One question that comes up a lot for home studio owners is whether or not mixing on headphones is acceptable. I’ll be the first to say that if all you have is headphones, then by all means don’t let that stop you from mixing. Remember, it’s not what you use, but what you do with it that matters.
But all things being equal, if you can afford to spend a couple hundred bucks on a pair of monitors, do it. Here’s why.
Via David Blaikie Flickr
Everything Sounds Awesome On Headphones
One thing I’ve found over the years is that just about everything can sound awesome on headphones. Maybe it’s the fact that with headphones you notice every detail. Perhaps it’s the exaggerated stereo field. Or it might simply be the fact that sound is being blasted straight into your ears.
But just because you can get a mix to sound great on headphones doesn’t mean it will translate well onto speakers. That’s what is so frustrating. A great mix on headphones can easily fall apart on monitors or a car stereo or your laptop speakers. I’m not saying a great headphone mix will sound bad on speakers, but rather it can be a bit misleading.
Get It To Sound Good On Monitors First
Ironically the opposite isn’t generally the case. In my experience, if you can get your mix to sound good on monitor speakers, 9 times out of 10 that same mix will translate really well on headphones. I repeat, when a mix is coming together nicely on your studio monitors chances are really good that it’ll sound fantastic on headphones as well.
Why is this the case? I couldn’t tell you. I’m not that smart. But what I take away from this phenomenon is a simple hack: starting your mix on monitors will in essence get your mix to translate better than starting your mix on headphones. If you start on headphones, chances are high you will have to go back and make significant mix tweaks when listening on speakers, thus doubling your work.
Monitors And Headphones Go Hand In Hand
Now you’d think I’m against using headphones at all from the way this article is going, but that’s simply not true. You always want to spend part of your time mixing in headphones. Headphones give you a much closer “look” at any issues with the mix: pops, clicks, mouth noises, etc. They also help you to better gauge your reverb and delay trails.
And then the obvious truth is that many people will be listening to your music on headphones so you better be sure your mixes translate well to that medium. I do this with my nice studio headphones as well as cheap iPod earbuds regularly.
So I see the two devices as going hand in hand. You start your mix, and do the bulk of your balancing, EQ, and compression work on monitors. Then you transition over to headphones to fine tune things and listen for anything noticeable distracting. Then you come back to your monitors to finish the thing out.
What If You Can’t Make A Lot Of Noise?
One thing that many of you might be struggling with is the simple fact that the only time you can mix in your studio is late at night when your family, kids, and neighbors are sleeping. That’s probably a big reason why you are mixing on headphones, even if you own monitors.
I would still recommend you mix on monitors first. Just simply turn them down. Way down if you have to. Ironically mixing on speakers at low volumes is one of the best mixing hacks around! You’ll get a more balanced and translatable mix that way. Then do some tweaking on headphones. I think you’ll be pleased with the results!
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
Great post Graham!
I don’t think there is a scientific reason why mixing in monitors will lead to a great mix in headphones. I believe it has to do with compatibility. Here’s why:
1) Most studio monitors are around 6″ size cones, just like most car speakers. Therefore, if you mix in monitors first, you are mixing in the “format” of the outside world. Headphones on the other hand, are approx 1″ drivers that have to blast a wide range of frequencies through such a tiny speaker. Of course! companies are gonna enhance the driver in order to compete with “crappy” but honest sound sources to give you that lush sound.
2) Although most studio monitors project the most of the frequency spectrum, somehow someway, they make you feel as if you’re mixing in a tiny frequency spectrum. Headphones almost always make you feel like you are hearing the whole spectrum and then some.
3) Finally, I think it has to do with the fact that, with monitors, sound travels through space/air first before reaching your ears (That one is a bit scientific though) which results almost in the since that the mixer will be listening through the same air/space the listener will be listening through.
I have come to a conclusion. Buy headphones of the size of DirectTv Plates hahahaha. Seriously, great article, I was familiar with the difference but it increased my knowledge of the subject. Though I have a question, am I wrong going for an Audio Technica Ath M50? Is something better in that price range?
Thank you!
Not too familiar with them. They are a great company, can’t imagine anything wrong with the headphones.
