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Headphones and Mastering
- Thread starter beatsme
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Back to mastering in headphones
In the old LP days, one could buy audiophile LPs that were specifically mastered for headphones. There are at least two problems with mixing and mastering in headphones (more mastering than mixing, but still an issue) if the intent is to listen over speakers, but both related to the way that one hears in headphones:
1. While the "superstereo" effect in headphones can help make sure that instruments, vocals, etc. are panned in the right places in the stereo field, the effect of having the center right in the middle of the listener's head is NOT how it will sound through speakers. Instruments, etc. need to be listened on speakers to make sure the placement is right since most listeners won't be listening on headphones. One consequence of using headphones for mastering can be a weak center since the headphones accentuate the center. Again, you have to check the mix on speakers.
2. Reverb, delay and other effects that are intended to mimic room acoustics are very tricky to mix in headphones since the net effect is different in headphones.
So why use headphones? They are very useful for detailed listening to the tracks in mixing since good ones can give details that would be hard to hear with speakers. Any mastering is a bit of a compromise to make a track sound good on just about any playback system from earbuds to boomboxes to tower speakers. Therefore even the pros check the sound on a variety of systems before they turn it loose.
Bill Bain
Atlanta
In the old LP days, one could buy audiophile LPs that were specifically mastered for headphones. There are at least two problems with mixing and mastering in headphones (more mastering than mixing, but still an issue) if the intent is to listen over speakers, but both related to the way that one hears in headphones:
1. While the "superstereo" effect in headphones can help make sure that instruments, vocals, etc. are panned in the right places in the stereo field, the effect of having the center right in the middle of the listener's head is NOT how it will sound through speakers. Instruments, etc. need to be listened on speakers to make sure the placement is right since most listeners won't be listening on headphones. One consequence of using headphones for mastering can be a weak center since the headphones accentuate the center. Again, you have to check the mix on speakers.
2. Reverb, delay and other effects that are intended to mimic room acoustics are very tricky to mix in headphones since the net effect is different in headphones.
So why use headphones? They are very useful for detailed listening to the tracks in mixing since good ones can give details that would be hard to hear with speakers. Any mastering is a bit of a compromise to make a track sound good on just about any playback system from earbuds to boomboxes to tower speakers. Therefore even the pros check the sound on a variety of systems before they turn it loose.
Bill Bain
Atlanta