Does anyone here produce using only headphones?

This forum is for anything not Reason related, if you just want to talk about other stuff. Please keep it friendly!
hu-ryu
Posts: 59
Joined: 26 Sep 2016

29 Sep 2016

I have no studio monitors but would like to get some but unfortunately my living arrangements prevent me from ever blasting them :puf_unhappy: .

So who else uses just headphones and what do you do to get the most out of it? I just do everything by ear, there is no real method to how I do it.

User avatar
gak
Posts: 2840
Joined: 05 Feb 2015

29 Sep 2016

I only use cans. Which reminds me, I have to order a part for my senn's.......

mojo
Posts: 97
Joined: 12 May 2015
Location: france

29 Sep 2016

Yeah but i can't hear you. I'm totally deaf.

User avatar
joeyluck
Moderator
Posts: 11029
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

29 Sep 2016

I write and mix often with headphones because I work late at night.

Much of the time I do my mixing in whichever theatre I am working since that is where it will be heard.

If it's something to be shared digitally, I check mixes on my MacBook speakers and in my car because I am familiar with their sound and can reference what other music sounds like through them.

But rarely am I mixing with studio monitors.

chk071
Posts: 522
Joined: 12 Jul 2015
Location: Germany

29 Sep 2016

I think you really have to know what you're doing when using headphones exclusively. I was more than once surprised how crappy what i produced sounds like, when checking it on monitors. :D At the very least, it can be very deceiving.
:reason: :rebirth:

User avatar
joeyluck
Moderator
Posts: 11029
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

29 Sep 2016

I would suggest using something like VRM Box. That DLD Technology headphone RE might work well.
https://shop.propellerheads.se/product/ ... orrection/

Also, using several different sets of headphones wouldn't be a bad idea; somewhat similar in concept to listening on different sets of studio monitors.

User avatar
kuhliloach
Posts: 880
Joined: 09 Dec 2015

29 Sep 2016

I use both but there is a serious problem when I use speakers. The trouble I am running into, plain and simple, is that the work I do on the studio monitors is just plain awful. For whatever reason my first crack at mixes, when using my headphones only, sound a lot better. This is most likely due to my poor listening setup with the speakers (the room), compared to the excellent headphone setup I have going using Sennheiser HD 598 headphones.

HepCat

29 Sep 2016

Careful about hurting your ears, not just from prolonged used but also those sudden spikes.

I'm not sure if this is actually the case, but it seems that higher quality phones (l'm talking £30 'phones here!!!) can be sinister compared to cheap £5 'phones, the way spikes (intense sounds of frequency "N") can go undetected because with higher quality phones the spikes seem more discrete, more precise. So you may not realise the eardrum damage til the next day, when ambient sounds feel metallic without phones and you feel a bit deaf.

I'll still use my headphones because of my neighbours, but l'll be keeping the volume down.

User avatar
guitfnky
Posts: 4408
Joined: 19 Jan 2015

29 Sep 2016

what do you mean by "blasting" your monitors? generally, you're not going to get much, if any benefit from mixing at high volumes. mixing should be done at low/moderate volumes, so if that's not a problem, you could maybe still look into monitors. if you can make the mix bang at lower volumes, it will sound even better when you are able to crank it (which is something you could use the headphones for).

if you have to use headphones, just make sure you're doing a lot of reference listening on other playback sources to identify any problems. it's a pain, but it works.
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

User avatar
Emian
Posts: 712
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

06 Oct 2016

joeyluck wrote:I would suggest using something like VRM Box. That DLD Technology headphone RE might work well.
https://shop.propellerheads.se/product/ ... orrection/

Also, using several different sets of headphones wouldn't be a bad idea; somewhat similar in concept to listening on different sets of studio monitors.
unfortunately the VRM box is discontinued.... or maybe there's a version 2.0 comming....

i work on headphones-only too; i can only recommend the Beyerdynamic headphones.... i used a DT 990 pro 250 ohm for 3 years but never had a headphone amp for it; this weekend i go pick up my brand new DT 770 pro 80 ohm ; wich doesn't require a headphone-amp :)


"i might be established, but i'll never be establishement "
- Dave Clarke -www.soundcloud.com/emian

Jmax
Posts: 665
Joined: 03 Apr 2015

06 Oct 2016

Most people use their headphones at night, or if they don't want to piss off their neighbors.