Audio technical ath 50 are good headphones really built for the low end , the 40 s don’t hit as hard but they have a more balanced sound than the fifties . I love my 40 s. The 30 aren’t bad either
Good morning recording community! Get post as always Grahamo. Picking up my new Rokit 5 G3 today and I’m pumped. Can’t wait to use them. I’ve been mixing thru my home stereo speakers and they turned out pretty good actually, but they are in another room. Now I won’t have to get up. Cheers from Toronto.
Graham,
But what speakers should we buy?….kidding. Just joking. Yes, great article. I have noticed lately that my mixes sound killer on my headphones, because that’s what I’m mainly noticing but sound terribly different in my car. And in my car is where I usually enjoy listening to music. Timely for me. Time to start saving up for some speakers. Thanks again for the post. Good stuff.
I totally agree, Graham. And yet, I’ve been mixing a song as of late on headphones(!). It’s been most conducive for me right now. I’ve made sure to walk into this mixing knowing full well the limitations of headphones. That being a) Everything down the center will always end up being pushed too loud because of the isolated stereo field, b) like you said, everything sounds mint on headphones.
So my laptop speakers, iphone speaker, and earbuds have been great references. Additionally, I’ve fallen in love with Beyerdynamic’s Virtual Studio:
http://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/virtual-studio/. Basically, think Focusrite’s VRM Box without spending a dime.
Awesome thanks! Just downloadet it. I hope it’s useful. Because I can’t afford monitors.
Okay. I just tried out the virtual studio. Still sounded pretty good with all four presets. Even though it sounds different it’s not less good. Just different. Is that a good or a bad sign? Because I’m still listening through a pair of headphones. Not actual work monitors.
*Typo – Not “work monitors”. Just “monitors”. Using my phone for writing.
Sorry…
Did the download work for you?
Perfect timing Graham. I’m working along with your challenge to get my album finished, and I’ve been doing a bunch of mixing lately. I started a song on headphones and when I switched to monitors the bass was just blasting at me. It was shocking. I fixed it on the monitors, and then went back to the headphones where things sounded great. You’d think I would have realized this and started mixing with monitors. You’d be wrong. I made the same mistake with the next song. I think I’ll take this advice!
If you are stuck using only headphones (like I am), mixing in mono is the key to getting your mixes to translate.
Plus, I’ve listened to countless records on my headphones, so I know them like the back of my hand, and my mixes tend to translate just fine.
Not saying that speakers wouldn’t be better, but if you only have headphones, it is totally possible to get great mixes on them. 🙂
Absolutely 🙂
And – just as with monitors – get to know your headphones! Have one (or two, as Graham mentioned) pair that you always use, have hours of experience with, and know what your favorite reference songs sound like in them. You’ll be glad if you ever HAVE TO rely on them – maybe on the road, in a live setting, or whatever.
Additionally, since I often have to mix on headphones, I’ve found it helpful to critique (write down) what’s off when I take a headphone mix to my car – based on hours of listening to reference mixes through my car speakers. For instance, I’ll write down: Need to run the lead vocal just a little hotter; The kick drum needs a little less thump. Not drastic changes – still listenable on headphones. Just tweaks a little more or less than would seem “perfect” when I’m listening on headphones.
Graham, I think the problems related to headphones mixes can be practically neutralized by using the reference techniques you taught us so many times here, specially mixing in mono, using shitty speakers for real world listening scenarios and understanding the headphone tone characteristics… I’m currently mixing only with headphones and I think my mixes are translating very well. =D
My experiment in minimalism has taken me from a multi-monitor setup in a well treated room to headphones at the kitchen table, and my results haven’t suffered for it.
Learn your tools and the choice becomes a qustion of liberation instead of compromise.
I use the Focusrite Vrm box out of necessity. I know it can never replace a set of good monitors and acoustic treatment but its had really helped my mixes immensely.
There is something about the way sound goes into our ears from speakers compared to headphones. The thing I don’t understand is that it’s not just the obvious spacial stuff that the outer ear does. There is definitely a loudness factor that headphones don’t transmit. Possibly it is the sound that comes to the ears via the skull and sinuses that is missing with headphones. I think this is related to what Pete Townshend says about his hearing being damaged more by loud headphones than loud loudspeakers. There is something about loud loudspeakers that makes us take action.
