dSONIQ offers two FREE copies of Realphones and an exclusive 35% discount for all BPB readers until March 5th, 2023. Read more about Realphones and enter the giveaway below.
Utilities for mixing with headphones aren’t a new concept. However, there is still space in the market for different takes on enhancing and improving the headphones mixing experience.
dSONIQ Realphones
dSONIQ’s Realphones plugin is a different take on the formula. With three different pricing tiers, there are multiple ways to enter the Realphones ecosystem. As a Realphones user for the last two years, I can say I’ve been fairly satisfied with the direction of the software.
Realphones operate either as a plugin or a system-wide method of leveling out your headphones. The system-wide application is useful and, given the environments present in the software, makes for a fairly wonderful listening experience across a wide swathe of media.
In an audio mixing environment is where Realphones really shines, however.
Provided you have a supported pair of headphones, you can select a profile of your choice and get to work. Realphones can either simulate an actual studio environment, similar to Waves and their NX head-tracking software, or operate as a simple means of correcting frequencies for a flatter listening experience.
The simulated environments range from studio spaces to small consumer-grade speakers and give a rough estimate of how your mix translates on different playback devices. Studio spaces give greater bass and treble response, making sub-bass frequencies and airiness more noticeable.
For best results, you’ll want to place the Realphones plugin at the end of whatever processing chain you have on the master bus or your monitoring bus.
There is, thankfully, a safe gain limiter meant to protect your ears more so than provide any mastering grunt. All things said, Realphones is a worthy purchase for those looking for something to give a little less partiality to their headphones.
If you don’t have the room for a pair of studio monitors or just want to see how your mix sounds on a home speaker, then do look into Realphones.
These are the main features that set Realphones apart from similar products:
- Headphone frequency response correction;
- Studio control room emulation with professional near-field, mid-field, and far-field monitoring;
- Binaural virtual positioning based on HRTF;
- Emulation of the frequency response of professional and home/consumer audio reproduction systems;
- Night club and car interior for mix-checking.
dSONIQ supports Mac and Windows users with VST and AAX universal across both platforms and AU as a Mac-only option. Realphones did receive a recent update granting native Apple Silicon compatibility.
Realphones are available in three different pricing tiers:
- Realphones Lite Pack (€69)
- Realphones Professional Pack (€99)
- Realphones Ultimate Pack (€179)
The Lite Pack offers full functionality except for the standard headphone calibration profiles. The Professional Pack adds a set of three standard headphone calibration profiles. Lastly, the Ultimate Pack offers an unlimited selection of standard headphone calibration profiles for all supported models.
BPB readers get a 35% discount on all Realphones packs with the coupon code BEDROOMPRODUCERSBLOG until March 5th, 2023.
More info: dSONIQ Realphones (35% OFF with coupon code BEDROOMPRODUCERSBLOG)
The Giveaway
dSONIQ offers two FREE copies of Realphones to two lucky BPB readers. Thank you, dSONIQ!
To enter the giveaway, answer the following question in the comments section below: What are your favorite budget-friendly headphones for mixing? If you don’t use headphones, what are your favorite affordable studio monitors?
We will randomly select two lucky winners on Monday, February 27th. another big THANK YOU to dSONIQ for sponsoring this giveaway
Also, check out our BPB Community Giveaway.
Good luck, and thank you for reading Bedroom Producers Blog!
The winners are:
1) Marco Zappala: m***********@*******.***
2) Marco: f*******@y****.**
Congratulations! dSONIQ will send you the prize via email.
325 Comments
Chris
onAKG K240 for the real budget-conscious, but I love my Hifiman HE-4XX planar magnetic!
Sam Nielsen
onSubZero Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones. Comfortable for long recording/mixing sessions. Wired in the studio (low latency), wireless on your way home. Gear4Music’s own brand. Good balance for a good balance of money.
Michael N
onSony MDR-7506. Classic…
karim
onBeyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and presonus hd7 with presonus eris 5 monitors
Jon14
onHD 280 Pros for the win!!
Kevin
onMy favorite budget headphones are Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
Andrew LeFevre
onI use the HifiMan Amandas, fairly neutral open back headphones that should great to me!
Gabriel
onI did not have the chance to test a broad range of headphones, but right now I’m using Audiotechnica ATH-M40x.
Thanks for the chance!
ER
onWhat are your favorite budget-friendly headphones for mixing? If you don’t use headphones, what are your favorite affordable studio monitors?
Audio Technica ATH-M40x
Kyle C
onMy favorite budget-friendly headphone is the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x, and the studio monitor is the Edifier MR4.
xeno
onAKG K702
Aaron M.
onModeling made ready for headphones, Nice!
Aaron M.
onModeling made ready for headphones, Nice! Sennheiser HD 280 for the quick mix right now.
Swaggy Zee
onSennheiser HD 560S aka Sennheiser HD 400 Pro
Eric
onSennheiser HD 650
Cox
onATH M50
Pablo Baico
onMy answer is Sennheiser HD300 PRO.
Thanks!
michel moalem
onsony mdr 7506
Daniel
onSuperlux HD681.
Rick F.
onMy Superlux 681’s are awesome!
Gary Thompson
onaudio technica ATH M50
Gary Thompson
onaudiotechnica ATH M50
Lesha
onAKG K240 Studio. I guess they are not that great but are the ones I use.
