Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STACKS?

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Derrick
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Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STACKS?

Post by Derrick » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:43 am

What would be good headphones for recording really loud guitar amps like a Marshall plexi stack turned up to 10? Am I correct in looking for good isolation to hear what's coming through the headphoned while in front of this beast? I ask because I often need to get the dynamics you get while standing infront of the loud amp and playing. Ya know, using the volume as part of the instrument.
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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by Rodgre » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:54 am

I use those headphones that isolate most of the outside sound. They're like firing range headphones. Vic Firth makes some for drummers. Metrophones is another brand I think. I forget which version we have. They're great for drummers and loud guitarists alike.

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by dwelle » Thu Dec 04, 2003 3:48 pm

i use the extreme isolation headphones for loud drum and guitar tracking and love 'em for that. do a google search and you can find them for under $100 no problem. not incredibly hi fi, but they definately fit the bill for rock played loud. these suckers go to 11!.....

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by inverseroom » Thu Dec 04, 2003 3:57 pm

Earplugs would be best, IMHO. Or a flight to Des Moines.

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by Derrick » Fri Dec 05, 2003 10:45 am

Of the three mentioned here ( Metrophones, Extreme Isolation, and Vic Firth), which of these would have the best fidelity for flexability in tracking quieter tracks such as vocals, acoustic guitar, etc.?
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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by dwelle » Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:01 am

i use my isolators when tracking acoustic gtr and vocals often to avoid headphone bleed. like i said, not super hi fi, but they work well for those applications as well.

haven't used the other two, can't say....

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by assfortress » Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:22 am

The vic firths are great for tracking with drums, they're pretty cheap and they block out alot. they don't sound too great though. If you using headphones to get sounds I would check out the Sennhieser HD280's. Quite a bit of isolation and they sound good too.

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by Nozzler » Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:42 am

use a p.a. rig for monitors, that way the guitar player feels like he's playing with the band! headphones and loud rock don't mix.

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:15 pm

inspired by a post elsewhere on this board, i got a pair of the hearing protecters from home depot for about $18 and stuck in a pair of walkman headphones. worked great, lots of isolation from loud amps, and even better, no headphone bleed on quiet vocal tracks.

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by BradG » Fri Dec 05, 2003 1:18 pm

I've recorded with a variety of solutions to this problem. It is vital to actually be in front of the amp for dynamics and feedback playing, I totally agree there. I'm not a big fan of the sound of total isolation headphones, though. My tracking preference is to place the cabs in an iso booth and stand in front of the partially open door. By moving behind the door I can hear more mix and then, at the end of the song, actually push myself into the room for the final, track-ending feedback outro!

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by Derrick » Sat Dec 06, 2003 10:51 am

All very good ideas. How much do the Sennhieser and Vic Firth cost? Maybe I will just make a choice and be done with it. :)
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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by dwelle » Sat Dec 06, 2003 1:34 pm

i have the sennheisers too and don't really care for them when i need isolation. they also have no bottom like the akg's, if that matters...

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by sonariste » Sat Dec 06, 2003 2:36 pm

Dont forget you need crisp power for whatever cans you go with.
The high volume cue mix MUST have a separate amp. It's the only way.
Even if you go grab some alesis power amp, Whaever , go get a used power amp at the music store. A couple little fet's in a mixing desk or multi channel headphone amp cant cut it for drums, or really loud guitar OD's.

I have a single cue mix assigned to drummer and super loud guitar od's.

It has an old crown dc 300 driving 2 mono mixes on sony V6's.

You lose some cans (drivers) sometimes, but the power is there to keep the IM distorion down, so in the long run you save drivers. I like the fostex TR-40's too, and the new senheiser closed back cans you get at guitar mart for $99.

It cracks me up when I work at studios that have some whimpy cue amp for the drummer, And worse if they are using some high imp cans like AKG 240's.

I'm all for the rane, behringer, fuman multi channel cue amps but NOT FOR THE DUMMER, I mean drummer.

Just my $0.02

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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by Derrick » Mon Dec 08, 2003 7:18 am

dwelle wrote:i have the sennheisers too and don't really care for them when i need isolation. they also have no bottom like the akg's, if that matters...
Sennheiser and AKG don't have much bottom? I've think I've heard this befor. Do the Vic Firth have bottom? If not, what does that might have som isolation?
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Re: Best headphones for tracking REALLY Loud Guitar Amps STA

Post by dwelle » Mon Dec 08, 2003 2:01 pm

derrick, my experiences, for what they're worth:

sony 7506: my personal fave. good sounding headphones with hyped bottom end that works for me (tweaks other folks, but i like bottom in my phones). usually $100 or so. medium isolation.

akg: 240 or 280 (or something, i'm really bad with model numbers). i don't like the akg's. no bottom, very thin, no isolation. usually $80 or so.

sennheiser: these are our newest and i can't remember which model. these sound quite good, they just lack a little bottom which some folks prefer. a good set of phones for the $. around $100 i think (i didn't buy them). medium isolation.

extreme isolation headphones: not as hi fi as the sony's or the senn's, but sound pretty good nonetheless. not really hyped anywhere, flat. can be had for less than $100. extreme isolation, no bullshit.

personally, when i'm playing something and tracking it, i prefer the sony's. they sound good and they let me know what's going on in the bottom end. if i'm tracking really loud guitars, acoustic guitars, vocals, or drums, i usually use the isolators. i never get bleed when recording acoustics or vox, and they do a standup job of keeping loud gtrs and drums out of the phones so i can concentrate on the mix.

my only gripe on the isolators is that they aren't as comfortable as all the other phones listed above. you don't want to wear these things for 4 hours straight if you don't have too.

hope that helps...

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