Auratone Super Sound Cubes | Mix Cubes | Do You NEED Them In 2021?
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
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I couldn't have put it better myself. Since the 80s when I first started I have had it all. All the gear, the good and the bad. Fallen for the hype in the magazines (that's how we found out about stuff in the last century). Until about 5 years ago I was stuck in the past. I had to have all the best retro stuff. Etc etc. It is actually quite embarrassing now, to think of it. I sold it all. All of it. I am now 100% in the box with a pair of Genelec 8020s, a laptop, and a pair of Audeze LCD-Xs, and get more work now and have a happier client base than I have ever had in 35 years as a mastering engineer. It was a moment of enlightenment. I moved into the present and looked to the future. Thank you for the video. Well said.
That's where I'm headed! except for a couple of synths I'm going in the box.
I love my mix cube (mono). Truthfully, its another reference, but its useful to know "where everything sits": vocals, bass presence, and kick. Its just good to have a "check" for all my self-doubts during mixing. You'll feel better once you hear it translate, or adjust accordingly.
totally agree with this!
I sold my Fishyungteks and bought a pair of Earwig Sensodynes and now my mixes smell so much better!
Have been perving at auratones for a while and this really helped reset the priorities. Thank you gents
I drank the Kool-Aid and got a pair of Auratone Mix Cubes about a year ago. I came up with your same conclusion, listening to my mixes on ear buds, Ipads and in my car was far better, cheaper and more realistic way of checking my mixes. Time to put the AuraTones on Reverb. Love your channel and thank you.
I saw a video where the author had hot-glued a pair of MacBook speakers to a Mc Donalds drinks paper cup and used that as a real-world check. I was GASing for a pair of mix cubes but I think I'm going to pass after watching this no-BS video. I can always grab some scrap laptop speakers and use that instead just for a quick check.
Not gonna lie, I kind of want to buy a pair of Fishyungtek TuBlooth Speakers now.
Special deal, now free coupon for our new MusicMakeNice DAW if you buy a speaker
I made an order already on the fishnet.
😂😂😂
The are on sale right now!
“Precisely calculated labyrinth of magical voodoo” 🤣 for a moment I thought it was a serious thing lol 😂
"The marketing will tell you that these are essential in helping your mixes translate to a wide variety of systems... And that's bollocks!" My Sunday morning hangover disappeared right after hearing that. Where else I can get Derek and Clive style comedy while learning seriously deep stuff? Thanks for doing it!
It’s always the people who’ve been working in professional studios for decades that can’t stand these. I love my mono Mixcube. It has sped up my workflow hugely, and improved the overall sound and cohesiveness of my productions. They’re not a magic bullet, but for us home studio plebs working in less than perfect rooms they’re a really useful tool.
I think they hate these cubes because they give the small engineer that edge that big studio only have💯🤞🏽
@sibusisotshabalala3662 we don’t hate them because they give the small guy the edge - we hate them because of the way they sound.
It makes no difference to us whether the small guy had the edge or not because that’s not the market we’re in. We make studio monitors!
I just ordered a pair of Auratones, NOT for referencing, but for getting the balances right and getting my mix in the right ballpark much faster. These excel on that purpose! They also have an advantage over the NS-10s, and that is that they don't have a crossover frequency because they are one-way speakers. I think that should have been mentioned.
I use a single avantone mixcube and it's a very useful tool to get clear midrange and depth.
Everytime I eye a piece of gear and start looking for reviews I just assume that an algorithm is going to present a video or link that tells me to go buy that thing, thus it's pretty hard for me to trust RUclipsrs to be objective, and if they have a link where you can buy the item, forget it! I found this to be very objective and I really appreciated the back history on how these monitors became so popular. Great video! Thanks for the wisdom.
A lot of mix engineers have gotten really accustomed to their own studios, so they don't even need to check their mixes on different playback systems. But for us mere mortals, it's the only go to to check every device known to man. :P
My Auratones are indispensable to me. Once you get to know them you can even get a very accurate sense of the bass weight as they distort in a particular way when things are too heavy down there. All the adjustments I make on them for balance translate accurately to the various media you mention whereas if I mixed on earbuds I doubt the mix would translate - I’d be mixing FOR earbuds only. There are no perfect monitors but there are better or worse perspectives and I wouldn’t ever be without them in an array.
