producing on headphones (any Audio Technica ATH M50 owners?)

[kbridge]

I've been producing for around a year now, and I need some good equipment to produce on (audio-wise), and since I don't have an acoustically treated room, I figure headphones are the best route.

I have looked around at various different pairs and obviously require a flat frequency response so that I can hear the different freqs and sounds accurately.

Everywhere has recommended the Audio Technica ATH M50s for production and mixing, does anyone have any experience with these, and have they helped your productions?

For the record, I will be purchasing M-Audio BX8 monitors for DJing, so they would provide a second form of reference, after mixing has been completed on my headphones..

whaddayathink?

[Polygon]

m50s are great little sturdy headphones, comfy as hell, and have this immense cable that permits you to basically walk around your house without having to unplug them.

I haven't used them for productions at my studio, but i used them in several friends' homestudios which were not acoustically treated, so same problem as yours. They are very balanced, but i wouldn't use them for djing since i love to have a thumping bass telling me where the kick actually is when i'm mixing

[kbridge]

ahhh that's quite good then, I just need a pair as balanced as possible!

I keep convincing myeslf I need headphones, but then I keep wondering if it's worth it to use monitors in an untreated room? Some say that's the worst idea possible, but I've watched "producers houses" on Youtube and there are a few pros that don't appear to use any acoustic treatment?!

[Polygon]

ahhh that's quite good then, I just need a pair as balanced as possible!

I keep convincing myeslf I need headphones, but then I keep wondering if it's worth it to use monitors in an untreated room? Some say that's the worst idea possible, but I've watched "producers houses" on Youtube and there are a few pros that don't appear to use any acoustic treatment?!

Some don't appear because their rooms needed minimal treatment in the first place, but in almost any situation you'll see at least some wall panels mounted on the sides to prevent first reflections.

Sure, you can go the monitor route, but
1) it'll be expensive, at least more expensive than headphones
2)If you are not planning on treating the room in any way, it will be a hit-and-miss thing, might sound good, might sound like vomit
3)they will take up much space, wires will be cluttered, and to achieve the level of detail some sub300$ cans can master, you must go way up high the price scale (yeah, monitors will give you a better stereo image, but ONLY if they sound good in a room, if the room has too many nodes and phase inconsitencies freq.'s will cancel out and you will have.. crap :P)

Also, remember that most "pro" producers sketch their stuff up at home, then take it to a professional studio to finish it up, mix it, and in the end master it. But studios cost to rent, and as a fella home studio owner and producer i know sometimes money can be a problem.

[kbridge]

Also, remember that most "pro" producers sketch their stuff up at home, then take it to a professional studio to finish it up, mix it, and in the end master it. But studios cost to rent, and as a fella home studio owner and producer i know sometimes money can be a problem.

Very good point, I don't actually know why I hadn't taken this into account..

Headphones it is!

Most likely the ATH M50s then based on the world's opinion and reviews!

[grazz16]

I gotta be honest with you, i just made the switch from mixing on cans to studio monitors and after an initial feeling out process, i just cant use my headphones anymore. Its literally night and day. My room isnt acoustically treated either but its mostly the depth perception more than anything else that i was having a hard time with using headphones. Everything is "right there" next to your ears and its hard to make out details sometimes. With the monitors i get a much more accurate sense of where everything is in the mix, not to mention it saves u on ear fatigue.

That being said, you can def still do good mixes on cans. I've played my tracks mixed with headphones on regular speakers and they still sound fine. I would also say that saying studio monitors are a waste just because you dont have a treated room is nonsense as well. Of course we would all like to have the perfect studio set up, but i think first and foremost it comes down to a well trained pair of ears, what equipment you are using is largely fine details, if we are taking quality headphones vs. quality speakers.

[tekneeq]

Get some studio monitors that allow you to adjust the low frequency roll off and highs. This will allow you to compensate for an untreated room, although a treated room is ideal, it's not necessary to get you started. I would take mixing on monitors over headphones any day. Although I do like to use both for mixing down.

[Polygon]

Very good point, I don't actually know why I hadn't taken this into account..

Headphones it is!

Most likely the ATH M50s then based on the world's opinion and reviews!

Also think about the akg k701/2. They have by far the best soundstage in that price bracket, but are not as impactful in the low frequencies (they are detailed as fu** however, and punchy, too)

[Polygon]

Very good point, I don't actually know why I hadn't taken this into account..

Headphones it is!

Most likely the ATH M50s then based on the world's opinion and reviews!

Also think about the akg k701/2. They have by far the best soundstage in that price bracket, but are not as impactful in the low frequencies (they are detailed as fu** however, and punchy, too)

Also, it's true i may have been a little too dramatic with monitors. Fact is, that good cans will sound good pretty much everywhere, while you can buy $7000 genelecs and still end up with an uncontrolled, definitely not balanced sound.

[kbridge]

Well guys, I will be purchasing either KRK Rokkit 5s or M-Audio BX8s for my DJ setup, so will have a secondary form of reference after/during mixing with cans, but will not focus entirely on either, rather finding a balance (then obviously testing on every other sound source possible).

You're saying the AKG K701s are more detailed accross the board? I'm torn between those and the ATH M50s, I guess either will serve their purpose well, I'd just have to get used to them