Headphone Mixing

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Headphone Mixing

Hi all

when I see Armin Van Buuren and Markus Schulz mix, as they’re mixing in the next track, they have their headphones on.

how do they know how the transitions are going on when they have the headphones on?

is there something im missing? usually in my headphones, I hear 2 songs playing loud then when I have em sync’d, I take off my headphones then mix in the other track listening to the monitors and occasionally listen to my headphone to adjust

2

Just the same way you listen to adjust, except some people find it easier to monitor both the mix and the track your bringing in, helps me hear if its drifting better, not sure why; maybe because its make it easier to associate the sounds as your bringing them up.

3

well i mean, how do you know if the track you’re bringing in is louder than then one playing?

is the headphone cue’in accurate as the speakers that are playin out loud?

cuz in my headphones, both tracks are just playing loud as oppose to the outside speakers

4

Because they’re listening to the master channel in their headphones?

5

Exactly. They are mixing fully in their headphones, and using the master channel cue to hear exactly what is going on. Once they have the track slowly mixed in they either turn off the cue of the channel they are mixing in and listen to the master, or turn the knob on the DJM over full master.

6

Essentially they’re just using their headphones as monitor speakers. Nothing to fancy.

7

[quote]Some people find it easier to monitor both the mix and the track your bringing in, helps me hear if its drifting better, not sure why;
[/quote]

Theres no latency between the monitor and your ear (@ 1m about 10ms if i remember right).

[quote]Essentially they’re just using their headphones as monitor speakers. Nothing to fancy.
[/quote]

I’m pretty sure I saw Armin using IEM’s + Headphones. Possibly running the master out though the headphones and cue on the IEM’s or vice versa - could be wrong mind you, but would make sense and be better than relying on crappy (and ridiculously loud) stage monitoring when touring.

8

I prefer cueing entirely in headphones rather than using monitors to be honest. Mainly because I quite often don’t have any monitors and am used to it.

9

^ same.

10

This and VU meters. You should be using the VU meters more than your ears for matching volume anyway.

11

+1

12

Also same.

I feel like my transitions are better when I’m using headphones. I can hear detail more accurately and [hopefully] make things more seamless.

I also like to keep my headphones on as protection from the speakers so that my ears don’t fatigue. I find that if I have my headphones off for a while then try listening to them again things seem more muffled.

Like other posters have said, I just change the cue mix when I’m cueing a track or have it all the way on main out when I’m bringing a track in.

13

If its on in your headphones, its on in the mix. I have been in far too many gigs where the booth monitors werent adjustable, the room has a ton of reverb, the monitors are horrible, they are too far away, etc etc. Its just not worth it to mix using monitors anymore. Plus you save your hearing by not having it as loud if they are sound isolating.

There’s a reason pretty much all pro musicians, rockstars etc use custom molded IEM’s.

14

I mix entirely in my headphones.

15

Learn to mix in the headphones and you’ll always be able to mix anywhere on any set up.