Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Comments
Average is kind of the wrong word. It is more complicated than that. You don't mix to the average system but you want it to sound good on such a system. If you mix on that average system it might not sound good on a really good system.
I suppose there is what some would call averaging but average doesn't capture it in my opinion.
The reason for training on well regarded time tested mixed is that they have stood the test of time because the people behind them found a special balance.
I use Status Audio phones. Quite excellent.
https://www.status.co/products/cb1?_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJkYXZpZHhoYXJ0QGdtYWlsLmNvbSIsICJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogImdWTkdOZCJ9
This site seems to have some interesting info. I think the review of the DT880 Edition (I have that, not Pro version) is spot on. Not sure how the rest of the reviews are, but... worth checking out, I think.
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-a-i/dt880-250ω/
anybody using these BT ones?
I don't care about blue tooth, I'd use them with the cable anyway.
Main headphones are Apple Earbuds with TB Morphit as a crutch.
My current external monitors are my Subaru Outback. I’ve got HS7’s but not hooked up. My studio is wherever I’m sitting or standing.
well said Drez
My very subjective review:
During the lockdown I decided to retire my 20 year old AKG. At the end 3 candidates left: Sony MDR7506, Audiotechnica M50x and Beyerdynamic DT770 pro.
I read several articles, reviews, comparisons and finally ordered the M50x. Its sound was fantastic and very pleasant to listen, the build quality is superb. However it was simply not compatible with my head and ears
Its earcups are too small for my ears, the clamping force is too strong and the headband contacted my head only at a small point causing excessive discomfort. Before you ask, no I am not an alien
It was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t wear it for more than 10 minutes
After the lockdown I decided to replace it. I went to the shop and tested the alternatives:
All in all, I ended up buying the 32ohms version of DT770 pro. After 2 months of use I can say I’m absolutely satisfied.
AKG K-812
LOL
Would you please recommend me a car?
Sure, Bugatti Chiron
Ok, this is a sign...I finally decided to buy A DT770 32 ohms. Thanks for this timely comment
i got a pair of the newest over the ear beats headphones when i bought the wife a macbook, i would a never bought them and are obviously bass heavy, but they are what i have and what i use ... hopefully they don’t make mixing on monitors really hard in the future 🤷🏻♂️
For playing guitar and bass with amp sims and practicing for hours, it’s Sony MDR-7506 all the way. I went through 4 pairs of headphones that were 32-38 Ohms, including Grado SR80e, and though they did sound good, none of them could handle guitar. Both clean and overdriven guitar at medium volume would cause flatulent crackle and ridiculous sympathetic bass vibrations and overtones that rumbled the whole can. Initially I just blamed the amp sims for being crap, but after doing a little research I got the MDR-7506 specifically for their 63 Ohms, and it made all the difference. They can handle guitar and bass sims at high volume and are comfortable to wear for hours. Just my 2 cents...
@Michael please ban this spammer.
Thanks, @gusgranite
Cheers. I guess I should just use the Flag next time.
My AAW custom triple driver IEM were about $300 on Black Friday 2018, normally about 375, then I paid $75 at audiologist for the molds. They are fantastic. So good IEM don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. The 5 driver version is about $575 if I remember right.
I got them from www.null-audio.com, and these are the model I have:
https://www.null-audio.com/collections/custom-in-ear-monitor/products/advanced-acousticwerkes-a3h-pro-triple-driver-hybrid-custom-in-ear-monitor
There are based in Singapore and are a very reputable company. I’m in the US, the process from purchase to receiving them, including fitting, was about 10 weeks, which is normal for custom IEM.
It’s interesting that more than one person has found the 7506’s lacking bass. Mine have a huge bump at around 80-100Hz and slowly drop off with very little under 50Hz. They also have a big bump around 3KHz and a dip in the middle.
I have done some extensive listening with different headphones but have never found any pair with acceptable reproduction of sub 80Hz frequencies in any price range. A ”neutral” or ”clear” sound usually means there’s nothing below 150 Hz and also misses a lot of stuff above 4KHz, a ”meaty” bass means it’s incredibly boomy and boxy. IMO all headphones suck to different degrees. My consumer grade speakers wipe the floor with 400+€ pairs when it comes to flatness and reliability. Also the variance from one pair to another within the same product line is significant and as always, this year’s product of the same name might not be the same as last year’s. Cost cutting kills all great products eventually.
I’d have to agree with dendy’s early comment, doesn’t matter what you use, you have to check EQ with multiple devices and an analyzer and compare to well produced mixes. To be honest, I kind of hate mixing because of all this.
akg k 702... superb !
