best??? tracking headphones

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Phosphene

Phosphene

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I tried to search, but got lazy and decided to ask a common question. The nerve... I need to get a set of headphones that has the MOST isolation for tracking and the most "true" sound so I can get an accurate account of what I'm picking up. I'll still check it out on the monitors of course, but I want to save a few steps. I already own AKGT 240S and 270S and I feel the 270s are pretty good at isolation but sound a bit like dookey and the 240s sound a hell of a lot better, (maybe hyped on the bass a bit?) but don't isolate worth a damn. Usual suspects I imagine (Sennheiser HD280, etc) will be mentioned.

While I'm at it, what's the best guitar and best microphone and best preamp and best singer in the world? Rod Stewert, of course, I just booked him to do 20 hours at my studio, now I just need to get the BEST equiptment for him. :eek:
 
I would rate the best just being what could be the loudest without bleeding into the overheads...I like my drummers to hit the skins hard like Bonham.
 
Use whatever headphones to help place the microphone, however, most singers (like me) do much better without using headphones while recording.
Up to "Revolver", the Beatles were not using headphones, for example.

Chris
 
chessparov said:
however, most singers (like me) do much better without using headphones while recording.
Click to expand...

you mean when recording live with the band?.....please explain further....Homer no understandie :confused:
 
Yes, you can loose the headphones by recording live with the band.
Also, by having the singer(s) sing to the monitors.
Paul Rodgers, typically sings to the monitors while the band is in another
room playing together at the same time.

The biggest issue is dealing with a drummer playing in the same room as the singer. One way to get around it is to NOT have the drummer there and have that overdubbed in later.

Elvis and Sinatra's standard operating procedure was to have everyone assembled in a large acoustically treated studio.
They both thought overdubbing for singers was "wimpy" BTW.
(my mom dated Frank a few times and they talked about this together)

Elvis almost always used an Electro-Voice RE15 for his post-Sun recordings at RCA. Sinatra used a Shure 546 at his recording label Reprise,
after he left Capitol. IMHO the RE15 is somewhat easier for self recording.

Chris
 
About 5 or 6 years ago that was how i recorded vocals, by singing with the monitors. But then I realized the mic was hearing everything I was hearing that was coming out of the monitors. Then I got headphones and it was good. What do you do about the bleed with the monitors? Live with it? Or is there something completely obvious that I'm missing.

Oh yea, besides the Senn HD280s, whats a good isolation headphone with flat response? anyone?

PS--Chris....your mom dated Frank? Crazy world.....fill me in on the RE15 (only know of the RE20) and the Shure 546.
 
chessparov said:
Yes, you can loose the headphones by recording live with the band.
Also, by having the singer(s) sing to the monitors.
Paul Rodgers, typically sings to the monitors while the band is in another
room playing together at the same time.

The biggest issue is dealing with a drummer playing in the same room as the singer. One way to get around it is to NOT have the drummer there and have that overdubbed in later.

Elvis and Sinatra's standard operating procedure was to have everyone assembled in a large acoustically treated studio.
They both thought overdubbing for singers was "wimpy" BTW.
(my mom dated Frank a few times and they talked about this together)

Elvis almost always used an Electro-Voice RE15 for his post-Sun recordings at RCA. Sinatra used a Shure 546 at his recording label Reprise,
after he left Capitol. IMHO the RE15 is somewhat easier for self recording.

Chris
Click to expand...

I pretty much agree with you as I always felt it more easy and "natural" to sing "live" with my piano, without the "cans" of course .. I've had a piano teacher tell me once that tracking a piano (or any other instrument) and then overdubbing your voice sounds un-natural. She said that instruments accompany you and not the other way around. She is right. However, what's a lone home recordist to do when he has to contend with small space, bad sounding rooms, no space for other musicians etc ... ? The only thing is overdubbing. Ok, that I can deal with but what I can't stand is the difficulty with tracking on headphones! No matter what adjustments I make or whether I listen with only the left side of the "cans" or not, I can't put in a good performance. What suggestions do you have ? Should I just dump the headphones and run the overdub in my monitor speakers and sing to that ? What about feedback, track bleed etc ... ?? Yeah, I know that overdubbing sucks but what's a lone home recordist to do ?