It works great for coming up with new ideas or brainstorming, writing out parts.

BUT, you need to listen to it the next morning with monitors to verify that it doesn't sound like shit. Things usually sound a lot better in phones then they do in the monitors. Your drum hits will sound different in monitors, your synth levels will be much different etc..

I've heard some people say they mix where headphones. Honestly, I don't know how that is possible. Maybe my headphones aren't good enough.

User avatar
JNeffLind
Posts: 976
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: So. Illinois, USA
Contact:

07 Oct 2016

I work mainly with headphones but always check with studio monitors. The main difference for me is that levels need to be much more precise with monitors. With headphones you can usually hear everything even if it's badly mixed. Monitors gives a better idea of what an accurate mix is.

User avatar
plaamook
Posts: 2593
Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Location: Bajo del mar...

07 Oct 2016

Hell yeah I work on cans! I do everything on cans, even cheap ear buds, except refferencing which I do on my shitty little m-audios. Funy thing is that my mixes are always better on either my sony ear buds or senn hd-25's. Always shitty mixes on beyer 880's. But I use em all to get to the core of something. Everything then generally gets a polish on some ATC's but these days there's not too much added at that point.

This looks interesting.

http://sonarworks.com/

I've yet to follow it up and get it working in some way in Reason, but my noise pals all rate it. See what you lot think.
Perpetual Reason 12 Beta Tester :reason:

You can check out my music here.
https://m.soundcloud.com/ericholmofficial
Or here.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73uZZ ... 8jqUubzsQg

User avatar
Data_Shrine
Posts: 517
Joined: 23 Jan 2015

10 Oct 2016

I use both, usually (but not always) using the monitors at the last stage of mixing, going back n forth a little.. and.. as others have said, it's much better to mix at low/medium sound levels. If you mix when it's loud you will lose the big picture.

Peter

11 Oct 2016

All of my music is done with headphones because I'm just a bum with a laptop. Looking at the spectrums, having the same headphones for years, listening to references, VRM Box, Subpac and different listening devices e.g. phone, laptop, car.

User avatar
gak
Posts: 2840
Joined: 05 Feb 2015

11 Oct 2016

mojo wrote:Yeah but i can't hear you. I'm totally deaf.
What an odd comment. Not sure if trying to be funny or insinuating something.

I'm 51 and the only real hearing loss I have (other than age) is from playing in bands most of my life. Oddly, somehow, I almost always ended up on the left (facing) and since the guitar/drums were to my right, a good amount of 4k is gone on that side. I promise you, I played with some really loud mother-fuckers.

But if for any reason you are saying headphones make you deaf, no. Sure, they can, but kids these days are born as super beings. They'll hear better at 50 than I did when I was 15.

HepCat

12 Oct 2016

Be careful guys :)

I too am using headphones a lot right now. Not just because l'm working at night, but l also found myself doing it in the daytime because l was embarrassed about my DAW work in progress being overheard by neighbours.

A few nights ago l was really stressed about my health, and l had taken a new medication for cholesterol and a new medication to make me sleep. I had also taken about 3 cups of coffee throughout the day. I had also been listening to music on a £30 pair of Pioneer headphones (which l consider pretty good quality). I had also gone to bed right after taking a shower (possible water in ear).

I don't know what caused it but l woke up around 4am with insane tinnitus in my only good ear (l am partially deaf). Everything sounded muffled. I thought l was finished, l was actually in tears because l thought my hearing had just gone (l've heard stories of people losing their hearing overnight), l hadn't a clue what caused it. I still don't know what caused it but it healed after 3 or 4 full days and nights.

