Anyone not using monitors? Minimalist setup discussion

colourofsound

Does anyone just use headphones for mixing, anyone gone fully minimalist? I'm considering going to a Macbook Pro 13", 2 channel interface and my Sennheiser HD650s. I have a nice collection of mics I can get out for recording bigger projects if I need to.

The main reason this has come up is that I've had my ADAM A7s on Reverb for ages, and now someone has made an offer on them which is making think twice about selling them.

They're currently boxed up after a house move...two years ago. I've had a bit of a break from recording and production, but thinking of getting back into it.

I have a tower PC Hackintosh'd at the moment, but I'd like to get more mobile with my setup to save sitting at a desk more than I need to.

TL;DR: Who's got a minimalist setup? Should I sell my ADAMs?

Heartfeltdawn

Yes, sell them. You're not using them. Flog them. 

Stuckfast

I've done a lot of mixing on headphones and always come away from it thinking I've done a better mix than I actually have. I think it's a personal thing, but I'd never be without speakers.

colourofsound

@Heartfeltdawn They'd help fund an HX Stomp apart from anything else

colourofsound

Stuckfast said:

I've done a lot of mixing on headphones and always come away from it thinking I've done a better mix than I actually have. I think it's a personal thing, but I'd never be without speakers.

This is my worry. but i have decent HiFi stuff to cross check on, and I can always buy another set down the line. I have a decent sized garage I'd like to convert into a recording space one day, but thats a way off. That would be the time to rebuy

octatonic

In short, no you shouldn't sell them.
Or if you do you should replace them with something else/better.

I have a minimal set up in Geneva- audio interface, monitor controller, a couple of keyboards, guitar, amp, pedals AND a set of small monitors.
Headphones only get you so far and sometimes you need to get headphones off your head.
For a start it is bad for your hearing to spend all your time with headphones on.

Plus you end up with an unrealistic sense of space- when you have headphones on you have 100% of the left speaker on your left ear and 100% of the right speaker on your right.
When you listen through monitors you hear a degree of cross-feed- something like 10-20% of what is coming out of the right speaker is hitting your left ear and vice versa.

So monitors and headphones is the way to do it IMHO.

colourofsound

I was thinking of moving to a 5" set instead of a 7" set. Maybe thats the compromise here.

octatonic

colourofsound said:

I was thinking of moving to a 5" set instead of a 7" set. Maybe thats the compromise here.

That is not a bad idea.

Get Neumann KH120's.

JAYJO

I was glad to get my monitors. Even playing guitar through headphones led me to believe I was better than I actually can play. I got fed up also with sore ears from wearing headphones for too long. It's imo a much better experience without headphones but at home I have to use them as I have no monitors for now. Sell if you want but you will probably buy again. 

colourofsound

octatonic said:

colourofsound said:

I was thinking of moving to a 5" set instead of a 7" set. Maybe thats the compromise here.

That is not a bad idea.

Get Neumann KH120's.

Not cheap them! May as well keep the ADAMs for the hassle it will cause tbh.

octatonic

colourofsound said:

octatonic said:

colourofsound said:

I was thinking of moving to a 5" set instead of a 7" set. Maybe thats the compromise here.

That is not a bad idea.

Get Neumann KH120's.

Not cheap them! May as well keep the ADAMs for the hassle it will cause tbh.

They are a much truer sounding monitor though.

Bezzer

I do all my mixes on headphones.  Simple matter of logistics, the walls here are paper thin and I don't like disturbing neighbours (the fact they don't seem to give two shits doesn't help my feeling guilty).  Also since I can't work loud I haven't really treated the room.

It works for me, I think.  The only thing I make sure to do after doing a mix is to listen to it in a multitude of places.  On the stereo in the house, in the car, on ear buds, on PC speakers … everywhere I can.  Just to make sure it's not biased.

Decent headphones is key though, and open backed is absolutely essential otherwise bass will be all over the bloody shop.  And make sure they're comfy ones if you're going to be in for a long session.

And really key point, do not go louder than absolutely necessary!  I mix at a pretty low level, loud enough to hear all the detail but quiet enough that I don't get tired and that volume doesn't effect the perceived EQ.  (That may be just my ears work like that on the EQ front, but definitely the fatigue/potential damage bit stands for everyone I think)

Musicwolf

How big is your studio space?  Is the symmetry / layout good and, most importantly, is it acoustically treated?  If you have a poor, untreated, space then even the best monitors in the world aren’t going to help you and for most of us, working in a compromised environment, decent headphones are a must to check mixes.

The Neumann’s are probably the crossover point from hobby to semi-serious (but acoustic treatment is still a must) and I’m on the verge of getting myself a pair.  At the moment I have ADAM A5’s and, for my size of room, I wouldn’t want to go bigger.  99% of the room's problems are at the lower end and extended bottom end on monitors just exacerbate the problem – this is where headphones are most useful.

I still like to have monitors and of course they have the great advantage that more than one person can listen at a time, even though both listeners will not be in the ideal position.  Personally I’d hold on to the ADAMs as, for what you might get for them, you won’t find anything better.

colourofsound

Currently, I don't have a studio space. Since moving and getting a job working from home, I have a long box room in the house as an office, and my music gear is spread between here and the garage. Hence why the A7s are in storage.

I've set up a bit of kit in the garage but its untreated so theres no chance of accurate mixing in any spaces I have available at the moment.

Also, I'm just not doing it much at the mo...

Musicwolf

Do you see yourself getting a better space / do more recording within the foreseable future?

smigeon

Speakers: solid, tangible, music-making necessities.
HX Stomp: unnecessary frippery you'll soon tire of.  

colourofsound

smigeon said:

Speakers: solid, tangible, music-making necessities.
HX Stomp: unnecessary frippery you'll soon tire of.  

Maybe. Inspirational practice tool to others. The HX Stomp potentially could be an avenue to very easy music making with quality amp models, silently. We'll see.

colourofsound

Musicwolf said:

Do you see yourself getting a better space / do more recording within the foreseable future?

Not the foresseable, no. Garage needs a full fitting, room within a room type of thing. If I ever do it. if I buy monitors to use in the house, they need to be smaller.

colourofsound

I think the fallout here is that I need to reduce my commitment to the hobby to feel like I can engage with it again. To get rid of things I'm not using feels like the way to do it. I've made a counter-offer on Reverb (£400 for the pair) if he takes it then I'm going to do it.

digitalscream

Yeah, I'd say ditch them - if you can't get them up to usable volume, your only option is to move house in order to use your monitors. Practicality dictates that's probably not an option.

As long as you've got a good pair of cans that you trust (and know well) and something to sense-check your mix on, go for it. I'm making the assumption, of course, that this is your hobby and people aren't going to be paying you to do this...

Bezzer

colourofsound said:

smigeon said:

Speakers: solid, tangible, music-making necessities.
HX Stomp: unnecessary frippery you'll soon tire of.  

Maybe. Inspirational practice tool to others. The HX Stomp potentially could be an avenue to very easy music making with quality amp models, silently. We'll see.

I've wisdom'd you for that.

Hopefully it will inspire you.  It will definitely make recording cleanly and silently with high quality results very easy.

I do get very tired of people slagging things off because they don't want them … very tired.