Do you have hassle translating your mixes to the outside world, too?

[RiF]

I always have difficulties translating my mixes which sound OK to me on my Tannoy Reveals, my AKG K-400 headphones or my AT D40 headphones even when I A/B them to commercial mixes to the outside world (other systems like car stereos, my wife's stereo etc.). When I listen to a mix in my car, it takes 2 seconds to hear what's wrong with it. Currently, my car stereo is the only monitoring system that gives me immediate feedback for relative levels, too much/less reverb, too much highs, too much lows etc. everything... weird...
Do you have difficulties translating your mixes?

 

[Joematthews]

It sounds like your monitoring isn't being true to you or you haven't learnt it well enough. If you can't judge relative levels in your room right theres something wrong.

Is your room treated?

Joe

 

[RiF]

No my room is not treated (neither is my car where everything's fine... ;-)).

 

[Joematthews]

No my room is not treated (neither is my car where everything's fine... ;-)).

Well actually, a car is interestingly acousticly, its a good listening environment because...

1) it is full of open cell foam (seats n shit)
2) the speakers are flush mounted, minimising the effects of diffraction.
3) The car is a bizare shape internally so it has less strong modal frequencys compared to a square room.

Thats why it is a good environment. I would advise treating your room or learning your speakers better, preferably both

Joe

 

[fade_2_black]

Ha - thats true about the acoustics of a car - never really thought of that!

 

[Metaltastic]

Well actually, a car is interestingly acousticly, its a good listening environment because...

1) it is full of open cell foam (seats n shit)
2) the speakers are flush mounted, minimising the effects of diffraction.
3) The car is a bizare shape internally so it has less strong modal frequencys compared to a square room.

Thats why it is a good environment. I would advise treating your room or learning your speakers better, preferably both

Joe

Well said dude! Though the stereo image (or rather, listening position) leaves much to be desired (unless you're in a McLaren F1, center-mounted seat baby! Not like people in a McLaren F1 are gonna be paying much attention to the music )

 

[2000ContourSVT]

Well I guess you could attempt to sit on the center console if all your doing is referencing a mix, haha!

 

[Pot]

hmmm if you´re going by 38% rule where are u gonna sit dude?

 

[colonel kurtz]

Well said dude! Though the stereo image (or rather, listening position) leaves much to be desired (unless you're in a McLaren F1, center-mounted seat baby! Not like people in a McLaren F1 are gonna be paying much attention to the music )

fuck that, i'd be blaring metal all day if i was tearing ass around in one of those

 

[RiF]

Well I guess you could attempt to sit on the center console if all your doing is referencing a mix, haha!

My car has a manual transmission, ouch...

 

[RiF]

I would advise treating your room or learning your speakers better, preferably both

I tried to learn my speaker for about 8 years now, without luck. So I might replace them. A room treatmeant would definetely help, too. Or I just walk down to my car and check my mixes there...

Nobody else experiences that their mixes sound fine in the studio but don't somewhere else?

 

[Joematthews]

If you know your monitors but they won't translate well it is a room treatment issue, buy some rockwool and some fabric protection sheets (for painting and decorating houses), and wrap 2 of the pieces of rockwool in each, mount them at the reflection points and stradling (giggety giggety) the corners. This will cost you fuck all and be as effective as 5 times the cost foam, and be about 5 times as ugly. If you've got loads of money make em with wooden frames and nice mounts.

Joe

 

[RiF]

Thanx for the rockwool/fabric-hint, Joe. Sounds very reasonable, and I really don't want to spend the big $$$, to be honest.

 

[Joematthews]

Yeah, its reasonable, it cost me about £40 to treat the two reflection points, a cloud on the ceiling and 2 big bass traps in the corners. Here's some pic's

Joe

 

[riffmachine]

When you say you are A/B'ing your mix with commercial mixes, are you importing a pro song into your project and listening to it within your DAW? On your monitors/headphones? Or are you just A/B'ing your final mix in the car/boombox along with the commercial cd? If the latter is the case, then definitely try importing a song you think has good production into your DAW and just flip back and forth any time you're reaching and not getting what you want. It usually keeps me from wasting time searching around EQ-wise. - paul

 

[Joematthews]

Thats another good point, having a reference mix is usually a good idea.

Joe

 

[riffmachine]

When you say you are A/B'ing your mix with commercial mixes, are you importing a pro song into your project and listening to it within your DAW? On your monitors/headphones? Or are you just A/B'ing your final mix in the car/boombox along with the commercial cd? If the latter is the case, then definitely try importing a song you think has good production into your DAW and just flip back and forth any time you're reaching and not getting what you want. It usually keeps me from wasting time searching around EQ-wise. - paul

In addition, make sure that when you listen to the pro song in your DAW, you disable any plugs inserted on your Master track. Or the reference tune will be affected by those plugs as well, and you wont hear the true reference mix on your system.

 

[zvish]

In addition, make sure that when you listen to the pro song in your DAW, you disable any plugs inserted on your Master track. Or the reference tune will be affected by those plugs as well, and you wont hear the true reference mix on your system.

you can make another stereo out in your daw, just for reference track...and sent their out to this second out, and later switch between your master out with all plugs and empty out with your reference track

 

[RiF]

Yes, that's exactly what I do. I create a track containing a commercial mix, set the fader to about -6 dB (because they are mastered to death) and route it directly to my audio interface's outputs to bypass everything I might have on my 2bus.

 

[nwright]

My problem with translation is in the low end...I sit right in the middle of a dead spot, so getting accurate bass on mixes is tough. I have 2 monitor systems running, but I feel like I have to get up and move around the room to get the best sense of what's going on...After a while, it gets old. I have some treatment to the room, but not enough to control/tailor the low end's accruacy in the room.