Do you mix your tracks with headphones? Does Warren’s expertise influence the way you’ll approach your mixing? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to swing by Sweetwater for all your studio and recording needs, including headphones, monitors, mixers, and more 👉 sweetwater.sjv.io/Studio-Recording
Yes I do mix on headphones and also on Adam A7V speakers with 2 Adam Sub12 subs and active (digital) filtered, also a set of Auratone 5C on a Class D amp for linear response, but... The headphone I have here isn't made at all for mixing, it's a Sennheiser HD25Pro, good for monitoring, but way too colored, so I think I'll buy an Audeze MM-100, or a Beyerdynamic DT-1990 Pro. The last one I used in a big Belgium studio "Galaxy" and all their headphones were Beyerdynamic. And I know what Warren is talking about, fine-tuning everything, and the result on speakers is totally different 😅 [edit] for mixing I will use "open" headphones. Closed ones have benefits, but also shortcomings. Closed ones in the summer aren't that great to use them for a long time.
Really loving your content lately, BUT … will you please consider not dying your hair anymore? You’d look 10x better with your natural hair color! It’d be much easier to watch your videos. Please trust me!
Ah yes the music industry where everyone is conservative, it's practically like being an accountant after all@@redbarradioP.S Elvis was blonde. People dye there hair, cut it weirdly, it's the music industry!
I work mostly through headphones (in a home studio) and check my mix through speakers periodically. I then check my final mix through Apple Airpods every time because that's how I listen to music these days.
I use headphones exclusively, but rely upon the Waves Audio NX plugins on the master bus. Checking my work in the car, on earbuds and other environments is essential, as is comparing with other headphones (!), but you really can do it all with headphones. I think the core elements of successful mixing (by the standards of any critical listener) still gets back to the performance and the quality of the recording- even if all direct or with simulated drums. No noise, good intonation, good levels, etc. all have to be there first.
Warren is a huge gift to all of us. Here he is talking about mixing with headphones and also encouraging us to stop trying to be perfect and instead try to be entertaining and human. Love this guy.
Have to mix in headphones 99% of the time now, because of my home studio, used to own big studios back in the day but now those days are gone, but, mixing in headphones took me some time to get used to, Purchased a pair of Blue cans from sweet water (until they fell apart) now use Beyers and recorded my Pandemic album full orchestral using only those, and now working on everything for publishers in UK and Paris, but, the secret I think is know your gear, know what every type of plugin does, how the compressors work, etc etc, and be willing to be creative not perfect, but again know the science of sound, (Waves NX is good, ) and reference, when I listen back a few years, I cringe at my mixes but now I think im getting happier lol.
Is there anybody out there that can repair/refurbish those Blue Headphones? Besides the typical things that fall apart on those, the batteries will also need to be replaced down the road
My main pair of headphones is of course the DT-770 Pro. Now my aunty bought me a cheap pair of wireless headphones for Christmas, and apparently they work great for mixing low-mids! It's like car speakers but even more honest I'd say. If you're not in a well treated control room with good monitors, headphones like these are simply magical.
I've had some great headphones, from the 7506 to ATH-M50 to 280. No complaints but when I moved to Slate VSX it really was a game changer to be able to mix in the equivalent of a truly fantastic studio room. (Plus they emulate some great headphones.)
Loving this episode. In my little basement studio, I mix on Kali LP 6s, and also a pair of Edirol MA-15D's. For headphones I love my Sennheirser HD 280 Pros. I'm on my second pair. 2 sets of studio monitors and a good set of 'phones. Works for me!
I fell in love with my DT990 pros, they are super affordable and sound insanely good! I got some Adam TV5s too as monitors to switch too but I would recommend the Beyerdynamic DT990s (open back also changed the game for me)
I went through a number of headphones from cheap to pricey, I think that I found a sweet spot in the middle of those targets, pricey doesn't always mean better.
I use headphones to mix daily. You need a great pair of headphones though if you’re taking your sound seriously. I’m using Beyerdynamic DT-1990. They sound fantastic. As far as finalizing though, that’s done in open air and then enjoyed on the headphones.
I track through Audio Technica m50x's and mix on Audeze mm500's, I use the Canopener 3 plugin for some Crossfeed or use the Crossfeed function on my Chord Mojo 2 DAC. dSoniq Realphones plugin works great as well.
I've been mixing and mastering in headphones for the last 12 years and that too in very low end cans. The results have been initially not that great but now I've found a foothold in that realm with decent mixes and masters.
Excellent interview and perspective on using headphones to mix. Mitch always draws out the best of the folks that he interviews. Warren has a wonderful way about him. So much experience :)
He wasn't exaggerating about those low synth notes at the beginning of the Sarah McKlachin song. Any chance you could publish the 30-song reference playlist along with notes about what you're listening for in each? And or do a video on the playlist?
Great discussion! I remember reading an interview with Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues regarding the production of their 1983 album The Present. He said they probably spent too much time on it, since there was so much going on that most would not hear. But personally, I love those kinds of recordings...where I keep hearing new things after repeated listens. I guess that does speak to the headphone experience, which is still my preferred method of listening; one reason being that it allows for the marriage of music with numerous listening environments (especially outdoors).
I've been mixing many years on headphone only and now i've a pair of Kali LP6 in a pretty decent room but far from home so i use it 3/4 hours/week when rehearsing with my band but the rest of the time i mix on headphones. My experience with headphones is that you can get lost in details very easily, i've lost months and months trying to have perfect guitars and overheads in my headphones... but on speakers i was pretty satisfied with the sound. The other problem is the low/mids, on headphones i always end up with to much low/mids (sometimes 7/8 db !) on the snare, kick and bass. Now that i'm aware of that i can mix with more confidence.
