Mixing with Headphones

If you’re operating a typical project studio then you probably have some limitations that you have to live with.  It may be physical space, level of outside noise or proximity to neighbors.  Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of working on our favorite studio monitors, especially when traveling.  Here are some thoughts and ideas for working on your mixes or editing using headphones.

First of all, headphones don’t provide an experience that’s remotely close to what studio monitors provide.  Headphones are a sterile listening environment completely unaffected by the room around them.  They are also unnatural because sounds appear in the extreme when it comes to panning – everything into the right ear or left ear and objects panned center seem to emanate from inside your head.  In order to mix with headphones these issues must somehow be addressed or else you can end up with some strange mixes as a result – especially in panning and volume level decisions.  We hear naturally in a cross fade pattern.  Sounds on the right are also received on the left but offset by the width of your head and probably with different frequency response than the right.  That’s the focus here – creating that sense of cross-feed that occurs when we hear naturally.

Fortunately there are some remedies that exist.  Nothing is perfect but if you want to elevate your headphone mixes or try mixing on headphones then you should investigate some of these options.

Head Fit: This is a great, free DLL that works as a VST plugin for most systems.  It’s a little confusing to use at first but once you set it up and optimize for your own experience it performs pretty well.  Head Fit allows you to adjust timing and eq so that the headphone mix will offer a similar listening experience to studio monitors.  Strap the plugin across the final mix buss or stereo buss of your DAW.  Don’t forget to disable it when you use monitors or mixdown!

HDPHX: Another  free VST solution that works by using the Haas Effect (a psychoacoustic effect regarding the way sound is perceived and how we localize where it’s originating from) to provide a delayed and attenuated cross-channel mix in each ear. 

Headphone Mix: Free VST that operates in similar principle to HDPHX and Head Fit. 

Canz3D: VST plugin that creates a simulation of a room with 2 speakers.

The software VST solutions present an easy way to start experimenting with headphone mixing.  Even some minor cross-feed is beneficial and most of these plugins do a pretty decent job and hey, they’re free!  If you want an even more in-depth approach and you really rely a lot on headphone mixing, check out the Focusrite Saffire  Pro 24 DSP audio interface.  The Pro 24 is a Firewire audio interface but it has onboard DSP that simulates different studio monitor and room combinations which do a good job at creating a headphone environment similar to that of a typical studio monitor setup.  It’s pricey if you’re just interested in the DSP but then again you’re also getting 16 inputs and 18 outputs so you’ll probably find other uses for it as well.

Again, nothing is a perfect replacement for mixing through studio monitors but the VST plugins mentioned above and the DSP on the Saffire can certainly make a difference by getting you closer.