Anyway, this loudness factor makes it harder to mix levels on headphones without having to check against speakers (in the car, other systems). I never commit to a mix unless I’ve heard it on speakers.
I recently had a mastering project where the customer used headphones by necessity and it definitely made the project more challenging.
I have found that switching between monitor speakers and headphone definitely helps me to achieve better balance, but the other thing I add is a set of cheap computer speaker that I picked up at Staples many years ago. I set them up on a shelf, off to my right, both right next to each other. It really helps to get the mid frequencies balanced! By the way, I completely took that idea from Charles Dye from his Mix it Like a Record DVD.
Finally, in complete contradiction of your thesis here, I remember hearing an interview with Todd Rundgren where he said that he mixed at least one of his albums exclusively with headphones. Of course, he’s Todd Rundgren and we’re… well… not!
thats why Bat Out Of Hell lacks midbass and is harsh.
I seriously doubt it was Bat Out Of Hell. I’m guessing from “No World Order” forward. Todd mixes on the road. BECAUSE he has to. He’s always on the road. Modern musician has to become familiar with mixing thru headphones for the majority and what that translates to thru monitors.
Speaking from experience, this is spot on. Before I had monitors I would mix on headphones. It was the best sounding thing I had so I went with it. And things came out okay, but the day I got my monitors the mix I was working on came to life. I’m never going back.
If I could take the time back I’ll never use a headphone anymore. Two years ago after mixing for a half night I went to bed and the day after I wake up with a nasty surprise: a very loud and annoying tinnitus to both ears around 6k they are still there and won’t go anymore forever, making my life quality very poor, hearing this whistles 24/7 in my brain. Don’t do it I advice you to avoid this risk.
Everything in moderation I say. Everything including monitors and grot speakers (could be anything) can help you discern a mix you made . It’s a mix of all of them and THEN you can make a decision on what’s happening in your mix. DO EVERYTHING! Use reference tunes. But follow a routine. Get to know your sources and the end result will be better than using limited sources.
I mix thru headphones probably 70% of the time, using my cheap Behringer Ms16’s & a boom box for the rest, and have not really had a complaint yet.
I would suggest that if you DO need to mix thru headphones, then get the BEST you can afford. I used AKG240’s for years, but when I grabbed a set of ATH-M40fs it was night & day. The M40fs’s have a VERY even response, but the important thing is the mid-range, not hyped, not weak, not edgy….just pleasant to listen to.
And you can find them around $100 a lot. Are the M50’s worth the extra $50? I have used them for a few weeks and really, and can say yes, but ONLY if you can afford them! The difference is NOT music-changing, but there is a positive difference in the mid’s & bass…
As far as headphones are concerned, which style is good for mixing, mastering, tracking? Open back or closed? Which one do YOU prefer ? Closed headphones isolate you from the noise around you (and keep others from hearing your music), while open headphones usually produce better sound—but at the expense of sound passing through the cups. Which kind you want depends on where you’re using them, and how much you need to isolate your music from the world (and vice-versa). I’m looking for mixing / mastering phones. Was looking to get Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphones. Then you have Grado Labs Senheiser , Audio Technica, Beyer Dynamics and probably 10 other ones out there. Running anywhere from $89 to $1500. This one below is high rated but has some negative reviews. Think it depends on what your using them for I guess.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=sr_1_22?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1388288977&sr=1-22&keywords=over+ear+headphones
I’ve been using the Sony MDR-V6 headphones for a while. I understand that they are very similar to the MDR-7506. I am pretty used to them now, but keep in mind that that they do hype the bass quite a bit, so keep that in mind when checking your mixes on them.
One thing to definitely consider is that, when listening to headphones as compared to monitors, distance comes into play. Sound is essentially fluid physics, and I think Graham mentioned in a previous video about the inverse square law which has to do with the power a sound source has based on the distance the listener (or device) is from the source. The point is, distance from a sound source effects the way we perceive the sound. I’m not an expert by any means, but I know that low frequencies tend to travel farther than higher frequencies, but even more noticeably, high frequencies tend to pierce through more easily than low over short distances.
