headphone splitter?

andrushkiwt

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
after i settled on recording a duet next weekend, i realized the host of problems i'm going to incur. now, i am wondering how to monitor. i use an AudioBox USB with 2 inputs and 1 headphone out. If i were to buy a traditional headphone splitter, would I lose something in the output coming through the phones? And what if we decide to both sing at the same time...i won't be able to set the phones to hear only our own voices, will i? i'm wondering the best way to accomplish this, though the cheapest way might sound good too :)
 
No, actually there is no reduction on the amplitude of the signal if you connect a splitter because it does not contain a significant resistance. Be sure to buy a stereo splitter though (I'm not sure if there is mono ones...)

Oh, and about only hearing your own voices, just mute everything else on your DAW or boost the vocals...you'll have no problem with that either.
 
There is cheap, then there is expensive.

First, if you are signing at the same time, take one ear piece off and listen to each other. Using the other for the music. If you hear your own voice, you might try and chase the sound and your performance will be probably be less than stellar. Just an opinion. There is always going to be some latency and it is just hard to overcome with vocals. Instruments not so much.

On the headphone, if you are go9ing to do this for awhile (as in years), get a headphone amp. Each output can be controlled and on some, you can run the monitors through them with a quick mute for the monitors when you want to turn the sound off. It really is a better way to go for ~$100.
 
DM60 said:
There is cheap, then there is expensive.

First, if you are signing at the same time, take one ear piece off and listen to each other. Using the other for the music. If you hear your own voice, you might try and chase the sound and your performance will be probably be less than stellar. Just an opinion. There is always going to be some latency and it is just hard to overcome with vocals. Instruments not so much.

On the headphone, if you are go9ing to do this for awhile (as in years), get a headphone amp. Each output can be controlled and on some, you can run the monitors through them with a quick mute for the monitors when you want to turn the sound off. It really is a better way to go for ~$100.
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What I'm saying is, if I get a headphone splitter, we will both have to hear the exact same thing. We won't be able to turn any other track up or down, if we wish. I like hearing myself at about 50%, but maybe she'll like more or less...if I change it for her, it changes for me too. What I hear, she hears. Can you see that being a problem?

Most likely, since I'd have to go out and buy a second Mic, I'll just see if she is ok with us each singing separately. Easier that way, I think. Don't have to start over when there's a problem. And if one of us has a good vibe going, we can stay the course and not back out because the other made a mistake. Hows that sound?
 
There could be a drop in volume level when you connect two headphones in parallel. Much depends on if the amplifier can deal with the lower impedance. Some headphones are actually higher impedance than people think - because using a 16 or 32Ohm design results in volume loss, which on a powerful amp, is still plenty. Sharing the available output power should result in a a drop - 50% going to each one, but the rise in impedance, if within the design limit of the amp, allows more power to be drawn, which is what makes it appear that two pairs is the same volume. If the amp cannot manage the load, then there is a drop.

The other question is the mix - one headphone feed is one balance. What you could do is do a lopsided stereo mix, with your preference in the left and hers in the right and then work one-eared, which is what most singers do. Singing with both ears in headphones takes a fair bit of practice.
 
rob aylestone said:
There could be a drop in volume level when you connect two headphones in parallel. Much depends on if the amplifier can deal with the lower impedance. Some headphones are actually higher impedance than people think - because using a 16 or 32Ohm design results in volume loss, which on a powerful amp, is still plenty. Sharing the available output power should result in a a drop - 50% going to each one, but the rise in impedance, if within the design limit of the amp, allows more power to be drawn, which is what makes it appear that two pairs is the same volume. If the amp cannot manage the load, then there is a drop.

The other question is the mix - one headphone feed is one balance. What you could do is do a lopsided stereo mix, with your preference in the left and hers in the right and then work one-eared, which is what most singers do. Singing with both ears in headphones takes a fair bit of practice.
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So what do you suggest? The only way to do it well is to get an amp for it? I'm only going to use it once...so I'd rather not.
 
No matter what you do with the headphones amp, you atrium just splitting a single output. If you want two different headphone mixes, you need two different outputs and a way to mix the second one separately.

