Mix Checker Etc.

[bayswater]

When I do a mix, it always seems a bit bottom heavy when played elsewhere. I have Mackie HR 824s and Sennheiser 650s, and I always cut the very low frequencies, so it's not obvious to me how I would be unwittingly boosting lows. My ears are getting old, so you'd think I'd be boosting the highs.

Mix Checker from Audified, has mixed reviews, some do not think it is is worth the price, and others wonder what its reference point is. The alternatives I can see seem more about emulating speakers on headphones (I already have Waves NX).

I know I can just play mixes on a few other playback devices, but maybe there are some well designed tools or processes to simplify this.

What do you do?

[rickorick]

I took my laptop out to the car plugged it into the stereo EQ’ed it out there then when I do a mix when I’m done with a mix then I put that EQ on the two tracks and then do a bounce to disk

[bayswater]

I've done that, and that's what usually comes up on this topic. I was hoping there was something more out there.

[leigh]

I'm a big fan of Izotope's Tonal Balance Control.

**Leigh

[monkey man]

Mix Checker from Audified, has mixed reviews, some do not think it is is worth the price, and others wonder what its reference point is. The alternatives I can see seem more about emulating speakers on headphones (I already have Waves NX).

Audified's MC emulates speakers on headphones (as well as monitors - there's a button in the GUI), whereas the Waves products (NX and the Abbey Road one) are more about emulating the actual mixing environment equipped with a high-end set of monitors, Stoivo.

If you're interested in MC, I'd skip the original version and go for the newer "Pro" one. Definitely sounds less-phasey judging by the demos I heard when it first dropped. Handy tool to own if you don't have an assortment of home or car stereos at your disposal.

[mikehalloran]

At the risk of being Capt. Obvious:

You're boosting the lows because you don't hear them as well as you think.

As good as the 824s are—and I've always liked them a lot—the bottom octave isn't great. It needs correction. Either active or with a subwoofer.

I posted recently how I balance subs with mains completely by ear using reference recordings. I picked these for one reason only: when I get them all sounding right, I can trust the bottom of my mixes. Every time. I see no reason why it wouldn't also work with active enhancement.

[bayswater]

At the risk of being Capt. Obvious:

You're boosting the lows because you don't hear them as well as you think.

As good as the 824s are—and I've always liked them a lot—the bottom octave isn't great. It needs correction. Either active or with a subwoofer.

I posted recently how I balance subs with mains completely by ear using reference recordings. I picked these for one reason only: when I get them all sounding right, I can trust the bottom of my mixes. Every time. I see no reason why it wouldn't also work with active enhancement.

I thought it might have something to do with other systems making the centre sound louder, where the bass tends to be. What frequencies do you include in "the bottom octave"? I generally cut out everything below 80.

[bayswater]

If you're interested in MC, I'd skip the original version and go for the newer "Pro" one. Definitely sounds less-phasey judging by the demos I heard when it first dropped. Handy tool to own if you don't have an assortment of home or car stereos at your disposal.

I saw the discussion about the update of MC. I guess I'll try out the demo and see how that compares to trying out various speakers. I was hoping there would be a cheap and easy way to do this.

[monkey man]

There's at least one cheaper plugin option IIRC, but I can't remember what i's called. The general consensus 'though is that Mix Checker Pro is the way to go.

[philbrown]

^What Mike said above.
I've used 824's for many years with a $300 JBL home stereo sub. Not a super-budget solution, I know. Anyway, this combo works great. I know exactly where my room hot spots are for low end and I walk around and stand in those spots long enough for bass notes to change, etc until nothing's poking out. And I play in my vehicles and whatever else is handy like my little JBL Flip bluetooth speaker.

[daniel.sneed]

IMHO sub feel is very level related.
I mean, making decisions in that area depends much of your actual listening level.

A few years back I've became tired of doubt, magical guessing and trial and error.
Following Bob Katz advices helped me a lot in this regard. Some kind of liberating step forward.
I've found these advices in Bob Katz book :
https://www.digido.com/product/masterin ... -bob-katz/

Now my studio listening level is set to SMPTE RP200 standard (digital file level relation to spl level at listening position).
Many studios around the world are set at the exact same level.

BTW, listening level is of much importance when setting the voice versus instruments relative level. And IMHO, this one is another major chalenge.

In that big struggle, I also had to deal (or fight) with, room treatment, room mode correction, and fine tuning monitors thru EQ.
This has been a quite long journey, but now I don't listen anywhere else, for I trust what I hear in my studio. That is to say I can focus on music and mix, which are my main jobs after all.