Do I Need Monitoring Headphones???

[Pianoworldstage]

Hi

 

In retrospect of my last post concerning reference monitoring headphones, i recently sold off the Sony MDR 7506s as i simply couldn't hack them anymore, I'm therefore now at a crossroads thinking if i even need a flat frequency monitoring headset at all? Given I'm not working with multiple sample library's, multiple instruments or even mixing a score for that matter. As you all know its just the recording of one sampled piano, Garritans Yamaha CFX from Abbey Road Studios.

 

There's really not much for me to do as all the meticulous engineering work has already been applied concerning EQ, compression, MIC placements etc, I'm therefore now thinking maybe just a good quality high end stereo headphone like the Sennheiser HD 598 or HD 599 that would provide a decent sound of character and coloration throughout the EQ spectrum enabling me to experience an overall better sound performance whilst recording? instead of a flat frequency response making everything sound completely lifless. Before attempting to buy another headset i would be grateful for any feeback on this.

Edited March 31, 2021 by Pianoworldstage

[triplets]

Flat FR headphones are meant to check your mixes.

If you want to get inspired you need HPs you enjoy using.

I like the beyerdynamic 770 because they cup your ear and isolate great for performances.

But not that good for mixing because the bass is a tad hyped.

Nothing beats good near field speakers for mixing.

[Pianoworldstage]

Thanks triples.

[David Nahmani]

I like the Beyerdynamic 770 too and I've even mixed with them (although they may not be the best choice for that application as triplets pointed out).

 

There's no such thing as flat headphones. There are some that are a bit flatter perhaps, and some that are more colored. But all headphones have their own character that they bring to the picture. In the end you just need to find a set of headphones that is rather on the flat side but that also appeal to you and make you enjoy working in the genre you're working with. For example I've never seen a hip hop producer mix on Sennheiser HD 600.

 

What genre do you mix?

[Pianoworldstage]

What genre do you mix?

Hi David

As mentioned in the original post, no mixing at all really. Having the Garritan Yamaha CFX Concert Grand from Abbey Road Studios as a sampled Piano all the meticulous engineering work has already been done.

 

I simply choose a Piano, MIC perspective and a reverb, notably the warm ambient natural acoustic environment of AR1, after that set up i proceed to record then edit, there's not really much more to it apart from the final task of Gain Staging, then bounce the track.

[David Nahmani]

You still need to choose the right piano, the right mic perspective, the right reverb, the right amount of reverb, etc... so that's still mixing, and you still need headphones that let you make those choices while hearing clearly what you're doing.

[Pianoworldstage]

You still need to choose the right piano, the right mic perspective, the right reverb, the right amount of reverb, etc... so that's still mixing, and you still need headphones that let you make those choices while hearing clearly what you're doing.

 

Great response, i completely agree, this was very evident when using the Sony MDR 7506 Monitor Headphones after using a generic commercial headset. The 7506s provided so much more detail when ensembling my set up for recording.

 

There were nuance's that I'd never even heard before... allowing me to accurately judge what settings needed to be in place, i suppose then I've answered my own question, that being yes, reference monitoring headphones i suppose are definitely needed.