Is what I hear through my headphones an accurate reflection of what will be recorded.
- Thread starter danbs10
- Start date
mjbphotos
Moderator
Yes, and no. 'Audio mixer' - a mixer is a device that can take multiple inputs and combine (mix) them down to a few outputs (typically used for live performances to send all the mics/instruments to the PA system).
Do you mean 'audio interface' - a device used to convert the analog audio signals to digital? If not, how are you sending the signal to your computer?
Do you mean 'audio interface' - a device used to convert the analog audio signals to digital? If not, how are you sending the signal to your computer?
Last edited:
Emerson Maningo
New member
It depends on what you are checking. I use headphones for checking panning/stereo imaging, reverberation level, noise, hiss, etc. Although these things can be checked with a nearfield monitor, double checking them with headphones assure that what you are hearing through the monitors are indeed true.
Sometimes headphones won't reveal some accurate information about the recorded signal. For example you are recording bass and doing a lot of deep bass work. Headphones does not reproduce deep bass much accurate than a nearfield monitor with a sub-woofer. So in summary, it depends on what you are checking. Headphones can be accurate in some ways but unreliable in other aspects.
Steenamaroo
...
I know you're talking about quality, but I think it's worth noting that if the sound source is in the room with you your impression will be way off.
Without isolation you can't rely on headphones for tone etc, at least, not in real time.
Without isolation you can't rely on headphones for tone etc, at least, not in real time.
kentheriot
New member
Dan,
I would say not trust what you hear in your headphones as an accurate example of what is being recorded. It reay depends on the headphones, and some other stuff. I have 2 pairs of what are considered "decent" headphones for recording and they both sound very different.
In the end, unless you have a VERY accurate listening room (not too likely in most home studios), you should listen to your recordings in lots of different places to be sure of what you've got. Start with listening in the open air through your monitors. then try it in your ipod/mp3 player, then in your car, etc. Once you've done that a few times you should have a pretty good idea of what to listen for while recording. If you have decent monitors, you can also get a pretty good idea listening through them at a very low level (not WHILE recording...just after), to downplay the room's effect on the audio.
Good luck.
Ken
I would say not trust what you hear in your headphones as an accurate example of what is being recorded. It reay depends on the headphones, and some other stuff. I have 2 pairs of what are considered "decent" headphones for recording and they both sound very different.
In the end, unless you have a VERY accurate listening room (not too likely in most home studios), you should listen to your recordings in lots of different places to be sure of what you've got. Start with listening in the open air through your monitors. then try it in your ipod/mp3 player, then in your car, etc. Once you've done that a few times you should have a pretty good idea of what to listen for while recording. If you have decent monitors, you can also get a pretty good idea listening through them at a very low level (not WHILE recording...just after), to downplay the room's effect on the audio.
Good luck.
Ken
As a side note, I posted an unusual observation about my Behringer X1204 USB mixer here a few weeks ago and was basically told that I was not observing what I observed, but it seems germane to the "do I hear on phones what I'm recording"... On my mixer with the control room (phones) bus set to monitor the mains output, which routes via a USB interface in the mixer to my computer for recording or streaming, I can hear my electric guitar signal (through a pedal board), but evidently when it hits the A/D converter that sends mains out thru the USB for recording there is some problem and that channel doesn't make it to the computer. So in that case, I hear the full mix but a certain signal doesn't make it out past the A/D converter to be recorded.
So the advice of others to listen to your recording is vital. I do a lot of live streaming, and trusting the headphones made me think my audience was hearing a mix that they were not hearing
(As a footnote, after three weeks on Behringer's excuse for a "knowledge base," my issue was marked "case closed" with the reason "no response." So, I'm back to using the analog outs on the monitor bus, taking them into my soundcard for recording. That's suboptimal, but it's the only way I have to get that source -- the electric guitar -- recorded.)
So the advice of others to listen to your recording is vital. I do a lot of live streaming, and trusting the headphones made me think my audience was hearing a mix that they were not hearing
(As a footnote, after three weeks on Behringer's excuse for a "knowledge base," my issue was marked "case closed" with the reason "no response." So, I'm back to using the analog outs on the monitor bus, taking them into my soundcard for recording. That's suboptimal, but it's the only way I have to get that source -- the electric guitar -- recorded.)