Was thinking about adding these to my main monitors, thank you for saving me cash.
"and in the car!" brilliant image
Great video. I love when someone much more eloquent than my self explains the opinion I have in my head. I was thinking about these for a while, and for the reasons you mentioned in the video I decided that I don't really need them. This just confirms my opinion.
You are the man. Thanks for this review. I already had it in the cart to purchase and than decided to do more research 🧐 and found this great review. You just earned a subscriber 💪
That’s precisely what I do, listen to a mix on a single Bluetooth portable speaker, AirPods, and of course in the car. I’ve found that if it sounds good on the little Bluetooth speaker, it sounds good everywhere.
OK... have to disagree. I thought I'd hate the MixCubes but any level tweaks I do on them always improves the midrange balance on the mains... and everything from cellphone to the car. It's made sitting a vocal "just right" so easy it feels like cheating. I've got all the new "crappy" speakers... bluetooth, earbuds etc. and as much as it's good to check on them, they are all still trying to produce bass and high end by whatever means - that is, they don't focus on the all important midrange which is where 80% of the music is. A newbie with limited funds would be better off with a good pair of studio headphones (HD650) and a pair of MixCubes because room treatment becomes less crucial.
Exactly ! I would give the exact same advice to a beginner
I agree. I personally do a good half of each mix on just one mix cube and it makes getting the fader balance, eq, and compression just right a breeze. Obviously it won’t solve all your problems if you don’t know how to mix in the first place. But it’s an excellent tool in my experience
"feels like cheating" is a good way to describe it. It's like the same as running your hand along a surface and feeling all the irregularities. The tiny speaker sound really does eliminate all the sexy frequencies that distract from what everyone will hear on their various speaker systems.
Ok but instead of buying cubes you could treat your room or upgrade your monitors. So you can actually hear what you're doing in the mix when you're working on it
MixedByAli always had one mono auratone setup for his sessions. ALWAYS.
"...and that's bollox!' Wonderful. Refreshing.Truth. Thanks!
This is what I call a TRUE Genius Review, LEGENDARY!
wow this was very nice to learn about the past producers and what they all used to mix on thank you for this video
This was super informative, honest, and very entertaining. Thanks for the great vid!!
Wise words from wiseman. Appreciate that.
Used Mix Cubes when I was doing mixes for TV commercials. Went to Costco and bought a cheap flat screen and realized the stock Vizio speakers had way more range than my Mix Cubes. Now they just sit next to my mains and look cool like retro artwork....... the coating of dust adds to the visual ambiance.
You make great videos and I find myself agreeing with almost EVERYTHING you say. I could never understand the NS10 thing even back then in the 90's. I went for the Alesis monitor ones at the time. Still have them, don't use them anymore but at the time I loved them. Now one of my kids uses them and loves them.
Mix Cubes maybe yesteryear technology but I still use mine for reference otherwise, I have no idea where the balance sits. These have helped my mixes translate very well across other platforms
I'm actually glad this guy is pedalling not using these sorts of speakers, because I find mixing on these so useful that it's like a little cheat code. Honestly, I'm making a good living mixing songs and am now starting to work with bigger names and artists on labels, and I feel that learning to use these types of speakers was one of the biggest turning points for me as a mixer. When I first bought them they sat on my desk for about a year barely being touched, it took so long to understand what to listen for on them. And I assume this guy probably hasn't seen the light with them, because once you know you know and there's no going back. There's a reason CLA and dozens of the biggest names use these types of speakers. They do something special, so I'd urge people to try them before taking advice from this video.
pssst....
So how and what you have to listen on them. How did you make them your best tool?
I strongly agree! I've owned and used many top end monitors including ATC, Genelec and Dynaudio, recently acquired a pair of the reissue 5Cs and I can confidently say it has been one the best studio purchases I've made. It keeps you focused on the heart of the music-the midrange and you can work for longer without ear fatigue. Been getting consistent translation since using them.
Yeah can you elaborate please on why you swear by them ?
