Headphone Amplifier Use

Do You Use A Separate Headphone Amp For Recording?

  • The interface's 1 output is sent to the person being recorded - I don't monitor using headphones.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The interface's 1 output is used by me - the person being recorded doesn't use headphones.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The interface's single output is split with a Y-cable so we both can use headphones.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The interface has 2 outputs - that's enough for everything I do.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I use an external headphone amplifier with my interface to provide extra headphone outputs.

    Votes: 14 87.5%
  • Other (please leave a comment if you check this)

    Votes: 2 12.5%

  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .

keith.rogers

Well-known member
In situations where you are acting as the recording engineer (RE) and recording someone else, how do you handle headphone monitoring needs vs. your available headphone outputs? (If you never record anyone but yourself, feel free to post a comment, but don't respond to the poll [edit] unless you actually have a headphone amp attached to your interface - then follow up with why!)
 
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It varies with any project. I use a Presonus HP60 that has an insert for each headphone channel. Sometimes that is needed for a critical listener, but usually I use the same mix for everyone.

In my drum room however, I have a separate mixer that I can send whatever the loud bastard needs and he can make his own mix. :)
 
I have a little 4 channel headphone amp in front of my interface's only output.
It's not ideal but I guess it's where most HR types fall?

I've used full monitoring systems where every performer has his own control mixer/panel.
That's pure badass, but I think I'd rather have that, or what I have...Nothing in between.

Any time I've used a system where a headphone submix is available but control of it is back at the DAW, all of a sudden everyone has super important special requirements.
 
I have a snake with 16 sends and 4 returns that I feed from aux/group sends on my interface/digital desk. I also have sends going from there to a Mackie 1604 which gives me another headphone out. I tend to have the drummer(or if I'm the only one recording at the time)use the headphone out from the desk/interface since I find some drummers I have had over liked a very different mix in the phones which I can live with. I wouldn't mind having one of those q mix headphone jobbies but good lord if you've ever priced a system :eek: Since a four output is pretty cheap I figure if I ever need more I can slap one in pretty easily in my setup. My desk has groups and "matrix's" plus I have the 1604 configured just as a monitor switcher so with my little setup I don't think I'll need much more.
 
I use Motu interfaces with Cuemix software. I set up each headphone mix into separate output pairs. 1&2 mix to singer, 3&4 mix to guitar player, 5&6 to bass, etc. each interface pair is then sent to the input of that performers headphone amp. That way each performer can get exactly what they want in their headphones. The interface outputs and headphone inputs, and other I/O are ran through the patchbays.
 
While each of my converter boxes has a dedicated headphone output w/volume (I'll often use that if it's only me and I'm using the DAW)...I tend to use my dedicated S-Phone headphone amp/distro box, which has 4 channels, and can also accept Aux inputs...and then I also have multiple Redco Little Red Cue Boxes, each which have 4 headphone outputs w/volume.
If I need to get real crazy with separate cues mixes, I can always do that through my console, which have 8 Aux busses.

So I have a lot of flexibility and can cover a good number of headphones with personalized mixes if needed...but I rarely need to get that crazy.
At most...I'm maybe adding some additional Aux input to the S-Phone if I need to add or "filter" out some of the mix of a given cue mix for one person or two. Whenever I've used multiple headphones in a tracking situation, everyone is mostly OK with one global mix. :)

If you offer too many variables...everyone will want them....so keep it simple, and usually after a couple of passes people are set with their headphone mix. It's often just a matter of the overall level being adjusted for each person, bot not so much a need for personalized cues mixes...except when Madonna comes over!!! :p ;)
 
While each of my converter boxes has a dedicated headphone output w/volume (I'll often use that if it's only me and I'm using the DAW)...I tend to use my dedicated S-Phone headphone amp/distro box, which has 4 channels, and can also accept Aux inputs...and then I also have multiple Redco Little Red Cue Boxes, each which have 4 headphone outputs w/volume.
If I need to get real crazy with separate cues mixes, I can always do that through my console, which have 8 Aux busses.

So I have a lot of flexibility and can cover a good number of headphones with personalized mixes if needed...but I rarely need to get that crazy.
At most...I'm maybe adding some additional Aux input to the S-Phone if I need to add or "filter" out some of the mix of a given cue mix for one person or two. Whenever I've used multiple headphones in a tracking situation, everyone is mostly OK with one global mix. :)

If you offer too many variables...everyone will want them....so keep it simple, and usually after a couple of passes people are set with their headphone mix. It's often just a matter of the overall level being adjusted for each person, bot not so much a need for personalized cues mixes...except when Madonna comes over!!! :p ;)

HAHA! Yeah, like I said I conveniently forget to mention the options unless asked for.

