Ideal Monitoring environment?

[twister]

I'm usually write my music on headphones (Sony MDR-7506 studio monitors), than do mixing/finalizing on M-Audio SP5B active monitors. I don't have a fancy acoustic studio setup, its in a basement with a carpeted floor, regular walls - so probably not the most ideal environment. Also, I keep moving my monitors all the time to find that "sweet spot" where I get a perfect balance of bass and treble The problem is that when I'm finally get everything sound good, and burn my CD to listen in a car - I always have to make more adjustments (usually extremes of low and high end) to make it sound perfect there. Pretty much, if it sounds good in a car, where I think I have a perfect acoustics, then its final. My question, is there a way around it? How do you guys do it? Cause I don't think its the most efficient way to go back-and-forth between my setup and a car, adjusting blindly to make it sound perfect. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

[cold c]

I don't know much about this, but I don't think the environment is supposed to be changed much while mixing (moving speakers etc.) to improve the sound, as you are just introducing another variable to what should be a "reference".

Did you try listening to some/many CDs (that you are familiar with) on your monitoring set up? (The idea being that you automatically make the adjustments to compensate for the environment.)

[twister]

I don't know much about this, but I don't think the environment is supposed to be changed much while mixing (moving speakers etc.) to improve the sound, as you are just introducing another variable to what should be a "reference".

Did you try listening to some/many CDs (that you are familiar with) on your monitoring set up? (The idea being that you automatically make the adjustments to compensate for the environment.)

Actually, environment has to do a lot with your sound. What you're going to hear is not just a direct sound from monitors but also a sum of all of the reflected sounds bouncing and reflecting off your wall, floor, and a ceiling. The bigger the room, the longer a delay of your getting those sounds back. Also, if you are using some damping material on your walls, it will absorb the sound without extra reflection. That's why, I guess, a carpet is a good things, but odd shape of my basement's naked walls is not good. Also, I don't move during mixing. I just try to find that sweet spot and stay there, at least till my wife yells to go upstairs I also tried referencing to other audio CDs, but its not always helpful since after awhile your ears starting to play "tricks" on you I guess I will have to bring my laptop to a car the next time and hook its output to a car stereo

[C00kie]

So your car stereo sounds better than the monitoring setup in the studio

Try some old curtains (or an old mattress) on the bare walls... That will eat up most of the reflections that mess with your "sweet spot". And how 'bout the ceiling?

[twister]

So your car stereo sounds better than the monitoring setup in the studio

Try some old curtains (or an old mattress) on the bare walls... That will eat up most of the reflections that mess with your "sweet spot". And how 'bout the ceiling?

Well, I don't exactly have a "studio" My whole production is done on a laptop with VST instruments/effects only (no more hardware synth for me). So, I write with midi controller and headphones. But, when time comes to mix and to adjust all the effects, I go to the basement which is the smallest room in my house, where I hook up active monitors (through Echo Indigo IO). I did a lot of A/B comparison of commercial CD releases and my stuff. What I found is that commercial CDs always sound good on headphones, monitors, and in a car. But, my own music sounded good on the first two but not in a car. So, I'm trying to get everything sound good in all three environments. Its not that my car stereo is that good, it just an enclosed space with clothe interior and component speakers (separate tweeters and mids in a front and mid/sub in a back) that gives me another dimention for monitoring.

[C00kie]

Ehm... how 'bout listening to the intermediate mix in your living room, with the laptop hooked up to the hifi set? (presuming you have one ofcourse...)

I listen to intermediate stuff in the car also (it definitely works somehow) so that's my thought: use any sort of cloth to dampen reflections in your cellar.

Probably there are some not-so-sweet spots in the frequency range that you hear quite well in the car. If you only knew which ...