r/mixing

Wussup everyone,

I’ve noticed a lot of people here regularly share their mixes looking for feedback on how to improve their sound, which is awesome to see.

I’m curious would you find it useful to have an automated tool that gives you detailed mix feedback based on industry references or the kind of sound you’re trying to achieve (e.g. similar artists or genres)?

I’m exploring the idea and would love your input.
Vote or comment below:

Your feedback will help shape whether this could actually be built in a way that’s helpful for music creatives here, much love

What I’m looking in them for:
- Mixing & mastering
- Recording vocals too
- Clear vocals without harsh/piercing highs
- Tight/full low end
- Accurate enough to trust mixes
- Comfortable for long sessions
- Don’t get too hot
- Translate well
- Bedroom producer setup (room isn’t perfectly treated)
- Under $400
- Something durable that will last

A big thing: I think I’m sensitive to treble/brightness. I want clarity, but not headphones that become fatiguing after an hour. I still want music to feel full and immersive, not thin, distant, or sterile.

For context, I used Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros for years and honestly never liked them much. They always felt simultaneously too bright/sharp AND too thin/weak sounding. Listening became tiring fast, and I constantly felt like I wanted more body/fullness from the music but never got it.

Because of that, I eventually started mixing more on my consumer headphones (Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless), mainly because they felt fuller and easier on my ears. Plus I knew them better.

Now I’m trying to find something smoother, fuller, clearer, and accurate enough to trust without harsh highs on proper studio headphones. I’m looking for something that I will listen ALL music to.

My biggest confusion is open-back vs closed-back.
People say…

“You NEED open backs for mixing.”
But then others say open backs can feel weak/light on bass and less immersive. Basically what you need for mixing, but I wanna enjoy the process of making as well.

Closed backs seem more practical for vocal recording because of less bleed, and I do like the more “inside the music” feeling they tend to have.
At the same time, I’m worried about buying something too colored or misleading for mixing/mastering.

Right now I’m considering:
Sennheiser HD600
Sennheiser HD650 / 6XX
Sennheiser HD490 Pro
HIFIMAN Sundara Closed Back
Slate VSX / VSX One
(Though I really have no idea)

Attracted to Sennheiser cause I’m pretty happy with my consumer ones from them. Though, they are open back and I’m sort of leaning closed-back because I also need to track vocals, and want sort of isolation from the outside world. but I genuinely don’t know at this point what the smarter choice is if I can only buy ONE pair right now.

Would really appreciate advice from people who mix/record professionally or who’ve owned multiple of these.

If you could only choose ONE pair for both mixing and vocal recording in a bedroom studio, what would you buy?

I've been trying to figure out a way to make it sound decent but every time i mix it it's either too much distortion and gain on the lower strings so the higher strings sound bad, or too little gain so the lower strings sound weak but the higher strings sound normal. I'm also struggling to get a good amount of low end on it so the low strings don't have so much rumble but the high strings still have some low end.