I have yet to find headphones I really like. The sennheiser 280 hd pros are probably what gets the most use here.

280s or Akg 241s are both nice for general use

kmetal, post: 429584, member: 37533 wrote: 280s or Akg 241s are both nice for general use

I have several pairs of AKG 241's still around, back in the mid 90's I managed to finagle an endorsement with AKG at my studio, and they shipped me 10 pair. There are a few that still survive, and you're right, for general use, I think they are fine.

But I don't think I'd trust them to mix with. I'll use them occasionally as a reference to see how much effect I have on a mix, I think they are good for that, as well as panning and mono track placement, but I would think that there have been much better cans to hit the market since, and some are apparently even geared towards mixing reference, like Neumanns. I say "apparently" because I can't personally testify to them being as such.

I have to watch how long I wear HP's... when I was 18 or so, I had surgery on both ears, to reshape them because cartilage was growing over my ear drums, which would have eventually left me deaf. The surgery solved the problem just fine, but, for all of my life since that surgery, the outside of my ears are physically sensitive to pressure being put against them... I have to be cautions about how long I wear hats, ear muffs... and headphones, because after awhile, my ears begin to hurt.

I have used the sennheiser 280 hd pro in the past. Nowdays i use the Sennheiser HD6 Mix which are better quality.

http://en-de.sennheiser.com/noise-reducing-headphones-over-ear-hd6-mix

i never use headphones to mix. it's a stupid idea for a number of reasons.

I use Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones, mainly for first cut mixing, recording monitoring, and quick panning checks. Mainly use the monitors for final mixing. I think they are fine and the price wasn't too bad.

If you know how your headphones translate into the real world, I suppose you can mix with them. Just seems speakers are the best way to go for final mix down.

The problem is most 99% of headphones don't translate to the real world.

They do if you understand the difference. I wouldn't recommend, but with practice and experience, I think it can be done if required.

DM60, post: 429783, member: 49090 wrote: They do if you understand the difference. I wouldn't recommend, but with practice and experience, I think it can be done if required.

please expand on this .....??? how do you overcome coupling issues? what about the fact that sound doesn't arrive at the ear at a 90 degree angle? i cannot think of any pro mix engineer that advocates mixing on phones. you just cannot do it.

you have to have a good set of monitors. you have to have a decent room to set up said monitors in. said decent room must be acoustically treated to provide response that is as flat as possible with a good RT. otherwise it's like riding a tricycle at Daytona .... you can do it but it's not going to be competitive.

Pro mix? Sorry, I was forgetting the audience. I thought this site was aimed more at those doing this in the home. My error.

DM60, post: 429787, member: 49090 wrote: Pro mix? Sorry, I was forgetting the audience. I thought this site was aimed more at those doing this in the home. My error.

oh don't beat yourself up. no need to apologize. at home or pro, makes no difference. home recording doesn't mean recording the wrong way.

manipulating audio's first requirement, good transducers. no way around it. period.

When people are starting out, they don't always have the "perfect" environment. I admit, I'm not expert but I have heard some pretty good mixes from people who just use headphones.

As stated, I have tried to create a good mixing environment, and I am more agreement with you than not, but if it isn't prefect, that not be a reason in getting started. Once people get going and begin to learn, then they will see why, a good mixing room, good speakers, etc. make a difference.

This is the angle I take good or bad. Don't let perfection get in the way of progress.

progress is one thing but putting the horse before the cart is another. in this case starting to mix on phones is not progress but rather a step backwards so let's not encourage it.

too much focus on plugs and "fix it in the mix" mentality. nothing is more critical than translation (transducers). the very first step is setting up a good environment for critical listening. if one is not prepared to do this, it's indicative of their desire to do this "thing of ours". if that's the case, they should just pack it in and stop pissing in the shallow end of the pool and fouling up the water for the rest of us. all imo of course!.

Kurt Foster, post: 429797, member: 7836 wrote: progress is one thing but putting the horse before the cart is another. in this case starting to mix on phones is not progress but rather a step backwards so let's not encourage it

+1