@@albus5796 honestly I don't really know, maybe it is the frequency response of my headphone (beyerdynamic DT770) , or maybe because I'm a drummer and I always like having a lot of hommmpffff in my in ears and translate that "bad" habit in my mixing style ....
Love listening to Warren Huart talk. It doesn't even matter if the stuff he's talking about is related to the original question - it's interesting either way.
I mixed some tracks with a lot of moving stereo content. I found that moving my head within the stereo field brought out many details that I hadn't expected. You can't possibly hold your head perfectly still, while moving your head in headphones makes no difference. The only reason I subject myself to the sonically tiring effort of listening to headphones is because I see so many people listening to earbuds etc. and I want my music to be amenable to them.
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I’ve been trying to tell people that at a certain point some things are just “easy” for you because you’ve put in the time to really know what you’re doing.
Im a producer for 30 years. And after all this time, and all Genelec, Focal, PMC, Atc, Adam's, etc Monitors i had and still own, i was falling in the inthinkable. But yes, since i tried out the Ollo Audio S4x i confess that my monitors now are doing the oposite porpose to me, i mix on the Ollo's and check some stuff on monitors. Jesus i love those Open Back Ollo Audio Headphones. I really think that anyone should try them.
It would be really interesting to know more about what producers use as references. Good of Mitch to be so open about his choices. Def Leppard is always a big reference for me. Hysteria especially.
Great interview guys... Also as "Frank" mentions in the comments from about 12 days ago, crossfeed is incredibly important when understanding the stereo field when mixing in headphones and especially awesome when you're working with your personal head profile (from an in between ear delay time/phase aspect). Pretty incredible stuff going on these days for sure. Aaaargh, then you both talk about it around 44mins LOL
Thanks Warren, your wise words about getting obsessed with perfection is the most interesting comment in years. I agree completely. And I mix on headphones often. I have a huge list of references and it's helpful. Thank you for that interesting conversation!
I recently bought Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 headphones! The Bluetooth connection gives fairly low volume and maybe slightly lower audio quality than with the 3mm connection but I like mixing with it. Interesting that Warren said that Audio-Technica is good below 100 Hz, that gives me more confidence that I can trust the low end.
Headphones effect the head-related transfer function you get with speakers - so the tendency is to under-pan important instruments in the mix, which is why the Terry Manning Cardinal Points of 9/12/3 O'clock are a good guide.
Yes, otherwise knows as LCR (the 4th point is mute!). Very useful in hard hitting music like Metal, very Mutt Lange! Most mixers I know will do this in all choruses and then in stripped down verses narrow instruments and then let go full wide in the chorus. All low-end instruments, snare and lead vocals stay centred always.
I been using my headphones to mix for years now. I moved to a smaller apartment I can't have my monitors blasting and I be on the go so axing with my Audio Technica headphones and I have no issue!!!
Sonarworks all the way!!! It helps me tremendously on my Adam Audio A7x's with a Sub 8 and also profiling headphones that I can use in my downtime at work.
What a beautiful conversation headphones make a huge difference to me. You can hear certain sounds you can’t hear in the surrounding live space sounds.
I use the Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pros with Sonarworks correction for production & mixing more than I use my monitors. Even though the monitors are good, but we're living in a rented apartment at the moment. I'd would like to upgrade to the 1990s or maybe even Audeze LCD-X at some point. Since headphones are one of my most used items in the studio. It's probably worth me spending 400-1000 on a really good pair. Another nice item is a great headphone amp. I'm using the Cranbourne Camden EC-1 pre and headphone amp. But, there are some great Topping ones for just over 100 too.
It's crazy how we are getting to the point more and more we do not need multiple monitors. Translation used to be a horse and cart type game and now it's almost too easy. Although, as soon as something becomes too easy, people start trying to push the boundaries more... so the job remains challenging... not as though... much harder to be a real master these days
If you're going to use headphones to do a full mix, you need to use some kind of virtual mix room software with it, so that you have some form of crosstalk between the L/R channels.
@@sixstringalliance4417I think even if you haven't come up the ladder in a treated room with actual monitors, you should still be using VRM. It really helps to hear how your mix is gluing together. However, it's also good to turn it off and reference with isolated L/R as well.
I use SS VSX, assuming these type things is that you mean? Any specific thoughts on those or options? Really trying to get the 2023 IRL feedback on this category ;)
@@Producelikeapro Cheers Warren! I've gone from mixing on big LA dub stages and TV nearfiled to Video games. Gamers are mostly under phones and it has changed my mastering game!
I sold my Neumann NDH 20s and picked up the Neumann NDH 30s Open Backs. Man im still in shock. I have had many exp studio monitors in the studio. I keep going back to my old Kali LP8s. I need to pick up the Kali V2 LP 8s. I wonder looking back in 20 years how many great songs will have been mixed on the Kalis.
Yes they are good for me, i love them. If you are looking for more Boom & Fizz I have read the Focal Clear's might be a Better option. The lows are clear and has some weight. The mids and highs are gonna take me some time to get accustomed with. The level of detail is insane. They are gonna make you wanna go back and fix old mixes. I have references mixes that make your jaw drop. If its an ok mix they are not gonna lie. If you want boom and fizz they are not the winner. They sound great. You just notice everything that needs fixed. This is what im after. Hope this helps. @RenoFriends
What an excellent, honest, and pragmatic look at using Headphones when Mixing. Regarding the use of Earbuds, and headphones with cellphones, there are Apps for dialing in EQs for particular Genres. Do you consider those "User Selectable" parameters when Mixing? Thanks
I agree with him but isnt it just different? arent headphones just 2 mono channels pretending to be stereo? Hence most people mix with studio monitors because you can have a better perception of sound depth but hes right when he says that sometimes when you put on your headphones you can hear air, pops and clicks much easier
Those many ways to combat that! There's headphone amps that have the crosstalk bleed functionality built in, also of course Steven's VSX which simulates speakers in rooms!
