open or closed back headphones...
- Thread starter nodoubt45
- Start date
dementedchord
Psychotic State alumni ch
closed back... nothing worse than a vocal take with the monitor bleed from bad phones....
Hands down closed back for multiple tracking sessions.
As for cans I like the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO for under $100.
But if you got $500. HD650 also from Sennheiser.
As for cans I like the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO for under $100.
But if you got $500. HD650 also from Sennheiser.
Chili
Site Moderator
Depends on what you're using them for.... tracking, definitely need closed back to prevent bleed. But if you'r going to use them for detailed listening to a mix, then whatever works best, probably open back.
I've got the HD202's for like $30, they sound pretty darn good for the money. Someday I'll step up to the 280's.
I've got the HD202's for like $30, they sound pretty darn good for the money. Someday I'll step up to the 280's.
Depends on what you're using them for.... tracking, definitely need closed back to prevent bleed. But if you'r going to use them for detailed listening to a mix, then whatever works best, probably open back.
I've got the HD202's for like $30, they sound pretty darn good for the money. Someday I'll step up to the 280's.
Ya the HD202 are the phones that we have for the musicians in the large tracking room ....with never a complaint. big bang for the buck, heck even the HD201 for $20. is not a bad investment. IMHO
Bristol Posse
Okey Dokey
Tracking got to be closed back, as other already stated so you don't get track bleed into your recording
Personally I'm enjoying my pair of AT M50 very confortable, excellent isolation and good sound. more so than the pair of Sony MDR7506 I had previously
They're also plenty good enough for checking for pops and clicks etc in the mix
Personally I'm enjoying my pair of AT M50 very confortable, excellent isolation and good sound. more so than the pair of Sony MDR7506 I had previously
They're also plenty good enough for checking for pops and clicks etc in the mix
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
I think everyone is overstating something that isn't really the case. 
I track with semi-open back phones ALL THE TIME...there are NO bleed issues.
Maybe some phones bleed badly, but I've not had any issues with my Fostex T50RP phones.
Also...most of today's headphones (like some of the Sony/AKG phones) fit very loosely, so you get as much “bleed” from the front as you do from the back side of some semi-open...but the level is SO LOW in either case, that you would have to CRANK the headphones and place them right up against the mic for it to be even picked up.
The real reason to use closed-back headphones isn't because of "bleed" concerns out of the phones, but for isolation for the listener from instruments/voices in the room, that way you can still hear the cue mix clearly even if there is loud music in the room...which is not as easy with semi-open back.
But if you do a lot of single tracks and/or where you are the only one tracking...you can work easily with semi-open phones and you also get a lot of the natural room sound instead of that closed in sound.
A lot of folks like that...which is why some people take one side off their ear when using closed-back phones. With semi-open phones you don't ever need to do that. Singers will really like the semi-open as they can then hear their own natural voice much better instead of just what is coming from the cans within the mix.
Oh by the way...the Fostex T50RP are absolutely fantastic sound-wise and have a low price compared to some of their competition. They offer some of the widest, most well balanced bandwidth I’ve ever heard in phones (that don’t cost crazy prices)…and...they don’t have any frequency spikes or harshness like some of the Sony phones. Some folks maybe like that midrange spike as it makes things pop out…but they sound like shit, IMO.
I have 3 pairs of the T50RP.
I also have a whole bunch of the Koss Pro4AA closed back phones that provide some of the best isolation when that is needed...they really clamp on tight and are not flimsy and lightweight like some phones. Good for drummers and very decent sound quality. The Pro4AA were pro studio staples for many years.
So…think about what you really want out of a phone and how you will use them before you decided on any one pair or type.
I track with semi-open back phones ALL THE TIME...there are NO bleed issues.
Maybe some phones bleed badly, but I've not had any issues with my Fostex T50RP phones.
Also...most of today's headphones (like some of the Sony/AKG phones) fit very loosely, so you get as much “bleed” from the front as you do from the back side of some semi-open...but the level is SO LOW in either case, that you would have to CRANK the headphones and place them right up against the mic for it to be even picked up.
The real reason to use closed-back headphones isn't because of "bleed" concerns out of the phones, but for isolation for the listener from instruments/voices in the room, that way you can still hear the cue mix clearly even if there is loud music in the room...which is not as easy with semi-open back.
But if you do a lot of single tracks and/or where you are the only one tracking...you can work easily with semi-open phones and you also get a lot of the natural room sound instead of that closed in sound.
