Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Need a helping hand to make sure you do it right, first time? Got some good advice to pass on, so no-one makes the same mistakes you did? This is your forum.
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Armistice
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Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Armistice »

Tracking - acoustic guitars (if I ever get back to that) & vocals - so nothing uber loud.
Mixing - the usual stuff - should be light / flat etc.
Straight cord, not coiled. Can't stand coiled cables on anything, particularly headphones.

Current pair is Sennheiser something or others 421? Not sure ... I hear the death rattle in the left ear. I'll have a closer look on the weekend but I suspect I won't be able to fix it. They're a good 10 years old, probably more, so definitely got a good run out of them.

What would y'all* suggest.



*Today, I trying to be an American, just to see what it feels like... :cool: :crazy: :biggrin:
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miroslav
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by miroslav »

Fostex T50RP mkIII - semi-open
Great for mixing, listening and recording where you want to hear some of the room too...though I'm not fond of mixing with headphones.
You can easily put a piece of tape over the back of the cup if you need to close them off temporarily.
I do that with one pair, but have others that are stock.

For close mic work, like vocals...T40RP mkIII - closed-back
Not as articulate, a little more "closed-in" sounding...but you don't have any bleed into the mics if that is important.

Super comfy...looong, removable straight cord.

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs ... ries.shtml

My 50 and 40 are the MKII versions..so these MKIII are supposed to be even better.....but I just have too many phones to warrant buying the MKIII.
Last edited by miroslav on Fri Jul 14, 2017 12:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rayc
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by rayc »

I have a pair of over ear, semi closed Senn HD515s but they let too much sound out from the semi open backs to work for tracking. They aren't half bad for detailed spots when mixing - though only for checking.
For tracking relatively loudly I use a pair of MoreMe, (not a broad freq range - more focused on what id being done) but for tracking loud guitar amps I use buds inside noise suppression worker's Muffs.
Last edited by rayc on Fri Jul 07, 2017 9:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JD01
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by JD01 »

I really like my AKG701 for really detailed listening. They're open though so are shite for tracking. I just have crappy closed back ones for tracking.
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Greg_L
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Greg_L »

Vic Firth drumming headphones for isolation, very loud tracking, and tracking vocals with no bleed. They're uncomfortable and sound terrible, but for tracking drums or my mega-loud amps, they're awesome. I don't need sound quality with these headphones. I need to hear the guide track over the live racket without having to blow my ears out. It's virtually impossible to track in a room with Marshall stacks without headphones like these.

My listening headphones are some Shure SRH440s. I didn't choose them, they were a gift, and I do like them. I feel like I could do a mix on them, but I wouldn't. That's what monitors are for. They're fairly good for tracking vocals. They don't bleed into the mic, but they are not good for keeping outside noise from coming in. I can't usually track drums or guitars with these Shure headphones. They sound pretty good. I am usually happy to just sit and listen to something through these cans.
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Lt. Bob
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Lt. Bob »

Audio Technica AD700 is bang-for-the-buck mixing headphones.
You can prolly find some on ebay ..... they're discontinued but for under a $100 they sound pretty much identical to my Sennheiser HD600s.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 6826402014

Their replacement is similarly priced ..... I don't have a set of these so I can't quite recommend them like the AD700s which I use all the time.


I actually think I'm gonna get a pair of these since I love the AD700s so much.

As for open versus closed back ..... for mixing you want open back for sure.

For tracking ..... how freakin' loud do ya'll run your headphones/mics?
I record acoustic and vocals all the time with these cans, I've never noticed the mic picking them up enough to matter.
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Armistice
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Armistice »

So it ended up being, from what's locally available, the Audio Technica ATH-M70x - they sound pretty good.

Closed back because of the tracking and I don't actually "mix" on them as I use monitors - but I do bits of mixing on them, mainly checking stuff on individual tracks, then listening to the whole thing while I'm deciding if anything else needs to be added when it's a bit late to be blasting via monitors.