@@lillehammerexperimental It's a useful tool especially setting levels and putting things into perspective without any hype either ends of the freq spectrum.
Great informative video, I like you sold my Auratones 20+ years ago. Haven't regretted it at all. Loved the sneak hidden pic of Mr Floppy in what looks like a mortar board or as I see it a Christmas hat for clever bods.
You are so 100%, absolutely spot on right!
The advertisement killed me :D :D Hilarious
Hahaha @ the faux infomercial in the middle. Brilliant video again.
The kind of no bs advice that I like. I would love to see a video on how to sort the marketing bs from a variety of tiers of studio monitors. So we can learn to better inform our choices. Maybe recommendations in each tier new vs used. Loved the story of how you aquired your monitors in another video.
My mixes got 200% better since I check my mixes on those (Behringer C5A). I can't believe they are so revealing. Best money ever spent.
I recommend the avantone powered clone.
You don’t need it in stereo. That would be silly.
It is very useful speaker, even if you just use it as a speaker to give your ears a rest from your main monitor. But you could probably use any small speaker for that.
The Bob story is hilarious
the transitions are funny. "stories I made up in my head just now"
I appreciate all of your points... however, my real world experience with the single mixcube in mono is that my mixes have improved 1000%. I don't know if 2 mix cubes in stereo would improve my mixes 2000% but I use that single speaker for about 90% of my completed projects and the difference has been nothing short of amazing.
Then if it works for you, stick with it!
Exactly same here..and I mix for radio. And I think 90 % of real professionals would agree...which Mike Senior is not. He is a teacher
That bit at 2:05 was just too funny, in stitches laughing at that!
Good advice, but I do find my pair excellent for quickly flipping over to to check mono as a lot of the nasty phasing happens in the low mid range. It just gives your ears a bit of a reset so once you go back to your mains you can pick out problems easier.
Fishyungtek speakers 😁😄😂...Loved that
OMG, the truth WILL set your pockets FREE!!!!!! Thank you
Brilliant. Yes, I have my Barefoot Monitors but I test on various other hi-fi systems including a Bose Bluetooth speaker which is super useful for checking bass and clarity.
For me it's all about translation. Anyone who has owned high end monitors for a few years knows that unfortunately, no speaker is perfect. It's no good having expensive monitors if that is the only speakers your mix sounds good on. People often say things like; "it doesn't matter what speakers you use it's all about knowing your monitors" In practice however it just isn't that simple. All speakers have their blind spots to one degree or another. The famous soul destroying car test is a great example of this! Referencing on different speakers is really the only way to cover all the bases. It's the only way to check that your mix is actually doing what you think it is, based on what your speakers are telling you. A lot of top mix engineers utilise these kinds of speakers as just another perspective, to see that it is translating for the 'small speaker' out in the real world. If you get your mix singing across 2 or 3 sets of different speakers then there is a good chance your mix will translate well in the world. I personally have found the more speakers to check on the better. Spike Stent is known for checking on LOTS of speakers in his studio. Many years into the game now I really understand why!
I have one Mix Cube (mono) which I switch between my stereo nearfields. When I first heard it I was like 'yep...I see what they mean about horror-tones'. I bought it last summer and for me its a useful tool esp as it allows me to focus on those tight mids without the low end effecting my decisions. I am a better producer than I am a mix engineer for sure but It def has helped me get my vocals sitting right as I have factored in that volume differences in mono. Eg vocal appearing louder in mono by a few dB. However, I do agree that saving up for the best pair of monitors you can afford and really knowing how they translate helps. Treating my room within a budget made the biggest difference for me. I always wanted the K&H 0300's until I heard the Meyer Sound HD1's next to them in at mix school. Maybe a second hand set of PMC TB2Sa's or ATC's one day. But then it will take me months to learn how they translate. Def a great point to listen to the mediums that the consumers will be using. Last summer I worked all the way though Mike Senior's 'Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio v.2' and used the superb accompanying online resources. I need to buy in physical form as its a studio Bible (not to offend anyone) I have a long way to go as a mix engineer as all the radio work takes my time away from mixing. Well done guys, amazing videos as ever. You made a miserable Indian man laugh
That commercial is awesome! Spot on
A single one of these is very useful for keeping your level balances right, especially vocals. If I think I'm straying from the path, I'll listen to a pass on one of these (in mono) and it helps me get back on track.
