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Thread: Headphones or in-ear monitoring?

  1. #1

    Headphones or in-ear monitoring?

    In quarantine, learning how to do remote videos, one part at a time. What are current opinions on monitoring from PC for play-along recording? I have older headphones, which of course need to pull one side off to accommodate instrument and hearing.

    Bluetooth is notorious for delays, is it an option?
    Last edited by btrbcomposer; 04-07-2021 at 07:07 PM. Reason: Add
    Wessex Sinfonico Euphonium
    Leuchter Bass Sackbut
    Conn 88H
    Bach 50B3
    Cool Winds Tuba Blue!

  2. #2
    I use play-alongs all the time. What works for me is to convert the sound to an .mp3. Playing that thru earphones, but I run mine thru a sound board and an amplifier. Most of the videos on my YouTube channel that are actually of me are using pre-recorded accompaniments.
    David Bjornstad

    1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
    2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
    2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
    2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
    Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
    Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)

  3. #3
    I use Finale and ProTools. What kind of earphones is the question.
    Wessex Sinfonico Euphonium
    Leuchter Bass Sackbut
    Conn 88H
    Bach 50B3
    Cool Winds Tuba Blue!

  4. #4
    I don't care for in-ear phones for this type of use, personally. Here are the two factors that fight each other:

    1. You want to be able to hear the recorded part clearly, whether it is a musical part or a click track. For that goal, headphones with excellent isolation would be ideal.
    vs.
    2. You want to be able to hear your own real-time playing so you can properly control your sound, volume, articulation, etc. For this goal, headphones with almost zero isolation are ideal.

    Considerations:
    I think wired are safest, as you suspected.
    For one click-track session I was using my Sennheiser on-ear phones with foam pads, which allowed me to hear the clicks pretty well (not ideal) and also my own playing. However, the microphone could also hear the clicks and they ended up in my final mix.
    I tried my Bose over the ear isolation headphones, but they cut out too much of my sound. They also don't seem to like it when you put one of them cockeyed so you can hear yourself on that ear.
    My go-to choice now is a pair of Sony phones with pads that go over/around the ears (I have pretty big ears, so...). If I slide one off an ear I can hear well enough what I am playing, and if I keep the pad on my head (vs. turned sideways or outward) the click is kept away from the mics.
    By having some isolation, like my Sony phones provide, I can hear the other track(s) without turning the volume up so far that I'm risking hearing damage.

    My 2 cents.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

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