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Prefered Volume of Headphones during Mixing

I just got reminded of of a question that I would like to ask all TA DJs: What's your prefered volume in your headphones? Do you like it the same volume as your PGMs, a little softer or a little louder?

I know this is going to sound dumb, but my mixing is very dependant on my headphones volumes. If it's louder than what I'm hearing at the PGM, I'll definately trainwreck, coz it gives me headaches. If it's the same volume, I'm not as confident. I only work best if I can just barely hear the beats in my headphones that I'm able to mix well. That's why I'm always inclined to hover, instead of completely cover, my ehadphones over my cue-ing ear when I mix. What about you guys?

Well I like to use the same volium for them both.
Simply because if you will play one of them louder than the other, the beats will overcome it and you will not be able to create a perfect beatmatch.
Therefore it is vital to syncronize the volium, which will also help you create the perfect mix.

Exactly.
Just remember to mix with one, one ONE, earphone which wll be on the opposite side to that which the monitor speaker is and you'll do fine if u sinc the volume.

it really depends how i have my headphones on my head......i never really have the whole cup over one ear..i can pretty much distinguish the 2 traks...when im mixing i'll adjust the volume if need be

To save my hearing as much as possible I have my headphones as low as is possible to mix with. Unfortunately in some situations this is blaringly loud

Also if I�m playing out and I know I'll be using a hevy system I�ll take earplugs too.

I like to have both cups over my ears, and I keep both songs at the same volume (low!)... save your hearing.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Russo I like to have both cups over my ears, and I keep both songs at the same volume (low!)... save your hearing.

Both cups over your ear? How do you monitor your PGM then? You use headphone cueing?

quote:

Originally posted by Great Outdoors Both cups over your ear? How do you monitor your PGM then? You use headphone cueing?

Yeah, I gotta do it that way... I don't like anything else. It depends on the mixer, 99% of them let you listen to different channels at the same time and adjust the volume of each one in the 'phones.

Smart way to do it, Michael.... especially with the HD280 Pro's...saving your hearing is smart, lol.

quote:

Originally posted by Gluegun Smart way to do it, Michael.... especially with the HD280 Pro's...saving your hearing is smart, lol.

Hahaha, I'll be ordering those shortly, thanks to your advice

Good luck with your new headphones.... and notice my new sig, lol!!

Someone's changing allegiances.

you answered your own question...

i don't have a preferred volume.. if i'm having a concentration problem and i can't quite pick out the beat in my headphones (cos i usually only have one cup on an ear and the other cup is just around my neck i guess) then i turn the volume up.. if i decide that its too loud and distracting, then i lower the volume.. but i think you should just go with what is comfortable to you.. you're the only person that really knows what is best for you!

quote:

Originally posted by Great Outdoors Someone's changing allegiances.

Hahaha!

Bad Habit

I use pretty shitty cans and I'm still a newcomer. I can match and mix most of the tracks I drop on a good day but I'm not yet at the point where I would feel comfortable making CD's and such. At any rate, the reason I posted is because I think I've developed a bad habit. The way my decks are setup in my room, my monitor is actually my stereo speakers (which get loud) and they are directly behind me, so in order to hear what I am doing, I'll listen in one ear to cue up the record I'm bringing in, but then once I release it I throw on both cups, jack up the volume on my headphones, and bring my cue pan to the middle to hear if the beats are matched or drifting. I've seen Sasha do this, or at least wear both cups, for almost an entire night, so I'm not sure if it's just not the cool thing to do or if it makes it harder. What do you guys think?

Also, while I'm discussing it, in terms of adjusting the pitch, once you guys release the cued record and you realize you need to bring the pitch either up or down, do you take a stab at about how far it needs to be adjusted, bring it back to the original point, and release again and see, and so on and so fourth? Or, do you let the record run (assuming you've got time on the record to do so), and adjust the pitch on the fly and then manipulate the vinyl to lineup the beats again and then see if it drifts or matches?


Thanks.

Re: Bad Habit

quote:

Originally posted by shompton I use pretty shitty cans and I'm still a newcomer. I can match and mix most of the tracks I drop on a good day but I'm not yet at the point where I would feel comfortable making CD's and such. At any rate, the reason I posted is because I think I've developed a bad habit. The way my decks are setup in my room, my monitor is actually my stereo speakers (which get loud) and they are directly behind me, so in order to hear what I am doing, I'll listen in one ear to cue up the record I'm bringing in, but then once I release it I throw on both cups, jack up the volume on my headphones, and bring my cue pan to the middle to hear if the beats are matched or drifting. I've seen Sasha do this, or at least wear both cups, for almost an entire night, so I'm not sure if it's just not the cool thing to do or if it makes it harder. What do you guys think? Also, while I'm discussing it, in terms of adjusting the pitch, once you guys release the cued record and you realize you need to bring the pitch either up or down, do you take a stab at about how far it needs to be adjusted, bring it back to the original point, and release again and see, and so on and so fourth? Or, do you let the record run (assuming you've got time on the record to do so), and adjust the pitch on the fly and then manipulate the vinyl to lineup the beats again and then see if it drifts or matches? Thanks.

Well to try and answer your first question (I'm sort of a newbie myself ), I can only say that over-reliance on the cue pan should be the real bad habit that needs to be corrected because if you're gonna get shitty mixers that doesn't have this function in club or something you're really going to get screwed. When DJ-ing it's always best to just do the basics and get good at it rather than rely on technology.
What I do is try and beatmatch on the fly when I'm in the middle of a transition and I sense something is wrong. My personal bad habit is pushing or stopping the outgoing record label, but the correct way should be just to adjust the pitch control on either the incoming or the outgoing, depending on your preference. I think the correct way goes like this: If the beats are slowly galloping away, push the pitch slider a little bit upwards (a little bit more than the diatance you would normally push it to align the tracks), wait for a while for beats to settle in and then push it back to the original position. Sounds confusing and tedious? That's why lazy me always end up just touching the record label.

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