Headphone amp, should be in tracking or control room?

Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 10:16 pm

As different vocalist needs different headphone volume/reverb while tracking,
are these parameter can be changed by the vocalist in tracking room by putting some gears(like headphone amp, mixer...) in it?
Or these should be controlled by the engineer in control room?

If by the vocalist,
what equipment should I need to do this purpose?

If by the engineer,
is it convenient that vocalist needs to ask engineer to adjust his/her headphone mix all the time?

Or, any alternative methods?

Thanks for advance~~

Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 10:49 pm

Your question is quite valid and a lot of it depends on what kind of control room you have set up?

Back in the old analog days, it was up to be engineered to create a headphone mix. If somebody needed something different in their headphones, they would have to ask. Some of us offered numerous different headphone feeds ranging from single mono to numerous mono and/or stereo feeds.

In a modern control room, one might have a LAN based headphone system allowing each individual to mix from 8 different sources. Those sources still have to be fed from a sophisticated enough digital or analog console.

In my old analog control room, I've never offered more than 2 different mixes which has been adequate over the years. Of course my attitude is not the same as everyone's. If you can't deal with the mix I provided, you need to go to another studio. That's what I'm being paid for. The position is called audio engineer. Which some of us are. Maybe this will give you a little more insight?

Old-time bitch
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:00 am

I don't know about that idiot that just answered but she didn't indicate whether the amplifier should be in the studio or control room.

It really depends on the type of headphone system you want to install? You can find numerous 4 headphone amplifier devices. I've never really figured out what the purpose of those things are?? They are designed to fit a rack. What does that tell you? It was never designed for the studio. It was designed for your tiny project control room. That's a lot different from large control room/studio operations. I used to use a central amplifier that was located in the same rack with other ancillary studio/control room accoutrements. Feeding isolated, & ground isolated outputs I might add, to special headphone output plates, distributed throughout the studio. These power amplifier outputs do not share a common ground with anything else so, electrically isolated. Amplifier output grounds do not necessarily want to share their life with other devices. This requires a custom-designed headphone distribution system. So, not sure how these stupid headphone amplifiers came about??

Your LAN based systems have a separate headphone amplifiers with each headphone mixer box and so, folks don't share these. A lot more money since each 8 Channel headphone mixer also requires its own amplifier.

Actual headphone systems require a fair amount of creative fabrication. Most parts available at your local electronics store. Most any output protected amplifier of 35 to 70 W per channel is more than adequate. That's provided proper loss resistors are utilized within each headphone box & output from the amplifier. That's so you don't kill your headphones or your or your clients hearing. Simple soldering skills are also necessary. Check previous friends for a better description of how to construct a headphone system.

You need plenty of power for clean headphones.
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:09 am

I use a headphone amplifier with two input mixes, and four outputs. I keep the amp in the control room and run cables to the tracking room. At that end I have inline volume knobs so the client can adjust level. If they need a different mix, they need to ask, but most of the time they are happy with just adjusting volume.

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:29 am

One thing to keep in mind is how the headphone mix affects the subject's performance. It is a tool a producer can use to obtain what is needed out of the artists. Giving up control of such an important tool to someone less experienced in mixing strikes me as irresponsible and lazy. However irritating the performer is about their headphone mix , it is the audio engineer's job to provide whatever it is they need to hear.

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:38 pm

I've got an old analog console that has 6 AUX sends. I use these to generate 6 different headphone mixes if need be. The 6 channel headphone amp has separate inputs for each individual amplifier. It is racked up in the control room and I send feeds to jacks in the 2 different tracking rooms via the mic snakes. One of the lines to the guitar/vocal room can be re-routed to double as a direct instrument line to the guitar amp, so that I can sit at the console and track guitar parts. Saves a lot of running back and forth.

Of course having the ability to provide 6 different headphone mixes would be really useful if I could just get someone to come over and record. Crying or Very sad

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:59 pm

AwedOne wrote:

Of course having the ability to provide 6 different headphone mixes would be really useful if I could just get someone to come over and record. Crying or Very sad

lol Tell me if you figure out how to fix that problem. I need some help there as well.

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:17 pm

Mackie used to make a wonderful little unit ... the HMX 56. It was able to take in 4 different sources, as well as a separate stereo mix.

I found the need for it just as they discontinued it Sad

I thought it'd be perfect because I didn't want to worry about the headphone mix - I could worry about other things.

Is there anything similar to that unit other than the Furman?

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:50 pm

GeckoMusic wrote:

Quote:

AwedOne wrote:
Of course having the ability to provide 6 different headphone mixes would be really useful if I could just get someone to come over and record.

lol Tell me if you figure out how to fix that problem. I need some help there as well.

I'd be delighted just to get another drummer over so I could experiment with mic placement w/o going up and down the stairs 50 times a day.

I am losing weight, tho. Laughing

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:46 pm

I'm sure the only thing keeping me fit is the 30m round trip I go through just to, say, turn a mic on which I forgot to turn on, or to activate a channel on the console. Or to press a button, or...

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:49 pm

Codemonkey wrote:

Quote:

I'm sure the only thing keeping me fit is the 30m round trip I go through just to, say, turn a mic on which I forgot to turn on, or to activate a channel on the console. Or to press a button, or...

Maybe we should do an excercize video...ya know, like H*p Hop Abs.

"Fader Thighs" Rolling Eyes

sorry for hijacking your thread, Terryco. You can have it back now. I've had my fun and now I'll go away. Embarassed

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:49 pm

JCMastering wrote:

Giving up control of such an important tool to someone less experienced in mixing strikes me as irresponsible and lazy.

Someone call me?

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:57 pm

Bill,

There's nothing wrong with hijacking a thread, as long as you make me laugh.

Laughing

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:37 pm

when we recorded our album, i remember it being pretty convenient to have the levels adjustable in the trackroom.

he had a box with an input and an output... and it had a monitor/mix knob so you could adjust how much of the mix came in and how much of it was monitor.

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