend to much time with headphones?
Not really, like mixing on studio monitors, taking breaks will give you better results, and perspective
you lost me there 4:40
Cla Nx and some bunch of headphones 😅
There you go!
How much I hate the godda** Ridley Piano Method. Even did some research on the guy and found out he is a full blown Scientologist.
The older I get, the more I think this yet another auidio issue that is an obsession with no possible empirical basis. Unless you are mixing/mastering for a specific MASSIVELY commercialised consumer hardware configuration (and probably one that itself uses headphones or the consumers'own environment will have a substantial effect on the experience) these tyoes of arguments are scientifically academic.
Every different consumer reproduction system and environment is going to provide a different experience. Unless your own mixing/mastering environment and skills are way off, you really are dealing in subjectivity.
How many tracks, on the same album have you heard where in one case you have a deep kick and the bass sitting in the mids and another track with the opposite? And both tracks still sound fantastic as a combination of all the elements. The same with hiw you mix and master and how your consumers consume. They may like some tracks in THEIR cars and prefer others on THEIR home entertainment system etc. One size will never fit all. There is NO holy grail. It more about the complete combination of EVERYTHING that goes into that track that bonds with the consumer.
Yes, I agree. That's why I like to reference a lot when mixing on headphones , monitors, and checking on other types of speakers so I can get my mixes to translate well everywhere. A mix translates well is always according to the type of system of course.