Andrew Scheps & Fab Dupont discuss mixing with headphones

Puremix17 minutes read

Andrew Scheps advocates for mixing on headphones, citing the advantages of consistency and focus. He emphasizes the importance of avoiding artificial alterations to headphone sound and incorporating stereo widening techniques for a balanced mix.

Insights

  • Mixing on headphones offers a consistent listening environment by eliminating room acoustics, allowing for detailed focus without spatialization software alterations, making it advantageous for genres with heavy bass like urban pop.
  • Andrew Scheps emphasizes the importance of balancing mixing on headphones and speakers to ensure accurate levels and effects, highlighting the necessity of training to detect nuances and using stereo widening on the mixbus to counteract hard panning discomfort.

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Recent questions

  • Why does Andrew Scheps prefer mixing on headphones?

    Scheps prefers mixing on headphones because it eliminates the need to consider room acoustics, providing a consistent listening environment.

  • What headphones does Andrew Scheps use for mixing?

    Scheps uses Sony MDR 7506 headphones for mixing.

  • How does Andrew Scheps counteract discomfort from hard panning in headphones?

    Scheps uses stereo widening on his mixbus to counteract discomfort from hard panning in headphones.

  • What is Andrew Scheps' approach to mixing vocals and instruments?

    Scheps uses parallel compression to maintain balance and prevent vocal levels from being too loud.

  • Why does Andrew Scheps check the bottom end of tracks on headphones?

    Scheps checks the bottom end of tracks on headphones to ensure flawless bass before making final adjustments on speakers.

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Summary

00:00

"Mixing on Headphones: Scheps' Insightful Approach"

  • Andrew Scheps discusses mixing in headphones, sharing his experience of starting to mix on headphones due to traveling and working in the box.
  • He uses Sony MDR 7506 headphones, finding them reliable and consistent in sound quality over the years.
  • Scheps highlights the advantage of mixing on headphones as it eliminates the need to consider room acoustics, providing a consistent listening environment.
  • He emphasizes the importance of not altering the headphone sound with correction or spatialization software, preferring a natural sound.
  • Scheps mentions using stereo widening on his mixbus to counteract any discomfort from hard panning in headphones.
  • When mixing records, Scheps listens to the entire record on speakers once and then continues mixing on headphones for better focus and detail orientation.
  • He recalls a situation where he mixed a song solely on headphones due to time constraints, finding that the perspective change was more critical than any specific detail.
  • Scheps explains his process of mixing vocals and instruments with parallel compression to maintain balance and prevent vocal levels from being too loud.
  • He integrates checking the bottom end of tracks on headphones to ensure flawless bass before making final adjustments on speakers.
  • Scheps concludes that mixing on headphones has become an integral part of his process, especially for genres like urban pop with heavy bass, as it provides a more accurate representation of low-end frequencies compared to room acoustics.

13:40

"Balancing reverb and levels for mix"

  • Properly assessing reverb on vocals, guitar, snare, and overall mix is crucial for achieving a balanced sound.
  • When mixing, it's essential to switch between headphones and speakers to ensure accurate levels and effects, avoiding overcompensation.
  • Mixing on headphones requires training to detect nuances due to varying resonances, necessitating multiple listening environments for accuracy.
  • The choice between mixing on speakers or headphones depends on personal preference and workflow, with the goal of achieving consistent sound across different playback systems.
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