Yet another headphone thread.

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Yet another headphone thread.

Postby Malcolm Boyce » Thu Jun 03, 2010 11:16 pm

Was thinking about picking up yet another pair specifically for tracking vocals. I have some older middle range ones that I use for that already, but am thinking about picking up something else, maybe more hi end.

Any suggestions of specific models for vocal tracking cans? Looking for all the regular things, comfort over time, not bottom heavy, decent isolation of playback to microphone. I tend to favour Sony, AT, and AKG, but am open to suggestions. I'm prepared for Andrew's Beyer plug... ;-)
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It just fills Forum pages..." --compasspnt

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Postby Jef » Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:11 am

...just a thought. If you already have a set of headphones that you like and are comfortable, what about putting an eq in line to tune your existing headphones? If they are a little too bottom heavy for tracking vocals, roll some off. Or even use a digital type eq with some memory functions that can store different eq settings for recall. Might this be an effective alternative to having multiple sets of headphones?
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Re: Yet another headphone thread.

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:39 am

Malcolm Boyce wrote:I'm prepared for Andrew's Beyer plug... ;-)

But are you prepared for mine?
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Postby macrae11 » Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:45 am

If you do go Beyer, get the 80 ohm version, not 250, as they're much more even frequency response wise. Drummers' and bass players love the 250's though. I still have yet to find another set of cans that offer the same level of comfort, isolation, and good sound.

I really like a few AKG models, but I find they get uncomfortable on long sessions. For AT the M40's are good allrounders lower in the price spectrum, although I'd like to try out the M50's.

What about going with a decent set of in-ears with a wack of extra foamies? I love tracking with my E4's.
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Postby Mathieu Benoit » Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:44 am

macrae11 wrote:If you do go Beyer, get the 80 ohm version, not 250, as they're much more even frequency response wise. Drummers' and bass players love the 250's though. I still have yet to find another set of cans that offer the same level of comfort, isolation, and good sound.

I got the 250s right? They seem a bit hyped in the lows and the highs but I'm ok with that.

macrae11 wrote:What about going with a decent set of in-ears with a wack of extra foamies? I love tracking with my E4's.

I love everything with my E4s. I have the molds and they work really well. They're my litmus test lately. I track with them if the performer is in the back room with me.

I think they're:
Image
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Postby macrae11 » Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:59 am

Drumwaiter wrote:
macrae11 wrote:If you do go Beyer, get the 80 ohm version, not 250, as they're much more even frequency response wise. Drummers' and bass players love the 250's though. I still have yet to find another set of cans that offer the same level of comfort, isolation, and good sound.

I got the 250s right? They seem a bit hyped in the lows and the highs but I'm ok with that.
Yeah we both have the 250's. As I said they're great for tracking through, as you can really feel the music in them. Even a lot of vocalists/small instrumentalists love them because the little bit of extra air can help their instrument poke through a dense monitor mix. I'm not crazy about mixing on them, but now that I know them fairly well I can get by. If I'm doing a long day of editing on the small rig, I'll only use them as they're the only set of cans I can wear for a long time without to much fatigue. I'd like to get a set of the 80 ohms, and a pair of 880's specifically for mixing/editing.
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Postby Malcolm Boyce » Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:31 pm

Jef wrote:...just a thought. If you already have a set of headphones that you like and are comfortable, what about putting an eq in line to tune your existing headphones? If they are a little too bottom heavy for tracking vocals, roll some off. Or even use a digital type eq with some memory functions that can store different eq settings for recall. Might this be an effective alternative to having multiple sets of headphones?
It's not an "eq" thing.

I have several different sets of cans to choose from and I'm searching for something "special" for vocals. I don't have anything I would describe as perfect for tracking voice and that's what I'm looking for. I am already looking in several directions and am looking for opinions/suggestions from folks that I know.

The "bottom heavy" comment that I made wasn't to suggest that my setup is that way, it's that in my experience, bottom heavy headphones are the last thing I want when working on voice. What I'm looking for will not have a "bass heavy" quality to them. Many do.

The "hi end" comment I made is because my tracking headphones are mostly mid grade to low end. The most "expensive" set I have are ATs that I use primarily for checking mixes and such that are "open" and not suitable for vocals and open mics.
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