I live in a small apartment with a neighbor who lives on the floor below, so I tend to always mix through headphones (at relatively lox volumes), but when I go from there to speakers, I almost always notice rampant highs that hurt, even when I felt they were in the right place in the mix. This is what’s so beautiful to me about sound though: it’s science. And all of us are as much mad scientists as we are recording and mixing engineers.
I have found that using decent headphones for low end checking is a great tool for the home enthusiast. I say this because most home enthusiasts work in untreated to only semi-treated rooms. The headphones can do away with those annoying peaks/nulls that your room introduces, and they are even MORE of a help if you have no sub. Getting the low end big and tight is a challenge for the home enthusiast, and I tackle the problem mainly with a pair of Sennheiser HD280 pro’s and *gasp* a spectrum analyzer. Some will indeed *gasp* at that, because staring at an analyzer is not using your ears, but again, if your room isnt the best, and you have no sub, I think the combo of headphones and an analyzer can get you 80-90% of the way there with regards to the low end.
Great post as always, Graham!
I use the exact same headphones and love them! And I’m right there with you on the spectrum analyzer. It’s such a handy tool!
I tried mixing through a pair of Sennheier HD-280 and 95 percent of the time my mixes sucked and blew (pardon me). Too much low and mid bass. Played through speakers everything sounded wrong. The levels of the tracks were all off. Now I Mix at low levels through a pair of Krk-5’s nearfield monitors. For the low bass (40-80hz) I occasionally switch to my audiophile Energy speakers. Spiked of course. Not studio accurate, but it does Give me a good idea of the low end of my mixes. Using these two in tandem gives me the best results so far. Sorry, the Rocket Krk-5’s don’t produce anything usuable below 90hz. Well maybe in the testing lab under perfect conditions. Listen up fellow mixers. Mixing with monitors doesn’t mean you have to mix loud. That’s old school. A lot of engineers at Motown Records during the sixties suffered hearing loss due to the loud mixing levels blasted by the infamous Altecs 640E. The mastering engineer for DCC and Audio Fidelity, Steve Hoffman called them ‘ear bleeders.’ Mixing at low levels (50db) will give you better results.
I have mixed in headphones for close to thirty years. I bought myself a pair of KRK Rokit 8s almost two years ago, but I hardly ever use them. I guess it’s a case of old habits being hard to break. I have a pair of Sennheiser 380s that I use and they sound really good to me. They sound so good in fact that I bought a second pair as back-up in case my primary pair go down for any reason. I play back in some decent Logitech computer speakers, my car stereo, and a boom box, as well as my home stereo system. Mostly I’m going off of what I hear in the headphones and PC speakers. I think that I am realizing lately that I’m really more of a musician than a mixing engineer. The real inspiration and motivation for me comes from writing and performing the music. I just lose interest too quickly when it comes to mixing. Maybe it’s a bit of ADHD too, but I’m always wanting to get on to the next song, writing and performing, and not wanting to spend too long on the mixing. Therefore I take a pretty simplistic approach most of the time. I’m not really advocating my way of doing things, in fact I would think I should probably do the opposite. I just wanted to join in the conversation, so there you have it.
On a different note (this one just a little piercing perhaps, with an edge of sadness to it…),I was in Guitar Center yesterday and met an older gentlemen who apparently is in the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He said he was talking to Glen Frey sometime recently and Glen dropped this interesting pearl of wisdom on him. “Don’t go into a studio and spend $500,000 on an album that the day after you release it will be available for free.” He was referring to pirating of course.I don’t know if the gentleman really spoke to Glen Frey, but the concept seems valid to me regardless. It’s a reality of our modern age that this is a pitfall for musicians now. I suppose it’s also a strong argument for doing your recording as cost effectively as you can. If this means taking a big hit in terms of sound quality (as some people certainly seem to think) maybe that is just the reality of where we are today in terms of the music marketplace. Peace.
Great post, Graham. It does make sense when you think about it, I suppose. Monitors generally sound worse than headphones, so if you get a mix to sound good on something that sounds WORSE, then the mix will sound fantastic on headphones. Also, the greater distance between speaker and ear with monitors ensures that your bass must be fully present in the sound, unlike mixing with headphones.
