Don't have a neutral headphone/monitor, so I have an idea... help

Hello people! I don't have a neutral headphone, so I was thinking on throw in an EQ to modify a little what I heaar. Not sure is this will work, but maybe could help.

My idea is to put BM3 on AUM and place Parametric EQ app I bought on iPad. Do you think this could work? My headphones are an old Sennheiser HD 202. How can I modify the EQ to make them a little more plain? Wanna help me on this?

Thank you guys!

Comments

  • edited August 2018

    I've not tried these headphones, but all the reviews I've read over the years suggest they are pretty good considering their low price.

    I would suggest the easiest and quickest way to help balance these headphones is with a -2db cut around 120hz.

    Why not add an extra EQ (with the -2db bass cut) as the last effect on your master channel in Beatmaker 3, and then disable the effect when you export your track

    https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-hd-202-inexpensive-headphones-done-really-well-measurements

  • I would suggest you just listen to a lot of your favourite music on the headphones in question, get used to them, then when you do your final mix, if you have no monitors you will have to put your faith in visual analyzers for the low end.

    People may jump on me here, but it seems like you are just starting out on your journey of ipad music and music making in general (excuse me if that isnt the case)
    And honestly neutral monitoring should not even be a concern to you yet.

  • edited August 2018

    I do agree that the search for neutral monitoring can be a rabbit hole that takes too much time and attention away from the creative process. It also often requires lots more expensive gear, and acoustic room treatments. Unfortunately it's a Holy Grail that you can keep getting closer to, but never touch. Just ask @DeanDaughters about the evolution of his studio and quest for audio perfection to get some idea how this journey goes!

    However... if you mix on consumer grade headphones, there is a danger your final mix will be very bass light (due to the hyped bass on most 'street' headphones) - so I still recommend lowering the bass a little with a master bus EQ.

    5pin's suggestion to audition similar genre commerical tracks on the same headphones, and if possible even do some A/B comparisons with your music, is a very good one.

  • @5pinlink, you are right. I'm very new to iPad music and production in general. I'm just an "analog" songwriter with guitars, nothing on the electronic world. Just starting!

    @tk32 , totally agree about not wasting the time looking for things outside the creative process, that's why I prefer to make a simple fix to this thing, not buying. This headphones have lot of bass, LOT, so the final result will be no close to nothing I bet. That's why I prefer to do something about it. I will test your suggestion, I think is a very good approach. Thank you very much!!

    I'll tell you guys what result, maybe could be usefull for other n00bs like me starting on this amazing world.

    Thank you very very much to all the people reading and answering and helping us!!!

  • Sonarworks reference would be awesome to have on iPad

  • edited August 2018

    @tk32 is spot on - I agree 100% - it's a Holy Grail that you can keep getting closer to, but never touch.

    I can see it, i'm so close, but i'm indeed not touching it.

    I certainly agree that it would be helpful to turn down the bass a little bit with an EQ on the master bus to compensate for the extra bass your headphones are over-emphasizing.

    And then, with those headphones, listen to a lot of the genre of music that you want to make so you can get a proper feel for how it represents in your headphones. Really focus on how the kick hits and sounds, how the bass gels with the kick, and how the top end synths sit and float over the top of it all. This is how you are going to want your music to sound in those headphones - the same.

    Just watch out for that low-end when producing, and check your mix on a friends monitor speakers if you can (or ANY other speakers. Or make a new friend at the local music shop who will let you test your track on their demo monitors? :)

    Happy Music Making! 🤗😁👊

  • Trust me on this, you can EQ all you like, the main thing it will accomplish, you will want monitors even more lol.

  • @5pinlink said:
    Trust me on this, you can EQ all you like, the main thing it will accomplish, you will want monitors even more lol.

    hahaha, well, probably. But I have to listen somewhere anyway. So, better to start with something. I just made some little adjustments on Blue Mangoo EQ, on the 70 and 120 -2db, and in the 400 +5db. It seems to sound a little better, but probably I should compare to the sound on some monitors as @DeanDaughters says.

    As I said before, it works for the start. Let's solve the monitor thing another day :D

  • You are better to get on and write songs vs worrying about this stuff now, but again that is just me, i think a good song is way more important than a good mix.

  • @amunocis - +5db at 400? I'm not sure that is advisable, but that is just my opinion.

    I'd would rather mix on cheap, over-bassy headphones clean with nothing on them, then put any sort of *boost on any frequency... Be careful, maybe put a limiter on your master bus to help protect your ears, and good luck!

  • @MSandoval said:
    maybe find a more suitable pair otherwise he'll become a technician instead of a musician and lose the joy. :p

    hahaha so true!

  • edited August 2018

    Ive been through my cans to find out which i go for when writing, i always pick up the 'hyped' as it is being called overly nice sounding cans, i think i have it rounded down to two reasons.
    1 Neutral/Flat headphones and monitors are actually hard work, in a long writing session they get fatiguing (One of the reasons i want to build these uber portable speakers, so i can put a set directly on my desktop monitor for writing quietly.
    2 I'm a top down hybrid mixer, i don't mix bottom up, I have never been a throw an EQ at it guy, so i like things to sound nice while i am writing without me ever having to worry about mixing or compress this, EQ that, once i begin the mix, because i am top down i can immediately put back what is missing from the headphones, I know if it sounds nice in 'Hyped' phones i have something that will only need a bit of mix tweaking to sound nice.

  • ...and this just came across my facebook feed and i'm laughing so hard i'm crying! :D :D :D

  • @DeanDaughters said:
    ...and this just came across my facebook feed and i'm laughing so hard i'm crying! :D :D :D

    hahaha

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