Client Woes...we have to deal with them but sometimes, it's really funny (and most at times irritating) when they have a problem with your work and you later find out they didn't bother checking your work in its entirety and how it was supposed to be listened to in the environment it was written for...
Case in point: Laptop speakers
I've heard fellow arrangers have client woes regarding laptop speakers as well as sound engineers who just shake their head with this. How?
We write an arrangement or score then submit it. Sound Engineers spend time mixing the music perfectly so that the frequency spectrum is covered nicely without mud and such. We then later receive comments saying it's not full sounding, they're missing the low end, did I even bother putting a bassline, and others. Thing is they didn't bother listening to it with AT LEAST a decent pair of headphones. They just relied on listening to..tada! Their laptop speakers.
I'd understand if it were about mid to high frequencies that are still heard on laptop speakers but to comment on low frequencies, basslines, not full sounding, they don't feel the weight of the tune is something not even funny anymore.
I mean, studio owners spend thousands to get a decent pair of monitors to accurately hear their tunes and get the more expensive ones as the sizes get bigger to accommodate the low end perfectly and then the end user negates all of it haha For the more technical, of course we try to get nice speakers to make our mixes sound great for whatever listening environment may it be on tv, radio, a club, the car, etc. But it doesn't mean that we can get sub bass frequencies on laptop speakers.
On the other hand though, using your laptop speakers as an alternative reference speaker for your mixes can prove useful especially if you're trying to mix for release on TV. but please... just don't expect to hear any lows from your tune on them. You can just check the overall balance of your mix. You know better.
Cy
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