Loved my S-Phone until it went to poop. The Presonus seems to sound as good. Way better than the noisy Behri HA4700. That thing was loud as hell, but the distortion was horrible.
 
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I use a Tascam MH-8, it has 8 separate amps so I can control the volume of each. I have it set up as 2 separate mono mixes, usually one for the drummer and another mix for everyone else. There are 7 amps going to the studio and I use one in the control room so I can hear exactly what everyone else is hearing to help set up the headphone mix.

I did use a Behringer HA4700, but the front jacks are circuit board mounted and plugging in and out broke the connection. Using the back connections only would have been OK, the Tascam is much better. I actually can run 2 pairs on each amp not problems, good for when the talent school is in and I amp recording up to 14 vocals at a time LOL.

Alan.
 
I have a Nady I put in a porta rack, 8 channels. Price was pretty good. Everyone get the same mix, just different volumes.
 
I use a medium format (24 channel) studio mixer where I mix playback from the interface and live inputs. That mix goes to the control room output feeding the monitors and the same mix goes to a separate output feeding a Behringer HA4700 headphone amp. The output of the headphone amp is passively split to several points in the record room, each of which usually feeds a Rolls 4 channel headphone amp. We've also got several Rolls personal monitor mixers that allow "more me" for performers.

Usually we're only using one output of the HA4700 but sometimes we have a vocalist doing a scratch vocal in the control room where they can use one of its other outputs.
 
I have headphone amps upstairs and down, so if I need to I can get a bunch of people in cans wherever we decide to do the tracking. Honestly, though, in the basement tracking room, I've started using an FM based wireless headphone system which saves quite a bit on cable clutter and awkwardness.
 
I built a headphone extension system using alarm cable and boxes with jack plugs. Just roll them out of the way when not in use.
Alan.
 
I built a headphone extension system using alarm cable and boxes with jack plugs. Just roll them out of the way when not in use.
Alan.

Cheeepo Alan! I like it! Another cheap cable option is CAT 5 (network firms will often give you some old stuff) One plain cable has 4 pairs, work them as you like for mono or stereo. Shielded cable has a substatial drain wire so 4 sets of stereo with a common earth.

Dave.
 
I'm surprised that folks that aren't using anything are not checking in, but it's interesting how complex or creative the solutions can be! The more complex ones are obviously for spaces bigger than mine where I very rarely get 2 people wanting to record at the same time. For me, most dual headphone use is just the occasions where I'm setting up to record someone else, and then once things are set I tend to walk out of the room. (No studio/control room for me.)

Honestly the biggest prompt for me to get the amp was the fact that I've got a set of 250Ω DT770s and they just could not be made loud enough (via the F'rite output) for some of the folks to use for monitoring while tracking, so having individual level controls on my "collection" of cans ("no two alike!" :)) was the main impetus.
 
Yeah, just plain volume is the main reason I've used a headphone amp for a long time. Interface outputs are almost never loud enough. My wireless receivers (honestly just little radios I found sold as a tour guide kit) aren't quite as loud as I'd like, but usually if it really needs to be louder in tracking, I can get away with some distortion, so I just keep turning it up.

Edit - Closed back cans help the volume issue a little by blocking more of the room sound so they just don't need to be quite as loud, and also help keep the blaring headphone signals from leaving into microphones. I have a bunch of CAD MH310s that I keep around cause they're cheap, loud, sound pretty good, do a decent job of isolation, and are reasonably comfortable. Musicians Friend have them on sale through Friday for $39.99, and I got myself another pair and one for my friend who's currently borrowing a pair of mine.

In-ear things can be good (actually better) for both of those reasons plus since the drivers are closer to your ear drum, they don't need to push as hard to sound loud. The ear buds that came with my little radios suck. My kids won't even use them cause they sound like ass. One might say "optimized for voice", but that's just a nice way to say suck. I got a few other brands, none of which are particularly expensive, and all of them work fine for tracking in terms of sound and level. In these it really just comes down to fit and comfort. Most come with several different sized rubber thingies which is obviously not as good as custom molded, but work well enough for most ears.
 
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I use a Rane HC-6 and it's loud... to loud. But to be honest I would rather have way to much on hand gain than not enough, but to be honest I think I would blow out my headphones if I ever turned it up all the way. It's painful to me past 12 o clock (seriously).

My interface has 2 headphone outputs, and they are nowhere near as nice or have even a quarter of the output gain of the Rane.

That said, while yeah I could hook up headphone mixes with it, I don't because I have not found a situation where it was needed to date. There are TRS stereo inputs and outputs for every channel on the amp however I don't use them and every channel out is the same master stereo input.
 
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