I'm not sure any interface has that capability. Usually, you would need a mixer for that. Even then, you.would only be able to have different vocal levels, since the background music is the main mix from the daw.
 
Farview said:
Usually, you would need a mixer for that. Even then, you.would only be able to have different vocal levels, since the background music is the main mix from the daw.
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Right.
With a mixer and a bunch of Aux channels...you could set up different mixes per bus.
 
i'll be satisfied with something to send out quality output and level management of each headphone. if i can't manipulate every sound going in to each headphone separately, that's ok. levels are probably most important anyway, since we all like our music at different volumes when singing. i think that device should work well for this...
 
You might get away with using your PC's headphone out for one person and the audio interface's headphone out for the other. Then assign a bus/aux to each. I think I remember doing this in reaper once.
 
my headphone out on the interface is a 1/4 jack...laptop is 2.5mm, i think. do they make quality headphones with 2.5mm jacks?
 
andrushkiwt said:
i'll be satisfied with something to send out quality output and level management of each headphone. if i can't manipulate every sound going in to each headphone separately, that's ok. levels are probably most important anyway, since we all like our music at different volumes when singing. i think that device should work well for this...
Click to expand...

That's what I usually do...though I have on occasion had to give a vocalist some added level of his/her mic in the mix, but not everyone else.
I have a headphone distro amp with the ability to insert signals...so I would just take a feed of the vocal channel and goose the singer's headphone feed a little higher. :)

You know, when I record my own shit..,it's gotten to the point where I can work with any kind of cue mix, no matter how weird the levels are. Over the years you just get use to that kind of stuff, and you learn how to listen to what you want to hear.

When you get recording newcomers, and they put on headphones for the first time...it totally mind-fucks them. :D
 
miroslav said:
Right.
With a mixer and a bunch of Aux channels...you could set up different mixes per bus.
Click to expand...
Only if you had an interface with enough outputs to be able to set up aux mixes in the DAW AND a mixer with enough inputs to deal with the aux mixes.

Or you could get one of those headphone systems that you feed separate instrument groups/tracks and it allows you to mix your own headphone mix.

Unless you already have all the equipment already, this is a $1500 solution to a problem that doesn't really exist.

Just get a headphone mix that you can both live with, or sing the parts separately.
 
andrushkiwt said:
my headphone out on the interface is a 1/4 jack...laptop is 2.5mm, i think. do they make quality headphones with 2.5mm jacks?
Click to expand...
Don't your headphones have the little adapter that comes off to reveal an 1/8 plug?

You might have a hard time using the laptop output, because most of the time you can only use one audio driver at a time. This would make you choose between the interface and the on-board sound.
 
Farview said:
Only if you had an interface with enough outputs to be able to set up aux mixes in the DAW AND a mixer with enough inputs to deal with the aux mixes.
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Yeah...I don't think in DAW terms when tracking...since I go tape, and my mixer is always used for cue mixes.
That said, I don't think you would need more than 3-4 "different" cue mixes...I mean, even with a full band recording live, at least 2-3 of the members would probably be happy with the same cue mix...so it's mostly the vocalist and drummer that might need a different mix balance.

Anyway, with my rig, even if I was tracking to DAW...I can do 24 channels A/D/A...so no problem. :)
 
That's true, but setting up consecutive alternate mixes in a daw is a giant pain in the butt, and you would need at least 6 outputs on the interface AND a mixer, which most people don't have anymore.
 
Much depends on what you plug into. If you can make do - go ahead. The Behringer rack mount headphone unit is pretty good value for money. Unless you have multiple output channels it will be a fudge.
 
Farview said:
That's true, but setting up consecutive alternate mixes in a daw is a giant pain in the butt...
Click to expand...

One more reason why tracking to tape, with a mixer for cue mixes, and the ability for me easily set up FX/Processing on the cue mixes to get a fairly decent rough mix...is such a joy. :)
It's a lot less hassle than doing it with a DAW...but like you said, you need that extra equipment and greater multi-channel capability with your A/D/A.

You can still work it with a DAW...it's just much simpler/smoother with a tape deck and mixer.
 
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