Go Back   Cockos Incorporated Forums > REAPER Forums > Recording Technologies and Techniques

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-14-2012, 11:23 AM   #1
DeathByGuitar
Human being with feelings
 
DeathByGuitar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 507
Default Free VST plugin for mixing with headphones?

I've got studio monitors already, but I'm not able to blow a whole bunch of money on acoustic treatment. I'm looking for a free VST plugin I can put on my master bus that can simulate studio monitors like the Focusrite VRM. By all means, suggest every plugin imaginable.


There was a plugin called HDPHX I keep reading about but it's not for download anymore...unless of course someone wants to upload it :-)
DeathByGuitar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2012, 11:30 AM   #2
RunBeerRun
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 562
Default

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/34713525/AudibleEyes.rar -I made this one, it does 2 band eq into a mid side, the mid side can be mono or stereo, options to invert one side or both.

I use this to check levels when mixing with headphones. I started out with Toneboosters Isone, but the sound was too dull.
__________________
Free Synthedit/Synthmaker plugins that I made: runbeerrun dot blogspot dot com
RunBeerRun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2012, 11:38 AM   #3
DeathByGuitar
Human being with feelings
 
DeathByGuitar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 507
Default

I'll give that a try. Thanks so much.

If anyone else has any other plugin suggestions I'll try those too.
DeathByGuitar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2012, 11:40 AM   #4
midiboss
Human being with feelings
 
midiboss's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: near Schmeltz
Posts: 219
Default

HDPHX @
http://web.archive.org/web/200903040...ts-hdphx.shtml
midiboss is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2012, 11:44 AM   #5
Smurf
Human being with feelings
 
Smurf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,173
Default

VNoPhones
http://www.sonicspot.com/vnophones/vnophones.html
__________________
Yep's First 3 Years in PDF's
HP Z600 w/3GHz 12 Core, 48GB Memory, nVidia Quadro 5800, 240GB SSD OS drive, 3 480GB SSD Sample/Storage drives, 18TB External Storage, Dual 27" Monitors
Smurf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2012, 11:45 AM   #6
DVDdoug
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 2,779
Default

From Recording Magazine:
Quote:
As those of you who have followed this column for any length of time can attest, headphone mixing is one of the big no-no's around these parts. In our humble opinion, headphone mixes do not translate well in the real world, period, end of story. Other than checking for balance issues and the occasional hunting down of little details, they are tools best left for the tracking process.
If you start monkeying with the sound of our headphones, you are going to make things harder for yourself. If there is a known weakness in the frequency response somewhere, you can adjust for that. Or, if you want to use a little crossfeed that's OK too. But, if you add any special tweeks, it will take some time for your ears adjust to the changes so that you "automatically know" what a good mix sounds like with the changes to your monitoring set-up.

And, your listeners are not going to be using crossfeed or any special plug-ins. The goal is NOT to make your headphones (or your studio) "sound good"... The goal is to make a good product/production. Your mix needs to sound good on regular-average headphones, audiophile headphones, average speakers, high-end speakers/monitors, etc.

Learn what a good mix sounds like on your monitors (in your room). Learn to make good mixes on your monitors. Check your mix against a good reference recording (same genre) on your monitors, on your headphones, on your living-room system, your car system, your ear buds, and everything else you can get your hands on.

Last edited by DVDdoug; 03-14-2012 at 11:51 AM.
DVDdoug is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-15-2012, 10:52 AM   #7
simpsongb
Human being with feelings
 
simpsongb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 461
Default

http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-isone/

Pretty complete solution really....the guy that created it has amazing credentials...not free, but very cheap......demo available.....
__________________
Very proud licensed user of Reaper!!
simpsongb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2012, 02:37 AM   #8
henric
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 86
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by simpsongb View Post
http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-isone/

Pretty complete solution really....the guy that created it has amazing credentials...not free, but very cheap......demo available.....
I've bought the Isone, liking it so far, even for normal listening. It can be used as a subtle crossfade effect or full on speaker simulation.

However, it's a complete hassle to set up, be prepared to second guess yourself when setting your "head-size" and "ear-size".

The best thing I can say about the isone is that bad mixes sound even worse, it really brings forth the mud. Of course, it cannot replace a treated room with good monitors, but it's still a decent tool for us poor bedroom engineers.
henric is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2012, 02:59 PM   #9
trevlyns
Human being with feelings
 
trevlyns's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Rhode Island, New England
Posts: 1,665
Default

Valuable advice from DVDdoug there - read it again...
__________________
Retired Home Music Producer
Sample Projects https://soundcloud.com/trevs_audio
trevlyns is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2012, 06:28 AM   #10
henric
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 86
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DVDdoug View Post
If you start monkeying with the sound of our headphones, you are going to make things harder for yourself.
I've tried mixing with headphones without Isone and found that the mixes simply don't translate at all to speakers. With Isone, they translate OK. For example, an Altiverb insert will sound VERY different on my monitors compared to headphones, while sounding quite similar when comparing monitors to Isone. Some recordings/effects can sound wonderful on headphones (without Isone) and terrible on speakers.

http://simplyrecordingpodcast.com/mixing-on-headphones/

Has anybody tried Isone and found that mixing without it is better?
henric is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2012, 10:34 AM   #11
tls11823
Human being with feelings
 
tls11823's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Harrisburg, PA USA
Posts: 1,481
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by henric View Post
Has anybody tried Isone and found that mixing without it is better?
I use Isone and do believe it helps. My monitoring environment is alright but not ideal, and it's not going to be ideal any time soon. I use Isone with decent studio-quality headphones in addition to my monitors. And of course I also check on regular PC speakers, earbuds, car stereo, etc. I don't know if I'd want headphones with Isone to be my only reference, but it does help in addition to everything else.
__________________
We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.
--Charles Kingsley... or maybe Albert Einstein... definitely somebody wiser than myself--
tls11823 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2012, 04:45 PM   #12
josh gura
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 60
Default

Its so weird that great 'pro' master recordings sound good on all headphones, monitors, boom boxes, pocket radios at the same time.

Is it the Fletcher Munson thing? The proximity effect? Hutchinson Effect?

Guess it helps to have a tuned room, Far + Near Fields, matched amps, console and dim switch, and someone answering the phone for you.
josh gura is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:58 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.