Direktor wrote:a1studmuffin wrote:Don't headphones give you an unrealistic representation of the stereo image (among other things) though? Plus getting the low-end right is going to be much harder?
Yup to the stereo image. And yes the to low-end, obviously the amount that the bass is mis-represented is dependent on the actual headphones you have. Ie. frequency response, build etc etc.
Word.
A good point I got recently....
Do your panning in the monitors, then touch it up in some good studio headphones. Personally, I get really good panning estimates, and stereo image estimates in my headphones after I do the near-final mix down after I do the bass sound tweaking in my monitors. (Basswork is a fucker to get right at first)
Never do any basswork from the start in headphones - it just doesn't work properly 90% of the time (when eq'ing bass, compressing etc) - but by all means pan in heapdphones to touch up - after a monitor session. (Big mistake when I started out was trying for fat sounds in the cans - now my kicks and bass are phat as, because I have quality monitors)
A slight pan adjustment is all that's needed if you go to quality headphones after a session on good monitors - and a good ear.
Then, put it through your DJ speakers, to get a very rough estimate of how it will sound in a club.
Most dance music needs to go straight up the middle pan-wise anyway, with slight variations on rhythm, and other sounds. Usually all tucked up under one another gradually, with an even balance on both sides, and a major emphasis on non-clashing of similar freqs.
It's made to be played in a club after all.
And club speakers as general rule, belt straight out the front of the club, and sounds panned right out to one side can often sound unintentially minimal on a half-ass club system, as they don't have the quality nor the capabilities that good monitors do.
They are just made to be LOUD.
Anyway, that's how I do it.
Others may differ.
But good luck.
strategem wrote:i wouldnt bother. you may as well just use hi fi speakers.
Just because you dont have an ideal listening environment doesnt mean you wont get benefit out of decent speakers. The conditions may not be optimal but better speakers are better speakers.
Word again.
Don't get the Behringers man.
You'll just train your ears all wrong, and be stuck with it forever. You'll have to re-train your ears when you get a decent set of monitors.
Tannoy make some really good affordable speakers that measure up with the so called 'big guns' - check them out.
I'm no fan of Alesis either.
It's Tannoy, Genelec, or Yamaha all the way for me.
Dude, seriously - go down to Manny's in St Georges Rd, and get in their monitor booth.
I spent two hours in it, with $2000 to spend.
Ended up walking out spending $1000,and they are quite simply the best things I've ever bought.
Getting the subbies for them soon.
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