Click Tracks

redface · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 8:25 am Post subject:

Maybe this should go somewhere else, but I figure playing in time and in tune is pretty fundamental.

Ok, my full time gig, involves playing to a click track. I have been given some headphones which are huge things. It makes it very difficult to hear what I am playing (often I think i am playing softly, but I take them off and am playing very loud). I try to use them as little as possible and just groove with the rhythm section, only using them for tempo changes etc.

Can anyone recommend a good headphone (preferably one for one ear only, maybe with a volume adjuster on the cable) for this kind of work.

Thanks guys

Redface

James B. Quick · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:07 pm Post subject:

You may want to try some open back headphones. There are a number of manufacturers, mine are Koss, I think. You can hear what is going on around you, and there is no problem equalizing pressure on your ears.... jbqd

LFRoberts5 · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:37 pm Post subject:

You could leave one ear open to hear the group and the other ear to hear the click track. I remember once doing a studio session where the click track was doing a dixieland feel and the band was swinging. Made for an interesting recording session.
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hazmat · Heavyweight Member Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 669

What I do to play with tracks (click tracks, midi accomp, etc.) is with cheap headphones. You know, the kind you get with sony discmans. They are simply a thin set of headphones and they barely block out any sounds whatsoever. Those should be perfect for what you are doing.

some newer ones have the adjuster on the cable. Any cheap set such as this should work fine and only run about $5-15. I figure that you should be concentrating more on your playing and not the quality of the sounds from the headset (although the Sony ones put out a very good sound).
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[ This Message was edited by: hazmat on 2003-12-12 21:44 ]

cperret · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 8:20 am Post subject:

...When I was on 'the ships' for the past year, I also found that a cheap set of earbuds worked best. Keep in mind that click tracks are notorious for blowing headphones - you can get a giant spike in the signal on a click-test and waste a good set of 'phones. Plus the earbuds allow you to hear everything around you.