For me the headphone thing is simple.
Most sound you hear doesn’t come from 1cm from your ear. Naturally our brains are tuned to hear sound from a reasonable distance.
We hear sound and translate it from a facing view irrespective of where the sound was actually produced.
Up close you hear more detail but you can’t place it out infront of you, it probably doesn’t matter how flat your cans are freq wise with only 1 or 2 cm for the sound to travel.
Great Article! I’m still fairly new with mixing, wouldn’t dare call myself an engineer yet, I’m a legitimate hack at this point. I’m mixing my latest record in my home studio and I’ve felt like I was losing my mind more times than I care to say. Going from studio speakers to headphones to my car to my friends car, even hooked up my computer to my house stereo to check reference.. CRAZY! But in the end, the point Grahm made of mixing at a extremely low level on the studio monitors has produced the most transferable results.
Also like the point that Ephram made about where we hear the entire spectrum on headphones so they often sound better, and that may be misleading.
Thanks
Confused between audio technica m 50x studio headphones and jbl slr305 studio monitors.which one should i go for??
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I can’t afford a pair of reasonable studio monitors. But would it be better than nothing to get a pair of very cheap ones like Behringer MS16? Just to have an idea of what it sounds like on monitors?Or would I just be better of with something like Beyer Dynamic’s Virtual Studio or Focusrite VRM Box?
I agree with you 100 percent. I tell people buy the best monitors you can afford. Even if all you can afford is a pair of Rocket Krk-5’s, you can always mate it with a Krk subwoofer later. Properly set up it will give you accurate low bass. Most people screw up the crossover settings. I know a lot of mixers think that the addition of a subwoofer automatically means too much bass but that is a myth. I mixed and mastered headphones for years and I played the price…Dearly, and the price was high.
I own both studio speakers and studio monitoring headphones. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you really want to perfect your mixes, I agree you should do it using monitoring speakers but if you don’t have them then studio headphones are totally fine too. Not everyone has the money to spend on a good pair of studio monitoring speakers. I’ve had the Audio Technica ATH-M50x mixing headphones for a while now and they’re pretty impressive. Even this site lists the ATH-M50x as one of their best studio headphones. If I were to choose though, I’d pick my KRK Rokit 5 over my studio headphones any day.
I own both studio speakers and studio monitoring headphones. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you really want to perfect your mixes, I agree you should do it using monitoring speakers but if you don’t have them then studio headphones are totally fine too. Not everyone has the money to spend on a good pair of studio monitoring speakers. I’ve had the Audio Technica ATH-M50x mixing headphones for a while now and they’re pretty impressive. Even this site lists the ATH-M50x as one of their best studio headphones. If I were to choose though, I’d pick my KRK Rokit 5 over my studio headphones any day.
I agree with this article. In my experience a headphone mix does usually sound better when the mix has been done on monitors and it is harder to get the mix sounding good on monitors. The reason for this IMO is indeed a scientific reason which is predominantly that there are no room reflections and colorations (other than what has been recorded by Microphone on individual tracks) to deal with in a headphone mix. This makes the headphone mix sound instantly tighter.
I am currently running in a set of Focal SM9 monitors in a room that has yet to be acoustically treated and doing A/B comparisons between headphones (senheiser HD600) and monitors listening to a range of material recorded in top studios. I am now aiming to acoustically treat the room so that the monitor mix sounds as close as possible to the headphone mix. Whilst the SM9s reveal a lot of detail the sound is noticeably less tight and with less definition in the bass end than the headphone mix.
Although I can spot the problems in my room by this approach I am looking for advice as to how to solve the issues. My room is 5.95m x 5.5m x 2.25m with 1.6m high windows along the whole of one side and plasterboard against brick and hard wooden floor. The room will be used as a single space for both recording and mixing. Aside from treating the room with acoustic panels and Bass traps and doing A/B comparisons with headphones is there a more scientific approach using test tones?
