Mixdowns - Monitors or Headphones?

What up people... I am just curious to know some input on this one... you can see what I am working with on my avatar... I have event 20/20 passive monitors that go thump! But.... I am curious about the multi-trackin on my production.

I dropped a beat yesterday into logic... ran my mpc - emu - triton into the board. Went into logic and did my tweak thing with compression, eq's and what not... then I started mixing it down and got real playful with some stereo imaging...

Now on the events when i think I have everything lined up and sounding solid across the board... I put my headphones on (which I usually never do but since this beat is that serious I was high and curious... lol) and it doesn't sound in line.... now I believe that my headpones wouldn't lie for the fact that they are so universal... so I am going to bounce it and play it on a few cd players - other computers and what not... run it through t-racks and beef it up... we'll see what's good...

but do any of you multi track your beats... have you messed with both methods... you know I just like to chop it up on some real music ish...

join in

yea i do sometimes. takes longer to me.

but, i would NEVER mix down a track using headphones. you just wont get an accurate sound (imo). i think you'll throw the whole mix off.

and if thats the setup your working with (in your avatar), it looks real tight! do your thang!

If you have time, try & get the mix sounding right in the headphones, but keep going back to the monitors to make sure nothing is sounding wrong through those. I'm guessing that the big, fat sound you get through the monitors is masking what is probably a tiny little inaccuracy in the lining up in Logic.

I am going to bounce it and play it on a few cd players

When you do this, listen on headphones on those systems too. Also, get a few second opinions. It might be one of these things that you can hear because you know the track inside out, but nobody else will notice......

It is a good idea to check your mixes through headphones (even though I often don't), especially these days with iPods making personal stereos really popular again.

I usually do both, headphones and monitors...But I know when mixing with monitors the monitors can lie to you...I usually try double check my mix in headphones and a regular boom box (actually I do this 90% of the time). Have to think that most of people dont even have monitors to begin with..the average person does not own quality stereo equipment..!!
Also make a cassette tape or burn a cd and listen to it in a factory car stereo system...a couple years ago..I had a Dodge Dynasty with the factory tape deck, and if everything sound it cool in there then it was cool to press up (95% of the time)...
This is just my personal opinion..

I use my sony mdvr700's for mixdowns. If I had some good monitors I would def use those more though.

Yeah this is some kick azz feed back... I mixed it down just using the head phones -- that mix was not right... the stereo spread was actually too wide... then I mixed on just my Event monitors and got it on the money... the track I was referring to is in the YOUR MUSIC section... maybe you will hear something I don't or didn't... I just want the perfect mix!

Thanks for the quality input too!

Low

that mix was not right... the stereo spread was actually too wide...

Yes, overdoing stereo can ruin things. Again, coming out of good monitors at the best listening point, the sound will be inside the room & will sound right, but on headphones if it is just in one ear & not the other it can sound completely wrong. Panning of instruments is one side of mixing that is really good to use headphones for. You don't want to risk making a conga pattern sound like the left drum is in a different corner of the room to the right drum, or the lower keys of a piano are ten feet away from the upper keys.

lol featherboy your right man. headphones are pretty good for panning effects. but what bangaz said was a reason why i dont use headphones to mix down. maybe its just me, but i never get a good mix in headphones. i usually switch between my BIG speakers and a little desktop set of speakers (some ok computer speakers) and i figured out the perfect mix on those speakers. so those work juuuustt fine

Actually, my boy always mixes down on headphones and his beat real was bangin enough to get on several high-profile artists. Basically, it all depends on what you're doing. If you're mixing a record in a big, commercial room, like Quad, Hitfactory or Unique, obviously you're going to use NS10's for your mid-highs and whatever big speakers they have for your bottom end (usually-not always). Then, as someone else mentioned here, you'll walk around and play it on several differant "consumer" systems. At home, making a beat real is a differant story. Even if you have $1000 near field monitors, if they are not sitting right, or the room is not right, what you hear is not always going to be what you get. Whereas with headphones, you won't have to deal with room acoustics. Just get to "know your headphones". nah mean?

experimentation is the best route to go until you find the "G" spot in your homes mixes.

yeah featherboy is on point... I actually did both... mixed in the headphones to guide out the stereo points then brought it up on the monitors and added some peanut butter to it... overall I am happy with how clean it came out.

dont forget the fundamental is to learn and know how your specific set up sounds (speakers, headphones, PA etc) even in relative to the tracks purpose. play the mixed tracks on other speakers & headphones etc to make sure.... and then double check it. after that it really doesnt matter what **** you are using for referens listening... are you following me?