Another Generic Headphones Thread!!!

Paligulus

Hi Folks,
Yep I'm looking for some suggestions on what Headphones to get for tracking and mixing. Well, more for tracking. So really, I just want ones that wont bleed when I'm recording vocals. I only have cheap ones at the mo so the mic picks up what I'm listening to. I'm not overly worried about freq response and the like because I wont be using them for mixing (well maybe for late night experimentation!!!)

So I've done a fair amount of research from different sources and these look like the 'best':
Sennheiser HD280pro
http://www.thomann.de/ie/sennheiser_hd280pro_djkopfhoerer.htm

Thing is, I cant really justify spending 100yoyo on headphones (I guess I'm old fashioned!!!). Especially when I only want them for tracking.

Can anyone suggest any cheaper alternatives?!!

Cheers
Dave

Paligulus

By the way, who wants to be first with ole "Headphones are for monitoring not mixing" post or the

"Perspective and reverb levels will be skewed compared to mixing on speakers" post

lol!!!!

cornbb

I use a pair of HD280 pros at work and they are absolutely worth every cent. I wear them for about 8-10 hours a day at work, they are very comfy and they won't bleed. A very worthy investment.

I know one or two people who do some mixing on headphones (mostly electronic stuff). Its not recommended but its becoming more popular with laptop musicians and the like. There was a big article on mixing with headphones in Sound on Sound recently IIRC.

eoin5

If you want something cheaper the hd 202s are good for tracking, they wont bleed and they have good sound isolation. The sound isnt great from them though, they tend to exaggerate the bass making it a bit muddy and unclear so they wouldnt be great for mixing.

squibs

Drop the hundred on them - it will be well worth it, and with care they will last you forever.

TelePaul

http://www.audioagencyeurope.com/moreme.html

Check these out. Good for the money.

MojoWorking

You should really check out Ultrasoneusa.com for options. Also I saw Ultrasone headphones is posting tips on maximizing your headphones in the studio. Some good advice here!

We at UltrasoneUSA are proud to bring you a brand new feature called the Tip of the Month. Once a month we will bring you tips from the professionals about how to better use headphones in recording, DJ and live music enviornments. For out inagural Tip we bring you a word from grammy nominated producer/engineer Ted Perlman, owner of Buffalo Sound in LA. Enjoy!

"To enhance their listening experience and confidence during tracking, I think its key to mix in reverb and EQ that's specifically dedicated to the monitor mix in the headphones but not printing to the track. It's easy! To accomplish this subtle but effective performance-enhancing technique, I recommend the following:

1) Make sure you're using a DAW I/O with zero latency monitoring. I use the RME HDSP 9652.
2) In the case of a vocal recording, route the incoming audio from the microphone back out of the soundcard and into an analog board – even an inexpensive one from Behringer or Mackie will do this for application. I personally use a Mackie 3208 in this case.
3) Route in reverb from a hardware unit to the mixer's aux send. At Buffalo Sound we use a Lexicon PCM80.
4) Assign the reverb's aux send to the headphones, and adjust EQ to their taste. Using the best headphones possible is also essential, which is why we choose to use Ultrasone HFI-700 and PROline 750 headphones at Buffalo Sound. The result is that the singer hears a full, rich sound right off the bat that doesn't affect what you're recording.
5) Pat yourself on the back for making your vocalist more comfortable, confident and charged up about their headphone mix then they've ever been (unless they've already worked with me!). Listen to the difference it makes when you're mixing your hit single.

Visit Ted Perlman any time at www.tedperlman.com
"http://www.myspace.com/tedperlman"
www.myspace.com/ultrasoneusa
www.ultrasoneusa.com

TelePaul

Yeah I've heard reverb because it gives the singer a little confidence. Although a little confidence is a dangerous thing. You could always just throw it on as a plug in effect and adjust it later, saves the external patching.

Paligulus

Thanks for all the replies folks. I was finding it hard to find any recommendations for anything under a hundred. Bit skint at the mo but I still reckon I'm gonna go for the HD280's once I have the cash!!!!!!!!!!

cornbb

They are worth every cent - enjoy!