Mixing low end on headphones is kind of a pain. I use 7506's at the moment and I definitely have to use references, and car test's to know I got it correct.
I bought my first set of 100 quid phones in October (DT 990s), and now I hardly have my KRKs on at all. Haven't mixed anything outside of tracking sessions yet though. So I will be referencing between the KRK's and the phones at some point I suppose. Have an album of songs deliberately written and engineered to sound like The Cure (we're a tribute band)... Just bought SSL UF1 and UC1... and why don't we have a Sweetwater in the UK?
NS10's for hi-fi speakers? What were they thinking back then, but I do understand somewhat of the time domain response in the design. Agree totally with mixing for the best resolution listening systems. But how to determine loudness level when our ears are the flatest at around 82-84dB & such a variation of sensitivity exists between headphones?
Augustana Ace Frehley Aerosmith The Fray Kris Allen Ramones James Blunt Steve Lukather The X Factor (U.S.) Daniel Powter Jamie Hartman of Ben's Brother Hot Hot Heat The Thrills Vedera Korn Mimi Page Josiah Leming Black Veil Brides Better Than Ezra Howie Day The Dance Party Brendan James Matisyahu Mandi Perkins Secondhand Serenade Mikey Wax Chase Coy Colbie Caillat Eve 6 Future Leaders of the World The Tender Box Jay Clifford from Jump Little Children Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde The Fontaine Brothers Robert Jon & the Wreck @@Guitar_Builder
Aw shucks@@andrewreynolds2262thanks ever so much for posting that! I can never remember everything I've done! Haha For instance I was at a meeting the other day and one of the guys was the singer in Gene and after 10 mins we both realised that I had recorded a single with him! Haha
One big independent artist I often talk about is Trevor Hall, he has well over a million monthly listeners and we have 100's of millions pf plays!@@andrewreynolds2262
So I use the Sony MDR-7506 for tracking and rough mixing and the Beyerdynamic DT-990 (250Ω) for final mixing and mastering. I have plenty of tools to use to check for translations and how something will come off in different listening scenarios. I honestly enjoy doing the car test because that does help me to get “out of myself” when listening to my own material. And it’s an excuse to drive around listening to music =] And yeah, the Apple AirPods have kinda become the NS10s of these current times 😁
I work in headphones and then listen later on Home Stereo, car stereo, earbuds, and different headphones. Then send to a few other people to listen too. It works for me.
I have to disagree 😏. When I was 15 on a tour bus with all my mates driving through Germany in a goodwill tour, the endless looping of “Take Me Home” by Phil Collins over my Walkman headphones while staring out the bus window at the countryside, the sound was killin
Marvellous! I remember doing very similar things! I would play American Air Bases in Germany when I was a kid, 15/16 years old. I do also remember that the lack of high end on a old tape was quite striking to my young ears
@@Producelikeapro Indeed I’m thankful for a less cluttered and broader auditory range. And I’m glad we’re past the scooping of the Dre Beats era (though also fun at the time). But it’s notable that before slipping into our technicolor world of today, we were seemingly experiencing the breadth of dynamics in our black and white world of yesterday. It’s all relative but there’s commonality in striving for excellence.
Could listen to yall talk for hours about this stuff.. I mix on vsx, and it works for me. I love that warren mentioned it without actually mentioning it, but i knew lol.
I often use the headphone when I need to surgically set parameters, checking the phases, correlations among tracks, reverbs etc BUT I finalize everything using the monitors because I noticed the headphones don’t allow you to focus the mid, the body of the low end, the foundation. Sorry I’m not native speaker, I don’t know how to describe it
i bought a 2000$ schecter bass from sweetwater. i was so excited. when i opened the box i saw a tag that said 50 point inspection. wow they really care. unfortunately after pluging it in i noticed sevral problems and the most important was i didnt work. what did they inspect? its never worked right. even after havinbg it reworked by a very reputable luthier it continues to have issues. id question quality folks.
Would love clarity on this: My room isn’t very well treated, and it’s too small, and my headphones are better than my monitors. So I use headphones a lot for detail. What always surprises me is when I go and listen to a mix on car speakers or something else, once everything is “smeared,“ as Warren says, there’s often something that sticks out a surprising amount out of the smear. Usually lead vocal. Solo guitar. Tambourine or shakers. In the headphones, I could hear everything, and I was fine with that balance. In speakers, suddenly a thing or two is too distractingly high above the rest of the soup. Why?!
@@wikkidpersonnope. Cross feed sends signal from the left channel into the right channel and vice versa to simulate the experience of listening to a speaker in a room. My DAC has selectable cross feed and there are plugins available for it.
YUP.. Ever since a Famous Studio producer mentioned he has been using the Sony Professional MDR-7506 for over 20 years. I am SOLD on them and LOVE mixing with them.. Amazing Quality BabY !!😁👍👍
Aren't the Audeze headphones better than anything else on the planet. Sure they cost but they say once you have heard them everything else sounds pretty average.
