How Do YOU Do it?

A

atomictoyz

New member
Greetings Fellow Recordists,
Today I asked myself a question that I believe has not been covered directly and would like to hear what everone has to say.

The Question: When Tracking specifically, are you using Headphones or Monitors?

I was trying to redo a bass track that I recorded the night before. I had been monitoring the track through my nearfields and listening to eq changes after a poorly done vocal line was tracked. My wife called me upstairs because lunch was ready. I went back down to finish what I was doing, but my 2 year old was now in bed above the studio so I turned off the monitors and put on the headphones, did the bass track through a DI box and eq'd it all with headphones... I had not put any thought into what I was doing, too task oriented to weigh all my options, I just did it because my daughter was sleeping. There was a significant difference between the 2 eq's depending on how I monitored for "tracking". Please tell me your thoughts, Ideas and personal experiences that might be similar.


Peace,
Dennis
 
I choose the sound/tonal characteristics using monitors... then I'll either track with cans or monitors depending on the situation..... using cans, I NEVER make any EQ or tonal changes for the same reasons as I wouldn't mix with 'em!

Bruce
 
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If your wearing cans never touch eq. They are great for editing and critical automation fades and things like that. Just not anything that will change your tone.
 
Bout the only time I use headphones is when I record vocal tracks so that the playback tracks are not picked up by the mic.
 
I use phones for tracking. Because I have a home studio I'm sometimes forced to use them for initial panning and volume adjustments. I've learned the hard way not to use them when applying eq or effects. They lie, lie, lie. And I always use my monitors to finish any project.
 
I never use the headphones when getting the sound right before tracking.. All spec work is done through the monitors, and then checked on home speakers, a boom box, a really crap-ass walkman, and my car stereo (which is slowly dying)..

I never use monitors for rehearsing guitars or bass because I can't hear nuances as clearly as in cans.. Furthermore, I only rehearse against pre-recorded drums so that I can keep my playing in time and as clean as possible..

The same goes for tracking: I track only with headphones to keep the playing tight.. When doing vocals, I'll sing with one of the cans off so that I won't sing flat.

Cy
 
I use cans for tracking exclusively. My recording space (i refuse to even call it a "studio") is very small, and the bleed would be intolerable. I also have kids (2) and it is difficult because I do pretty much all of my eq. effects, and processing, and most of my editing at mixdown. Finding the time to do all this through monitors is hard. Whatever. I kind of like my kids, so I don't mind much.

Matty
 
I don't make mix or timber decisions with headphones. If I'm tracking something like vocals or acoustic instruments where bleed from monitors has the possibility of getting back into the mics, I use headphones. If I'm dubbing in direct fed instruments like bass or keys, I opt for the monitors.
 
When I track, as I am usually assembling all the tracks myself I will use headphones. I also often mute all non essential tracks when doubling. WHen it comes to mixing I only usually use my monitors though I like to reference the cans to get a feel of where it is going end wise. Peter
 
How.....??

I utilize headphones for quick & dirty (make sure everythings there) checks, for editting, scrubbing, etc., defining cut & paste (editting) positions.
I also use headphones for initial sequencing and creating any percussion.
I use my monitors (Kliptch KG2's) for mastering / mixdown.
Cyrokk made an important observation with regards to monitoring with only one headphone. Using both can give you a false pitch. Try it, if you're not already doing this. You'll notice a big difference.
 
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