iPod Earbuds (Awesome)

[DJ2ARON]

Alright, I am relatively new to this forum and to recording in general, but I am now in love with my old ipod Earbuds. I know that everyone is always saying to check your mixes on various speakers and cars and headphones and I have done that, but for the first time I listened to one of my best mixes on my ipod earbuds and it sounded terrible! There was absolutely no low end in the vocals. I could not believe that it was the same mix.

So i went back, and mixing with my ipod earbuds, I adjusted EQs so it sounded good, then listened to it on my monitors. It sounded so much better that before when I already thought it was great. My new favorite tool in the studio is my earbuds (at least for this hour).

Probably most of the RR veterans will be saying "that's what we've been telling you" but I just feel that this should be thrown out there so everyone will pick up old earbuds and improve their mixes.

BTW: tomorrow I'm pretty sure I'll regret posting this but right now I just think everyone should try this.

[michaelt523]

I'll say right now that I would not expect great results from ibuds, but maybe if it worked for you it can work for anyone. I'll give your theory a try

[DJ2ARON]

well I'm not saying you should mix with them, I'm just saying that they are great for checking your mix. On my monitors, cans, and car speakers the mix sounded great, but when I got the earbuds out I was really able to fix some things I didn't know needed fixing.

[michaelt523]

Sometimes all it takes is hearing something from a new 'angle.' great tip!

[bitflipper]

Those of us who are amateur home recordists should always check our mixes on as many alternate playback devices as we have access to. iPod earbuds are valid references, especially if your target audience will be primarily listening on them.

That said, most professionals do not do this. They don't have to, because they have excellent speakers that they're intimately familiar with, and they work in acoustically-treated rooms.

The great danger is that you end up with a mix that's tailored specifically to those earbuds, and won't sound good on anything else. That great mix may not sound so good in your car, for instance.

Take your iPod to a hi-fi retailer and pretend you're shopping for some high-end headphones so they'll let you plug in their best models into your iPod. Listen to your mix on some $600 cans - your reaction may be "what? they charge that much for these headphones? They sound awful!". No, they don't. Your mix does.

[Audio~Geek]

Two different things I'm thinking right now

1 - Great idea
2 - I think you're full of it. Let's hear that mix


If you take Bitflipper's advice and take the iPod to the HiFi store, keep the mix as wav.

I hate iPod headphones personally. Mostly because I have to listen to the idiots on the bus blasting terrible music into their ears and I can hear it perfectly fine from 10 feet and on a noisy city bus.

[mindundermatter]

I have to agree that this is a terrible idea. Yes, check your mix on them because nowadays everyone listens on iPods. But they also still listen on their home stereos, in their cars, at the mall or other shopping center, grocery store, etc. I think bitflipper is absolutely right. A set of HiFi headphones will show just how weak your mix truly is compared to the pros. Personally, I love my Sennheiser HD650s. I don't mix on them, but I use them as a reference because they are my primary listening headphones and I'm familiar with how they sound. If my mix sounds good with those, that's when I know I'm done.

Also, as far as your vocals missing the lows, I'd be willing to bet it's just the buds. They're so freaking tinny and have NO bass response whatsoever. And they're so damn uncomfortable, I don't know how people can wear those things. There are a few quality earbuds out there with 2 or even 3 drivers for better bass response and less harsh highs, not to mention with rubber padding that makes them sit more comfortably. And if you want to go really hi-end, there are a couple companies that make custom-molded in-ear monitors for both listening and mixing in the $1000 range.

[DJ2ARON]

Alright, I don't think you guys are getting the point. For amatures like myself who don't have money to buy $500 headphones and instead mix on $150 monitors in a room with two bass traps and blankets in first reflection points, and who don't have perfect ears, ipod earbuds can help get eq right.

Below I posted before and after of a clip of the mix. I can hear that the original sounds terrible in my monitors but if I hadn't listened with my earbuds I would never have known to change it.

Sample 2: Before
Sample 1: After

Sample 2.mp3

Sample 1.mp3

[garageband]

Sounds like a cheap and easy (and quick!) way to tighten things up. I'm in.
Let's see: Mix improved with $2,000 box or mix improved with $10 earbuds.

[paul999]

Originally Posted by DJ2ARON

Alright, I don't think you guys are getting the point. For amatures like myself who don't have money to buy $500 headphones and instead mix on $150 monitors in a room with two bass traps and blankets in first reflection points, and who don't have perfect ears, ipod earbuds can help get eq right.

Below I posted before and after of a clip of the mix. I can hear that the original sounds terrible in my monitors but if I hadn't listened with my earbuds I would never have known to change it.

Sample 2: Before
Sample 1: After

Attachment 6299

Attachment 6300

I'm have to disagree with your ear buds. I don't hear the after sample as improvement. I doesn't sit quite as nice and the voice sounds proportionally far bigger then the rest of the mix. If you added a quarter of the lows you put in I would be in agreement.