Mixing on speakers vs Mixing in headphones

[Rmonik]

Ok so, I've done this mixdown primarily on speakers in a mixing room at the studio i intern at, but when i listen to it on headphones it sounds completely different? I am trying to make some tracks that could be played in a club, because my friend is opening for flux pavilion soon and i would like to have something to send him.

Rmonik edit: Sorry, but this isn't Share Your Music, like you said. You were still asking for feedback, so you have to do that in the SYM section of this forum. I hate to be annoying but the rules are the rules :3
I'm gonna leave this topic here, however, so people can discuss mixing on speakers versus mixing on headphones.

[Rmonik]

I actually prefer mixing on monitors a lot, however, i never release the song before checking it on headphones. Because of my crappy room treatment and also because the stereo image is so much clearer on headphones, you spot errors more easily. How you would like it to sound, however, that's work for the monitors in my opinion. I never fully enjoy a song on headphones as much as i would enjoy it on speakers.

[Luke Icard]

I actually prefer mixing on monitors a lot, however, i never release the song before checking it on headphones. Because of my crappy room treatment and also because the stereo image is so much clearer on headphones, you spot errors more easily. How you would like it to sound, however, that's work for the monitors in my opinion. I never fully enjoy a song on headphones as much as i would enjoy it on speakers.

hmm thats true, but this room was made primarily for mixing. i've listened to a few tracks that where mixed to be played in a club and they sounded almost unprofessional in headphones but awesome on bigger speakers.

[bambi]

i think its a bit of compromise..like it needs to sound decent on both speakers and headphones.
if its sounds bad on headphones its a setback because most people will prob hear it firsthand on headphones. know what i mean?

[Luke Icard]

i think its a bit of compromise..like it needs to sound decent on both speakers and headphones.
if its sounds bad on headphones its a setback because most people will prob hear it firsthand on headphones. know what i mean?

yeah but i want to get better at mixing on speakers, so that i wont be chained to headphones so much. not saying they are bad, but i want to be at a point where i can mix on speakers and not use headphones at all but for listening to the final mix

[bambi]

yeah but i want to get better at mixing on speakers, so that i wont be chained to headphones so much. not saying they are bad, but i want to be at a point where i can mix on speakers and not use headphones at all but for listening to the final mix

sorry i can't really give you much input, because i mix mostly on headphones. however, i heard that it's a matter of training your ears to the point where your mixing is just spot on every time...there really is no short cut.

[Luke Icard]

yeah but i want to get better at mixing on speakers, so that i wont be chained to headphones so much. not saying they are bad, but i want to be at a point where i can mix on speakers and not use headphones at all but for listening to the final mix

sorry i can't really give you much input, because i mix mostly on headphones. however, i heard that it's a matter of training your ears to the point where your mixing is just spot on every time...there really is no short cut.

there has to be.. or at least a way to get there. like how does deadmau5 get a clean mix on every song? when most of the time he's not even using the same program? There's still a huge difference between deadmau5's mixes and my mixes, i just cant seem to figure it out. i feel like i know a lot about production but im no where close to deadmau5

[unknownastronuat]

personally, i mix with both monitors and headphones. i switch a lot. One thing you should keep in mind is you should mix in MONO. a lot of older engineers recommend this. the reason for this - almost no one listens to your finished product in a true stereo environment. you should also have a reference track to compare your song too while mixing. if you really like deadmau5's mixes, you should listen to one while working on your mix, that way you can better pinpoint what you are missing.

Disclaimer: i am no expert on mixing, these are just some of the tips i have learned in the past month to get better mixes. personally, i think these tips really work.

what it all comes down to in the end though, is practice. if you want to get better at anything, you have to practice. hope this helps!

[runemopar]

but im no where close to deadmau5

I think the first problem we need to overcome is you not being deadmau5...

but seriously, deadmau5's mixes are heralded as some of the tightest and solid out there. Don't expect it to just happen. It's a very gradual process, and he has been mixing stuff for idk, 15 years now? The guy's thirty and he's been doing electronic music since he was 15... (he did chiptune back then.)

OT: Mixing on speakers colors the sound if you have bad acoustics. I usually get a lot of base frequencies when I have a sub going and the vibrations make me feel like the bass is more powerful than it actually is. Plus the natural reverberation of the room colors the sound also... but I also prefer speakers over headphones

Headphones are just for all that actual mixing stuff, get everything straight. It's more likely that it will sound good in most places if it sounds good on your headphones, because if on big speakers it sounds good it could still maybe sound a lot worse once you listen to it back on your headphones.

[Nequissimus]

yeah but i want to get better at mixing on speakers, so that i wont be chained to headphones so much. not saying they are bad, but i want to be at a point where i can mix on speakers and not use headphones at all but for listening to the final mix

sorry i can't really give you much input, because i mix mostly on headphones. however, i heard that it's a matter of training your ears to the point where your mixing is just spot on every time...there really is no short cut.

there has to be.. or at least a way to get there. like how does deadmau5 get a clean mix on every song? when most of the time he's not even using the same program? There's still a huge difference between deadmau5's mixes and my mixes, i just cant seem to figure it out. i feel like i know a lot about production but im no where close to deadmau5

VRM-Box
This helps a lot with mixing on headphones I'd love to have one, but i need some decent headphones first