Daniel

PS: I'm on the lookout for an RE-15 .. thanks for the tip Chris!! (in many of your posts that is ;) ).
 
I'd also like to get some input on this, as I'm looking for a nice pair of tracking headphones myself.

I've used the Sony MDR-7506's (I think that's the model) before, and they are pretty good at isolation, but are very hyped up in the high frequencies. I know that they are an industry standard (commonplace in many studios, not necessarily the best) and are fairly inexpensive.

I've also tracked with a pair of AKG K-66's (again, I think that's the model), but they have tons of bleed due to the open-air design. Nice smooth sound, but tons of bleed and somewhat inaccurate.

How do you like the AKG 240's? I know that half the time I see artists tracking in studios (at least on TV), they are using them. Another industry standard it seems.

Also, anyone used the Sennheiser HD-280's? I can't remember if I had tried a pair of those or a similar Senn model, but it was the most detailed headphone I'd ever used. I believe the 7506's, 240's, and 280's are all right around 100 bucks, and most people seem to think you can't go wrong with them...

(edit)

I forgot, does anyone know the difference between the AKG 240s and the 240m? They're about the same price, but are they the same thing?
 
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Not sure of the dif between 240studio/monitor, but the 240s sound damn good to me....which may or may not be good. Tight bass response. I guess I need to go try these suckers out for myself at my dealer....HD280s. I also have heard of a Vic Firth model that are good for drummers.
 
Senheiser HD280s is the best, no bleeding, clear sound and pretty comfortable.
 
Sony MDR 750's, Sennheisers & AKG240's are all excellent choices.
Also heard good things about Harvey Gerst's More-Me headphones.
 
You can try using a cardiod mic like a SM57 or RE15 for the close miked lead vocal. Then have the monitor(s) directly behind it, or the accompianist.

A little bleed is far outweighed by superior feel in the performance,
and it can be used creatively to make a better record anyway.
www.realtraps.com has a product called "MiniTraps" that can be used to dramatically improve the sound of a room at home.

As far as the EV RE15 itself, it sounds quite a bit like the RCA 77 ribbon microphone, smooth and un-hyped.

The EV RE20 is more "condenser-like" in tone.
Not necessarily better, just somewhat cleaner on the top end,
whereas the RE15 is more rolled off at the top.

They both take well to EQing to tweak things the way you like them BTW.
There have been many hit records with either one.

Chris
 
chessparov said:
You can try using a cardiod mic like a SM57 or RE15 for the close miked lead vocal. Then have the monitor(s) directly behind it, or the accompianist.

A little bleed is far outweighed by superior feel in the performance,
and it can be used creatively to make a better record anyway.
www.realtraps.com has a product called "MiniTraps" that can be used to dramatically improve the sound of a room at home.

As far as the EV RE15 itself, it sounds quite a bit like the RCA 77 ribbon microphone, smooth and un-hyped.

The EV RE20 is more "condenser-like" in tone.
Not necessarily better, just somewhat cleaner on the top end,
whereas the RE15 is more rolled off at the top.

They both take well to EQing to tweak things the way you like them BTW.
There have been many hit records with either one.

Chris
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris! Yeah, I'll definitely take this advice! Btw, thanks for enlightenning me as to the type of mic Elvis used for many of his studio efforts! :) I knew he exclusively used a dynamic in the 70's for his studio cuts and that he recorded with his band, right there in the studio - live - but I never knew which mic :( .. Anyway, if I can't have a band, at least I'll have good monitor speakers backing me! :)

Daniel
 
Yea chess, I noticed alot of juicy historical tidbits from you here and at GS. Thanks for being around & being so helpful.
 
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