Can I record without listening in monitors?

[metal mike]

Can I record without listening in monitors? I mean, I don`t have the monitors all the time(I am sharing them with a friend), and if I want to record something( bass, guitars, vocals) can I use headphones or other speakers? Because I`m just thinking: if I don`t have monitors when I record how can I check the sound?Someone told me that the monitors are important just when you mix.

 

[Track Rat]

You can track with headphones for sure, no problem. Where it can become a problem is when you're looking for a particular sound, good monitors become critical. You can't dial in what you can't hear.

 

[Roel]

I either record in the same room as I mix, so I cannot listen on my monitors while recording. Or I record on location, at a concert or in a rehearselplace. So I never listen back on my monitors, or have my monitors there when placing mikes etc.

But I do carry around my DT770 cans around. Also for mixing livegigs. (btw I think the left ear is broken, there's something crackling in it ) So I can monitor with those headphones, or when recording drums and placing mices, I mostly record some hits, and play it back. This way I don't have the original sound with it. The cans are closed, but drumhits still get thru partially.

So, get a good pair of headphones. I found the DT770 to be very defined, and rather flat.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

You need to use monitos to select your "tone" and make any sonic decisions regarding what's "going to tape."

After that process, you can use headphones to track with.... just don't change any settings based on what you hear in the cans!

 

[TexRoadkill]

I'd agree with BB 100% on that one. It is very frustrating to spend a lot of time doing tracks and then find they just sound like crap when it comes time to mix on monitors.

Yes, I am speaking from experience.

 

[doulos]

IAGREE WITH BB AND TEX

 

[littledog]

If you can determine basic mic choices, mic positions, and other variables like guitar amp settings at a time when you have access to the monitors, then i wouldn't hesitate to record without the monitors.

Just more or less duplicate the set-up that you know "works", and use the headphones for further tracking. (It might not hurt at first to take notes on mic positions, etc. to more easily duplicate the set-up.)

It would be a shame to lose the creative moment just because some one told you that "you're not allowed" to record without monitors.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Excellent point, LD... I agree completely!

 

[enemyofthesun]

yo ucan record all day without monitors.. jsut make sure you know your gear well and just watch the meters etc. I would plug in headphones and go with it.

you cant mix though

 

[Revone]

u can get a decent pair of monitoring headphones but for the price your better off getting a set of monitors period.

 

[WATYF]

I've done every recording so far, since I started recording, using only headphones to track and mix. I finally got around to buying a pair of monitors but they're not here yet...

Oddly enough, it comes out pretty ok for using only headphones. (you can judge for yourself by going to my NWR site. P.S. "Tell Her" is the best "sounding" one.) I'll still play stuff back on my computer speakers from time to time just to make sure it came out O.K., but if headphones are all you have right now, by all means, start recording.

WATYF

 

[Cakey2]

Chooses

I think if I had to choose between a pair of headphones and a pair of monitors, I would go for headphones. Because

a) Headphones you can take anywhere

b) With headphones you can listen at pretty much whatever level you like without bothering anyone outside the room

c) Headphones can be pretty damn good.

d) I already have hi-fi speakers, computer speakers and car stereo speakers.

Certainly having a good pair of monitors will get give you a better final result more of the time, but I think good results are certainly achievable on cans.

If you're only going to track, I think cans are fine.

 

[MrBlackthorne]

I used to think that good cans were acceptable... I'd track while monitoring using cans. Unfortunately, my sound source was always in the same room. I REALLY wouldn't recommend doing this - the cans don't shut out all the sound from the room, so you still don't have an accurate representation of the final product. Not that this was the original question, but I think it's relevant.

To be honest, I never realized how important monitors were for tracking until I tried it. I used to use headphones for tracking, and this caused me to make some seriously horrid recordings. Then I'd try to fix the horridness with lots of effects and EQ. So then I'd have over-compressed, wonderfully EQ'ed horrid recordings. Blech, don't waste your time. Unless you know your mics, equipment, and room like the back of your hand, use the monitors if you can.

Rick

 

[littledog]

Re: Chooses

I think if I had to choose between a pair of headphones and a pair of monitors, I would go for headphones. Because

a) Headphones you can take anywhere

b) With headphones you can listen at pretty much whatever level you like without bothering anyone outside the room

c) Headphones can be pretty damn good.

d) I already have hi-fi speakers, computer speakers and car stereo speakers.