Valid, but great error, if your mix was played in a nightclub with big sounds, your mix will sound totally awful. NS 10 are big speakers, not tiny like earbuds, headphones like airpods will have you a horrible low end mix, because it has no low end to even see what the lows are doing, so even if people listen to already mixed songs through airpods doesn't help you ear things clearly when you are actually making the songs. Here are the most important things an earphone or headphone must have before they can help, They must be bright and crisp enough clear solid highs, They must have deep big bass at least as clean possible. Their midst must be upfront, so you can see clearly, the main things in a track, like vocals, strings, pads, synths, guitars, even bass, If the headphones have too smiley eq, ie scooped mids but lifted highs and over boosted bass, you will have a bad mid, your eg descisions will be awful for almost everything, when you listen through another system. Best thing is so use everything as you go, start with the best, your speakers, or your headphones, even a little speaker sometimes beat earphones, especially for choosing sounds, like kicks, snare, synths, etc you must be really careful to use everything as you going, don't do a whole song on just headphones and then when the song is finished, you now go to either speakers (or earphones). It's not as hard they make it, use everything checking as you go. Even the pro studios have at least 3 ways to check, with a switch. Best things in to buy a great headphones made for mixing and mastering, There is one from a Ukrainian company look it up, I hear very great things about, then mix in mono or occasionally listen in mono to solve lots of problems with levels. No need for special plug-in that cross your left right. Mixing in mono brings left and right together balances everything so you will set perfect volume for each element of the song you working on.
Have fun, make it sound good! Here’s a trick, take different mixes you’ve done and cut them together. An edit. Take a flat lifeless mix and make it interesting section to section. You’ve cherry picked the magic and precision you wanted. Then send to a mastering engineer.
Do you mix your tracks with headphones? Does Warren’s expertise influence the way you’ll approach your mixing? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to swing by Sweetwater for all your studio and recording needs, including headphones, monitors, mixers, and more 👉 sweetwater.sjv.io/Studio-Recording
Yeh I often watch Warren’s videos for his expertise and knowledge which really help on what im working on.
@@mystikrebel1089thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it
Yes I do mix on headphones and also on Adam A7V speakers with 2 Adam Sub12 subs and active (digital) filtered, also a set of Auratone 5C on a Class D amp for linear response, but... The headphone I have here isn't made at all for mixing, it's a Sennheiser HD25Pro, good for monitoring, but way too colored, so I think I'll buy an Audeze MM-100, or a Beyerdynamic DT-1990 Pro. The last one I used in a big Belgium studio "Galaxy" and all their headphones were Beyerdynamic. And I know what Warren is talking about, fine-tuning everything, and the result on speakers is totally different 😅 [edit] for mixing I will use "open" headphones. Closed ones have benefits, but also shortcomings. Closed ones in the summer aren't that great to use them for a long time.
Thanks ever so much!@@Bluelagoonstudios I really appreciate it!
Always love what Warren has to say!
Thanks ever so much Mitch for having me on! Always amazing talking to you
Really loving your content lately, BUT … will you please consider not dying your hair anymore? You’d look 10x better with your natural hair color! It’d be much easier to watch your videos. Please trust me!
Ah yes the music industry where everyone is conservative, it's practically like being an accountant after all@@redbarradioP.S Elvis was blonde. People dye there hair, cut it weirdly, it's the music industry!
Just subscribed to your channel!
Thanks ever so much!@@astrofreq I really appreciate it
@@Producelikeapro I have so much to learn Sensei. :)
I work mostly through headphones (in a home studio) and check my mix through speakers periodically. I then check my final mix through Apple Airpods every time because that's how I listen to music these days.
Thanks ever so much for sharing your process Jerry!
I use headphones exclusively, but rely upon the Waves Audio NX plugins on the master bus. Checking my work in the car, on earbuds and other environments is essential, as is comparing with other headphones (!), but you really can do it all with headphones.
I think the core elements of successful mixing (by the standards of any critical listener) still gets back to the performance and the quality of the recording- even if all direct or with simulated drums. No noise, good intonation, good levels, etc. all have to be there first.
Thanks ever so much for sharing your experience@@snail415
@@snail415 thanks ever so much for sharing!
Warren is a huge gift to all of us. Here he is talking about mixing with headphones and also encouraging us to stop trying to be perfect and instead try to be entertaining and human. Love this guy.
Aw shucks! Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it
Have to mix in headphones 99% of the time now, because of my home studio, used to own big studios back in the day but now those days are gone, but, mixing in headphones took me some time to get used to, Purchased a pair of Blue cans from sweet water (until they fell apart) now use Beyers and recorded my Pandemic album full orchestral using only those, and now working on everything for publishers in UK and Paris, but, the secret I think is know your gear, know what every type of plugin does, how the compressors work, etc etc, and be willing to be creative not perfect, but again know the science of sound, (Waves NX is good, ) and reference, when I listen back a few years, I cringe at my mixes but now I think im getting happier lol.
Thanks ever so much for sharing Campbell!
Is there anybody out there that can repair/refurbish those Blue Headphones? Besides the typical things that fall apart on those, the batteries will also need to be replaced down the road
When you work completely ITB, do you need an interface when you create music with a headphone?
My main pair of headphones is of course the DT-770 Pro. Now my aunty bought me a cheap pair of wireless headphones for Christmas, and apparently they work great for mixing low-mids! It's like car speakers but even more honest I'd say. If you're not in a well treated control room with good monitors, headphones like these are simply magical.
I like how passionate Warren is in whatever he's talking about
Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it
I've had some great headphones, from the 7506 to ATH-M50 to 280. No complaints but when I moved to Slate VSX it really was a game changer to be able to mix in the equivalent of a truly fantastic studio room. (Plus they emulate some great headphones.)
We love Steven! More to come on that soon!
Loving this episode. In my little basement studio, I mix on Kali LP 6s, and also a pair of Edirol MA-15D's. For headphones I love my Sennheirser HD 280 Pros. I'm on my second pair. 2 sets of studio monitors and a good set of 'phones. Works for me!
