In recent days I have had several emails asking me my take on mixing solely in headphones opposed to mixing the traditional way listening to the cued track in your headphones with one ear and the fold back monitor speaker with the other ear.
Traditionally listening to the cued track in your headphones with one ear and the fold back monitor speaker with the other ear is the correct way of mixing. This traditional method is definitely more difficult to learn and I think overall it can give you a lot more control over your mix especially the mix levels.
On the other hand learning how to mix in your headphones can be a good skill to have, even though it can have some limitations on hearing the mix levels.
One thing you need to be careful of when mixing in your Headphones is to not get caught out when you take one ear out of the headphones for a quick listen to the monitor. By caught out I mean be sure the mix doesn’t start slipping. We all know how quick this can happen!
When I was learning how to DJ all those years ago and living with my parents, mixing in my headphones allowed me to practice when I otherwise might not have been able to.
As I found out on more than one occasion it can be a very handy skill to have. Imagine getting to your first club DJ gig and there are issues with the fold back monitors, it could be anything from distracting feedback, low volume, bad positioning or even just not working. If you have learnt how to mix in your headphones then you will have nothing to worry about, problem solved! If you haven’t, then someone who has will have to take your spot.
Conclusion: Mixing in Your Headphones – My Take
When you are first learning how to DJ I would suggest you practice mixing using whichever method you feel is most comfortable, BUT with the view to keep practicing until you have mastered both.
A good analogy is being able to kick a football on both sides of your body. Both are good skills to have, you can never have too many strings to your bow!
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Hm hm.. that’s interessting but honestly i have a hard time visualizing it… wonder how others think about this..
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this mate. Personally, i find mixing in the headphones more comfortable than the traditional method, however, i must admit, the later is the tougher skill to gain out of the two. Nevertheless, both skills are good to have, one can never have too many skills in mixing, the more the better
It makes sense learning both. Once I get to where I want with the traditional method I’ll be taking a few steps back to master the headphones method for shizzle.
Another wickid article benny