The Stephen Desper Thread

[Sangheon]

Hi Mr.Desper

Thank you for the CCW video.It's so amazing!!
I really really hope the alternate mix will be released officially!

By the way, What do you think about the remastering of the reissued Sunflower CD this year?
Do you think there is deffrence between 2000 version and 2009 version?
I really enjoy listening both version.

I'm glad if I will hear your feel or thought about mastering of 2009 version.
(I was disappointed that there is not credit of you as a original engineer in booklet....)

[Stephen W. Desper]

Hi Mr.Desper

Thank you for the CCW video.It's so amazing!!
I really really hope the alternate mix will be released officially!

By the way, What do you think about the remastering of the reissued Sunflower CD this year?
Do you think there is difference between 2000 version and 2009 version?
I really enjoy listening both version.

I'm glad if I will hear your feel or thought about mastering of 2009 version.
(I was disappointed that there is not credit of you as a original engineer in booklet....)

COMMENT:

Unless the re-mastering utilized the playback end of the recording matrix, all reissues are lame and incomplete.

I don't care how much TLC you put into a remastering project, without resolution, it's just stuck in stereo.

In my opinion these remasters are just playing on the collectable value the market may bear, that is, how many fans are out there who will pay to have, yet another issue, added to their collection.  But these additions bring nothing new to the fan.

I intend to bring to the fan's attention many BB songs I think should be heard in the light of Modern Playback Techniques. With the study-videos (such as CCW) as a vehicle of education, eventually all the songs I have mixed will be hearable by you as they were originally intended to be heard.

As to credits, my credit missing is a violation of my contract with The Beach Boys, but when they licence someone to make a reissue, those agreements are never enforced.  Look at how many albums you have in your collection that are Beach Boy creations, but don't even name one Beach Boy, including Brian. So if the very core of these albums is given no credit, am I to expect any more.  At any rate, I'm not going to lament over it, I just want to get these songs out there with their full potential available to hear by those who appreciate good sound.

~swd 

[tansen]

I hope we'll be able to get/buy all of these tracks at some point, Stephen - whether on SACD/DVD/CD or HD track downloads. Good job man!

[Rocker]

Look at how many albums you have in your collection that are Beach Boy creations, but don't even name one Beach Boy, including Brian.

I don't get this one. Are there re-issues that don't mention Brian or the boys as producer for example? Or did I misunderstand something?

[Stephen W. Desper]

Look at how many albums you have in your collection that are Beach Boy creations, but don't even name one Beach Boy, including Brian.

I don't get this one. Are there re-issues that don't mention Brian or the boys as producer for example? Or did I misunderstand something?

COMMENT: I'm referring to Capital repackages (mostly LPs) were the only credit given is in the title of the album, "The Beach Boys Surfing Hits" or "Beach Boys Hits of the 70s" or something like that. These repackages may include songs by Brian, Dennis, Carl, Mike, Alan or Bruce, but never say anything other than "Beach Boys." These are cheap offerings without an insert or booklet and sold at bargan-basement prices.

As far as offering a DVD of these Study-Videos, I doubt that would ever happen during my lifetime, although it would be nice. The Study-Video's to come along involve the use of copyrighted material, so a release on DVD would require a charge or a selling price. This is not allowed.

We have disengaged the copy-protection feature of VIMEO so that anyone can make a DVD from the Study-Video offerings -- for personal use only. I cannot do that, but you can. If I make a DVD and sell it to you I am in violation of the copyright law. If you do it for personal (non-commercial) use, you are not.

As to the fidelity of these Study-Video, they are recorded using very fine equipment, better than most people have in their homes or studios. The source of the Study-Videos is usually 16/41 resolution or standard Redbook CD resolution. I have heard the HD issues of some BB releases. For all the trouble to hear the HD tracks, the difference between CD and HD for the type of music the Beach Boys release is very minor. Certainly, I would rather listen to an MP3 (limited fidelity) version that has been resolved using the Matrix and Wavefront Restoration device than to hear the same song in HD without being complete in its spatial presentation. No matter how many bits are used in the digital process, without spatial resolution of the original master, what's the point?  Some sounds will always go missing.

