grumblepig Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 I'm finishing up mixes for my next album. My records always turn out fine, by hook or by crook, but I know I don't have the ears of an engineer. I work intuitively, oblivious to LUFS and gain staging and parallel compression! Fortunately, I have a crew of musicians, engineers, producers and mastering peeps always willing to offer their time, opinions and support, so I know there's always someone able to offer the needed nudge. My main mastering guy, for example, always gives my mixes a listen and sends me a list of tweaks to make before he digs into mastering. On my end, I'm keen to do something to bump things up a notch, even if only in terms of being able to hear my work differently. I'm pretty fried at this point, working on a double album, doing all mixing at home. When I lived in Berlin, my studio was a small rectangular room shoved full of acoustic foam. Not glamorous or very pro, but it was a dead room I could work comfortably in. I had a pair of ADAM A3X speakers that I liked. Back in California, I'm in my wife's converted office. It's fairly deadened, but unlike in Berlin, I'm not surrounded by 3-foot thick concrete walls. I run iLoud speakers - the basic, quite small ones. They're very clean and clear, but they are what they are. I use Audio Technica M-40X headphones. I've seen a pair of AX3s up on Reverb for not too much money, but am also wondering about a slicker set of headphones. My budget ain't big, and with this record almost finished, I don't even know if it makes sense to shake things up right now. Any input here is very welcomed! Thanks much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplets Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 I always prefer speakers over headphones because of ear fatigue. I use the HP when I want to check certain things. If you were comfortable with the Adams I would say go for it. Nothing better than speakers you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumblepig Posted January 21, 2023 Author Share Posted January 21, 2023 3 hours ago, triplets said: I always prefer speakers over headphones because of ear fatigue. I use the HP when I want to check certain things. If you were comfortable with the Adams I would say go for it. Nothing better than speakers you know. I mighta gone with the ADAMS, but the ADAMS are now gone! I'm such a headphones guy, really. But speaking of comfortable, my mastering guy from years back used to live in the same town as me. I worked mostly at home, running Pro Tools through my home stereo. When I was closing in on final mixes, he'd come 'round for a cup of tea and we'd listen to mixes. He loved the sound of that old stereo as I did. He'd give a few pointers and I'd polish up the mixes and then take them to him. I started off recording at home and despite many years in many studios, I'm still searching for the sound of that home stereo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplets Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 52 minutes ago, grumblepig said: I'm still searching for the sound of that home stereo! Nothing beats listen to speakers in person. So if you have a chance to go to a store or somebody's house that has speakers, bring your favorite music and listen to it. Only way to decide what works for you. Everybody can and will suggest "these speakers are the best, you should get them". Gotta spend the time and look for them. Same goes for headphones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.