I suspect it was:
- The decent quality headphones making me more tolerant of sharp spikes in sound, because, i dunno, it feels more easy on the ears with decent cans. Result: l hurt my ears more than i realised?
- Listening just too loud on phones, regardless of the headphone quality. Face it, it might sound comfy but if your music were that loud without phones, the floorboards would be shaking. IN FACT: I've now switched to lower quality headphones, but still occasionally ended up with a metallic sounding hearing impairment afterwards, because l was just listening too loudly without realising.
- Stress, caffeine, etc.


My solution:
- I now listen to my music quietly on my headphones. DAWs can really hurt your ears with their raw unmastered sounds sometimes.
- I will now be using loudspeakers in the daytime.


User avatar
Exowildebeest
Posts: 1553
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

13 Oct 2016

HepCat wrote:Be careful guys :)
DAWs can really hurt your ears with their raw unmastered sounds sometimes.

Very very good point.

If you're working with delay feedbacks, distortions.... basically just working in general, and use headphones, put a limiter on the master to save yourself some agony.

BrianJones
Posts: 2
Joined: 13 Jun 2017

17 Jun 2017

In case if you have a gadget to play, the headphones are a good companion to keep by your side. It can also be used to produce something or in mixing, DJ, etc. So for a comfortable and cheap range may have to do some research to buy the best headphones out on the market, perhaps the best headphones under your budget should be good. Go through the internet for finding the best suited option for yourself, get more information over here. Perhaps find your new great pair of headphones.
Try for some advanced features such as noise cancellation (especially that of wind noise), which generally improves sound quality. Try to get some better product for safety of your ears.

User avatar
gak
Posts: 2840
Joined: 05 Feb 2015

17 Jun 2017

I'd rather go deaf being able to do something I love than keep my hearing and simply not be able to use them (traditional monitors)

User avatar
Oquasec
Posts: 2849
Joined: 05 Mar 2017

18 Jun 2017

Some good headphones and NEAR-FIELD/MIDFIELD MONITORS and you're set.
Producer/Programmer.
Reason, FLS and Cubase NFR user.

User avatar
pushedbutton
Posts: 1538
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Lancashire, UK
Contact:

18 Jun 2017

I treat headphones like working with radiation.
They're useful but long term use is harmful.
If I'm noodling I use monitors, you never know when you're going to make a noise that makes your ears ring and a bit of distance from the source is always a good idea.
Headphones are useful for mixing and mastering and I tend to use them when I want to focus my attention. I can't see a time when I'll get bored of making music so going deaf in my old age would probably leave me depressed, I'd like to avoid that.
@pushedbutton on twitter, add me, send me a message, but don't try to sell me stuff cos I'm skint.
Using Reason since version 3 and still never finished a song.

User avatar
aeox
Competition Winner
Posts: 3222
Joined: 23 Feb 2017
Location: Oregon

18 Jun 2017

yes

User avatar
normen
Posts: 3431
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

24 Oct 2017

HepCat wrote:
12 Oct 2016
I suspect it was:
- The decent quality headphones making me more tolerant of sharp spikes in sound, because, i dunno, it feels more easy on the ears with decent cans. Result: l hurt my ears more than i realised?
- Listening just too loud on phones, regardless of the headphone quality. Face it, it might sound comfy but if your music were that loud without phones, the floorboards would be shaking. IN FACT: I've now switched to lower quality headphones, but still occasionally ended up with a metallic sounding hearing impairment afterwards, because l was just listening too loudly without realising.
- Stress, caffeine, etc.
It most probably was gunk in your ears that got mushy because of your ears sweating with the headphones on and then filled out your ear canal. Then some night you moved around so much that it got pushed aside again and you could hear like before.

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests