Which headphones for tracking in LOUD environments?

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marvinisbass

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I need to buy some headphones for tracking in loud environments such as night clubs and rehearsal rooms with loud drums, bass and distorted guitar. I know there is a specific kind that eliminate all (or most?) external noise but thats all. Please tell me about some models so I can go from there.
 
the "extreme isolation" head phones (i think vic firth makes them????) get lots of love

widely avalable.
 
marvinisbass said:
I need to buy some headphones for tracking in loud environments such as night clubs and rehearsal rooms with loud drums, bass and distorted guitar. I know there is a specific kind that eliminate all (or most?) external noise but thats all. Please tell me about some models so I can go from there.
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There are noise-cancelling headphones, but frankly those aren't all that necessary for the kinds of situations you're talking about.

Take a look at (in alphabetical order only) AKG, Sennheiser and Sony. Stick with the "closed-air" design (the kind that have foam cushions that wrap around and isolate your ears from the outside), and stick with the models that start at $99 or more and you should be OK.

G.
 
Don't bother with those big name overpriced jobs.

Check out the industrial strength ear protectors the guys operating concrete cutters and pneumatic drills use. They'll chop off 40-50db. Run a pair of earbud phones inside them and your good to go. At a fraction of the price
 
I gotta tell ya that ultra isolation just plain isnt necessary for live tracking, even in the loudest clubs. For years I've been use the same Sonys live that I use back in the studio. As long as you're not sitting right in front of one of the mains, standard closed headphones (at least the Sonys) provide enough outside attenuation to be able to hear your tracking stuff well enough to get it to tape or disc the way you want it. Is the outside completly shut out? Of course not. But it doesn't have to be for that application. The phones wind up coming off 5 minutes into the first set anyway ;).

G.
 
I've used the HD280's for live gigs and they work great. It's hard to get much more isolation then that.
 
there are some decent one's at radio shack for like 19 bucks. decent construction. some of my clients brought them thru as they preferred them to the sonys and akgs we have...

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102551&cp=&kw=headphones&parentPage=search

a lot of the akg models will have a hard time getting loud enough for ya. the 240's in particular need a lot of power. i find this even the newer ones do which were designed to fix that problem...

the sony md things are loud - but really bright. i think they should come with a warning sticker... dangerous tools! :eek:

the isolation headphones i've heard are nifty and make everyone look like devo...a good thing...i'm i agree that they may not be necessary for what yer doing. i did that for 8 or 9 years with akgs...to be honest - a lot of times it's easier to have them play no headphones and just use em for OD'ing...but that's a whole 'nother story...

later on...

Mike

Mike
 
You may want to check out JamPlugs - The earplug earphones

I know I am years late to respond to the person who posted the question, but there are people here everyday searching for the same answers : )

You may want to try JamPlugs; they are basically an earphone and earplug combined into one piece. They really block out a LOT of ambient noise, and help you monitor audio through the earbuds. Oh, and they aren't crazy expensive too; that's always great for us starving artists : )

Ron
 
randerson said:
I know I am years late to respond to the person who posted the question, but there are people here everyday searching for the same answers
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But do they go back 6 years looking for threads ?
 
Bulls Hit said:
Don't bother with those big name overpriced jobs.

Check out the industrial strength ear protectors the guys operating concrete cutters and pneumatic drills use. They'll chop off 40-50db. Run a pair of earbud phones inside them and your good to go. At a fraction of the price
Click to expand...

Good answer
 
gunna be honest. i have just purchased a pair of urbanz dj style over ear headphones White BLOCK DJ Style Headphones and they do a really good job of blocking outside noise. they also have an amazing low end response going all the way down to 5hz. (although not needed its nice to here the lowest of bass lines. if you shop around the net you can get a pair for like £20
 
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