Record Using Monitors and/or Headphones

Rick Shepherd

New member
Hi,

Would you all recommend using monitors, headphones, or nothing at all while recording myself playing and singing acoustic songs. I was thinking maybe it would be best to monitor myself while I am singing with headphones, then listen to it back using my reference monitors. Thoughts?

If I need a good headphone amp and headphones, I am not sure how I will fit it into my recording chain without having to patch into it by using additional connectors from the sound card outs, which are already used by the amp that feeds my monitors. My Hafler P3000 amp that drives my monitors doesn't have a headphone jack. I know that some sound cards have more outputs for that sort of thing, but I have the E-MU 1212m, which does have these other outputs:

S/PDIF:
- 2 in/2 out coaxial (transformer coupled)
- AES/EBU or S/PDIF format, switchable under software control

ADAT:
- 8 channels, 24-bit @ 44.1/48kHz
- 4 channels, 24-bit @ 96kHz (S-MUX compatible)
- 2 channels, 24-bit @ 192kHz

Firewire:
- 400 Mbps 1394a port (6-pin)
- Compatible with DV cameras, storage peripherals, etc.

Can any of these be used to go out to a headphone amp, or would I be better off getting a small mixer that has inputs to match and a headphone jack?

Thanks!
 
Yeah, those are all digital outs. May be best to get a small mixer or something like the Mackie Big Knob or Presonus Central Station.

And yes, tracking with headpones/mixing with monitors is good approach. When you're getting sounds/positioning mics, it's good to listen to what's going in on your monitors as well. If you can't do this during setup, it's a good idea to track a bit as a sample and then listen back to it.
 
So, does the central station or big knob allow connection to the digital soundcard outs? I do not want to interrupt my signal out from the 1.4 inch outs to the p3000 amp and monitors. Will I just be better off getting a good mixer that can accept the digital type outs from the sound card that also has a headphone jack?
 
I know the central station has digital inputs. The Mackie does not; but it's a pretty clean signal path and you can feed multiple sets of monitors out from it. I'm not familiar with many mixers that accept digital inputs. You could get a two channel D/A box, but most of those are on the high end side from what I know.
 
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