Gaming headphones for mixing!!

Discussion in 'Mixing and Mastering' started by solo83, May 21, 2019.

  1. solo83

    solo83 Platinum Record

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    Spent $60 bucks on these at Best Buy for my xbox1. Hooked them up to my interface to just listen to beats and songs I've made. Ended up spending 2-3 hours mixing shyt and fixing errors I didn't even hear on my JBL 308s or my Yamaha hs5. Amazing quality and flat sound. I love them, and, for the most part, I'm adamantly against mixing in headphones. astro.png
     
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  3. No Avenger

    No Avenger Moderator Staff Member

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    As to my experience you should always use both, monitors and headphones because they reveal different aspects of a mix.
     
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  4. KungPaoFist

    KungPaoFist Audiosexual

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    Sounds dope, would make sense for gaming frequency needs. Might be unuasual because of closed back but worth a try.
     
  5. rhythmatist

    rhythmatist Audiosexual

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    Gaming computers have the best audio and video processing. They work great for audiophiles who don't want a custom setup.
     
  6. robbieeparker14

    robbieeparker14 Producer

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    swweet i just got the a10s and a40s
     
  7. Plendix

    Plendix Platinum Record

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    How did you find out these were flat? Or why do you think these are flat?
    But checking with headphones is a good way to see things from a different perspective.
     
  8. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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    It all depends on what you're doing. as a reference monitor to hear what it sounds like with "x" speakers, it's ok. but I wouldn't use them for mixing/mastering as they add way too much color. In studio Monitors & Headphones you want a flat response so you hear exactly what's going on in your music. in my studio, I have 5"& 8" monitors and Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohm headphone as reference monitors all with a very flat response so I know exactly what on in and coming out of my DAW. Gaming headsets aren't good for this because they all add "color" and by color, it means they all have EQs in them to enhance certain frequencies (Bass Boost, etc) my gaming headset has 4 different selectable eq setting as an example. So unless your the only one to ever listen to your music and you will only listen to your music with your current gaming headset id stay away from them as reference monitors while mixing & Mastering.
     
  9. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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    BTW. these are most certainly NOT flat response headsets.... taken from their website "The A10 Headset is "Tuned for Gaming" with ASTRO Audio," what your hearing is the EQ tweak built into the headset. If your mix sounds lifeless in other headphones but amazing in your A10s it ain't your headphones it's your mix. Now go back throw some EQ in here and there and get your mix sounding like it does in the A10's. because if your mixes sound great in your A10 all it means is your mix is missing proper EQ tweaks.
     
  10. ohp_sefferoth

    ohp_sefferoth Newbie

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    So I made an account finally just to chime in on this convo - mostly to learn but to also give what knowledge I do have

    a lot of gaming headsets that arent blatantly colored [and that are good/made by companies who take things serious] are great for mixing because they balance the response of the drivers, due to this being a necessity for a great gaming headset.

    Ive been forced to use headphones for a few years now to mix and Ive been using the Playstation 3 Gold Wireless headphones [I use them wired through my UR242 interface for mixing though] and while im not sure of the EQ curve it comes with [thats pretty hard info to find] they are actually really nice for mixing, especially if you get used to how they sound on well mixed/mastered records. I use a speakerbar, home radio/alarm clock and my smartphones speakers as reference, and while the past few years have been a nose-to-the-grindstone session for honing my mix skills, I can tell by using these headphones that they work great for mixing and must not be colored very much, however I cant confirm the exact curve.

    Theyre fairly cheap [used from 50-80 bucks and around 100 new] but the worst thing about them are the headbands - they are infamously fragile and I have straight busted two different pairs while handling them with extreme care, which can screw up the entire ordeal of course. But other than that they are definitely worth venturing into. They also sound great for everything else and you can use them wireless-ly on PC with ease, as well.

    And again, Im not sure of the EQ curve or response they give, but they do operate from 20hz to 20khz, so thats a huge plus. They dont sound weak or tinny even at max levels with super loud and full music, so thats very nice. Using these for listening to music is actually super fulfilling and enjoyable, even though of course they wouldnt hold a candle to $300+ audiophile cans, however for the price range they're prolly one of the best options available. Top 5 for sure, prolly top 3 even


    However with that being said, I am in dire need of new headphones and would love suggestions on ones from 100-200 tops cause Im that much in a bind and Id rather get a pair designed for mixing than shelling out another hundo for another PS3 headset. I tried a pair of astros on a song that Im extremely familiar with and they sounded very flat and lifeless, so Id rather not go with those.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2019
  11. solo83

    solo83 Platinum Record

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    These headphones are flat. I'm hearing mixing errors that I didn't even hear on my monitors in a treated room. I've cleaned up a few tracks in the 80-400hz range with these bad boys.
     
  12. t66t

    t66t Noisemaker

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    These don't look flat to me man

    download.png
     
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  13. The Pirate

    The Pirate Audiosexual

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    @solo83 As @t66t and @evolasme correctly noted your new headphones do not have a flat frequency response. Indeed, there is no such a thing as a flat frequency response headphone. Much less a closed back model. In my opinion, deciding on headphones or monitors are a matter of personal choice, and the resulting mix depends less on the quality of the product and more on how well do you know your headphones or monitors. That is the key to a mix that translate well to other systems. A perfect example of what I just said is the Yamaha NS-10. Its sound has been described as terrible, boring, nasty, totally incapable of reproducing a double bass or the bottom octaves of a grand piano ... and yet more hits have been mixed using NS-10 than all other monitors. It all came down to the engineers knowing how to approach a mix with the NS-10's own frequency imperfections. If you are happy with your new headphones, that is a big plus. Now, all you need to do is to learn how to create mixes that will translate well to other systems. In order to do that, use them as much as you can and utilize reference tracks for comparison purposes.
     
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  14. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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    like I said before, I have the Beyerdynamic DT 990 and yes they are as flat as a 12-year-old Catholic girl in frequency response-.
     
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  15. ohp_sefferoth

    ohp_sefferoth Newbie

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    Can I bug you and ask if those are great for mixing or nah?
     
  16. solo83

    solo83 Platinum Record

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  17. solo83

    solo83 Platinum Record

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    Connected to what? Some audio interfaces have a hard time pushing high or low impedance cans. Then some have constant output impedance driven amps, which would alter the frequency response drastically depending on the cans. Not saying you're wrong, because I definitely trust your anecdote over a graph on the internet with zero context behind it.
     
  18. PrettyPurdie

    PrettyPurdie Guest

    i whold love to hear an example beat first mixed BEFORE you got the headphones nad one AFTER :)
     
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  19. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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    is a AMS Neve 16 fader BCM10/2 Mk2 good enough? the low end of this is my studio at home where i have a Steinberg UR242 plugged into a Rupert Neve Designs RNHP 1-Ch Precision Headphone Amplifier
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2019
  20. flyingsleeves

    flyingsleeves Platinum Record

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    Is this enough context for you? CONTEXT
    I'm probably wasting my time. I doubt there's enough evidence in the world to change your mind. Some people just can't admit when they are wrong...
     
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  21. The Pirate

    The Pirate Audiosexual

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    Of course everything comes into play and will have an effect but that is not what @evolasme was stating or denying. @evolasme was simply trying to convey that the flatter the response of your headphones or monitors the more accurate the reproduction of the sound is going to be. You want your monitors or headphones to add the least amount of coloring to the sound. Read this article, it will give you a detailed explanation on how to evaluate headphones. :wink: https://www.headphones.com/pages/evaluating-headphones
     
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