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This tip is more for the recording newcomers but could also help others in here.

When I finish with a mix and burn it to CD my best place to go and try it out is SEARS! Yeah thats right (if you dont have a Sears close by, use any music audio store, if the sales person asks you anything just say your trying out radios with your CD). I go straight into the electronic department and put the CD into every imaginable device that plays music, from simple boom boxes, walkmans, to home theater, covering all price ranges just to see how it sounds in different setting. I take a notepad to take note. Remember not to adjust any sound modification switched the radio might have as this will give you a false sense of what your hearing.

I used to do this a lot and it helped me dearly, now a day I dont go so often since, Ive trained my ears to learn the difference in music mixes. remember, if it sounds great thru your monitors it doesnt mean its going to sound great everywhere else. Take care!

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anonymous Tue, 09/14/2004 - 07:50

I have my stereo set in the car such that if it sounds good on that, it'll sound good on anything. I (and you) probably know car speakers best, being that we drive around all the time (especially in an auto-heavy city like ATL). I trust my car speakers above anything else, and I have never been let down.

I am trying, however, to listen to more records on my monitors, and use them in the same fashion. I'd love to eliminate the need to run to the car all the time, even if it does reveal everything. The more I understand my monitors, the less I depend on the car stereo. Or at least, that's the goal.

anonymous Tue, 09/14/2004 - 09:34

idiophone, since your in atlanta (so am i) try out fry's electronics and my fav.. WALMART!!!!
fry's has so many different stereo systems you can listen to mixes on.. cheaps stuff up to $20,000 sony tv's with harmon, denon, m&k speakers etc.. they're a nice place. 10X better than best buy

walmart.. i go to the new one on panola or the one in conyers. they have so many boom boxes setup you can really here how your mix sounds on different stereos. but i guess i need to try out sears this weekend :D

anonymous Tue, 09/14/2004 - 16:53

hey idio i totally agree with you your car stereo system gives u a very good idea abt your mixes..i do this alot....a tip for mixing from me is that.... first try to make a good rough balance of the track try not to do play with eqs in the biggining... make a good rough balance...burn it to cd or a tape then listen it on your mini hi fi system car stereo....try out the good rough balance on the consumer products...it gives u a very good idea that wht could it sound like at the consumer end... then u will realize on those situations that bass should be equed or kick or snare etc..... this definitly helps....

anonymous Wed, 09/15/2004 - 16:10

therecordingart wrote: I had to start buying CD-RW's because I was wasting so many CD-R's by burning one song then trying it out on every single source I could.

you too. i was gonna try dvd-a in my car but i haven't gotten to it yet. i don't wanna waste dvd's.. i'll probably burn the final mixes and what not to a dvd so i can have the best quality in my car.
but i also trust my car stereo for modeling my mixes. i put to much money into it not to trust it. lets just say focal speakers aren't cheap, nor are zapco amps