Studio Headphones; wired or wireless

[fatlittlekozak]

Anyone using wireless headphones to monitor during recording? What are your opinions, pros and cons.

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Plumpy one:

The wireless cans out there are nice for doing general work in the studio. You can walk around and do what you need to do with your gear.

However, the wireless cans do not have a sound equal to a good pair of wired cans.

You will find both useful in the studio but for doing tracks, you can hear more with the wired cans.

Green Hornet

[fatlittlekozak]

Thanx Green Hornet. Thats kindda how I had it figured. Now... on a mixer. How do both fit together. I understand that a recieving unit can run multiple pairs.

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Extra large:

You can connect the wireless cans to almost anything with a stereo out.

Like, when I want to sit outside and listen some tunes, I plug in the wireless unit into my can stereo out on my amp -- then, it's just sit and drink beer and listen.

The cans with wire, you plug them into the stereo out [s] on your mixer and listen to the tracks as they are recorded -- BUT, YOU don't mix down on your cans == you need to hear the mix on good monitors and GOOD monitors are not really expensive.

Cheers,
Green Hornet

[Blue Bear Sound]

I have several pairs of wireless in the studio -- used only for letting guests monitor (if they want to use headphones) during sessions.... they're too unreliable for tracking (ie, you donm't want them to run out of battery-power during THE take) and they simply don't sound as good........

[notbradsohner]

are all of these cons the same for wireless mic systems?

[The Green Hornet]

Yo NotBrad-S:

I don't think so. A wireless mic system, and there are many good ones out there, is for running a vocal signal or other ax signal into an amplifier which pushes out pleasing sounds.

The cans, are for listening not projecting sound. The monitors are for hearing tracks as they really are. In cans, good cans, the mix you hear isn't what you will get on tape or CD, as we all know from experience.

As Bear might say, "mics & cans = apples and oranges."

Green Hornet

[Sir Trefor]

Originally Posted by The Green Hornet

YOU don't mix down on your cans == you need to hear the mix on good monitors and GOOD monitors are not really expensive.

Cheers,
Green Hornet

I've heard otherwise from different sources...if you can't afford a good set of monitors shouldn't a good set of headphones do the trick? Think about this- what if the room in which you would be putting the monitors has poor acoustics? Plus- headphones block out any outside sounds, so that you only hear the music.

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally Posted by Sir Trefor

I've heard otherwise from different sources...if you can't afford a good set of monitors shouldn't a good set of headphones do the trick? Think about this- what if the room in which you would be putting the monitors has poor acoustics? Plus- headphones block out any outside sounds, so that you only hear the music.

Uh... no...

Read all about it........... Whad'ya Mean I Can't Mix With Headphones????

[Sir Trefor]

Ok, I read your thingy...sounds logical...but, still, what type of room(dimensions, e.g.) should be used for monitoring?

[Paj]

The Green Hornet hit the highlights. Also, don't even expect to be able to really hear them above loud sources without damaging yourself. Don't expect to get a good idea of the true noise or noise floor in your tracks with the current crop of wireless headphones---and I wouldn't count on a reliable mix with them. I don't use them on most (condenser) mic work because they do bleed into the room. I use them but I depend upon my Koss, Fostex, and Extreme Isolation cans.

That being said, and if you keep their limitations in mind, they are convenient if you're doing a line track and you need/want the freedom of movement or comfort.

Battery time on some is exceptional (Sony sets can run for over 20 hrs at a time and you can self-install a higher mA-hr NiMH battery for any "let's drop acid and jam for days with the Dead in the desert" sessions---but that's another story.


Good luck,
Paj
8^)