Warren Huart on What You Need to Successfully Mix with Headphones

How important are headphones when it comes to your time in the studio? Well, it depends on who you ask! Sure, a solid pair of studio-quality headphones can be a useful form of support when dialing in individual sounds or working on urgent projects when a reliable environment or set of studio monitors aren’t available, but what about when you’re completing a mix? Can the right pair of headphones provide the range and detail needed to finish mixing a project with the same quality as doing so on monitors? Mitch Gallagher sat down with renowned multi-platinum record producer, recording engineer, composer, and musical polymath Warren Huart to find the answer. Check it out!

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[Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Mitch for having me on! Always amazing talking to you

[jerrymckenzie]

I work mostly through headphones (in a home studio) and check my mix through speakers periodically. I then check my final mix through Apple Airpods every time because that's how I listen to music these days.

[morenote.]

I went through a number of headphones from cheap to pricey, I think that I found a sweet spot in the middle of those targets, pricey doesn't always mean better.

[StudioEquipmentReviews-tpmv]

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Headphones vs Monitors
05:45 - Mixing Detail Levels
06:47 - Sound Safety in Mixing
11:11 - Steven Slate vs Waves Abbey Road
17:51 - Understanding Your Headphones
19:15 - Bob Clearmountain's Mixing Techniques
21:34 - Achieving Low End on Headphones
23:58 - Using Crossfeed on Headphones
25:45 - Importance of Quality Headphones
27:57 - Headphone Mixing Summary
28:34 - Making Music with Headphones
30:28 - Sweetwater Headphone Showcase
32:05 - Closing Thoughts

[Joe-mzdc]

Warren is a huge gift to all of us. Here he is talking about mixing with headphones and also encouraging us to stop trying to be perfect and instead try to be entertaining and human. Love this guy.

[CampbellDownie]

Have to mix in headphones 99% of the time now, because of my home studio, used to own big studios back in the day but now those days are gone, but, mixing in headphones took me some time to get used to, Purchased a pair of Blue cans from sweet water (until they fell apart) now use Beyers and recorded my Pandemic album full orchestral using only those, and now working on everything for publishers in UK and Paris, but, the secret I think is know your gear, know what every type of plugin does, how the compressors work, etc etc, and be willing to be creative not perfect, but again know the science of sound, (Waves NX is good, ) and reference, when I listen back a few years, I cringe at my mixes but now I think im getting happier lol.

[stickstermusic]

I've had some great headphones, from the 7506 to ATH-M50 to 280. No complaints but when I moved to Slate VSX it really was a game changer to be able to mix in the equivalent of a truly fantastic studio room. (Plus they emulate some great headphones.)

[LeChapeauMusic]

My main pair of headphones is of course the DT-770 Pro. Now my aunty bought me a cheap pair of wireless headphones for Christmas, and apparently they work great for mixing low-mids! It's like car speakers but even more honest I'd say. If you're not in a well treated control room with good monitors, headphones like these are simply magical.

[marekgitarzysta]

I like how passionate Warren is in whatever he's talking about

[sensusmusic]

I fell in love with my DT990 pros, they are super affordable and sound insanely good! I got some Adam TV5s too as monitors to switch too but I would recommend the Beyerdynamic DT990s (open back also changed the game for me)

[jeremythornton]

Loving this episode. In my little basement studio, I mix on Kali LP 6s, and also a pair of Edirol MA-15D's. For headphones I love my Sennheirser HD 280 Pros. I'm on my second pair. 2 sets of studio monitors and a good set of 'phones. Works for me!

[Sam-sslo]

He wasn't exaggerating about those low synth notes at the beginning of the Sarah McKlachin song. Any chance you could publish the 30-song reference playlist along with notes about what you're listening for in each? And or do a video on the playlist?

[briankahanek]

What a great message 👍 The reality of how your audience consumes audio changes your game!

[LaidbackSounds]

That video is golden, Mitch and Warren are the dream team

[charliegrey]

What’s the plug-in he’s talking about at the start?

[frankrotthier]

I track through Audio Technica m50x's and mix on Audeze mm500's, I use the Canopener 3 plugin for some Crossfeed or use the Crossfeed function on my Chord Mojo 2 DAC. dSoniq Realphones plugin works great as well.

[Anders]

I recently bought Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 headphones! The Bluetooth connection gives fairly low volume and maybe slightly lower audio quality than with the 3mm connection but I like mixing with it. Interesting that Warren said that Audio-Technica is good below 100 Hz, that gives me more confidence that I can trust the low end.

[rickdeaguiar-musicreflecti]

Excellent interview and perspective on using headphones to mix. Mitch always draws out the best of the folks that he interviews. Warren has a wonderful way about him. So much experience :)

[MennellMusic]

What Warren says about reverb about 5 and a half minutes in. So true 👍👍👍

[mattrixx_audio]

Great interview guys... Also as "Frank" mentions in the comments from about 12 days ago, crossfeed is incredibly important when understanding the stereo field when mixing in headphones and especially awesome when you're working with your personal head profile (from an in between ear delay time/phase aspect). Pretty incredible stuff going on these days for sure. Aaaargh, then you both talk about it around 44mins LOL