I have been making music for years now, and although
I have a set of Genelec 8040s that I use during the day (when I’m home),
I have been using a set of Audio-Technica M50 headphones for writing at
night, when I usually have the ideas and desire to write, but am unable
to, due to neighbours and a sleeping wife.However, lately I have been
unable to use the cans, as I’ve been experiencing discomfort and what I believe is the onset or warning signs of tinnitus. It’s been
a nightmare trying to adapt to not using cans at night, and I find it
almost impossible to get anything other than sequencing done at this low
volume!I’m wondering whether there are any miracle headphones or bits
of kit that would minimise hearing damage or discomfort while still
being (relatively) accurate and enjoyable to use.
Via SOS web site
SOS
Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns replies:
Firstly, regarding the
tinnitus: it’s very common, often temporary and may be nothing to worry
about. It can be brought on by something as simple as drinking too much
coffee or suffering a mild ear infection, but don’t ignore or neglect
it. Go and see a medical professional and get checked out! If there is
a problem, early intervention could make all the difference.
I
don’t think there are any ‘miracle’ solutions in headphones. Basically,
it comes down to self-control in establishing the most appropriate
maximum level for those particular headphones and sticking to it. The
simplest solution is to put a mark on the headphone volume control and
exercise enough self-discipline to never turn it up past that. If you
reach a stage in your mixing when you’re finding that maximum level is
too quiet, take a break. Give the ears a little time to relax and reset,
and then start again.
More volume is not the
answer, though. It might seem more exciting and involving, but it
doesn’t really help to make better mixes — in fact, it usually makes
them worse! The reason is that greater volume allows you to hear
through a bad mix more easily, and poor balances aren’t perceived as
such. Working at more moderate levels — the kind of volume that most end
listeners will use — encourages a far more critical approach to the
mix, as poor balances sound obviously awful! Mixing becomes much harder,
certainly, but also much more accurate and with far better end results.
This is true of both speakers and headphones.
By
all means turn the volume up if you need to check low-level background
noises and so on, but do so only briefly. Try to mix at a modest level,
and keep that level fixed. If you continually change your monitoring
level, your mix will change continually too!
However,
the fatigue you’re experiencing may involve more than just sheer
volume. The M50s are pretty good for the money, but I think you might
find it easier to work with a pair of good open-backed headphones that
are more revealing. You might find it helpful to read the comments and
suggestions for different models in a headphone comparison article we
ran in the January 2010 issue (www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/articles/studioheadphones.htm).
If possible, try different models before buying, to make sure the
weight, headband pressure and size of the ear cups suit your head and
are comfortable. Open-back headphones do ‘leak’ more sound than closed
headphones, though, and that may be an issue for your wife!
The
M50, being a closed-back design, tends to be less revealing of
mid-range detail than a good open-backed headphone, and a consequence of
this is a natural tendency to keep cranking the level to try to hear
further into the mix, but more volume still doesn’t quite reveal what
you want to hear! Headphones that exert a strong pressure on the sides
of the head can also add to the sense of physical fatigue, and the
sealed nature of the earpieces quickly makes your ears hot and
uncomfortable, which also doesn’t help.
I’d
recommend trying some good open-back headphones, like the AKG 702s,
Sennheiser HD650s or the Beyerdynamic DT880 Pros. They are expensive,
but I think you’ll find it far easier to mix with them and you’ll be
much less tempted to wind the level up, although it is still very
important to take frequent breaks to allow your perception of volume to
reset! Headphones of this calibre provide a top-notch monitoring system
that will last for decades if well looked after, and you’ll probably
hear all sorts of details that your Genelecs don’t reveal, too.
If
you find that your closed-back headphones are quite fatiguing, it may
be a good idea to try some open-back headphones, such as these AKG 702s.
Decent open-back headphones are often more revealing than closed-back
models, and may therefore reduce the temptation to increase the volume.
Obviously, though, there is no physical
sensation from the low frequencies when using headphones, as there is
when using speakers and that can also be a factor in the continual
desire to turn the level up, especially if you’re producing music that
demands strong bass content. The only way around that is self-discipline
and learning to trust your headphones.
As
a last resort, if you don’t think you have the self-discipline to leave
the volume control alone, it might be wise to consider investing in
a suitably calibrated headphone limiter. Again, it’s an expensive
option, but I’d suggest that it’s well worth it to protect your
priceless ears! There’s some useful background information here: www.tonywoolf.co.uk/hp-limiters.htm.
Also, Canford Audio offer various types of headphone level limiter that
can be installed inside headphones or wired into the cable. These are
based on a clever BBC design, which is now mandatory within the
corporation to ensure that BBC staff don’t expose themselves to
excessive SPLs through their phones, and it works extremely well. You
can read more about it here: www.canford.co.uk/technical/PDFs/EarphoneLimiters.pdf.
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