Thoughts on headphone calibration and room simulation plugins

Discussion in 'Studio' started by MFShreddage, Feb 9, 2024.

  1. Lieglein

    Lieglein Audiosexual

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    Can you tell how you see that the target is the difference and not the measurement? :dunno:
     
  2. shinjiya

    shinjiya Producer

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    Of course, trying a new curve with EQ is free, but I see no reason to use a different curve only for mixing. The 6XX is a good headphone, and after a while you will learn to compensate for its weakness. I personally like the Sennheiser box sound over the Harman curve, so for me, there would be no point in juggling two curves if one of them was used only for mixing. I'd rather mix music to sound like music I listen to when I'm not mixing, if that makes any sense. Either way, my suggestion was pretty simple: if you like how it sounds, really no reason to bother EQing. If you don't like it, you can Harman or flat it, or even anything in-between. Factory tuning, Harman, flat, any will work as long as that is how you want your headphones to sound always, so that your brain can learn it.
     
  3. Sinus Well

    Sinus Well Audiosexual

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    You can see this in the use of the filters. Measurements differ mainly in the sub-bass and treble (depending on the rig used, and because the headphones fit and close differently). The resonances can also vary depending on the measurement, rig and quality variance in the production of the headphones. In particular, the range above 8k provides information about the ear canal response. What does not vary, however, is the profile position of the midrange and the presence range on the frequency axis. In other words, the entire mid-range is part of the headphone's profile. And the way filters influence this range allows conclusions to be drawn about the target profile. At least if you try to get as close as possible to the target.

    This tells a lot:
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2024
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  4. Emma Evi

    Emma Evi Ultrasonic

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    I have the HD650 and they sound quite nice with Realphones 2. (Just try it free, 41-day trial)

    Keep in mind that some are not just a EQ, they also have a speaker room simulation.

    For example sharp PsyKick Transients can be experienced infont of you instaed of in between your ears.

    I wish there would be headphones (VSX Steve, are you listening) with built in correction with zero latency and no need for running software on a computer. Or at least a hardware box so that we can use them with music instruments such as Akai MPC, Force etc
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2024
  5. El digital

    El digital Kapellmeister

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    H E L L O everyone !!! :snuffy:
     
  6. Sinus Well

    Sinus Well Audiosexual

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    With a well-balanced headphone, there is nothing that needs to be corrected. :winker:
     
  7. mydemons

    mydemons Member

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    I believe the new rme ufx can run sonarworks using their dsp power so you don't have to load a plug everytime. having that built into the headphones would be great yeah
     
  8. Swatch

    Swatch Producer

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    Didn't read all posts but the SoundID Reference with the Monitor addon was a game changer for me and my DT 900 Pro X
     
  9. Somnambulist

    Somnambulist Kapellmeister

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    A lot of people have a love or hate of the SLATE VFX headphones. I mentioned these because you do not have to calibrate anything it's already done for you and you can mix in them just fine. Not everyone's cup of tea, but they work.
     
  10. MarkSlater

    MarkSlater Producer

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    As mentioned also before, Macbook Speakers + VSX are more than enough to get your mixes to translate well on every other device.
    I discovered that by mistake, 2 years ago, when I went for a visit of a friend in a different country and he wanted to play with some vocals and make 3 remixes.
    I only had the Macbook Air M1 with me so I did the remixes directly on the laptop's speakers, then went for a drive, while listening to the songs. I was so surprised how good they sounded already, in the car, without even a mixing, but only a Limiter on the master. The only issues that I could notice were in the Subbass and Bass Area, that I fixed after that in my studio, on the monitors.
    And by the way in the studio I was also really surprised of how good they sounded already.

    Later on, I bought VSX, cause I am travelling more than staying in the studio. Now I basically don't even need my studio anymore.

    Of course, VSX takes all my guess off, but I could do it even just with Macbook Speakers and any pair of headphones that I know how it sounds, especially in the Lows area.
     
  11. Wearesparta123

    Wearesparta123 Newbie

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    I use the Waves Germano studios one. It already has a profile for my headphones.

    I find it very useful. One of the speaker emulations in the "room" is a pair of NS10's. For all their faults, i know what NS10's sound like and know how a mix will translate.

    For headphones mixing, I find it way better than just using headphones with no room simulation because it's much easier to get levels as it feels like the music is in front of you, rather than going straight into your ears.

    Like having a real room, you've got to learn the room on the plugin. Once you get used to it, it's very useful.
     
  12. Sylenth.Will.Fall

    Sylenth.Will.Fall Audiosexual

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    I've looked into simulating a Harman Curve, and trying out all these different ideas. My solution was to go on Amazon and buy one of those really cheap USB Sound cards. You know the ones? Made in China See photo:-

    Image.jpg


    It's ridiculous how well this thing cuts out all the bass and treble, leaving a decent flat response from my headphones. I only use it at the mixdown/ mastering stages though.
     
  13. El digital

    El digital Kapellmeister

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    The thing is, when you get used to a curve, whether it's the Harman curve, a specific headphones model, or a custom tuning, it can be very useful and reassuring to be able to easily recreate that curve with any decent headphones. I also found Toneboosters Morphit (my personal favorite) very useful for virtually trying out a wide variety of headphones to help me choose which ones will be my next ones, closer to my preferences, which will require very little or ideally no correction at all.
     
  14. evolasme

    evolasme Producer

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  15. shinjiya

    shinjiya Producer

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    Hahaha, I've had at least 5 of those things. They're like NS10s for headphones, they sound like shit but still very useful. I still probably have one held together by duct tape somewhere in a drawer.
     
  16. Moogerfooger

    Moogerfooger Audiosexual

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    I had good results with translation using a pair of HD650 and SoundID.
     
  17. Sinus Well

    Sinus Well Audiosexual

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    Sure, but if a specific profile is desired and you don't want latency, then it's only logical to choose headphones that deliver the desired profile out of the box. For me, it was the Arya Stealth. No correction necessary.
     
  18. Emma Evi

    Emma Evi Ultrasonic

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    very nice ! I wonder if it is zero latency. But that wont help with external gear :/

    Something like this but for headphones would be unique:
    https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/arcstudio/
     
  19. M.O.S.T. Music

    M.O.S.T. Music Noisemaker

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    SoundID, Harman Curve, TB Morphit, Waves NX, Acustica Sienna, Slate VSX, Real Phones are just a piece of the puzzle.

    We all hear frequencies differently and have different preferences and produce and mix different genres. The forementioned products helped me....

    But, only in addition to learning how your headphones sounds (frequency response), perfect your midrange mixing (NS-10, Avantones, Hi & Lo cut EQ), reference mixing mastered songs that are similar (in genre, tempo & frequency) and how your track translates on different systems (car, laptop, airpods, shitty speakers, etc.). IMHO, it's only being consistent and disciplined with this process that will make your tracks translate song after song after song. Stay Woketh...
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2024 at 9:55 PM
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  20. Emma Evi

    Emma Evi Ultrasonic

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    it is not for headphones afaik
     
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