OK folks, I hope I don't sound too ignorant here, but I want to know what you think about something. I have a very small room 11' X 11' for mixing. I have had a hard time getting the EQ to translate to other systems. I have no problem with levels and the basics, but the EQ ain't happening. Part of this could be that I haven't learned the room, and am not the most experienced person on this site. I have decided to try using accurate headphones to get he EQ right before tackling the other aspects of mixing. I will continue to try to treat the room a bit better but wonder if this won't help me. I ordered a set of Etymotic phones which have gotten rave great reviews on some of the audiophile sites as being very accurate. I know that phones are not good for mixing since the sound needs to interact with 'air' to get a true mix. However, given my stated problems, do you think this will help or hurt my situation (if I'm only using them for EQing). Anybody else out there use phones for this reason? Anybody have experience or thoughts on the Etymotics? Just wondering. Thanks.
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Hey Kurt, Yes, I've treated it with 4" thick rigid fiberglass i
Hey Kurt,
Yes, I've treated it with 4" thick rigid fiberglass in the corners the best I can. I have posted on Ethans forum and got a lot of great ideas. I think I'll get there eventually. I also have all the parts to assemble a maple diffuser on rear wall, which I think will help a bit, but I was looking for the "easy" way out! So are accurate phones just out of the question for the getting the eq right in mixes? I'm using Dynaudio BM6a's and it seems like a crime to waste their potential. Just wondering.
Rob, I agree, it would be a shame not to use the Dynaudios.. A
Rob,
I agree, it would be a shame not to use the Dynaudios.. All my experience says using phones doesn't work. Partly because the imaging is different than with speakers. When you have a proper speaker set up, you will get a “phantom” center image. It will sound like there is a speaker in the middle along with the left/right.. This doesn't happen with headphones or ear pieces.. Another issue is bass coupling. The bass is coupled to the bone structure in your head with phones and can be exaggerated.. This again, doesn't occur with speakers.. So as you can see, it is an apples and oranges thing. Get some of Ethan's traps (lots of them) and treat the room with a bunch of 705.. and use the Dynaudios... Kurt
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Kurt is right, headphones are nice for listening but not for cre
Kurt is right, headphones are nice for listening but not for creating. You'll find that levels and placement will not translate correctly. You'd be better off spending the money on your room and really learning it. listen to everything you can and take the same cd's around and see how it differs from your room. move your speakers around and see where they sound the most accurate and configure your room around that. Inches can make a big difference.
Rob, Have you put up acoustic treatments in your room? An 11 b
Rob,
Have you put up acoustic treatments in your room? An 11 by 11 room is a prime candidate for some serious bass trapping, ala' Ethan’s Mini Traps®, Real Traps® and 705 absorbers. Also bring down one of those dimensions, so you are not in a square, would probably help a lot. 9 by 11 would be much more workable. Two matching dimensions in a room is bad audio medicine.. Kurt