Thanks for your input genitalmen.
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JD01
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by JD01 »

Lt. Bob wrote: Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:48 am For tracking ..... how freakin' loud do ya'll run your headphones/mics?
I record acoustic and vocals all the time with these cans, I've never noticed the mic picking them up enough to matter.
I tend to have my closed back tracking headphones up pretty loud when recording vocals as I tend to record with only one can on. I sing pretty loud so if I don't have the headphones up loud I can barely hear the music! I turn the click up loud too. As a result I do get a bit of bleed, but I can deal with this pretty easily with a gate on the the vocal buss - the difference between the bleed and me singing is massive so theres no real artifacts.

I can get away with lower volume in my headphones recording guitars as my tracking headphones are pretty well isolated.
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Bubba
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Bubba »

Beyerdynamic DT770 for me. Loud but good isolation, faithful enough to mix, extremely comfortable on the ear, straight cord, every part replaceable.
Haggard Musician :mad:
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Tadpui
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Tadpui »

I've had to start mixing in headphones more and more lately due to my current "open" studio space. I can't say that any of my headphones are great for both tracking and mixing, but the Sennheiser HD240 and HD340 have pretty good isolation and very good sound.

I got a pair of the Extreme Isolation headphones when I got my drum kit. Pretty much like Greg describes the Vic Firth cans, these are the same thing. Terrific isolation, terrible sound. I mean, nothing gets out of those phones when tracking. My rhythm-challenged self needs a loud click while trying to drum, and those things keep that obnoxious click-click-click-clap out of the overheads very well. Same for vocals after a long day of tracking other instruments...my ears are cashed and I need to crank up the volume a bit. They definitely keep bleed out of sensitive microphones.
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Armistice
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Armistice »

Bubba wrote: Sat Jul 08, 2017 9:20 am Beyerdynamic DT770 for me. Loud but good isolation, faithful enough to mix, extremely comfortable on the ear, straight cord, every part replaceable.
I was chatting to a place I regularly buy stuff from (but didn't on this occasion as it's on the other side of town and they don't do free shipping so picked it up locally for the same price) and I said "straight cord!!!!" as a must. Mainly for tracking as you can control it a bit better - but I hate curly cords generally.

It seems what companies are starting to do, and did with my new cans is give you both - I got three leads with these ones. Straight long (tracking)/ straight short (phone/iPod)/ curly "long" (studio) - good idea - don't lose a sale because of people's preferences for one cord type over another. Even come in a little zip bag to keep them in. Smart.

So far, the curly one is the only one I use - and I now see the advantages of it when just sitting at the desk - keeps it off the floor!
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Tadpui
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Re: Tracking/mixing headphone recommendations

Post by Tadpui »

Armistice wrote: Sun Jul 09, 2017 9:01 pm I was chatting to a place I regularly buy stuff from (but didn't on this occasion as it's on the other side of town and they don't do free shipping so picked it up locally for the same price) and I said "straight cord!!!!" as a must. Mainly for tracking as you can control it a bit better - but I hate curly cords generally.

It seems what companies are starting to do, and did with my new cans is give you both - I got three leads with these ones. Straight long (tracking)/ straight short (phone/iPod)/ curly "long" (studio) - good idea - don't lose a sale because of people's preferences for one cord type over another. Even come in a little zip bag to keep them in. Smart.

So far, the curly one is the only one I use - and I now see the advantages of it when just sitting at the desk - keeps it off the floor!
I love and hate the curly cord. They're constantly getting tangled with other cables and caught on edges/corners of everything, and they're impossible to wind up if you need to pack or put them away. But I can't say the number of times that they've saved my other gear. You get a little tactile feedback before they get pulled taught, so in an absent-minded moment where you make one too many turns in your chair, or take one too many steps away, you get a little reminder that says "hey there, buckaroo...you're about to pull your headphone amp off of the desktop".
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