[Dimension]

I understand that open back are better because they give a better example of the low end but if you listen to enough music on your headphones and get familiar with their frequencies and you make music according to your understanding of those frequencies listening to other peoples music, wouldn't it make sense that it would translate just fine? Soundstage aside obviously...
Doesn't this also mean that ultimately it doesn't really matter what headphones you use? I mean sure mixing with some may be more difficult than others, like if they didn't have a certain frequency that a lot of music does have, but then once you find a full spectrum headphone then you could just add those frequencies?

Like am I bang on here like I think I am or what?
 

 

[goobicii]

Audeze LCD X thread closed

 

[rhythm is life]

I don't know what you mean by open back HPs giving a better example of the low end, most open HPs are rolled off in the bass, with the Audezes being a notable exception. Ideally, you want as flat a response as possible for mixing. I consider Sennheiser HD 600s to be good mixing headphones because they're almost completely neutral other than the bass rolloff, they have a very small mid-bass emphasis and a very small upper-midrange peak, 1-2 dB from neutral in both cases. What you can do if you know the sound of the headphone you're using is to apply a master EQ curve to correct the frequency imbalances of your headphones, then when you're ready to mixdown, switch the EQ off. This will prevent mixes done on Beats from sounding bass-light and mixes done on HD600s from sounding lean in the sub-bass.

 

[dprimary]

You can mix on anything if you know exactly how they behave. NS10 is a perfect example. To be blunt the speaker sucked it is horrible sounding speaker. It was picked as someone idea of the average home speaker, enough people starting mixing on them that for awhile they became a defacto standard. Many engineers knew when they distorted a certain way that was about as far as you could push the mix.
 
After a few years people started to question why mix on junk is just makes things harder, you are mentally compensating for the bad playback environment the whole time you mixing.
 
Headphones are not good for placement. I would think you would tend to mix the stereo image almost to mono when it played back on anything else.

 

[arnyk]

  You can mix on anything if you know exactly how they behave. NS10 is a perfect example. To be blunt the speaker sucked it is horrible sounding speaker. It was picked as someone idea of the average home speaker, enough people starting mixing on them that for awhile they became a defacto standard. Many engineers knew when they distorted a certain way that was about as far as you could push the mix.
 
After a few years people started to question why mix on junk is just makes things harder, you are mentally compensating for the bad playback environment the whole time you mixing.
 
Headphones are not good for placement. I would think you would tend to mix the stereo image almost to mono when it played back on anything else.

 
The above is pretty much exactly true. Before the NS10 were Auratones, which were really poor examples of speakers, but their claim to fame was that anything mixed so it sounded good on them would sound good on just about all of the better stuff.
 
The real issue is called translation. People want to mix recordings that translate well or sound good on the largest span of monitoring systems. Back in the day this included cheap 6 transistor AM radios with crystal earpieces. Anybody who complains about the general SQ of modern digital music players either forgot about them, or never knew.
 
Never knowing about AM radio on 6 transistor radios with a crystal earpiece, maybe not so bad. My audio PTSD comes back when ever I even just think about them for a second!

 

[icebear]

  ...
Doesn't this also mean that ultimately it doesn't really matter what headphones you use?...

Like am I bang on here like I think I am or what?
 

Absolutely, you are bang on.
You can use any headphone as long as it's an HD800 

:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/722584/ideal-headphone-hd800-audeze-music-suggestions-please/60#post_10929969
 
I am sure the folks at 2L know how to get a best possible sound captured, if they choose certain equipment they might have good reason.

 

[dprimary]

If you want to to know what the engineer heard use the headphones they use.
 
Anytime I listen to something I recorded on AKG k240 it sounds exactly as I remember. Since about everything I have recorded I checked on some version K240. Even though there is better headphones these days, then the K240,  for better or worse is my point of reference for my work.

 

[-bynx-]

  You can mix on anything if you know exactly how they behave.

It's already been said, but this^.
 
High-end equipment *can* help you discern finer nuances, but it's a stumbling block to think you NEED it to produce quality music. That's procrastination (unless the intention is to pimp your gear - then congratulations). I find there's a lot of neuroticism around perfecting equipment and space, without enough attention to the creative process those tools are designed to aid. The whole gearhead thing can quietly become an aimless addiction if it isn't held in line by firm intention.
 
And the better you get at mixing on anything, the stronger you are at adapting to less-than-ideal creative/mixing conditions, and making it work anyways. That's far more valuable than any expensive, cushy studio IMO.