I don't care WHAT you say, I love my Mix Cubes. They were actually the first pair of monitors I purchased and I listened to everything on them for months. I used them as a way to nail the mid range on my mixes BEFORE the top end and low end which looking back was one of the most important pieces to my mix training. I got everything I mixed on them to translate perfectly everywhere with clear, punchy, and rich mids. I learned that some of my favorite EDM and House tracks which I thought sounded great in ear buds and my bassy bluetooth speaker were actually poop. When I finally added a beautiful pair of Focals to my desk, I knew what I was listening to. Still use both cubes in mono for about 70% of all my mix decisions. I recommend that audio schools start all of their mixing students out working exclusively on cubes at least for a good 4-6 weeks. It'll save a lot of time and the frustration they experience chasing that rich bottom end they're all in love with and trying to emulate.
... especially as the tone of that rich low end is more in the mids than people realize.
Totally agree
@@unclemick-synths Truth
But you do care what he says, that's why you're here
I have a pair of Focal solo 6 bes and a pair of aurotone mix cubes. It took me about a year to get my ears used to adjusting to switching between the aurotones and the focals, but my god, when I got my head round it I cant tell you how valuable, revealing and surprising they have become. They are an absolutely fantastic reference for the midrange and indeed are really revealing in the midrange. You have to get used to them, and leave you bass loving ego at the door, but when you do they are unbelievable. I cannot recommend them highly enough to anybody wanting to mix or master music at a professional level. If you are struggling with your mixes it is because you are making the wrong mixing decisions and these, I can guarantee, will prompt you to make different ones.
I'm thinking about buying Auratone as my second pair for referencing. Would you recommend buying 2 of them or just one and only use it for mono mixing. Thank you.
@@LucasMichalski I really like having two of them, sat on my desk just inside my main speakers. I have a Mackie Big Knob which I use to switch between speakers and it also has a mono button which is one of the reasons I bought it. Really handy to have right in front at you. I would recommend my setup, however it is up to you and many people do use just the one aurotone as a mono reference.
I keep seeing you everywhere lately so had to subscribe
We need more videos about BS audio myths that circulate in audio production and musician circles :D
I'm electronics designer, musician and sound tech and I just hate the amount of tall unscientific myths going around that everyone believes and passes forward, but nobody understands the mechanics of how things work so they never realize to question them :D
yes because legendary albums that stood the test of time are BS myths lol those who understand the mechanics know that it is nearly impossible in most cases to design an accurate sounding room and that the auratones are very different from the clones including the avantone shown in this video
@@chrisrevel2801 You're basically stalking comment section so you can pick a fight... give it a rest...
@@Mtaalas lol you are funny even if it is not intentional but I guess it suits the tone of the video ! and i wouldn't fight a true scientist who " thinks " that bob clearmountain ( Ns10 ) and bruce swedien ( Auratones ) are BS while listening to a bold comic who mixes on big speakers in front of a huge desk with an hilarious presonus mixer .
I use a single auratone sometimes (the behringer c5a active variant), but not because it "reveals" anything to me, quite the opposite. I use it if I want a sound that doesn't rip my ears being waaay softer and less direct when im editing or arranging etc., which helps with ear fatigue IMHO.
I was inspired by the late great Phillip Zdar to buy a single Aurotone to mix in mono. In his Mix With The Masters video series he did the most mind blowing mix you'll ever hear in your life of Pheonix's song Liztomania (that sounded 10Xs better than the version they actually released.) Zdar raved about the Aurotones and said he even EQed the bass on them. The also had NS10 Studios and other monitors he checked on but would mix a great deal just on the single Auratone.
"and that's bollocks" wise words, Mark, wise words...🤣🤣 . Also, thanks for debunking the 'must have' NS10 myth.
Objective, smart, and funny. How dare you sir. I shake my fist in mock indignation. I happen to have a pair of NS10's left in my studio/apt by a friend. I never understood why they were so in demand.