Marvellous! Thanks ever so much for sharing!
I fell in love with my DT990 pros, they are super affordable and sound insanely good! I got some Adam TV5s too as monitors to switch too but I would recommend the Beyerdynamic DT990s (open back also changed the game for me)
I went through a number of headphones from cheap to pricey, I think that I found a sweet spot in the middle of those targets, pricey doesn't always mean better.
What Warren says about reverb about 5 and a half minutes in. So true 👍👍👍
Thanks ever so much!
I use headphones to mix daily. You need a great pair of headphones though if you’re taking your sound seriously.
I’m using Beyerdynamic DT-1990. They sound fantastic.
As far as finalizing though, that’s done in open air and then enjoyed on the headphones.
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
Yamaha HS8, JBL 306, headphones for detail and Adapter Metric A/B is my best friend.
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
I track through Audio Technica m50x's and mix on Audeze mm500's, I use the Canopener 3 plugin for some Crossfeed or use the Crossfeed function on my Chord Mojo 2 DAC. dSoniq Realphones plugin works great as well.
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
I've been mixing and mastering in headphones for the last 12 years and that too in very low end cans. The results have been initially not that great but now I've found a foothold in that realm with decent mixes and masters.
Excellent interview and perspective on using headphones to mix. Mitch always draws out the best of the folks that he interviews. Warren has a wonderful way about him. So much experience :)
Yes! Mitch is an amazing g interviewer and a great guy!
Yup! FOCAL "Trio 6 Be 8 " are very welcomed in my Home Studio ( for it's size )
haha yes, they are very nice indeed!
He wasn't exaggerating about those low synth notes at the beginning of the Sarah McKlachin song. Any chance you could publish the 30-song reference playlist along with notes about what you're listening for in each? And or do a video on the playlist?
Very cool idea about the playlist!
+1
Great discussion! I remember reading an interview with Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues regarding the production of their 1983 album The Present. He said they probably spent too much time on it, since there was so much going on that most would not hear. But personally, I love those kinds of recordings...where I keep hearing new things after repeated listens. I guess that does speak to the headphone experience, which is still my preferred method of listening; one reason being that it allows for the marriage of music with numerous listening environments (especially outdoors).
I've been mixing many years on headphone only and now i've a pair of Kali LP6 in a pretty decent room but far from home so i use it 3/4 hours/week when rehearsing with my band but the rest of the time i mix on headphones.
My experience with headphones is that you can get lost in details very easily, i've lost months and months trying to have perfect guitars and overheads in my headphones... but on speakers i was pretty satisfied with the sound. The other problem is the low/mids, on headphones i always end up with to much low/mids (sometimes 7/8 db !) on the snare, kick and bass. Now that i'm aware of that i can mix with more confidence.
Thanks ever so much for sharing your experiences!
interesting what youre saying about the low mids. what do you think is the reason for that?
@@albus5796 honestly I don't really know, maybe it is the frequency response of my headphone (beyerdynamic DT770) , or maybe because I'm a drummer and I always like having a lot of hommmpffff in my in ears and translate that "bad" habit in my mixing style ....
Love listening to Warren Huart talk. It doesn't even matter if the stuff he's talking about is related to the original question - it's interesting either way.
I mixed some tracks with a lot of moving stereo content. I found that moving my head within the stereo field brought out many details that I hadn't expected. You can't possibly hold your head perfectly still, while moving your head in headphones makes no difference. The only reason I subject myself to the sonically tiring effort of listening to headphones is because I see so many people listening to earbuds etc. and I want my music to be amenable to them.
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I’ve been trying to tell people that at a certain point some things are just “easy” for you because you’ve put in the time to really know what you’re doing.
Absolutely! That’s very true indeed
Im a producer for 30 years. And after all this time, and all Genelec, Focal, PMC, Atc, Adam's, etc Monitors i had and still own, i was falling in the inthinkable. But yes, since i tried out the Ollo Audio S4x i confess that my monitors now are doing the oposite porpose to me, i mix on the Ollo's and check some stuff on monitors. Jesus i love those Open Back Ollo Audio Headphones. I really think that anyone should try them.
It would be really interesting to know more about what producers use as references. Good of Mitch to be so open about his choices.
Def Leppard is always a big reference for me. Hysteria especially.
This was very helpful for me. Thanks.
Thanks ever so much!
Great interview guys... Also as "Frank" mentions in the comments from about 12 days ago, crossfeed is incredibly important when understanding the stereo field when mixing in headphones and especially awesome when you're working with your personal head profile (from an in between ear delay time/phase aspect). Pretty incredible stuff going on these days for sure. Aaaargh, then you both talk about it around 44mins LOL
Yes! Indeed, very important
Thanks Warren, your wise words about getting obsessed with perfection is the most interesting comment in years. I agree completely. And I mix on headphones often. I have a huge list of references and it's helpful. Thank you for that interesting conversation!
I recently bought Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 headphones! The Bluetooth connection gives fairly low volume and maybe slightly lower audio quality than with the 3mm connection but I like mixing with it. Interesting that Warren said that Audio-Technica is good below 100 Hz, that gives me more confidence that I can trust the low end.
Since I've replaced the earcups to better cushions, the bass response and isolation is much better
Audio Technica are easily the best 'affordable' headphones I've ever tried
Thanks for sharing@@AVDRE
Headphones effect the head-related transfer function you get with speakers - so the tendency is to under-pan important instruments in the mix, which is why the Terry Manning Cardinal Points of 9/12/3 O'clock are a good guide.
Yes, otherwise knows as LCR (the 4th point is mute!). Very useful in hard hitting music like Metal, very Mutt Lange! Most mixers I know will do this in all choruses and then in stripped down verses narrow instruments and then let go full wide in the chorus. All low-end instruments, snare and lead vocals stay centred always.
