Getting used to studio monitors?

[JamesHanvey]

1. Is this a thing?

2. Everything I've made up to now has been on a pair of £50 in-ear headphones (approx for 2 or so years). However, now i have some rokit G3's (In November) and everything I've made on them sounds absolutely shit on the headphones I've used prior and I don't get it because the mix sounds fine on the monitors. Particularly the imaging, it feels very narrow. Not only that, but levels seem all over the place too. I'm guessing i just need more time with them and adjust as to what sounds right and what doesn't.

Here's the track im on about: https://soundcloud.com/archaic2/fafafa

[3za]

1. Yes

2.

Particularly the imaging, it feels very narrow

This is generally the case, with headphones sounding wider. Think of the difference in the sound getting to your ears.

*, Reference other tracks to yours on both your monitors, and headphones. Also just A/B other tracks using your headphones, and monitors, especially your monitors.

[JamesHanvey]

Thanks for the clarification; I didn't A/B any of it because I was simply trying to remaster an older song (which was made on the earphones) but I ended up making it sound worse somehow. I think I'll just start again and with each process i make to an individual element of the track, I'll reference it on another device just so it doesn't go bad in the long run etc etc

[3za]

Another problem you face with your monitors, that you don't with headphones is your room acoustics. You probably have, or probably will notice that the frequency respones of your monitors, change quite abit when you sit/stand somewhere different in your room. You need to get the best acoustic setup you can with what your working.

Basic tips;
keep your monitors away from walls, especally dry walls
postion your monitors at 60 degree angles with your head completing the equalatral triangel
damping, get as much as you can in your room especially on dry walls, corners, and behind your speakers.
diffusion, get funky shaped shit on your walls, especially parallel ones.
get decent speaker stand
set tweeters at ear level
always mix sat in the same place
Once set try not to fuck with the acoustics of your room, unless doing it actively to further improve them.
A/B A/B A/B..............
Do futher reading on room acoustics, Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio, etc

Sorry that buying monitors is a quick fix for your listening enviroment

[JamesHanvey]

Yeah, I've read abit about that. There's not much I can do though because there's not much room so my speakers are right up against the wall, they're pretty much 60 degrees but my chairs not adjustable so I don't exactly like up. I'm gonna get some stands very soon though.

How long did it take you to get used to monitors?