I know headphones have been discussed several times here, but I still have some questions regarding headphones vs monitors.
What I know:
- Since it goes directly into the ears, all room acoustics are missing.
- Headphones are rarely flat in the frequency response
- The lows often sound thin and less full, which may lead to overcompensation with EQ
- Different interpretation of the highs
I use headphones (Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro) excluselively at home when playing, because I don't have monitors and can't play loud anyway. I do have one Atomic Reactor FR active speaker that I use occasionally. Have also played through a PA.
My experience (headphones vs live)
- The highs sound thin and shrill with headphones. They sound awesome through PA
- The mids or lows sound muffled with headphones. Sounds much better through PA
- Generally sounds static and sterile, and I feel like adding more gain with headphones. Also, vibrato takes much more effort with headphones. I have to bend and use the whammy bar harder than when playing live to even hear it. Through PA, it takes almost no effort at all to get a very audible effect.
It is really frustrating to have to play through headphones, but that's just how it is right now. Next year I'm gonna be looking for a new appartment. I will still not be able to play loud but there will be more room for sound there since I'm buying alone.
When recording direct, how high volume would be needed to add in those elements that are missing when monitoring through headphones? Since I can't play loud anyway, I also wonder how much I should be willing to pay for studio monitors.
And finally, it is at least 6 months before I can move out and I wonder if there is something temorary improvement I could do in the meantime. I think I paid about $100 for the DT770. I did a quick search for the Sennheiser HD 650 and it's about $600 over here. Would an upgrade like this help in anyway or just a waste of money?
Thanks!
What I know:
- Since it goes directly into the ears, all room acoustics are missing.
- Headphones are rarely flat in the frequency response
- The lows often sound thin and less full, which may lead to overcompensation with EQ
- Different interpretation of the highs
I use headphones (Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro) excluselively at home when playing, because I don't have monitors and can't play loud anyway. I do have one Atomic Reactor FR active speaker that I use occasionally. Have also played through a PA.
My experience (headphones vs live)
- The highs sound thin and shrill with headphones. They sound awesome through PA
- The mids or lows sound muffled with headphones. Sounds much better through PA
- Generally sounds static and sterile, and I feel like adding more gain with headphones. Also, vibrato takes much more effort with headphones. I have to bend and use the whammy bar harder than when playing live to even hear it. Through PA, it takes almost no effort at all to get a very audible effect.
It is really frustrating to have to play through headphones, but that's just how it is right now. Next year I'm gonna be looking for a new appartment. I will still not be able to play loud but there will be more room for sound there since I'm buying alone.
When recording direct, how high volume would be needed to add in those elements that are missing when monitoring through headphones? Since I can't play loud anyway, I also wonder how much I should be willing to pay for studio monitors.
And finally, it is at least 6 months before I can move out and I wonder if there is something temorary improvement I could do in the meantime. I think I paid about $100 for the DT770. I did a quick search for the Sennheiser HD 650 and it's about $600 over here. Would an upgrade like this help in anyway or just a waste of money?
Thanks!
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