I picked up some Tannoy Gold 7's from Sweetwater and i love them.
Very cool!
I been using my headphones to mix for years now. I moved to a smaller apartment I can't have my monitors blasting and I be on the go so axing with my Audio Technica headphones and I have no issue!!!
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
Sonarworks all the way!!! It helps me tremendously on my Adam Audio A7x's with a Sub 8 and also profiling headphones that I can use in my downtime at work.
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
What a beautiful conversation headphones make a huge difference to me. You can hear certain sounds you can’t hear in the surrounding live space sounds.
Thanks ever so much!
I use the Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pros with Sonarworks correction for production & mixing more than I use my monitors. Even though the monitors are good, but we're living in a rented apartment at the moment. I'd would like to upgrade to the 1990s or maybe even Audeze LCD-X at some point. Since headphones are one of my most used items in the studio. It's probably worth me spending 400-1000 on a really good pair. Another nice item is a great headphone amp. I'm using the Cranbourne Camden EC-1 pre and headphone amp. But, there are some great Topping ones for just over 100 too.
Wonderful talk! Mitch is the man
Yes, he certainly is!
It's crazy how we are getting to the point more and more we do not need multiple monitors.
Translation used to be a horse and cart type game and now it's almost too easy.
Although, as soon as something becomes too easy, people start trying to push the boundaries more... so the job remains challenging... not as though... much harder to be a real master these days
Thanks ever so much for sharing! Agreed, the world is changing very fast!
If you're going to use headphones to do a full mix, you need to use some kind of virtual mix room software with it, so that you have some form of crosstalk between the L/R channels.
Yes if you've grown up using speakers a virtual room can be very helpful!
YES! Agreed, if you're used to mixing in a room going straight to headphones can be very disconcerting indeed
absolutely!@@sixstringalliance4417
@@sixstringalliance4417I think even if you haven't come up the ladder in a treated room with actual monitors, you should still be using VRM. It really helps to hear how your mix is gluing together. However, it's also good to turn it off and reference with isolated L/R as well.
I use SS VSX, assuming these type things is that you mean? Any specific thoughts on those or options? Really trying to get the 2023 IRL feedback on this category ;)
I love editing on headphones - Mitch - nothing like a good pair to pick up those little details. But for mixing in the main? Gimme my NS-10's!😃
Another great interview from Mitch, perfect convo
Thanks ever so much
What a great message 👍 The reality of how your audience consumes audio changes your game!
Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it
@@Producelikeapro Cheers Warren! I've gone from mixing on big LA dub stages and TV nearfiled to Video games. Gamers are mostly under phones and it has changed my mastering game!
@@briankahanek Thanks ever so much for sharing that!
Intresting thankyou. I use a old pair of mission 707 S with pearless 8 inchdrivers along with some BD 770s hdpns 🎉
Thanks ever so much for sharing
I sold my Neumann NDH 20s and picked up the Neumann NDH 30s Open Backs. Man im still in shock. I have had many exp studio monitors in the studio. I keep going back to my old Kali LP8s. I need to pick up the Kali V2 LP 8s. I wonder looking back in 20 years how many great songs will have been mixed on the Kalis.
Just bought the Neumann NDH 30, sounds flat to me but they seem good right?
Yes they are good for me, i love them. If you are looking for more Boom & Fizz I have read the Focal Clear's might be a Better option. The lows are clear and has some weight. The mids and highs are gonna take me some time to get accustomed with. The level of detail is insane. They are gonna make you wanna go back and fix old mixes. I have references mixes that make your jaw drop. If its an ok mix they are not gonna lie. If you want boom and fizz they are not the winner. They sound great. You just notice everything that needs fixed. This is what im after. Hope this helps. @RenoFriends
@@TheMixClub Well yeah, but they cost 1K right? Different price range to me
100% Correct. @@RenoFriends
Thanks ever so much for sharing!@@TheMixClubit's great to hear all of this detail
The new Sonarworks virtual monitoring is dope
Thanks for sharing!
What an excellent, honest, and pragmatic look at using Headphones when Mixing. Regarding the use of Earbuds, and headphones with cellphones, there are Apps for dialing in EQs for particular Genres. Do you consider those "User Selectable" parameters when Mixing? Thanks
Thanks ever so much! I don't know of any apps unfortunately! I wish I did!
I agree with him but isnt it just different? arent headphones just 2 mono channels pretending to be stereo? Hence most people mix with studio monitors because you can have a better perception of sound depth but hes right when he says that sometimes when you put on your headphones you can hear air, pops and clicks much easier
Those many ways to combat that! There's headphone amps that have the crosstalk bleed functionality built in, also of course Steven's VSX which simulates speakers in rooms!
Fascinating discussion!
Thanks ever so much!
A really really good video. Thanks so much 😎
Thanks ever so much!
I just bought the Neumann NDH 30 for my home studio. Think is a good option? Sounds so flat so I think yes 😅
Yes, great stuff!
@@Producelikeapro Thanks for the reply 🙌🏻 I was about to buy the Steven Slate VSX but the device didn't convinced me so much
I love what Steven has done!@@RenoFriendsNeumann headphones are of course amazing!
Great talk gentlemen
Thanks ever so much! Mitch Rocks!
Thank God For Warren Huart!
Thanks ever so much!
@@Producelikeapro You're welcome Warren, thank you for all that you do!
Thanks ever so much!@@dkjproduction816
Mixing low end on headphones is kind of a pain. I use 7506's at the moment and I definitely have to use references, and car test's to know I got it correct.
Thanks for sharing! Yes, lot's of referencing really helps!
