Music sounds slower in headphones?

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-- Music sounds slower in headphones?

Posted by Eugene on Dec-21-2002 23:50:

Music sounds slower in headphones?

Has anybody else noticed that when you're listening to music in your headphones, it sounds much slower than if you were listening from the speakers, in your car, etc. ?

I recently recorded a set at 142 bpm. Then I went back and listened to it in my headphones. I was like, this is soooo slow!

And now, with this in mind, I recorded a mix whose speed is ~146 bpm, and now it sounds more or less "acceptable" when I listen to it in my headphones. (146 is supposed to be pretty darn fast, and indeed, from a normal stereo system it absolutely rocks.)

Posted by quddha on Dec-22-2002 00:00:

yeah its weird eh...

Posted by DJ Mikey Mike on Dec-22-2002 00:15:

yea its very weird. I was mixing with a friend and had me headphones on, and a couple mins later i lookup and my friend is staring at me like im mad. So i remove the fones and am like wtf..? and he says to me thats a bit f00king excessive innit?? so i listen and he's right. Its going much faster than i realised...

I dont understand why tho. if u hav ur music coming thru a headphone, maybe u are interacting with the music more, and therefore u concentrate on the beats more, and by concerntrating on the beat makes it appear to u slower. I really dunno tho. lol.

Posted by Stassi on Dec-22-2002 01:08:

i think something has to do with the fact that Music bounces all over the place in your car and when you wear headphones you hear it directly.
But Im no scientist.

Posted by Tony Morello on Dec-22-2002 01:45:

yea, and when you're high it's even worse

this one house party i was playing at... i was baked and my buddy came up and was like, "dude, slow it down, it's way too fast"

i clocked it, i was reaching 190 bpm
it felt like i was playing at maybe 160

i play hard house

i think it's just that you tend to concentrate on the music a little more
it's like your brain calcualting speed speeds up to compensate or something...

Posted by Technaut on Dec-22-2002 02:47:

our brains work faster than the dullards

G

Posted by bassaholix on Dec-22-2002 04:22:

Well it may be the fact that in the car, you have for example seats that are made of fabric that absorb sound, thats why when you install a car audio system, you have to test it twice, once while standing then tweak it... then a second time on the road since you have to deal with road noise from the tires and other vehicles and all...
So the fact that sound is absorbed and also bounced around may contribute to this...

Oh another thing.. could be just you, cause after a while... 140bmp or watever it is.. if the BPM's are the sasme alllll the way thru.. then it will seem a little slower.. but are you listening to the first few tracks or like more than half way thru the mix?

Posted by Arsalan on Dec-22-2002 05:26:

As long as it's good muisc

Posted by DJ LIQUID on Dec-22-2002 20:03:

hmmm...my car has a killer sound setup so it sounds fine

i havent really noticed this...but i will pay more attention next time im riding in my car

who knows...i might have to edit my post eating my own words

Posted by Bear4569 on Dec-22-2002 21:38:

I noticed that it's alittle bit slower, but not but much, and for that reason I will make sure that the two tracks are as close as I can possibly get them(they do drift after alittle bit, but they don't usually drift until I have the headphones off to do the transition) so when I'm making the transition I'm only listening to it live, so maybe that is why I don't notice it too much.

Posted by Luke Terry on Dec-23-2002 11:36:

never really noticed it b4 coz i dont mix in the headphones, i do one ear on one ear off and only have the headphones on for maybe a minute then when i cue up... but mixes generally seem to be faster when u listen to them after u have mixed em imo, part from my 134 bpm compmix lmao

Posted by Haak on Dec-23-2002 13:07:

quote:
Originally posted by Project T part from my 134 bpm compmix lmao

lol, that WAS slow

Posted by djthunderbird on Dec-23-2002 13:43:

quote:
Originally posted by Project T
part from my 134 bpm compmix lmao

mine ends at 146bpm