headphones as a substitute for monitor speakers

[Magic Trix]

I currently do not have monitor speakers. I've actually been using my computer speakers to mix. I've been told that my trax sound good though. I am wondering if I could use a good pair of headphones to mix if I don't have monitor speakers? I have a pair of sony dynamic headphones and when I do use them I can really hear how muffled my trax sound as opposed to listening on my computer speakers (they sound fine). So I have been using the headphones to determine where I need to bring the treble up and make other adjustments.

[P.P.T.]

Consider getting a 2nd pair, maybe AKG240 or the new AT 50 (I forget the full model name ) and make the mix sound good on both of them.

I use speakers and the AKG 240 and I think it helps.

[sparqee]

Listen to your mixes on as many speaker systems as you can. In cars, on stereos, in headphones. It will sound different in every place. Your goal should be to get your mix to sound good on any system. The "best" monitoring system is one that does sound hyped or necessarily "good" but is in fact "accurate". That's why Yamaha NS10s are so popular in mixing studios. They aren't good sounding speakers but if you get a mix to sound good on them then that mix will pretty much sound good anywhere.

Mix on!

[goonrick]

I mix over headphones and give my mixes a listen on several systems, as others have noted. One thing I've found that really helps me, though, is to use a spectral analyzer. I have an old BSR EQ that has a spectral analyzer built in and I've learned to both use my ears and to go by what the sound should 'look like' on the graph. It has helped me to avoid having boomy bass and muffled high end when comparing the audio on different sources.

[spaceatl]

I use a pair of Sony CDR-3000s...Great for adjusting pans, EQ. I will check the mix with them and usually with the stereo bus summed mono...But near fields are still a must. Computer speakers can be near fields...In fact, I have a pair of basica computer speaker that sit on the inside of my near fields and I use them to check translation...I also have a pair of $20 Realistics that I check with also...

As someone else posted, the more variety of speaker systems you can check you mix on the better...