Mastering with Speaker/Room emulation -- off or on?

[fuzzferatu]

My apartment's noise rules prevent me from blastin' it when recording, mixing or mastering my projects. I have given myself over to mixing and mastering with a room/speaker emulator, Toneboosters Isone. I quite like it, actually, though as an enthusiastic amateur I can't attest to what I'm losing in the process.

My question is embarrassingly simple: when I've completed my mix or master with Isone active (I usually use the near field speaker setting, though of course always tempted to master for "cardboard box" and insist that's how the album is meant to be heard)(I also have no idea what "cardboard box" actually emulates -- your stereo in a box? You in a box? Maybe this is a more pressing question), do I render my file with Isone on, and thus getting the emulation in the final mix, or turn it off, having proved it sounds good in an emulation? Seems like mastering engineers use multiple monitors to get a sense of what's on the tape, then send out what's on the tape, rather than miking their own monitors or something. But if I like the result in the near fields, should I retain that for the final?

Perhaps it's a matter of taste, but I don't want to render files that are extra loud because I was monitoring with a quieter setting. As I said, I am an enthusiastic amateur of long standing, and have no training in recording other than starting with a four track in 1993 and moving on from there.

Thanks for your patience and replies. I bet the answer is less than three words!

[Bro Shark]

What is the question?

[JWL]

I'm not familiar with that product, but if it "emulates" certain speakers or rooms, well I'll just say I can't imagine it being helpful, such that helpful means improving the accuracy of the monitoring setup.

[lyman]

Listen to the mix with Isone on. Then listen with Isone off. Then render the file according to whichever sounded better to you.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

i'm not familiar with this, but i can't imagine anything good coming from it. i'm not sure i understand what exactly you're doing....are you listening exclusively on headphones and using the emulator to simulate speakers?

i'd think you'd have much better luck and a much easier time just learning what things sound like on your headphones.

post mixes with it on and off and we can give you much better advice.

[vvv]

I live by the mixing credo, "If it sounds good, it might be OK."

IOW, make it sound as good as you can, however you can.

That said, I should imagine the emulations use phase and EQ and possibly delays, etc., so those mixes might not translate well.

OTOH, if you are the only listener and are always on the same listening set-up, see second sentence above.