Certainly having a good pair of monitors will get give you a better final result more of the time, but I think good results are certainly achievable on cans.

If you're only going to track, I think cans are fine.

Nah... I'm gonna be good today! (but maybe tomorrow.... )

 

[Ace2000]

Don't attenuate sounds with headphones on. You can't get the true sound by adjusting tones with headphones. You have to have monitors. You cannot mix music with headphones and achieve great results.

The only thing headphones are good for during the recording process is for the tracking itself. After you have youer tones adjusted and mic placement set, you can use headphones to track with.Thats the best way of doing it I'd say.

Thats probably the only purpose headphones should serve during the recording process.

 

[Cakey2]

Cans

Senor Littledog,

Bear in mind that the standard alot of people are at means that the weakest link in a recording may not be the monitoring. I use a combination of cans and near-fields in my production and, admittedly, I'm not bothered by a nice lo-fi sound, but I don't end up with horrid tracks that need tons of EQ/ compression, they're all listenable.

And there's no way I'm going to lug 16kg speakers to the rooms where I have to record drumz.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Re: Chooses

Oh boy...........

Where to start on this one......?!?!?

a) Headphones you can take anywhere

This is true enough, but how does that help sonically?

b) With headphones you can listen at pretty much whatever level you like without bothering anyone outside the room

Convenient - yes... but doesn't change the fact that you can't make sonic decisions while listening solely to cans........

c) Headphones can be pretty damn good.

This is not a reason, simply a statement...

d) I already have hi-fi speakers, computer speakers and car stereo speakers.

And none of those are suitable for tracking/mixing either so what's your point???

Certainly having a good pair of monitors will get give you a better final result more of the time, but I think good results are certainly achievable on cans.

Well, that's basically flat-out wrong........ Monitors will make it far easier to get a good final result ALL of the time when compared to headphones.

The biggest reason you can't use headphones to make any sonic decisions (whether tracking or mixing) is because not one person hears via headphones the way another person does -- and since this means there's no "common frame of reference" for what you're hearing, it's impossible to make comprehensive decisions on the way something sounds via cans.

While it may sound good to you, you pass the cans over to your buddy next to you, and they'll think it sounds awful....

This inherent subjectivity of how headphones sound from one person to the next makes them completely unsuitable as a sole means to deciding quality of sound.

 

[rhythm ranch]

Blue Bear,
I'm curious about your statement, "The biggest reason you can't use headphones to make any sonic decisions (whether tracking or mixing) is because not one person hears via headphones the way another person does..." I've never heard this before. Could you please give more details?
Thanks,
Mark

 

[littledog]

Re: Cans

Senor Littledog,

Bear in mind that the standard alot of people are at means that the weakest link in a recording may not be the monitoring. I use a combination of cans and near-fields in my production and, admittedly, I'm not bothered by a nice lo-fi sound, but I don't end up with horrid tracks that need tons of EQ/ compression, they're all listenable.

Yes, I couldn't agree more. That is a very good thing to do. But you originally said you would prefer to have headphones over speakers givne the choice of just one system. That might be a logical choice for tracking, but not for mixing.

And there's no way I'm going to lug 16kg speakers to the rooms where I have to record drumz.

I don't blame you. But most people here are interested in doing more than just tracking, A few of us would like to mix songs as well.

 

[littledog]

Don't attenuate sounds with headphones on. You can't get the true sound by adjusting tones with headphones. You have to have monitors. You cannot mix music with headphones and achieve great results.

The only thing headphones are good for during the recording process is for the tracking itself. After you have youer tones adjusted and mic placement set, you can use headphones to track with.Thats the best way of doing it I'd say.

Thats probably the only purpose headphones should serve during the recording process.

I don't know, Ace... you got a couple of other threads going where you are claiming gear is irrelevent.

I find headphones very useful in the mix process for checking low frequency content, hiss levels, and locating and cleaniong up extraneous noises. Of course, I don't use the same kind of headphones that I use for tracking for this purpose. To say they are useless in the mix process is inaccurate.

However, they are pretty useless for judging certain elements of the mix, mostly in the areas of decisions involving stereo. Headphones are actually more like dual-mono, since each ear hears a completely discreet signal. This is why decisions involving panning and reverb rarely translate well from headphones back to monitors that produce true stereo.