Headphones problem

[Zorro]

When overdubbing drums in Garageband, and using headphones to monitor, I can barely hear the previous tracks I recorded. I cranked the vol. all the way, but can barely hear the tracks. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for all of your suggestions!

Zorro

 

[somegeezer]

What headphones are you using?
I reckon it will be down to 3 things. Your headphones are too quiet, they are open-backed, or your drumming is too loud. It could be a number of those together too.

 

[Zorro]

Cheap ones, LOL! Any suggestions? My drumming is not too loud, and the headphones are foam, instead of "cupped", for the ears. Thanks!

 

[somegeezer]

Cheap ones, LOL! Any suggestions? My drumming is not too loud, and the headphones are foam, instead of "cupped", for the ears. Thanks!

My suggestions would be to get ones that are "cupped" as you say. Or "closed-backed" as I would say.

They don't have to be expensive if they are only used for monitoring yourself whilst recording. But if you are going to be using them during mixing too, then I would definitely put about £100 into a pair. Even better if you get some open-back ones for mixing to account for room reverberation. So you'd have a separate pair for monitoring whilst drumming and for mixing later on.

Have a look at some of the regular names like Sennheiser and AKG and whatnot. Try out different pairs at your nearest music store and see which suit each job best.

 

[ranjam]

That happened to me, even with 'good' headphones. My only solution was to also add a cheap headphone amplifier. Even the $20 Behringer one works for me.

 

[Zorro]

Thanks everyone! Headphone amp? Can you give me a little more info or direct me to a link please?
That sounds like just what I need

Thanks very much!

Zorro

 

[somegeezer]

That happened to me, even with 'good' headphones. My only solution was to also add a cheap headphone amplifier. Even the $20 Behringer one works for me.

Good doesn't means correct. All an amplifier is going to do, is amplify. It should be loud enough already, especially if the outside of the headphones is sealed off as to let very little noise in. That way, you could even have the 'phones fairly quiet as to not burst your ear drums, yet still be able to hear everything.

 

[ranjam]

'Good' often means expensive, including ones sold as DJ headphones that were supposed to block out external sound. $200 later MDR-V700DJ | Studio Monitor Series DJ Headphones | Sony Canada and I was no further ahead than using $30 Apex headphones.
I learned 1,001 things about headphones, and each point is useless. Really. I now read the specs, like a freakin' nerd. Some are rated for a higher input level before they distort, some are rated for a higher sensitivity (i.e. they are louder), some have a wider frequency response, whatever. It'll still be preference, and your budget, that determines what's best. But when I tried DJ headphones with a 3-watt eek input and 107dB sensitivity, I was still drumming louder than the other tracks coming into the headphones. Enter Behringer Micromon MA400 Ultra Compact Monitor Headphone Amplifier, and my troubles were over. Now most headphones work just fine.