Still rocking my krk kns 8400’s, but finding replacement ear pads for them is a mare, only just replaced them last year and one has split already, not ready to admit to myself the problem may be my large head.
But some new cans have come out that look interesting, but a little pricey, very tempted to save and get a pair.
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-product-alert/1327446-steven-slate-vsx-headphone-mix-pro-studios-mastering-rooms-cars-clubs-boomboxes-amp-more.html
Your comment resonate with me. I use a pair of Beyerdynamic Custom Pro and the sound is really good, but I sometimes have crack in the sound. I need to put all the setting really low. My headphones are 32 ohms. Will a pair of 250 ohms help me?
I was thinking about the Beyerdynamic DT 770 250 ohms.
Any suggestion is welcome.
Also, if anyone have experience with 50MM Drivers Studio Headphones MAONO AU-MH601, just le me know. They seems to be to good to be true.
From what I understand, lower impedance headphones (32-38ohm) have less resistance and are easier to drive, so they are more prone to sounding blown out or distorted. They are really suited for use with phones, iPods, computers, and other general “consumer” applications. Supposedly they drain less battery as well. I would imagine they’re good in the studio for listening to a mastered track or monitoring, but perhaps not for tracking or playing amp sims. There are many phenomenal low impedance headphones for critical listening, but they’re generally meant for consumers on the go.
Higher impedance headphones (above 60ohms) are generally considered better for studio use or for home use with a real headphone amplifier/driver. They are of course harder to drive as a result so less prone to crackles and distortion. There’s more to it than just thinking of them as “quieter”, though that’s part of it. They can also be more transparent.
If you feel that 32ohm is too puffed up and blown out sounding for you, then I would definitely recommend 60ohms, 150ohms, 250ohms, etc... especially for “professional” or studio use. Keep in mind they may not sound as good with consumer products like an iPhone. They need to actually be driven, which is why they’re suited for headphone drivers on audio interfaces etc... I use 32ohm Grados for critical listening or Spotify and 63ohm Sonys for studio tracking and amp sims, though the Sonys are fine for Spotify as well. Once you get into 250ohms you’re in a different place..:
I would suggest that if your headphones are distorting then you are listening at a level far too high for your ears’ health. Please be careful!
FWIW, I recently listened to a talk by Snarky Puppy's leader, Michael League, who os also an excellent producer. He said that he uses ATHM 50 headphones....and has for 20 years or something. He said they are good not great but he knows them from years of mixing and "i might use $6000 speakers in the studio and also these headphones because I know them so well"
The important parameter that tells you how loud the headphones can get for a given amount of power is "sensitivity". Resistance won't be much help here. I suggest you lookup the sensitivity of your current pair, and compare them against candidate headphones.
Generally speaking closed back headphones have higher sensitivity. But I don't like their sound. Have a look at Sennheiser 598 or 599. For the same amount of power they get about 10db louder than most open back headphones, that's a doubling of the perceived loudness. I use them with the apple dongle and I'm very happy with them.
For comparison, I also have the dt880, k702, and hd 650, and they all require cranking up the gain at every stage in the signal chain, which gives me all sorts of clipping. Unless you're willing to pair them with a dedicated amplifier, which is a different story.
I also moved into the IEM camp and I don’t want to go back. I can just recommend to try it. I own a Sennheiser IE 40 Pro which has got just a single driver. Therefore it has no problems with phases while still delivering the needed frequency spectrum. This headphone is supported by the great Toneboosters Morphit AUv3 that corrects its frequency response.
IEMs have a great precision, are comfortable to wear, are compact and provide a great deal of isolation. I can wear this headphone for hours and I just always take it with me as it is virtually impossible to damage it during transport.
I wish it was really true as a universal statement. Unfortunately, I apparently have sensitive ears that can't stand anything in them for a longer period of time, so for me, anything in-ear or rather, in-canal is sadly out of question. 🤷
I still tried them short term though out of interest and I don't think they can compete with large over-ear cans in any case. But this might just be me trying to console myself for my physical incompatibility with those cool little things
Yeah right, I shouldn’t generalize this. For me personally IEM’s are more comfortable. I cannot wear an overear for more than 30-40 min. I get hot and sweaty ears very quickly.
Each to their own first-world problems
I'n using Sony MDR7506. Was affordable for me. I've found it very comfortable for long wear. Sounds clean and not muddy to my ears. Pairing it with ToneBoosters Morphit plugin lately - I'm getting some decent sounding mixes. I don't have speakers yet, so I'm mixing only in headphones.
Dav