08-08-2021, 08:28 AM
After about a week of listening and mixing with the new speakers, I notice a couple things while making transition from headphones to monitors mixing. Right off the bat, I'd say it should have been a lot sooner.
I can hear the bass more clearly, and I can hear frequencies being cut or boosted in much higher Q factor. The smaller speakers, headphones included, just can't reproduce barely anything under 90Hz. The bottom end lives much under that. I also notice that with smaller speakers my cut were much broader, almost shelf-like in order to hear the changes. When tightened the Q, man, I couldn't even hear what's being cut. I could do 8dBs cut and nothing changes, and when it did, it sounded kinda weird. Not entirely weird, that's easy decision, just get rid of it, no, man, the day must get longer and more pain so it's only just kinda weird. You know, like you know there's something wrong with it but you couldn't tell what.
With bigger speakers, I am able to somewhat hone in where I want to cut or boost. Bigger speakers also make it easier to use filters, a big plus to me, that is how I handle the mud-range. I also notice that the new monitors help with hearing the compressor. I was never able to hear the release, always kinda iffy. Attack is much easier to hear. Not so with the release. If attack is to control the transient then the release, to me, is to control the thickness of the instrument. I am sure it can do more than that, but right now that's all I can hear. Tone-shaping. And that helps a great deal too.
The days that I am sitting here mixing with headphones are over. I use them for other purposes, not for mixing anymore. Maybe some day I will come back to them, but right now the road of reconciliation is rough and winding. I am sticking with the monitors. I find kinder treatment there.
As of right now, I am still new to them, so that's all I notice. I am not sure how it translates to any of you. I know that I still have a hard time balancing volume with them. It seems, maybe bc it can actually handle the bass with some abuse without falling apart, I tend to push the bottom end a bit too much or it could be my room too. This time I use my trusty iphone headphones to do final balancing along with the monitors and reign in the bass a lot more. The new mix is cleaner and tighter on my end than the last. I think it is an improvement, but who knows, the mix might fall apart on yours.
I can hear the bass more clearly, and I can hear frequencies being cut or boosted in much higher Q factor. The smaller speakers, headphones included, just can't reproduce barely anything under 90Hz. The bottom end lives much under that. I also notice that with smaller speakers my cut were much broader, almost shelf-like in order to hear the changes. When tightened the Q, man, I couldn't even hear what's being cut. I could do 8dBs cut and nothing changes, and when it did, it sounded kinda weird. Not entirely weird, that's easy decision, just get rid of it, no, man, the day must get longer and more pain so it's only just kinda weird. You know, like you know there's something wrong with it but you couldn't tell what.
With bigger speakers, I am able to somewhat hone in where I want to cut or boost. Bigger speakers also make it easier to use filters, a big plus to me, that is how I handle the mud-range. I also notice that the new monitors help with hearing the compressor. I was never able to hear the release, always kinda iffy. Attack is much easier to hear. Not so with the release. If attack is to control the transient then the release, to me, is to control the thickness of the instrument. I am sure it can do more than that, but right now that's all I can hear. Tone-shaping. And that helps a great deal too.
The days that I am sitting here mixing with headphones are over. I use them for other purposes, not for mixing anymore. Maybe some day I will come back to them, but right now the road of reconciliation is rough and winding. I am sticking with the monitors. I find kinder treatment there.
As of right now, I am still new to them, so that's all I notice. I am not sure how it translates to any of you. I know that I still have a hard time balancing volume with them. It seems, maybe bc it can actually handle the bass with some abuse without falling apart, I tend to push the bottom end a bit too much or it could be my room too. This time I use my trusty iphone headphones to do final balancing along with the monitors and reign in the bass a lot more. The new mix is cleaner and tighter on my end than the last. I think it is an improvement, but who knows, the mix might fall apart on yours.