A lot of folks like that...which is why some people take one side off their ear when using closed-back phones. With semi-open phones you don't ever need to do that. Singers will really like the semi-open as they can then hear their own natural voice much better instead of just what is coming from the cans within the mix.
Oh by the way...the Fostex T50RP are absolutely fantastic sound-wise and have a low price compared to some of their competition. They offer some of the widest, most well balanced bandwidth I’ve ever heard in phones (that don’t cost crazy prices)…and...they don’t have any frequency spikes or harshness like some of the Sony phones. Some folks maybe like that midrange spike as it makes things pop out…but they sound like shit, IMO.
I have 3 pairs of the T50RP.
I also have a whole bunch of the Koss Pro4AA closed back phones that provide some of the best isolation when that is needed...they really clamp on tight and are not flimsy and lightweight like some phones. Good for drummers and very decent sound quality. The Pro4AA were pro studio staples for many years.
So…think about what you really want out of a phone and how you will use them before you decided on any one pair or type.
)introverse
New member
I have the HD202 for 4-5 years... they sound good but they bleed enough sound that my sm58 could pick it up when recording
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
And the HD202 is a closed-back design....
How LOUD are you cranking up your headphones?!
I still think too much is being made of the "bleed" factor.
Bands have been recorded millions of times in studios with all the members in the same room, and mics all over the place...and while there is bleed into mics from LOUD amps and whatnot, it's never ruined a recording.
I can't see that headphone bleed would ever be that significant compared to typical mic bleed...though like I said, maybe some phones are real bad, but I've not experienced it.
How LOUD are you cranking up your headphones?!
I still think too much is being made of the "bleed" factor.
Bands have been recorded millions of times in studios with all the members in the same room, and mics all over the place...and while there is bleed into mics from LOUD amps and whatnot, it's never ruined a recording.
I can't see that headphone bleed would ever be that significant compared to typical mic bleed...though like I said, maybe some phones are real bad, but I've not experienced it.
Chili
Site Moderator
And the HD202 is a closed-back design....
How LOUD are you cranking up your headphones?!
I still think too much is being made of the "bleed" factor.
Bands have been recorded millions of times in studios with all the members in the same room, and mics all over the place...and while there is bleed into mics from LOUD amps and whatnot, it's never ruined a recording.
I can't see that headphone bleed would ever be that significant compared to typical mic bleed...though like I said, maybe some phones are real bad, but I've not experienced it.
But where's the vocalist? I think the bleed is more of a concern with click tracks and scratch tracks getting into a mic.
Exactly.......... when we have the vocalist in the iso booth the mic can reproduce light foot taps/light nose breathing/clothing rustling etc. the last thing we need is bleed from the headphones.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
In front of the mic....?
I don't record the vocals against scratch tracks. The vocals are usually one of the last things to go down after all the other keeper tracks are recorded and the scratch is gone.
I just haven't found headphone bleed to be of any issue up to this point, and I've done a lot of tracks (all my vocal tracks) using the semi-open back Fostex T50RP headphones...so I don't get it why people are experiencing so much bleed that it's actually such an issue?
Like I said...I can't speak for any other brands of headphones, and also, comfort and sound quality are as much (maybe more so) a consideration then any minute bleed.
People have tracked vocals where the singer uses NO headphones, and instead prefers listening to the cue mix through the studio monitors...or where the entire band is in the same room playing, with only basic gobo isolation between everyone.
Never been an issue....so I can't see why some minimal, very low-level headphone bleed is a problem…?....but hey, I guess some folks want every track to be totally isolated and dry.
I don’t even use an iso-booth for vocals, as they sound so much better when they are record out in the main studio space.
I actually think a little bleed works to your advantage when you mix, as it provides that extra bit of cohesiveness between the tracks…but…maybe if you do a lot of cut/paste edits and you move parts all around in the mix...then maybe that little bit of bleed doesn't fit right for you in those cases?
*shrug*
To each his own....
Chili
Site Moderator
Well, honestly, I've always had closed back headphones, so I really have no experience with bleed. I do record my vocals with a click track because I need all the help I can get. 
Plus, I only record myself and never a whole band at once (or even another person - just me). In the whole band scenario, I understand you cannot avoid bleed.
cool,
Plus, I only record myself and never a whole band at once (or even another person - just me). In the whole band scenario, I understand you cannot avoid bleed.cool,