You Gotta Hear What The Mic Hears!

[Deleted]

Well, I thunked to myself I could dispense with headphones when recording the guitar parts for some new songs. This based on the simple fact that cans are just annoying to wear after an hour, or so, and I wasn't needing them for any cues, or anything, so... yesterday I decided to just hit the old red button and play unprotected (so to speak).

Long story short, it was a load of old rubbish. After two hours of takes including my normal ration of false starts... and some false middle bits and ends, too... I put it to bed prepared to come back the next day for a spot of editing for fluffs here and there. But my ears were assaulted by string squeaks, chair squeaks, snorting, gasping, bird calls, and I swear... a far off fighter jet on its way to RAF Leuchers.

I have concluded that (a) I can't play guitar for nuts, and (b) the very act of wearing headphones makes you conscious and aware of "noises-off" that would otherwise be ignored.

So there you have it. Noises-off? Cans on!

[loopysanchez]

Yep, I've done the same experiment. I guess I was already pretty sure of what the results would be when I took the cans off; But on that day I had given up on recording with them on, as I was becoming so paranoid about every little sound you mentioned that I wasn't concentrating on playing naturally.

[billhammond]

I recorded most of both my CDs without wearing headphones. They just give me too much detail and ruin my ability to play free 'n' easy. I start focusing on each and every fingering to make it squeak- and buzz-free, and the totality suffers.

But then, I did not have to worry about fighter jets or any other ambient noise, as I was in a hermetically sealed studio.

[Doug]

I do all my recording live, no over takes etc.
I've tried it both ways and I don't like using the phones.
I do use the same monitor I use for gigs.
But I think that using a headset mic and pickup, and Chris hides a lavalier mic in her hand for the harp and her vocals, not a lot of ambient noise gets in anyway. Sometimes the phone rings and that kills that take. I still get the tick from the electric fence sneaking in but it filters out easy. Something about that 30 ft cable to the computer makes a great antenna for the 60 cycle click of the elec fence that has about 1/4 mile of wire for an transmiting antenna.

[Cornflake]

I don't mind headphones. I've found I have to be careful about what I'm hearing in the phones, though. If I'm hearing the current recording at too high a level, I back off too much; if what I'm hearing is too soft, I play too hard.

Digression: I'm admitting to myself that although I don't like the idea of click tracks, I almost always get a better result when I use them.