Best thing I ever did for my monitoring was treating my listening space....bass traps in the corners, cloud over head and at all the reflection points, lots of broad band traps, etc. Made a huge difference, and frankly if you aren't going to do this then you might as well just stick to headphones. Next best move was upgrading my monitors to the best I could afford (PSI A21M's in my case), but would have been a waste without the room treatment. Yes, I own some Auratones, and personally I do find them useful, but I'd agree, treat your room and get the best monitors you can before even considering any of these.
cant u just mix at low volumes . or get a small speaker with decent sound quality and invest ina good pair of head phone and you wont need renovate you bedroom with with acoustic treatment
I have used sets of multiple speakers, or multiple headphones for mixing and what I learn was that they are like different points of view, that can show me something that I was not seeing ( or listening ) and can correct with some fine tuning. In this pandemic I'm working from home with 2 headphones, a cirurgical Srh940 and a civilian Edifier wb820bt and had great results so I advocate for the multiple sets of monitoring but you have made me thinking about future investments.
I was thinking of buying new speakers and was budgeting the ideia of 2 sets, with avantones being one of them, but now I thinking of using all the money in 1 pair......or buying some lobster....idk.
Yep, _all_ speakers are filters (even $10,000 ones).
I am an amateur producer with overblown Barefoot footprint monitors -which have DSP settings for NS10 and auratone response.
As I learn everything- I'm finding myself using these settings FREQUENTLY. the NS10 midrange "telescope" really helps dial in all the instrument and vocal volumes so that the core frequencies don't overlap. The auratone setting really helps me dial in bass drum/clap/snare/etc, as the mushy transient detail in the auratone midrange, again, seems to really help me quickly identify volume levels, as well as hearing the mushiness that happens when you have too many busy sounds playing at once.
Fantastic advice. Thanks for the video.
AM radio in 1982 ? seriously ? most engineers don't mix on big or " best " speakers even today , they are meant for clients not for mixing . NS10s and Auratones have been used on countless records for mixing and not for " checking " mixes , the modern soundbars or earbuds still can't reproduce the low end like big monitors with subwoofers can... Full range big speakers are used at the mastering stage in a different type of treated room without a console or racks of gear to f up the sound , nearfield speakers with a limited freq range are essential in a pro studio and even more in a home studio environment ( even with a lot of room treatment ) . Great mixes modern or not sound great everywhere including on auratones , bad mixes can sound decent on better speakers in the environment where the mix has been done but awful on auratones and might require countless car or bluetooth speakers / earbuds checks to be adjusted , a waste of time . I think that the nickname horrortone come from bad engineers incapable of pulling off a mix that truly translates well everywhere .
That's wtf I'm saying ... 80s /90s mixes still sound good today on most devices ..
I think that says a lot about where this guys take comes from 😂
The mids are the key to translatable mixes because they're the most consistent frequency band across all situations. If a mix is good, switching between cubes and any other speaker won't result in significant shifts in the balance of the mix, just increased depth and height. Besides limited bandwidth, the lack of a crossover means better clarity (especially compared to the smudgy mids of 8-inch two-way speakers).
However, I only really use my cube for the initial faders-up mix then I flip to the mains and I can hear instantly what needs its lows reined-in and what is screechy bright (my pet hate is the mis-named 10 kHz "presence peak" on mics that results in vocals that are bright but ironically lack presence). Maybe that's why some people love NS10s - nasty screechy mics through nasty screechy tweeters will get dealt-with PDQ! 😀
I have a pair of active Avantone Mixcubes, and what I've found them useful for is balancing the level of lead vocals, lead guitar and anything else which needs to be upfront but not totally overwhelm the mix. When I use a bluetooth speaker as well I find it's best for checking if I have too much harsh treble or mud in the low mids/upper bass.
@J G I'm thinking about buying Auratone as my second pair for referencing. Would you recommend buying 2 of them or just one and only use it for mono mixing. Thank you.
@@LucasMichalski I got two because I wanted to be able to check my mix in stereo as well - I can always sum my mix to mono and mute one side if I want to check how it sounds through one. Another reason I forgot to mention was to have something that wouldn't be affected by less than ideal mixing environments - the worst modal problems are going to occur below 100Hz which the Avantones don't reproduce.