What’s the plug-in he’s talking about at the start?
Probably Oeksound Soothe 2
Where in the interview was open vs. closed -back discussed?
I bought my first set of 100 quid phones in October (DT 990s), and now I hardly have my KRKs on at all. Haven't mixed anything outside of tracking sessions yet though. So I will be referencing between the KRK's and the phones at some point I suppose. Have an album of songs deliberately written and engineered to sound like The Cure (we're a tribute band)... Just bought SSL UF1 and UC1... and why don't we have a Sweetwater in the UK?
Great interview Mitch. You are a good listener and let Stuart have his say. 👍🎤🙏
Sorry. I meant Warren. 😊
@@guzzoofozhaha thanks ever so much
That was a great video. Some great info. Thanks Sweetwater and thank you Warren Huart for sharing
Thanks ever so much Joey! You Rock!
What was that plugin you were talking about? Everyone's top five...?
It was probably Soothe 2 by Oeksound. Wonderful plug in
@@Producelikeapro Oh. Thanks. Will check it out!
You will love it! It's not cheap though unfortunately!@@ronnyskaar3737
VSX is where it’s at 💯💯
We love Steven!
NS10's for hi-fi speakers? What were they thinking back then, but I do understand somewhat of the time domain response in the design. Agree totally with mixing for the best resolution listening systems. But how to determine loudness level when our ears are the flatest at around 82-84dB & such a variation of sensitivity exists between headphones?
Mitch and Warren, among the two musicians and youtubers that I respect. Thank you for this refreshing video 😃
Idk warren other then a youtube personality, What production credits does he have with high success?
Augustana
Ace Frehley
Aerosmith
The Fray
Kris Allen
Ramones
James Blunt
Steve Lukather
The X Factor (U.S.)
Daniel Powter
Jamie Hartman of Ben's Brother
Hot Hot Heat
The Thrills
Vedera
Korn
Mimi Page
Josiah Leming
Black Veil Brides
Better Than Ezra
Howie Day
The Dance Party
Brendan James
Matisyahu
Mandi Perkins
Secondhand Serenade
Mikey Wax
Chase Coy
Colbie Caillat
Eve 6
Future Leaders of the World
The Tender Box
Jay Clifford from Jump Little Children
Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde
The Fontaine Brothers
Robert Jon & the Wreck
@@Guitar_Builder
Aw shucks@@andrewreynolds2262thanks ever so much for posting that! I can never remember everything I've done! Haha For instance I was at a meeting the other day and one of the guys was the singer in Gene and after 10 mins we both realised that I had recorded a single with him! Haha
One big independent artist I often talk about is Trevor Hall, he has well over a million monthly listeners and we have 100's of millions pf plays!@@andrewreynolds2262
Nice!
@@andrewreynolds2262 @producelikeapro
So I use the Sony MDR-7506 for tracking and rough mixing and the Beyerdynamic DT-990 (250Ω) for final mixing and mastering.
I have plenty of tools to use to check for translations and how something will come off in different listening scenarios.
I honestly enjoy doing the car test because that does help me to get “out of myself” when listening to my own material. And it’s an excuse to drive around listening to music =]
And yeah, the Apple AirPods have kinda become the NS10s of these current times 😁
Marvelllous! Thanks ever so much for sharing your process!
Love the comment 'Apple AirPods have become the NS10s of these current times'
I work in headphones and then listen later on Home Stereo, car stereo, earbuds, and different headphones. Then send to a few other people to listen too. It works for me.
Marvellous! That sounds very smart!
Hot topic, great info. Also awesome host, masterclass in letting the guest doing there thing. 🙏😎🖤🐓
Yes, Mitch is a wonderful interviewer!
I have to disagree 😏.
When I was 15 on a tour bus with all my mates driving through Germany in a goodwill tour, the endless looping of “Take Me Home” by Phil Collins over my Walkman headphones while staring out the bus window at the countryside, the sound was killin
Marvellous! I remember doing very similar things! I would play American Air Bases in Germany when I was a kid, 15/16 years old. I do also remember that the lack of high end on a old tape was quite striking to my young ears
@@Producelikeapro Indeed I’m thankful for a less cluttered and broader auditory range. And I’m glad we’re past the scooping of the Dre Beats era (though also fun at the time). But it’s notable that before slipping into our technicolor world of today, we were seemingly experiencing the breadth of dynamics in our black and white world of yesterday. It’s all relative but there’s commonality in striving for excellence.
Marvellous!@@stuartsmith5146 thanks ever so much for sharing!
What a great conversation
Thanks ever so much!
LOVE this collab.
Thanks ever so much!
What was the name of the guy who does the studio design ? Sounds like he say Jay Coffman? But cant find any information
Jay Kaufmann
Could listen to yall talk for hours about this stuff..
I mix on vsx, and it works for me. I love that warren mentioned it without actually mentioning it, but i knew lol.
Thanks ever so much! Mitch is a wonderful interviewer!
I often use the headphone when I need to surgically set parameters, checking the phases, correlations among tracks, reverbs etc BUT I finalize everything using the monitors because I noticed the headphones don’t allow you to focus the mid, the body of the low end, the foundation. Sorry I’m not native speaker, I don’t know how to describe it
Great interview!
Thanks ever so much!
Isn't that were the hd600 are boosted a bit exactly 3-4khz?
Great and very informative video, thanks
Thanks ever so much!
Would you guys use an external headphone amp for mixing? I've heard the headphone preamp on the audient id14 isn't the greatest
Interesting. It actually tests amongst the highest in the price range.
great video, you guys really know your stuff, very informative :)
Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it!
Which model Focals is best for mixing please?
I believe I use the Clear Pros? I'm not at the studio at the moment! Haha
Superb episode!
Mitch Rules!
Petition to see the full list of Mitch/Warren's reference tracks and how they use them
i bought a 2000$ schecter bass from sweetwater. i was so excited. when i opened the box i saw a tag that said 50 point inspection. wow they really care. unfortunately after pluging it in i noticed sevral problems and the most important was i didnt work. what did they inspect? its never worked right. even after havinbg it reworked by a very reputable luthier it continues to have issues. id question quality folks.
Would love clarity on this: My room isn’t very well treated, and it’s too small, and my headphones are better than my monitors. So I use headphones a lot for detail. What always surprises me is when I go and listen to a mix on car speakers or something else, once everything is “smeared,“ as Warren says, there’s often something that sticks out a surprising amount out of the smear. Usually lead vocal. Solo guitar. Tambourine or shakers. In the headphones, I could hear everything, and I was fine with that balance. In speakers, suddenly a thing or two is too distractingly high above the rest of the soup. Why?!
Using cross feed can help with that.
@@davidallanmusic Do you mean “unpanning” the master buss a bit?
@@wikkidpersonnope. Cross feed sends signal from the left channel into the right channel and vice versa to simulate the experience of listening to a speaker in a room. My DAC has selectable cross feed and there are plugins available for it.
AKG K240's at Home, K90's at work(live club)
Marvellous! Thanks for sharing!
Warren is the guy !
Thanks ever so much!
I use good earbuds with construction sound proof headsets that will Stop any bleeding from the buds.
Warren, what is your favorite heaphones in the studio? And your favorites also for listening only?
YUP.. Ever since a Famous Studio producer mentioned he has been using the Sony Professional MDR-7506 for over 20 years.
I am SOLD on them and LOVE mixing with them.. Amazing Quality BabY !!😁👍👍
That's great to hear! Thanks for sharing
who was that?
@@darkcharmrecordsit’s Andrew Scheps
I love Mitch, he has a permanent voice over voice ha ha
He's the man!
Aren't the Audeze headphones better than anything else on the planet. Sure they cost but they say once you have heard them everything else sounds pretty average.
I'm a huge fan! They are now my main mixing headphones!
Audeze LCD-X are one of the best purchases I ever made for my studio. Amazing cans.
@@stateazureI love mine too!
Mine are LCD-2. I’ve been comparing the 2 with the X LCD models in VSX. Interesting.
Can we get Mitch playlist ?
I'll ask him for that. What platforms would be useful to you? Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal?
@@DaveMcCall thanks. Apple Music.
I wish they mentioned sonarworks 😢
Good video thanks fellas
Thanks ever so much
Mitch is a wonderful guy! So easy to talk to him
Tbh, more consumer listen to headphones nowadays.. so mixing in headphones should be equal or greater than mixing with speakers
That’s en extremely valid point indeed!
Valid, but great error, if your mix was played in a nightclub with big sounds, your mix will sound totally awful.
NS 10 are big speakers, not tiny like earbuds, headphones like airpods will have you a horrible low end mix, because it has no low end to even see what the lows are doing,
so even if people listen to already mixed songs through airpods doesn't help you ear things clearly when you are actually making the songs.
Here are the most important things an earphone or headphone must have before they can help,
They must be bright and crisp enough clear solid highs,
They must have deep big bass at least as clean possible.
Their midst must be upfront, so you can see clearly, the main things in a track, like vocals, strings, pads, synths, guitars, even bass,
If the headphones have too smiley eq, ie scooped mids but lifted highs and over boosted bass, you will have a bad mid, your eg descisions will be awful for almost everything, when you listen through another system.
Best thing is so use everything as you go, start with the best, your speakers, or your headphones, even a little speaker sometimes beat earphones, especially for choosing sounds, like kicks, snare, synths, etc you must be really careful to use everything as you going,
don't do a whole song on just headphones and then when the song is finished, you now go to either speakers (or earphones).
It's not as hard they make it, use everything checking as you go.
Even the pro studios have at least 3 ways to check, with a switch.
Best things in to buy a great headphones made for mixing and mastering,
There is one from a Ukrainian company look it up,
I hear very great things about, then mix in mono or occasionally listen in mono to solve lots of problems with levels. No need for special plug-in that cross your left right.
Mixing in mono brings left and right together balances everything so you will set perfect volume for each element of the song you working on.
18:30 LA Guitar Quartet Nutcracker album?
Haha when turned on Warren wouldn't stop talking for 10 minutes straight, but he's great!
Haha thanks ever so much!
Headphones, because I don't want small room acoustics at home. Mine are Shure SRH440
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Headphones vs Monitors
05:45 - Mixing Detail Levels
06:47 - Sound Safety in Mixing
11:11 - Steven Slate vs Waves Abbey Road
17:51 - Understanding Your Headphones
19:15 - Bob Clearmountain's Mixing Techniques
21:34 - Achieving Low End on Headphones
23:58 - Using Crossfeed on Headphones
25:45 - Importance of Quality Headphones
27:57 - Headphone Mixing Summary
28:34 - Making Music with Headphones
30:28 - Sweetwater Headphone Showcase
32:05 - Closing Thoughts
Half an hour 🥵 Can anyone share the cliff notes?
Have fun, make it sound good! Here’s a trick, take different mixes you’ve done and cut them together. An edit. Take a flat lifeless mix and make it interesting section to section. You’ve cherry picked the magic and precision you wanted. Then send to a mastering engineer.
Still has to pass the car test 😝
If that's your way to double check that's the last test you'll need! I used to do myself A LOT and it was amazing!
They should bring out car speakers for mastering
Rane RH50
Thanks for sharing!