Mixing for different speakers

[James Stichbury]

Hi,
I recently listened to a mixdown in my car and it sounded terrible! (Although it sounded great on my studio speakers). I couldn't hear much bass or kick and all the high frequencies were over emphasized / harsh. I guess my question is should i care about how it sounds on various speakers if it is destined for the dancefloor? And if so, is there a trick to mixing it better or do you have to literally switch to different speakers during mixing to check?
many thanks

[sven hauck]

I use my car as the beta test environment. If it sounds good in there then it usually will rock in a club. I think if you achieve a mix that is well balanced it will translate well on many systems. In fact, that is one of the trademarks of a good mix.

I'm sure the resident studio guru will chime in on this one.

[Medway]

James,

It's a good idea to check on multiple systems. What you need to do though is have some comparison mixes to a/b it to. That levels the playing field.

Try comparing your mixes in the studio to pro releases and see if they stand up there. If they sound ok there, but then those same mixes sound good in your car, while yours doesnt, then there is a problem with how you are perceiving the mixes in the studio.

I regularly check other mixes to keep my my ears calibrated, especially with high frequencies which you can easily get used to over long periods of time. The Mackies also have a 'soft sweet' sound which can lull you into using more highs than you need (because it sounds good on them).