Even back in my days as a studio musician (70s-90s) there were Horrortones in every studio and NO ONE ever used them!
Hey Mark! Just dropping by three months after having purchased my first pair of Auratones. I've been mixing on these daily and man, they can sound GOOD! Saying that these are grotboxes made solely for "checking how your mix will sound on shitty speakers" is absolute BS. Thinking that way is missing the point completely. Sorry, I felt like someone had to say this.
Actually, I DO enjoy my new Reftones. Yes, you can check mixes on whatever speakers are around (iPhone, Laptop, car, etc.) but the convenience of having such a sound right on my desktop, where I can switch to them with one button push of my RME Fireface UFX+ remote (having leveled the volume between them and my PSI A21m) makes them very useful. The PSI are $6500/pr, so definitely a fairly accurate speaker and I LOVE them, but I find that certain aspects of the midrange sound balanced on them while sounding somewhat squelched on the Reftones.
I don't really EQ using the little guys, but they are very helpful for pointing out that my electric guitar track is too loud against my soprano sax (lead) track and needs to be reigned in a bit, whereas on the PSI monitors I could hear both clearly and didn't know there was a problem.
It's useful to me to have speakers that are 'congested' sounding to point out where midrange masking may be going on but the 'big' speakers didn't tell me about it since all the parts are so well defined, and I love that I can 'check' this just by tapping one button to hear the sound 'open' or 'constricted'.
They are also useful for checking bass believe it or not. If I switch to the baby speakers and the bass is gone, I don't have enough going on in the bass harmonics. When it's right, I can still hear the bass 'part' in the little guys, even though I don't have any 'bass' frequencies. Since I can ALWAYS hear the bass clearly in the big boys, I might miss this aspect of the mix.
I believe ANY engineer would be adamant about the need to reference mixes on other speaker systems. The question is whether you need Auratone-types to do that. Of course you don't. But I love the convenience of being able to instantly switch between systems at a button push all through the mixing process. Yes, you have to learn them, but you had to 'learn' your earbuds and car systems, too.
My two cents. :-)
Cat: please turn off the light! :)
Great fun and very informative :-)
I have a pair of 4" speakers that i installed into vintage Kodak slides boxes. They sound terrible, and they look even worse. I'd be happy to sell them to anyone that want to hear how their mix sounds through terrible speakers. The midrange is incredible, at least compared to lows and highs which are pretty much inexistent.
Very enjoyable ,
Very British, but more importantly I’m glad I watched it , as I’m not going to buy those speakers now lol
Thanks for another great video.
Common sense. Thank you for saving me from diving into a rabbit hole!
I was fortunate to have had a pro audio spectrum external cd rom unit growing up.. it housed the rom, soundblaster pro soundcard and twin speakers all mounted in a heavy metal box that your CRT could stand on.. I was amazed after some years after opening it up.. to find out that the speaker sound secret was that both speakers 4" had hard plastic cylindrical case sealed footlong back enclosures filled with cotton.. That system could easily be a decent monitor today... it shaped alot of love for sound at an early age and they could not be turned up too loud.. just to make you want more.. glancing at some monitor prospects in the second hand store.. I can see they have that weight to them and you pay per gram.. ultra low buget.. 4-5" one foot sealed enclosure.. filled with cotton and wear a heavy iron plate hidden somewhere with rubber soles.. they can make the table vibrate for extra sense.. so the weight helps with transfer... I always loved explosions in games.. musically, the vibrations are still something I picked up.. they were there.. to be felt by my palms while using the computer.. install an amp that underpowers the volume by 10% below the typical spec.. and the aim here is stability.. they should last a long time.
Commenting for the algorithm. Also, I'm convinced you watched and loved "Shooting Stars".
I JUST WANT TO INSPIRE MY CREATE. I built a set of Linkwitz Pluto speakers years ago. I use them for everything because I KNOW them.
I've had a set of Auratones since the 1970's. They still work just fine for what they are. The NS10's always sounded like "crap" to me even with the kleenex tweeter fix. My studio primaries are still JBL4310's with secondary use a pair of (sadly discontinued) self powered HHB Circle 5's. My pleasure listening room is set with a pair of Boston A400's which still sound fantastic and were re-coned about ten years ago.
