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Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:35 pm
by Pulp
So I've seen so many people on other production forum slate using headphones for production, and get monitors. But then some of us have problems of not being to play at loud volume all the time. Also, I haven't seen much headphone abuse on this forum. What's your opinion?

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:47 pm
by Undrig
Selector Moldy suggested some Sony mdr 7506 and I never looked back. Only cans in that price range (like $80) I would ever consider making tunes with. Also good for getting a feel for how something will go down in a club on a proper system without the butt rumble of course.

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:52 pm
by Pulp
Undrig wrote:Selector Moldy suggested some Sony mdr 7506 and I never looked back. Only cans in that price range (like $80) I would ever consider making tunes with. Also good for getting a feel for how something will go down in a club on a proper system without the butt rumble of course.
Yeah that's what I thought, and would be more worthwhile in my room. People mostly talk of phasing problems, but I have decent Hi Fi speakers that I can listen to as well. Plus I probably will get some monitors in the future too.

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:59 pm
by jaimelee
I use them for night time production in bed when all others are asleep or when doing surgical EQ work on certain sounds like Synths or Snares.
Other than that, it's all monitor work. I used to jack my Hi-fi from the 90's and use them as monitors but the low end playback was too weak.

Lastly, you have to check you're song mixdown on all different types of speakers anyway so would be handy to have them. :)

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:17 pm
by Eat Bass
yeah a good pair of headphones is great for producing and sound design for the details. its always a good idea to mix down on monitors though.

and yeah its nice to be able to produce late night or when someone else needs quiet or doesn't wanna hear me tweaking a big bro bass for 3 hours LOL

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:43 pm
by Pulp
Eat Bass wrote:yeah a good pair of headphones is great for producing and sound design for the details. its always a good idea to mix down on monitors though.

and yeah its nice to be able to produce late night or when someone else needs quiet or doesn't wanna hear me tweaking a big bro bass for 3 hours LOL
Yes probably a good job you use headphones for that bass as I wouldn't want to hear it either ;) ha

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:52 pm
by minusworld
as long as you check your final mix on a other system aswell your safe.
I produce on sennheiser hd280's and i love them.
good luck!

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:07 pm
by Pulp
Think for late night sessions I'm gonna need some, so it's between these for me at the minute:

Beyerdynamic DT770

AKG K 240 MK II

Sennheiser HD25-1II

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

The amp for my speakers has a headphones port and so does my Line 6 UX2 external soundcard.

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:23 pm
by CE9958
Get a pair of Sennheiser HD650s. Like 300 on amazon as opposed to the 600 something they are on the Sennheiser site. They're considered the best headphones in the world according to headphone magazine. I have them and they're amazing.

The DT770s are the best out of your list mostly because they're the only ones on that list that aren't fatiguing as hell to wear. The sound is good but they don't go as low as I would like them to.

AKGs I believe my roommate has them, they're pretty alright,

HD25's are a bit too low end quality if you ask me and also the most uncomfortable imo.

ATH-M50's are good I have a bit of experience with them but I find their high end very harsh and distracting. Also pretty uncomfortable to wear.

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:33 pm
by Pedro Sánchez
Beats by Dre or STFU and GTFO, only headphones you can really use for producing!

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:38 pm
by fuzion
Since I started producing ive always used a £50 pair of Sony headphones and ive never had any problems haha so yes definitely!

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:42 pm
by Pulp
CE9958 wrote:Get a pair of Sennheiser HD650s. Like 300 on amazon as opposed to the 600 something they are on the Sennheiser site. They're considered the best headphones in the world according to headphone magazine. I have them and they're amazing.

The DT770s are the best out of your list mostly because they're the only ones on that list that aren't fatiguing as hell to wear. The sound is good but they don't go as low as I would like them to.

AKGs I believe my roommate has them, they're pretty alright,

HD25's are a bit too low end quality if you ask me and also the most uncomfortable imo.

ATH-M50's are good I have a bit of experience with them but I find their high end very harsh and distracting. Also pretty uncomfortable to wear.
Thanks for the suggestion mate, but those are like twice what I'd want to be spending at the minute, any other you'd recommend?

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:49 pm
by JTMMusicuk
like using monitors, you have to get used to the headphones to produce well with them. The problem with headphones is tho that you dont get the crossfeed from speaker to speaker like you would in clubs or radios etc. also because you would want them to colour the sound the bass is usually audible but not prominent making it hard to mix down.
If push comes to shove i use my headphones to produce but i go back to my monitors to mix down

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:28 pm
by Eat Bass
ultrasone pro 900

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:34 pm
by CE9958
Pulp wrote:
CE9958 wrote:Get a pair of Sennheiser HD650s. Like 300 on amazon as opposed to the 600 something they are on the Sennheiser site. They're considered the best headphones in the world according to headphone magazine. I have them and they're amazing.

The DT770s are the best out of your list mostly because they're the only ones on that list that aren't fatiguing as hell to wear. The sound is good but they don't go as low as I would like them to.

AKGs I believe my roommate has them, they're pretty alright,

HD25's are a bit too low end quality if you ask me and also the most uncomfortable imo.

ATH-M50's are good I have a bit of experience with them but I find their high end very harsh and distracting. Also pretty uncomfortable to wear.
Thanks for the suggestion mate, but those are like twice what I'd want to be spending at the minute, any other you'd recommend?
Just go with the DT770s then. They're definitely a solid set of cans.

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:36 pm
by CE9958
fuzion wrote:Since I started producing ive always used a £50 pair of Sony headphones and ive never had any problems haha so yes definitely!
Your mixes sound like classic headphone mixes ma man. No offense. Can't hear much in the way of drums or low end. All very middy and shrill highs.

In reality mixing on headphones should be a last resort...

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:05 am
by Gurnumsbug
jaimelee wrote:I use them for night time production in bed when all others are asleep
Same! Other than that I really don't use my cans.

I got the AKG K240's for about 100$
They sound great, just lacking in the low's a bit!

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:26 am
by Sonika
A cool chart for some headphones:
http://cdn.head-fi.org/d/da/1000x4500px ... jokerl.png

Some of the ones that people talk about aren't represented on there though

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:04 am
by fuzion
CE9958 wrote:
fuzion wrote:Since I started producing ive always used a £50 pair of Sony headphones and ive never had any problems haha so yes definitely!
Your mixes sound like classic headphone mixes ma man. No offense. Can't hear much in the way of drums or low end. All very middy and shrill highs.

In reality mixing on headphones should be a last resort...
Both the tracks in my sig weren't mastered by me btw, my own mastering isn't amazing but it sounds fine live and ive never had any complaints from labels

Re: Headphones: Are they suitable to produce with?

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:53 am
by CE9958
Whatever you say big guy :Q: