Headphone recommendation for tracking

  • Thread starter Thread starter e_rock
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e_rock

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Like many on this site, I am limited in my recording environment. I often set up my control room (my laptop and interface) in the same room that I am tracking. This poses a challenge when trying to set up mics and listen. For example, let's say I'm recording electric guitar. As I set up the mic, I can't hear the mic over the volume of the amp in the room. Same problem on a snare or kick. It's difficult to hear what the mic is hearing vs what I'm hearing. I'm looking for a closed headphone that will help separate the room from the sound source. I don't have unrealistic expectations, I'm not trying to track at obscene volumes, just trying to make things a little simpler for me then continually recording samples, listening, moving mics, recording, listening, etc. Ideally, I'd have an assistant helping me out here, but mostly, it's just me. I also don't need to break the bank either. Any recommendations to check out?
 
Hi e_rock.
I don't think there's really any headphone out there that'll solve your problem.
Even with the best isolation you're still going to hear enough of the real snare/guitar/kick to completely destroy your perception of the recorded track.

I use Sennheiser HD280s and have a single room setup.
I can get a pretty good handle on how acoustic guitar or vocals will sound using these, but even at that, there's still always misleading bass and low mids bleeding through when someone's singing/playing live.

With loud sources I don't even use the headphones. It's just record, listen, change stuff, record, listen, change stuff.
 
I've been recording at home for a long time, and I have few suggestions;

1) Find a way to gobo off your guitar amp. I have placed one in a closet in the past, and I currently use cushions that came from a couch that we got rid of. I build up a little fort around the amp with the cushions. This allows you to hear the recording chain through the monitors or headphones. I've also put amps in adjacent rooms with a mic to get a trak down.

2) There is an old saying that the smaller the amp in the studio, the bigger the sound. If you have small, lower volume amps available to you, try them in the studio. With a little tweaking they can sound massive. A lot of musicians are going to small watt speakers these days for both recording and gigging.(if you can mic up you amp on stage)

3) Consider getting a good quality attentuator for your amp. The good ones retain the tone of your amp, but allow you to play it at much lower volumes. I have a Weber Mini Mass that works very nicely taking some db's off my 45 watt Fender amp in my room. THere are also simple mods that can be made to some amps to bring the volume down at great sounding distortion levels, simple as removing a pre amp tube

Good luck
 
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