Mastering Help?

[djOdyssey]

i'd advise getting monitors, then headphones. i'm not really sure on which are 'the best' or worst tbh, i use some cheap kurzweil monitors and they do the job for me, but krk monitors are good as well. as for headphones, audio techincas should be alright, but at that price range they are gonna be consumer grade so prob better off saving some money and getting decent ones

Yeah once i get more income, i was planning on getting alot better of quality gear, but as for now i'm just trying to get the stuff that can be bought cheap, and still do the job. But at first i didn't know what you meant by monitors, but now that i looked them up what would be the difference between those and any other sound system? They kinda just look like a lower-grade...

Shure srh440 is in your range. Not the best but they're alright I guess

Yeah, but i'm not planning on getting amazing headphones just yet, so they could do... However i have a hard time deciding which headphones sound better, like once their on they all sound quite decent. Do you happen to have any preferences for that price range? (Under $100)

[CE9958]

Always mix on monitors. Headphones should be used as a last resort if on the go or tracking only. Mixing only in headphones is always going to give you inaccurate results. Headphones provide an unrealistic listening and monitoring environment.

The reason monitors are different than "sound systems" is because monitors are designed to have a flat frequency response. This is ideal because it keeps you from getting odd frequency boosts that are present in commercial listening equipment. Some will have over hyped bass for example to make the music sound more pleasing. If this is the case you will be mixing on a system that is not accurate in monitoring and you music will come out sounding different than how you thought it sounded on your system.

Monitors are the way to go. Use that 100 dollars and put it toward your decent monitor fund. You can get a solid set of 5in woofer monitors that will do just fine for basic work for 3-400 dollars. Mackie MR5's are great for example.

[djOdyssey]

Always mix on monitors. Headphones should be used as a last resort if on the go or tracking only. Mixing only in headphones is always going to give you inaccurate results. Headphones provide an unrealistic listening and monitoring environment.

I take by the term tracking you mean structuring? or does that mean something different?

The reason monitors are different than "sound systems" is because monitors are designed to have a flat frequency response. This is ideal because it keeps you from getting odd frequency boosts that are present in commercial listening equipment. Some will have over hyped bass for example to make the music sound more pleasing. If this is the case you will be mixing on a system that is not accurate in monitoring and you music will come out sounding different than how you thought it sounded on your system.

Monitors are the way to go. Use that 100 dollars and put it toward your decent monitor fund. You can get a solid set of 5in woofer monitors that will do just fine for basic work for 3-400 dollars. Mackie MR5's are great for example.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up. That makes a lot more sense, i always see producers with them, and i was wondering about that myself. Would it be worth buying monitors that are cheaper? or would that be a waste of money in the long run? Because i want to get something accurate as soon as i can, but i don't have 3-400 dollars to drop on them just yet. Should i just wait till i can afford good ones, or would moderate still work?

[CE9958]

Tracking is when you're sitting down recording vocals or something. Its the part of the process where you're just trying to record in parts. For electronic music this stage doesnt always exist. However I record vocals on a lot of my songs so thats my tracking stage. You cant use monitors obviously or it would all come through the microphone lol.

To be honest even putting down 200 for a set of monitors is an investment. However if you do that you're going to end up with something like the maudio studiophiles or the bx5a's or something which are just weak monitors imo. I suggest you wait, get together 3-400 dollars and put it down on the mackie MR5s or something similar. I actually prefer these to the KRK's at the same price point. I use the Mackie MR8's and I'm totally in love with them. The MR5's would be a great place to start out.

Its almost christmas time

[djOdyssey]

To be honest even putting down 200 for a set of monitors is an investment. However if you do that you're going to end up with something like the maudio studiophiles or the bx5a's or something which are just weak monitors imo. I suggest you wait, get together 3-400 dollars and put it down on the mackie MR5s or something similar. I actually prefer these to the KRK's at the same price point. I use the Mackie MR8's and I'm totally in love with them. The MR5's would be a great place to start out.

Its almost christmas time

Yeah i was thinking that would be better over all. and you're right... it is bahaha.
But, you're saying their 3-400. Do you mean for 2?

Because i was searching and i found them for like $175 per speaker.($99 on clearance )
These are the right ones, correct?
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mackie-MR5- ... 2027983.gc