How Headphones Influence Music Production

[DonaldM]

I came across interesting article this morning. I'd be curious to know how you all take headphone listening into account when you mix?

[nsureit]

Headphones are just one of several tools to use. I switch back and forth from monitors, to open-back headphones, to closed-back headphones and even listen on cheap old PC desktop speakers. This gives me a good sense of where my mix is, balance wise.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by nsureit

Headphones are just one of several tools to use. I switch back and forth from monitors, to open-back headphones, to closed-back headphones and even listen on cheap old PC desktop speakers. This gives me a good sense of where my mix is, balance wise.

This^^^ and especially to check the bottom end as that is very tough to get ironed out in a small mix room(no matter what DSP or other trickery we throw at it)

[DonaldM]

Do you guys think its generally true that most people listen to their music on earbuds and headphones? And if so, how does that affect the way you mix, if at all?



The article mentions that because of earphones, the way vocals are being done has changed too. He gives examples from Selena Gomez and Lana Del Rey of that. Do you think that's the case?

[nednednerb]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

Do you guys think its generally true that most people listen to their music on earbuds and headphones? And if so, how does that affect the way you mix, if at all?



The article mentions that because of earphones, the way vocals are being done has changed too. He gives examples from Selena Gomez and Lana Del Rey of that. Do you think that's the case?

100% where the listening happens should be considered where the mixing happens!

Think of the old vinyl of classical recordings made in 1972. You COULD rip it to MP3 with 2005 MBox AD/DA and play it through 2009 windows laptop speakers, but I am sure the loudness standards the Audio Engineering Society set forth just a few years ago didn't even exist when ANY of that other stuff was made.

Therefore, if you ONLY mix on great sounding speakers with lots of power, you might not have a clue that, for example, your track mixed will be far too quiet to even hear on an iPhone or Android cell phone if the "volume" is set below "7 out of 9" or whatever.

I am on the side of loudness ceasefire lol. I want to have good hearing into the future. I plug my ears when emergency vehicles go by. But I like loud bass, too. So things have to interface as they vary--- that's a big part of this.

[EGS]

I mix on big/medium/tiny speakers plus headphones. I switch between all four while mixing.

[Southsidemusic]

Yeah same here. Would never mix in Headphones as that as it is not the same and whatever people in ”articles say” monitors are needed more than ever as the music quality today is in the toilet most of the time so the better we try to make it sound good the better and headphones are a tool to test listening aswell as the car and a Mixcube and bluetooth speaker like Marc Nelson talks about a LOT these days but a good headphone like 500 dollars and up wont replace great monitor setup so one mans opinion here :) (mine)

[JFreak]

One thing these articles always fail to address properly is stereo separation.

In open air, the 3D stereo image just kind of blends in naturally, but listening via earbuds or closed headphones makes for example pingpong effect between hard left and hard right sound way too radical even though in open air you may like it. Open headphones such as Sennheiser HD650 lessen this problem, but nothing beats the real thing.

And if you like to "listen to the bass (frequencies)" you really do it via your bones. Headphones may shake your skull bones, but it is never the same. You have absolutely no idea how it sounds in open air. You need to have a sub that is suitable to your room if you want to be sure. My Genelec 7060B is overkill for this tiny room I have, but I can always calibrate levels down.

[DonaldM]

This is really good stuff to know. Appreciate the different perspectives on this.

[albee1952]

Just opinion; mixing FOR headphones makes little sense to me because:
1-Which headphones or buds do you mix for(way too many options)
2-A mix that sounds good on many different speakers should also be good on most phones or buds.
3-A mix that sounds fine on one set of phones or buds might sound like crap on the next set, or many speakers
4-I should have included listening in the car as another valuable check, and my other favorite listening scenario; from the next room(which has probably revealed more problems than headphones)