What to trust when listening?

[Downtuned]

Hi I'm having a bit of a dilemma. When I'm mixing at my station using my Yamaha HS-50's I can usually get something pretty decent, maybe too much seperation for my tastes and a little fizzy but still pretty good and I'm generally quite happy with it.

When I mix down and listen to it on my other PC which is hooked up to my telly and stereo......it sounds amazing! So full, rounded and heavy with great crunchy tones and not any hint of bad fizz.

I'm just wondering if I'm being too hard on myself when mixing with the Yamaha's as most people will listen to music on stereos like these or should I be really kicking my own arse more and pushing for perfection when mixing as stereos tend to lie?

Sounds great on my iPod as well!

 

[Sloan]

I run into that too with HS80Ms - sometimes I think they just sound like shit, but then I listen in a car or something and I'm amazed. I think it has to do with these monitors being relatively flat and not flattering at all. When I first got them, I had no clue how people mixed with them, they sounded disgusting to me, but my mixes translate soooo much better.

Make it sound as good as you can everywhere you can. You've really got to take all listening from different sources and kind of average it out best you can - everything's a compromise.

 

[Nimvi]

It's good to go hard on yourself when mixing on an honest monitor. After all, that's why you want one that is as brutally honest as it gets. Hifi audio equipment tends to exaggerate what's there, so if you can make it sound good on an unflattering speaker, it will probably sound amazing on that hifi. On the other hand, if it sounds bad and has nasty spikes on the monitor, those will be exaggerated as well.

Do make sure that you know how that stereo sounds as well though, so you know what's "normal". I have the crappiest speakerset ever in my livingroom, with crappy sub and everything. I have been using that set for entertainmentpurposes for years though, so I know exactly how things are supposed to sound through it. So it's a great way to check my work after a mix is done.

EDIT: Sloan, you summed up my exact experience with those monitors. When I first got them I wasn't sure about them...now I can't imagine mixing without them. I did use the -2 on highs switch though, as I found those a bit too much to work with for longer periods.

 

[Downtuned]

Thanks for the reply's guys.

At first I may have thought that's just how mixes sound through the monitors, like a microscope where you can see the brush strokes of a picture as well as the image but I've heard other mixes through them that sound great so there's no excuse really.

My outside sources are usually my stereo and my iPod and when I get a chance, someone else's car but it's only on the monitors I can hear stuff that, to be fair is acceptable but still bothers me.

I'll keep on being brutal but if it sounds good everywhere else I won't sweat it....as much.

Thanks again!

 

[Derykus]

I think you have the opposite problem of most people... I get my mix sounding awesome through my monitors, then I listen back through my pc speakers or my car and it sounds like crap. I could only wish that my mixes translated to sounding better on regular stereo setups and ipods.

 

[The StabbinCabin]

Nimvi- wouldn't that make you compensate and make your mixes too bright or harsh even?

I agree with all of the above

 

[Nimvi]

Nimvi- wouldn't that make you compensate and make your mixes too bright or harsh even?

I agree with all of the above

I had to relearn the way the top-end should sound indeed, but luckily that didn't take very long. Before I switched the top-end I had the opposite problem: I mixed everything too dark because I found the top-end so bothersome

 

[Downtuned]

I used to do my mixes really dark as well, and they still are because I love that type of sound but I found that with my monitors it was either a choice between some fizzy and lack of blend stuff which sort of nagged at me or if I cut everything out that was bothering me it was too dull and 90's demo sounding so I just kept it in.

I think it sounds good on my stereo because I'm hearing a bit more of the subs and the bass overall is fuller sounding because I think on my yamaha's the low cutoff point is 60hz. I also have a less than ideal listening/mixing environment so perhaps that's it but like I say when I listen to other peoples mixes (Ola, Dandelium) on them they sound amazing so aye, no excuse haha.

 

[DullElysium]

I listen to my mixes on many speakera but my car speakers were the ultimate test or my mixes. They get muffled so easily if the mix is bad. And usually it is

 

[Fealow]

May I suggest the VRM box for those of you with limited test set ups e.g. home stereo, car, headphones, ipods etc...

I use a VRM box myself and find it helps my mixes translate well without ever leaving my chair. Of course you will need a moderately expensive pair of headphones to get the full effect and quality of the VRM box offers.