Alex K
onMy HD560s
kuro256
onSONY MDR-CD900ST
Sascha
onabsolut budget-friendly AKG K702
Bart
onBeyerdynamic DT 990 old version. :)
Ninja Kawasaki
onSony MDR-CD900ST
YAMAHA NS-10MX
Gil Costa
onAKG 240 Studio
Vasya
onI hope to get lucky!
Vasya
onSony MDR-7506
Oper-8
onAKG K52
Koen
onMy trusty KRK Rockits!
Alejandro G
onOllo Audio S4X
Jose Mari Ibanez
onHaven’t really tested the more common headphones that producers use, but the one I currently use is the Sennheiser HD 206. I really like the low-end definition on this one.
MasaK
onAKG Monitor Headphone K371-Y3
Bee
onEither Audio Technica ATH-M50x or the M40x for more budget friendly. As for monitors, maybe the Yamaha HS5’s or Pioneer DM40’s.
Ragnar Roeck
onBeyerdynamic DT990 Pro and KRK ROKIT 5 G4 with S8.4 Subwoofer seems to do the trick for me.
Marc
onAkg k702 are very light and sounds great
Jorge Sebastian Alvarez Herrera
onWithout doubts the Audiotechnica ATH M50 :D
Mike
onAKG K240 mkII
nuertine
onI have the Audio Technica M50x and being an “economic” range, they are good enough, I recognize the snares well, the battery and they are in general reasonably balanced, even so when I can I will look for one of the beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro type or similar .
Dan
onSENNHEISER HD650 — KALI LP-6
Mark Minassian
onSennheiser HD6XX, Sony MDR-V6, and Audio Techninca M50x, also KALI IN-5 studio monitors,
luca
onOne Odio 10
Al F
onSennheiser HD 599
Luciano
onAKG K240
Kiernan
onAudio-Technica M30X
Roman
onBeyerdynamic DT-700X
Robson
onOh for sure, my Sony MDR ZX700, which are the ones I have, and where I need to do my best.
Julius
onHD650 and DT880
Mickael
onBeyerdynamic DT 770
Jonathan
onWhat is budget friendly? Whose budget? Whatever you listen to your mix on shouldn’t necessarily be as expensive or great as possible, but it should be good enough to represent the sound fairly, in a familiar way, and comfortable enough to use for several hours straight. It is the second or third most important thing in your arsenal, after yourself and whatever you are recording or playing back with, so dedicating some percentage of the budget to getting a decent set – even whilst not making much money – is sensible.
I mostly prefer the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250, since they are (now) not that expensive and I’ve spent nearly two decades working on sets, stages, or studios with them. A close second is the Shure SE215, for much the same reason. There are definitely better quality options, but I couldn’t afford them at first, and now these are almost family and mixing on other cans would take more work.
Andreas Berg
onAKG K240
Frank Taylor
onDT990 Pro
Dan
onAudio Technica M50x
Niklas
onSony MDR-7506.
Jeslan
onJust as a casual hobbist, the Superlux HD668B.
Lorax
onAKG K702
Natan
onbeyerdynamic dt 240 pro
Francesco Ricci
onBeyerdynamic DT 770
Isaac
onObviously the safe option: Beyerdinamic 770 Pro
Dalmir Gomes
onAKG K72
Francisco
onMezze 99 Classics
JMC
onAudio Technica M40x :)
Chris Dunnett
onSony MDR 7506…been using them for years
Burak Çetinkaya
onPresonus Eris E5
Adilbek Temirkhanov
onBeen using different headphones on budget over the course of couple years, and Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro turned out to be the best option!
Claus Petersen
onI would recommend the beyerdynamics DT-770 Pro, because I think they are a good bet when it comes to a pair of budget headphones. I have them myself and I have always been happy with them
Rodger R
onSony MDR-7506
Tom
onGot me self some used but mint BeyerDynamic DT 770 PRO, they’re the best for me <3
Dalitso
ongenius studio monitors as they the only ones I’ve ever had.
Varian
onAudio Technica ATH-M50x
Alexey Podolsky
onDt 900 pro x is my choice for mixing
Olaf
onThe headphones that I use, Senheiser HD-215. I didn’t get to do an A-B with other headphones, so I can choose them as favorites in a contest, but I’m very pleased with them. i compared them with a couple of others when I bought them, and they won.
Kiran
onSony MDR-7506.
Julen
onAKG is so underrated and the K52 are so affordable its crazy
PIERRE
onBeyer Dynamic DT 990 Pro
Arthur
onDT 990 Pro
Vincent Max
onSennheiser HD25
Martin
onATH-M50x
Pablo
onAKG 271
Anna
onAkg k702
Jordan Robles
onSennheiser HD280 Pro
Mike Chursin
onSony MDR-7506
Peter
onSuperlux HD681
Den
onDT 990 Pro
Max
onAKG K240
David
onAudio Technica ATH-M50x
Alex
onBeyerdynamic DT 770
Anastasiya
onAirpods :(
Yana
onAudio Technica M50x
Paul Korol
onSENNHEISER HD650
Adam
onPhilips SHP9500
Gyuri
onBeyerdynamic mmx 300
Dennis
onSamson SR850.
Marcio Morais
onAudio Technica M40x is great for me. And that’s all I have. ;)
Sam
onAKG K240
Alexey
onMonitors: JBL 305p mkii