So my fellow fan, just standby. Your patience will be rewarded in due time.


~swd

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Finally getting caught up on this topic...Stephen thank you SO MUCH for doing this. Listening to CCW now, still on page 45 trying to get caught up, but loving this. As a home 'musician' who records with a laptop, I've always been interested in the properties of sound. Loving this so far...more later.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Listened to both tracks now, via my laptop and headphones. Nothing too fancy...they're not 'Beats by Dre' headphones or anything. Sounds phenomenal. I'm so blessed to have most of my hearing back (I completely lost hearing in my left ear a few years ago but over time seems to be repairing itself). Everything I do is so low budget...and digital. Could never dream of recording anything as beautiful of this.  Can't think of a group better suited to this treatment either.

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

Listened to both tracks now, via my laptop and headphones. Nothing too fancy...they're not 'Beats by Dre' headphones or anything. Sounds phenomenal. I'm so blessed to have most of my hearing back (I completely lost hearing in my left ear a few years ago but over time seems to be repairing itself). Everything I do is so low budget...and digital. Could never dream of recording anything as beautiful of this.  Can't think of a group better suited to this treatment either.

Beats are absolute sh*t anyways, horribly overpriced fashion items, bad sound quality, and FUCKING INSANE AMOUNTS OF BASS.

Get a nice pair of Sennheisers or Grados. For less than the price of Beats, you can get headphones with vastly superior sound quality.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Listened to both tracks now, via my laptop and headphones. Nothing too fancy...they're not 'Beats by Dre' headphones or anything. Sounds phenomenal. I'm so blessed to have most of my hearing back (I completely lost hearing in my left ear a few years ago but over time seems to be repairing itself). Everything I do is so low budget...and digital. Could never dream of recording anything as beautiful of this.  Can't think of a group better suited to this treatment either.

Beats are absolute sh*t anyways, horribly overpriced fashion items, bad sound quality, and f***ING INSANE AMOUNTS OF BASS.

Get a nice pair of Sennheisers or Grados. For less than the price of Beats, you can get headphones with vastly superior sound quality.

Agreed 101% I love to laugh at the kids at my High School who brag about owning them

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Thanks for the heads-up about those headphones. I was scared off by the price. What would you recommend for someone on a budget who needs headphones for mixing? I mix primarily on my laptop.

[EgoHanger1966]

Thanks for the heads-up about those headphones. I was scared off by the price. What would you recommend for someone on a budget who needs headphones for mixing? I mix primarily on my laptop.

I have a pair of these and I love them. I forgot where I got them but they were lower than the price listed here:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=sennheiser+595s&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&rlz=1I7GGNI_enUS480&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1366&bih=651&wrapid=tlif134954676130010&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=998010439796252132&sa=X&ei=DnNwUNbTOvKw0AG_ooC4Cg&ved=0CEsQ8wIwAA

[Rocker]

Look at how many albums you have in your collection that are Beach Boy creations, but don't even name one Beach Boy, including Brian.

I don't get this one. Are there re-issues that don't mention Brian or the boys as producer for example? Or did I misunderstand something?

COMMENT: I'm referring to Capital repackages (mostly LPs) were the only credit given is in the title of the album, "The Beach Boys Surfing Hits" or "Beach Boys Hits of the 70s" or something like that. These repackages may include songs by Brian, Dennis, Carl, Mike, Alan or Bruce, but never say anything other than "Beach Boys." These are cheap offerings without an insert or booklet and sold at bargan-basement prices.

Oh, I see. Thanks!

[tansen]

Thanks for the heads-up about those headphones. I was scared off by the price. What would you recommend for someone on a budget who needs headphones for mixing? I mix primarily on my laptop.

You know, for home mixing purposes, the ones I've been using for over 9 years are the AKG 240's. They're cheap, and have got a pretty flat response.
http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Acoustics-K-240-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349606197&sr=8-1&keywords=akg+240

For listening purposes, I quite like Grado.

[brother john]

Dear Mr Desper,

Thank you SO MUCH for these magnificent and fantastic pieces of music.

CCW has always been a favourite of mine so it is brilliant to hear them in this format, with your fascinating commentary. You are a true fan - and so am I, even more than I was before!

It is mind-boggling just how much musical/technical knowledge you have, so I thank you so much for sharing some of it with us.

Much appreciated! 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Thanks for the heads-up about those headphones. I was scared off by the price. What would you recommend for someone on a budget who needs headphones for mixing? I mix primarily on my laptop.

You know, for home mixing purposes, the ones I've been using for over 10 years are the AKG 240's. They're cheap, and have got a pretty flat response.
http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Acoustics-K-240-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349606197&sr=8-1&keywords=akg+240

For listening purposes, I quite like Grado.

I'm gonna buy those when I can afford to...thank you for the info!

[tansen]

Thanks for the heads-up about those headphones. I was scared off by the price. What would you recommend for someone on a budget who needs headphones for mixing? I mix primarily on my laptop.

You know, for home mixing purposes, the ones I've been using for over 9 years are the AKG 240's. They're cheap, and have got a pretty flat response.
http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Acoustics-K-240-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349606197&sr=8-1&keywords=akg+240

For listening purposes, I quite like Grado.

I'm gonna buy those when I can afford to...thank you for the info!

You know, it's actually the K271's I've got, I'm not sure where my mind was when writing that.
But the K240's has gotten great reviews, so I'm sure you won't go wrong with those either.

[Stephen W. Desper]

Thanks for the heads-up about those headphones. I was scared off by the price. What would you recommend for someone on a budget who needs headphones for mixing? I mix primarily on my laptop.

COMMENT:

Headphones are like speakers, what works for you is what you like. So any one of the recommendations listed here for you by fellow fans will be good choices.

Before I give you my recommendation let me lay a little background. Fifty years ago, while employed at MGM as a recordist, I learned real fast that mixing on headphones is not the same as mixing on speakers. As a recordist, it was my job to monitor what was being recorded, listening especially for dropouts. My listen was the last time the mix (done by someone else) would be heard until final transfer to distribution. So it was important. Other recordists used cheaper headphones, but I decided to spend the extra bucks and buy a set of Beyer Headphones, model DT-48S, the very best at that time. I started hearing all kinds of extraneous set noises under the dialogue and called on the mixer to check it out. That meant the TV show reel mix had to stop to check out my concerns. After about three days of this, I was told to “get ride of those headphones” and to use the cheap ones like everyone else. It seems my phones were just too sensitive. What I was hearing did not matter when played back on speakers.

I tell you this story to show you that mixing on headphones for playback on speakers requires some skill. A good sounding mix made using loudspeakers will usually sound good over headphones. In contrast, a good sounding mix made using headphones will usually not sound as good over speakers.

Here are three major reasons for the difference. (1) Headphones provide an INTERNALIZED listening experience. Speakers provide an EXTERNALIZED listening experience. (2) Headphones provide a complete separation of left and right sounds with no head shadow information and no head-related transfer functions. (3) The headphone diaphragm is less than an inch from your eardrum. The speaker cone is six to ten feet from your eardrum. Fine points seem to get lost in the atmosphere, bass sound is quite different, and reverberation is understated.

I would recommend you do some reading on the subject. Here are two excellent articles on the subject
>>> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan07/articles/mixingheadphones.htm
>>> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec03/articles/mixingheadphones.htm

Here are other great articles on Headphone Mixing >>> http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=Sony%20MDR7509s%20&pq=sony%20mdr7509s%20&cp=11&gs_id=13&xhr=t&q=mixing+on+headphones&pf=p&rlz=1R2ADFA_enUS475&sclient=psy-ab&oq=mixing+on+h&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=5601858e64787cbf&biw=1067&bih=484

I have owned many great sounding headphones in my life. Some of the best were Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 650 models at around $500 each. Recently I bought a  Sennheiser HD 800 in Balanced configuration. These set me back $1,650 for the phones and I still had to have the Balanced Amplifier to run them. I built my own. Balanced headphones use two amps per diaphragm. One amp for pull and one for push – hence push/pull or (in)balance. That’s four amplifiers per headphone. The advantage is that the diaphragm is always under the amplifier’s control and not left up to mechanical positioning or re-positioning to a neutral point. (Learn about balanced headphones >>> http://www.headphone.com/learning-center/balanced-drive-article-series.php)

Needless to say, the sound is fantastic. BUT WOULD I USE THEM TO MIX?  NO.  They are just too good. I’ve tried mixing with them and the mixes sound all midrange with many subtleties too far down in the mix. I also have two pairs of Stax Electrostatic headphones. These are extremely clear and detailed – the diaphragms are lighter than air (like Neumann microphones). But again, unless you mix all the time with them, they do not produce commercial sounding mixes.

Here are three things to consider when selecting mixing headphones for use on laptop computers.  (1) Keep the earphone impedance above 50 ohms. The lower you drop the impedance the more you load the amplifier (load looks like a short). This will not let the headphone play as loud or have the power to produce accurate bass to treble balance. Audiophile type headphones are typically around 10 to 20 ohms. Professional types are usually above 60 ohms or more. (2) Use a closed-back design for isolation. Audiophile headphones are designed for use in quiet places and use the open-back approach mainly for comfort, but you can hear outside sounds. Pro-units assume the listener is around instruments or other noise and will need the isolation provided by a seal around the ear. (3) This may seem a small thing, but wire dressing from common headphones is usually a “Y” with one wire from each earpiece. This can get in the way of your hands on the mixing board. Professional headphones dress both wires in one cable from the left side of the phones. This leaves both hands (and especially the right hand) free from entanglement with the headphone cable.

You ask for a recommendation for a good but inexpensive headphone for mixing using your laptop. Over the years (now fifty) of mixing under all types of conditions, including headphones, I have come to prefer and would recommend the SONY MDR-7506 Professional model. If I’m going to mix using headphones, I grab my trusty 7506s because I know them and I know the mix I get is going to be right in the ball park. I trust them. This model has found acceptance in almost every major and minor studio in the world. Why?  Not only can you listen to them for extended hours without ear fatigue, but the impedance is over 60 ohms, they play loud if you want, the cord is on the left side, they are a closed seal design, and they are rugged. You can drop them, through them into a box with other equipment, overload them, and use them in the rain. The fit is always the same. The sound is consistent. And you can fold them up into a little package – good for toting around with a laptop. They also come with a nifty 1/8” to 1/4” screw-on gold adaptor-plug and a case to keep them in.  
Recommended by ~SWD.

SONY NDR-7506 >>> http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/product-description/B000AJIF4E/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=172282&s=electronics

At $86.99 this is one of the best buys in all of audio!  Read all about the headphones and look at 39 product images of mixers using the MDR-7506 at Amazon (above link).

I also recommend that you dispense with the use of your laptop headphone jack. Driving that jack is a very cheap IC. You can improve upon this output by using an outboard DAC/amplifier. The device I am recommending plugs into your USB connector, converts the digital stream from 16/41 or 16/48 to an analog TRS 1/8 inch jack. It uses Burr-Brown converters and gets all the analog sound out of the laptop electronics, which tend to introduce digital noise and slightly blur the sound. I have sampled several of these inexpensive adaptors against one’s costing several hundred dollars and found them to be almost as good – almost being a subjective judgment. Certainly this device will get you a better mix then using the laptop headphone jack.

I recommend about the cheapest DAC/amplifier around, the Turtle Beach MICRO II.

