Headphones and Monitoring

 

Headphones are an important tool for me.  In the studio when tracking, in post-production for checking mixes and masters, and in everyday listening.  For everyday listening, I can hear so very much more in headphones than using speakers.  More detail, more of the stereo field, more mix elements, more music.  More everything.  For me, headphones versus speakers are like the difference between black-and-white and color.

There are many great headphones.  And headphones can be a very personal choice.  Over the years, I've found my favorites for different purposes and applications which I outline as follows.

Tracking

Guitars

For tracking, I usually reach for the Sony MDR-7506.  These are well-established and classic studio monitoring phones that are found in most recording studios around the world.  I've replaced the cable on mine; the stock cable is half straight/half coiled, and I never liked that.  I made a new cable using Mogami balanced mic cable.  Sounds better than the stock cable, and is more user-friendly, as the coiled part of the stock cable was constantly catching on or getting stuck on things.  I used to use the AKG K-271 series for tracking everything, but playing in cello position as I do means that the AKG 'phones were wide enough that I would experience collisions with the guitar necks.  These collisions were noisy and could ruin a take, or require some editing in post-production.  It was also disruptive during tracking, as I found that I was thinking way too much about trying to keep the headphones away from the instrument.  Ergo, I needed something with a narrower profile, but still highly accurate.  The Sony 7506 were the solution to this problem.

Doubleneck Guitars

When tracking my doubleneck guitars, I almost can't use headphones.  I play in cello position, and that means that the necks go past my head.  That's not a problem unless I'm wearing conventional headphones, as they can sometimes collide with the neck during normal playing.  This makes a rather loud noise and can ruin a take.  Ergo, for the doublenecks, I use in-ear monitors (IEMs).   As the name implies, they're small enough to fit more inside my ears.  Hence, no collisions with the necks during recording.  IEMs are nothing like earbuds, as the IEMs are made for demanding pro audio situations and environments, and usually contain multiple drivers per ear.  For IEMs, I use the Shure SE-425.  They provide great isolation, and the frequency response is quite good.

Piano and Keyboards

When tracking keyboards or piano, I prefer the AKG K-271.  I've used AKG studio headphones for decades and I still love them.  I used to use the K-271 for all tracking monitoring, but the cups are wide enough that they sometimes collide with cello-positioned instruments; hence my preference for the Sony MDR-7505 when tracking instruments from the guitar family.  The 7505 have narrower cups and don't collide with single-neck instruments in cello position. 
The K-271 is a closed-back type.  Closed-back are really the only tool for tracking, as open-back phones leak far too much audio when live microphones are involved.

Mixing

For checking mixes and masters, I always use the Shure SRH-940.  These are shown at the top of this page.  I find them to be the most accurate headphones I've ever used.  The stereo field is incredibly precise, and I can hear reverb tails down to infinity.  They are closed-back, so they could be used for tracking, but they're super flat.  That's perfect for checking mixes and mastering, but I prefer headphones with a bit more of a smiley-face EQ curve when tracking.

Every day

My current favorite every day headphones are the Audio-Technica ATH-M50.  Closed-back/over-ear design.  I have seen these used for tracking in some studios, and I can understand that.  They feature a strong bass response, and are well-detailed in the upper registers without being harsh.  I can listen for hours with no ear fatigue.  

Honorable mention

AKG K-701.  Over-ear/open-back design.  Incredibly comfortable.  Great midrange and treble response.  The one drawback is that these headphones are light in the bass registers, which in my experience is typical for open-back headphones, which is why I don't like open-back headphones.  But headphones being the very personal choice that they are, there are people that do like open-back headphones.

In conclusion

If you are passionate about listening to music, you really owe it to yourself to try a great pair of headphones.  It's likely that you will hear elements and parts of the music that you've never heard before, including elements that can't be accessed without a great pair of headphones.  Try a few pairs and find the ones that are right for you.

-kk