As with Hector from earlier in the comments, I have also been lusting after the Auratones for a bit now. But it’s funny how much we overcomplicate this stuff. Our audiences for the most part, at best, are listening to our music on a decent car stereo system or a good set of headphones. So why make this more than it is? As usual, you’ve given the “pull your head out of your ass” style of information. Thank you guys.
WOW,, I love the brutal honesty angle of this video. Subscribed ;)
I use very small speakers for a single reason; to remove all the bass frequencies so I can better hear the mix of instruments that are obscured by the distraction of bass. I can’t work without this tool. That said, I have considered inserting an EQ curve in my master to accomplish the same using my very fine mains.
Yay I knew there was something missing...I really need to translate and superb my mix. Now!
Spot on advice! Thanks for truth and clarity :)
This video is pretty awesome.
Okay... so am I the only one here who now desperately wants the Fishyungtek Lobster Bluetooth Speaker?
C’mon... admit it. You know you want one.
🤣🤣
Free MusikMakeNice DAW license when buy nice 🦞 Lobster 🦞
If you're on a budget, you can recreate an NS-10 or Auratone sound with an EQ on the mixbus rolling off below 300 and above 5000. It does help you focus on the mid-range and get everything to fit in the main frequencies that are always reproduced on any any set of speakers. I've mixed on NS10s with a sub and actually really like mixing on them.
The highest of the high end monitors are something like the Barefoot Micromain 27s. They give you SOOOO much detail in the high end and a solid low end with 2 x 10 inch subs built into the pair. The more I've spent on monitors, the less return I got on my mixes being better. The fundamentals, an analyzer and good room sound have been the major improvements to mixing.
That and a good DAC. I have a benchmark DAC for over 12 years and I wouldn't change it for anything. It was the only time I was reduced to ASTONISHMENT. When I plugged that thing in coming from a SPDIF output on the motherboard was like removing a blanket from the speakers. The clarity increase was undeniable.
Never wanted a mixcube, heard ns-10s ages ago and hated them. I'm using 23 years old Wharfdale satellites plus a decent woofer and maybe the setup sucks, but it sounds familiar.
I check everything with my AKG 501 headphones and on some consumer gear. I give a crap how it sounds on a phone speaker and I'm not willing to make an effort for people who clearly make none. ...phone speakers...
Your jingles are priceless!
Really enjoy your videos and content, I was an audio/station sound producer for radio who used SaDiE (I wonder if anyone knows of that here) I was then forced onto Adobe Audition (yuk) and when leaving radio was too lazy to find/learn anything else.... until Covid made me realise £200 a year on junk software was bad! then I found Logic and all of those SaDiE juices came flooding back - I then stumbled across Dara O'Biain and his mate making production videos and the rest is history! great work guys and all the very very best with your future stuff.
We know about SaDiE!
At least Logic is a one-off purchase!
Thanks for watching :)
We had these in our radio studio's in the 80s, and did perform good for that use, I remember though they couldn't take too much loudness, In those days we liked to play louder than loud. So some of them were replaced with an extra pair, so one set in the repair shop, one set in the studio and one set as backup lol. I remember these were quite expensive. BTW, a lot of the top mixers use their car as a reference. Because they have good balanced audio in there. For most of the branches.
So, I gotta get my Lobster Speaker game on? Gotcha.
Also? My cat sleeps on my gear, as well, especially my 16pad. XD
Exploring a great videos here
Well, ok. Where to start? I agree that a mix and mastering engineer should reference their mixes using whatever the modern modes of listening to music are- earbuds, headphones, bluetooth speakers, etc.. However, Mix Cubes are not meant for referencing. They are used for listening to mixes in mono to correctly balance instruments heavy in midrange like vocals, pianos, guitars, etc.. If you can get good separation of midrange instruments and vocals (ie. get your vocal to pop) on mix cubes in mono by applying eq, dynamics, etc.. when you listen to the mix in stereo (with correctly panned instruments, etc) on modern studio monitors, the mix usually translates better if you initially balanced everything on MixCubes or NS-10s. Mixcubes are meant to assist in mixing in this and other ways, not to be used as reference monitors. Those nice speakers that are sitting vertically in your studio, ear buds, phones, and bluetooth speakers are great reference monitors. If you mix on mix cubes or even NS-10s (which also are not reference monitors), the mix you are referencing on your speakers will likely be better balanced. My advice is to initially mix/ balance/ compress, etc.. on mix cubes. Then, fine tune on NS-10s (especially the lows and highs). Then, play that mix on modern smiley face eq'd reference monitors, etc.. and adjust if needed. Why reinvent the wheel? People still use Neve mic pres, 1176s, etc.. because they sound good and familiar. IMHO.
I think it's exactly that .We are a community of guys much like the guys who are into tricking out cars. It's a culture. We love our gear and some of it is just tradition.
I have the behritone. One. It does the job: i check the mix for vocals. I wanted a shitty speaker, got the behritone and avantone. Avantone sounds better. Sold avantone. I wanted shitty, remember :)
a lot of young people use their laptop, ipad or celphone to listen to music. . . . and the avantone sounds pretty much like those very small speakers, and although some laptops have stereo.... their distance is so close that practically is just mono.
And for the midrange (where "the magic" is....) they are very good as a reference. I have just one for the Mono-MidRange quick check......
But I preffer my BareFoots 👍 👍 👍 🤓 🔊
I was considering buying one for quick "radio style" mono check, then i was gifted a Tivoli Audio Model One radio thas has aux input and i hooked it up in mono to do just that. I still feel there's a point in such a one way small speaker used as a real world mono monitor, but glad i did not invest any money in this.
Haha, you guys are proper nerds!! It was an interesting video though 👍
Thanks for the healthy dose of scepticism re these, or in general, anything "Vintage" (just about my most hated word), or anything that is "flavour of the month" with (insert name of..) whoever is the current darling of the producer world. The reason you see these people féted in the press and online, is because they are often being paid to push expensive "vintage" hardware/software/plugins/etc. etc.
All part of the "I need all the plugins because if i don't have them my music/mixes won't sound "PROFESSIONAL". All part of the instant fix that you get from plugin presets, whether they be Magic compressors, Magic Synths, Magic Valve/Tube Unicorn boxes (all available at eye-watering prices, of course.
Whether it's guitarists and their "TONE", or keyboardists and their "ANALOGUE synths" etc. sadly too many people in this world believe all this hype.
Case in point. A friend, who has written some good songs, was told that her favourite producer used cassette recorders, to mix to, to add "warmth and distortion" so she bought a second (or third or fourth) hand Tascam 4 track cassette recorder. Mixed stuff from her Logic songs onto it. the idea was to then add to this in Logic, to build the final tracks.
Needless to say, because of all that analogue wow and flutter and timing instability, it became impossible to resync to the DAW again, and the whole project ended up as a mess.
If people simply learned to use whatever resources they have properly, like actually using all the resources in their DAW, they might A) learn something, and B) save a lot of money in the process.
Keep up the great work, guys. Your channel is a breath of fresh air of reason in the murky world of music production, and the accompanying hype.
best story ever on ns10.
What is the différents between auratone and avantone.
Inspire your create.
Perfect video.
For me their worth it if I have the money to put on them without any worry and they might help just little.
Fo rmyself I found they helped me understand what I'm meant to be listening for in a mix in better monitors so really they should be passed down to new people for cost of shipping as training wheels with the aviso they will then be passed on when they have done this job.
I find the responce is really helpful.
For me it's taking the sound from fatiguing to not being fatiging and that meants its there.
One thing someone who had learned what they needed to on them now only using one set of montiors is a Anker bluetooth due to the bass processing some devices that now had to a be accounted for in the mix.
So really it's more about having mordern devices kicking around to test mixes on and keep just one set of monitors.
The drawmer 3.1 has this great bass mid and high, plus mid and side soloing which could be the solution to that mid checking thing.
Otherwise just have your modern phone and a bluetooth speak with some stupid processing onit so you can check your mix isn't going to be destroied by this processing nosense.
I'm making long comment due to not being able to create... so I'm crating comments innit... At least there's not hate... cats are the best