MICRO II >>> http://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Beach-Advantage-Digital-Adapter/dp/B0036VO4X4

The difference you will hear is an extension of about ½ octave in the bass and a full octave increase in the top end. You will also hear more “into” the mix and reverb or room sound will become more in balance within the overall sound. It will sound smoother or less harsh then the laptop’s amp.  

It only works with Windows (and Mac). If you buy one at $23.00 you should be aware of one thing – very important!!

The Micro II will always default to having the “loudness” on. When you use it go to Windows / Control Panel / Sound / right-click on USB Sound Device / click on properties / click on Enhancements tab / click on Disable All Enhancements / click on Custom tab / uncheck Loudness / click on Advanced tab / set your resolution for CD or DVD / click APPLY / click OK.  Now you are set!

You can also use the digital-optical adaptor to extract a digital stream using the Toslink optical output for any external DAC that uses a Toslink connector. You can even get 5.1 surround through this output for movies.

If you like Amazon.com, you can get both the MDR-7506 and the MICRO II for $109.17 and that is with FREE shipping!

If you should take my advice, let me know with some real field experience.  

May you have Good Listening,  

 ~Stephen W. Desper

==========================================

PS :: You say you're a little taken aback by the price . . .     Would you pay $5,000 for a Headphone?   They're out there.

STAX SR-009 Headphones  >>> http://www.amazon.com/STAX-SR-009-Electrostatic-Earspeakers-Japan/dp/B004W1S0BY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1349645731&sr=1-1&keywords=stax+sr-009  

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Thank you SO much for that help Stephen! I definitely need to replace mine; they were kind of 'cheap' anyway (about $50), and my dog got a hold of them.

[tansen]

Great info, Stephen. What we we were in sound engineering school confirms all this of course; You should never really mix on cans - at least not professionally. Personally I find the hardest part of mixing at home with headphones is to get the bass right (which of course you explain beautifully the reason for above).

You know, I'm not going to challenge the master here (hehe), but I have a pair of the MDR-7506 as well, and while I agree they are very, very comfortable (making then ideal for tracking), and that they have a great reproduction of the stereo image (you might even argue it's a little too good), I don't think they're as flat as the AKG K271's. I feel the 7506's are perhaps a little heavy on the bass, and nudge too bright - making the mid range a little weak. Now, like I said, this is my opinion, and your ears may vary.

And I do agree, they sound really good, and they are good value for the money, but for mixing purposes, I would personally go for something that has a bit flatter response. But I think the key here is really knowing your headphones. If you know how your mix transfers from headphones to speakers - any speakers ideally - then it really doesn't matter if you get the Sony's or the AKG's, or any other somewhat decent headphones.

[Alan Smith]

Every single day is Christmas day on the Stephen Desper Thread!

[Stephen W. Desper]

Great info, Stephen. What we we were in sound engineering school confirms all this of course; You should never really mix on cans - at least not professionally. Personally I find the hardest part of mixing at home with headphones is to get the bass right (which of course you explain beautifully the reason for above).

You know, I'm not going to challenge the master here (hehe), but I have a pair of the MDR-7506 as well, and while I agree they are very, very comfortable (making then ideal for tracking), and that they have a great reproduction of the stereo image (you might even argue it's a little too good), I don't think they're as flat as the AKG K271's. I feel the 7506's are perhaps a little heavy on the bass, and nudge too bright - making the mid range a little weak. Now, like I said, this is my opinion, and your ears may vary.

And I do agree, they sound really good, and they are good value for the money, but for mixing purposes, I would personally go for something that has a bit flatter response. But I think the key here is really knowing your headphones. If you know how your mix transfers from headphones to speakers - any speakers ideally - then it really doesn't matter if you get the Sony's or the AKG's, or any other somewhat decent headphones.

COMMENT:  You are so correct to say, "If you know how your mix transfers from headphones to speakers ... it really doesn't matter what you use."  This is true for monitor speakers too.

Look at all the Beach Boys and practically every commercial release well into the 80's, mixed using Altec 604's. This is NOT a flat speaker. You actually don't want a flat speaker or flat headphone upon which to make mixing or balance judgments. Major studio control rooms all impose a "house curve" on the monitor system. Usually this is around +3dB at 100HZ and -3dB at 10kHz or close to it. House curves vary for the use. CD and cinema curves are different.  I'm not talking about flattening out the monitor. This curve is imposed onto the flat curve.

In the control rooms I've designed, I first construct a flat room. Corrections to acoustics must be done acoustically, not through EQ. But acoustic corrections required to flatten a room’s response can typically take 1/3 to 1/2 of the cubic space allowed for the room itself. Passive bass trapping requires massive amounts of real estate. After building a flat room, only a little EQ should be required to produce a flat response at the listening position behind the mixing desk, like no more than ±2dB. After it’s all flat, the house curve is applied to the monitor. Without the house curve, mixing would be much harder and produce poor sounding mixes outside the studio.

I say all this to make the point that flat headphones are not required, or even desired. And like you say, it’s what you are use to hearing.

So when Beets by Dr Dre wonders about what headphones to use for mixing on his laptop, my recommendation is for the SONY’s because of their wide acceptance in the industry, not because they are flat, but because they seem to produce a more acceptable final recording. Whether this is due to an emphasis here or there in the sound spectrum – I don’t know. I’m just saying that if you have limited funds to work with, best to go with the model you can find laying around in any major studio in the world. However, anything will work as long as you are familiar with the sound.

Further advise I would give is to take your mixing headphones (whatever you use) and buy yourself an AM-FM pocket radio from Ccrane or Radio Shack, plug your phones into this radio and listen, listen, and listen. Then do some more listening. Get to know how successful recordings sound on your phones. Listen to all types of music, even to stuff you don’t like. This will improve your mixes more than anything else you could do.

~swd

[tansen]

Great info, Stephen. What we we were in sound engineering school confirms all this of course; You should never really mix on cans - at least not professionally. Personally I find the hardest part of mixing at home with headphones is to get the bass right (which of course you explain beautifully the reason for above).

You know, I'm not going to challenge the master here (hehe), but I have a pair of the MDR-7506 as well, and while I agree they are very, very comfortable (making then ideal for tracking), and that they have a great reproduction of the stereo image (you might even argue it's a little too good), I don't think they're as flat as the AKG K271's. I feel the 7506's are perhaps a little heavy on the bass, and nudge too bright - making the mid range a little weak. Now, like I said, this is my opinion, and your ears may vary.

And I do agree, they sound really good, and they are good value for the money, but for mixing purposes, I would personally go for something that has a bit flatter response. But I think the key here is really knowing your headphones. If you know how your mix transfers from headphones to speakers - any speakers ideally - then it really doesn't matter if you get the Sony's or the AKG's, or any other somewhat decent headphones.

COMMENT:  You are so correct to say, "If you know how your mix transfers from headphones to speakers ... it really doesn't matter what you use."  This is true for monitor speakers too.

Look at all the Beach Boys and practically every commercial release well into the 80's, mixed using Altec 604's. This is NOT a flat speaker. You actually don't want a flat speaker or flat headphone upon which to make mixing or balance judgments. Major studio control rooms all impose a "house curve" on the monitor system. Usually this is around +3dB at 100HZ and -3dB at 10kHz or close to it. House curves vary for the use. CD and cinema curves are different.  I'm not talking about flattening out the monitor. This curve is imposed onto the flat curve.

In the control rooms I've designed, I first construct a flat room. Corrections to acoustics must be done acoustically, not through EQ. But acoustic corrections required to flatten a room’s response can typically take 1/3 to 1/2 of the cubic space allowed for the room itself. Passive bass trapping requires massive amounts of real estate. After building a flat room, only a little EQ should be required to produce a flat response at the listening position behind the mixing desk, like no more than ±2dB. After it’s all flat, the house curve is applied to the monitor. Without the house curve, mixing would be much harder and produce poor sounding mixes outside the studio.

I say all this to make the point that flat headphones are not required, or even desired. And like you say, it’s what you are use to hearing.

So when 101 Damnations wonders about what headphones to use for mixing on his laptop, my recommendation is for the SONY’s because of their wide acceptance in the industry, not because they are flat, but because they seem to produce a more acceptable final recording. Whether this is due to an emphasis here or there in the sound spectrum – I don’t know. I’m just saying that if you have limited funds to work with, best to go with the model you can find laying around in any major studio in the world. However, anything will work as long as you are familiar with the sound.

Further advise I would give is to take your mixing headphones (whatever you use) and buy yourself an AM-FM pocket radio from Ccrane or Radio Shack, plug your phones into this radio and listen, listen, and listen. Then do some more listening. Get to know how successful recordings sound on your phones. Listen to all types of music, even to stuff you don’t like. This will improve your mixes more than anything else you could do.

~swd

Excellent points, Stephen! You're of course totally right about the imposed "house curve", but what I meant was that you would rather want somewhat flat (or 'accurate' if you will) monitors/headphones, than major accentuated highs or lows - at least that's what I've been taught (you know, the dreaded 'smiley curve' and all ). But yeah, you bring up a very valid point about the Sony's, about every studio I've been to have at least had one pair lying around - and they are very comfy!
But really, like you say: "anything work as long as you are familier with the sound".

By the way Stephen, how do you like mixing on NS10's? (speaking of non-flat monitors)

[Stephen W. Desper]

By the way Stephen, how do you like mixing on NS10's? (speaking of non-flat monitors)

COMMENT:  

The NS10s are consumer speakers with quite a history in the recording arts. Good for a cross-check of a mix.  I could never get into mixing on them, even with the tissue paper over the tweeter.
 
I prefer the English "sounding" monitors or older JBL's.

I use the Tannoy NFM-8 (with sub) for near field and JBL for far field listening.  I'm a big fan of time-allignment, so the Tannoy Dual-Concentric design makes sense to me. I'm really into spatial accuracy as you can tell from my patents and recordings.

Speaking of spatial recreation and Headphones, listen (over headphones with your eyes closed) to example #5, Virtual Barbershop, in the following link.

 http://listverse.com/2008/02/29/top-10-incredible-sound-illusions/

It is one of the best I've found and really shows what can be done. See what you think!

~swd

[tansen]

I hear you regarding the NS10. I've always found them to be good monitors to double check a mix on, but I would never use them alone either! I quite like Genelec's combined with a woofer though (albeit a bit on the bright side).
The 'Virtual Barbershop' is amazing - I heard that one a while back, and it really is incredible! But many of the other 'illusions' I hadn't heard about (Shepard’s paradox for one) - some really interesting stuff there!

[Stephen W. Desper]

I hear you regarding the NS10. I've always found them to be good monitors to double check a mix on, but I would never use them alone either! I quite like Genelec's combined with a woofer though (albeit a bit on the bright side).
The 'Virtual Barbershop' is amazing - I heard that one a while back, and it really is incredible! But many of the other 'illusions' I hadn't heard about (Shepard’s paradox for one) - some really interesting stuff there!

COMMENT: 

You've got to be kidding? ...................... NS10M for sale on Ebay @ $830.00, the pair. These things are holding their value better than a bar of gold. That's double the original selling price!

>>>  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-NS-10M-NS10M-Nearfield-Professional-Monitors-MATCHED-PAIR-EXCELLENT-COND-/200827297766?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Speakers_Monitors&hash=item2ec23d5fe6

Oh, By the way, I've got a used roll of original 1978 paper towel used to damp the tweeters. I'll let it go for a mear $225.00 including shipping!  'cause I'm such a nice guy.

~swd