Hi guys , i know this is an old article but i had to comment , i have to say i aggree with you on this one , i recently did a mix using my Monster Beats By Dre (Studio) headphones and it sounded great until i played it on big speakers and my friends where complaining about the quality , i mixed my lows too high and lower mid where too mudy , i try mixing the song again on akg open back headphones and it translated well but not the quality i was going for. i work in an untreated room on my m audio bx5 d2’s which sounded great until the tweeters died while i was fooling around with some synth presets , i am npw using presonus eris e5 as a 2nd pair and they are great , i also mix on yamaha hph mt5 (secrete weapons) and i found myself using the yamaha headphones more than the actual monitors and my mixes translate well on almost any audio system .
What about using a reference track?.. (Producing electronic music)
I have the exact issue, I live in a house with my family, I do not have the freedom of having my JBL 305’s on like Id wish I could. 90% of my production is done between 11PM-5AM. And I can get my ideas in there nicely with headphones on. I believe its because with headphones on everything else around me is blocked out so I can focus and I know nobody else is hearing it so my stupid insecurities arnt preventing my creativity.
ANYWAYS! I then listen to the mix I got to sound good on my headphones, and in a couple of cases, the mix sounded god awful on my monitors.
BUT in a couple cases the mix sounded pretty decent on my monitors during the day..
What do you think about using a reference track?..
All the time. Every mix I do involves referencing other mixes.
Hi Guys, Neil, from Queensland Australia.
This is just a quick comment about headphones vs monitors. I have been searching for a blog to tell what I have learned.
I recently picked up a nice pair of studio headphones packaged with an electronic drum kit. Brilliant, I thought! So I buckled down for about three weeks and knocked out three dance tracks using Garageband, with Itunes for reviewing the output files.
At the three week point, I awoke from sleep one morning and noticed dead silence, save but a loud ringing in my right ear. Normally I could hear my watch ticking on the table next to my bed and one annoying dripping tap upstairs. Now nothing. I freaked, and immediately packed my headphones away.
My mistake was adjusting the system volume UP on my airbook when switching from Garageband to Itunes. Numerous times when switching back to Garageband, I forgot to LOWER the system volume, resulting in painful volume. In my excitement of producing music I would eagerly switch back for another tweak and ultimately pay the price.
It is a bit over a month since I packed the headphones away. The ringing is still there, maybe a bit less piercing. I can hear a few sounds that I couldn’t a month ago. But I feel that I definitely have
dramatic loss in my right ear and some loss in my left ear.
I am quite sad that a possible career is dead in the water. I was toying with the idea of resuming using studio monitors. Not real sure if that’s a good idea. I miss the music for sure.
I think that the small sealed space around the ear with studio headphones leaves no room for error. I feel as though the bass kicks ave shattered the bones in my ear.
This entry is for the benefit of anyone who can advise friends and especially children, how quickly you can become deaf using headphones. It was my own mistake, for sure. But it was a mistake that probably a lot of people are making every day.
Here Gram, I have been watching you video and reading your blogs. I must say you save My life. I was always intrested in music for as long as i can remember… i was about to give up my dream or being a producer/audio engineer. until i came across you. Jus want to say thank for the motivation. any way i got a AKG K52 Headphone and a Behringer UMC202HD interface. which i use for making beats, am now learning to mix. i cant afford a monitors at the moment cuz i really broke. do you thin they are good enough to work with for mixing and what are some tip you would give me to go about using them
Glad to hear it Steph! You totally can just use headphones. Watch this video: https://www.recordingrevolution.com/how-to-mix-on-headphones-and-my-mobile-mixing-rig/
Hello Mr. Graham,
Thanks for the advice! What about for mastering? Since my room doesn’t sound that great, should I do mastering primarily on headphones? (Even though I mix on both speakers and headphones)?
I would suggest using monitors and headphones. If the room doesn’t sound too good then go for a compromise mix that sounds as good as you can get it on both headphones and monitors but with a higher reliance on the headphone mix. Also I would suggest using the cheap earbud headphones that a lot of listeners will use as a secondary reference during mixing to make sure there is sufficient bottom end so as not to sound tinny; there is usually a degree of compromise whereby the sound from the monitors may end up being a bit bottom heavy in order for the mix to sound ok on earbuds, mobile phone speakers, built in PC speakers etc.
The advice is the same whether you are mixing or mastering.