[Ham Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rescorbic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Many students in my class bought SR60s to SR125s due to my teacher's recommendation (I don't know why he would recommend those for studio work). Perhaps the Grados are better for critical listening?

The Grados are a curious recommendation. They do run well without an amp and can be plugged into even wimpy powered sources and work. So maybe that's part of it. The SR series Grados though are not what I would consider an ideal monitoring/mixing headphone. They are colored in the midrange and that's what makes them sound so enjoyable. They'll do double duty as a excellent listening headphone out of a portable.

The new Shure SRH440 and SRH840 have been getting good reviews. They're new so haven't gotten much listening my many people here. I haven't had the chance yet to hear them. They'd be on my short list to try for your purpose, along with the M50.

You'll be able to compare whatever you end up getting against the Grados that the other people in the class have. Hopefully you'll find your choice to be better suited.

 

[partysnatcher]

Beyerdynamic DT-150, hands down, they are monitors made for music/video production (they are supposed to "trick" you into making sound that sounds good on all setups), and have a beautiful sound too.. (I have worked with music production myself)

If your amp makes them too bassy, you can do a damping mod. I just did it yesterday, due to my tube amp bassing them up too much.

The damping was very easy to do, and the results were surprisingly awesome, I could tweak the damping from a complete tightening up of the bass (to the point where they were lacking bass), to a subtle removal of boom, which was what I went for. This mod kept the subwoofer frequencies, but now they weren't overpowering at all. The mod also did wonders for mids, highs and details/precision in general. Considering posting a guide with pictures. =)

 

[Volta]

Look up the EQ guide sticky in this forum. Most headphones can be made pretty neutral.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volta /img/forum/go_quote.gif Most headphones can be made pretty neutral.

No, I would not agree with this.

Any EQ is adding distortions and phase errors (which is partly why I never use EQ - in recording nor playback).

In recording, you get the EQ right by choosing the right microphones and putting them in the right place.

With headphones you can add colour with EQ and you can reduce colour with EQ - but you can't make them neutral, because in changing the colour you are adding other distortions which is *not* making them neutral.

 

[rescorbic]

I made the purchase for M50's. I hope they work well for critical listening. We're currently training our ears towards audiophile level with different drills of frequencies. These will work fine for critical listening, yes?

I recently read an article from Mix magazine that was about M50's being certified by METAlliance, so that made me more comfortable about the purchase. Pretty sure I'll be the only kid in class without Grados, lmao.

Thanks.

 

[MikePio]

Hey Partysnatcher,

I would agree about the headphone being best for monitoring, I just don't see what can beat them in this field... Sound like an interesting MOD! It would be awsome if you posted a guide with pictures! Did you use dynamat? Either way the bass for me is perfect, only a very few songs the bass can be a tad overpowering, which this mod would be perfect for! Cheers!

DT 150 X2 !

 

[AudioDwebe]

I've seen tons of pictures over the years of people using Sony MDR V6 for monitoring. Might be worth a consideration.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioDwebe /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've seen tons of pictures over the years of people using Sony MDR V6 for monitoring. Might be worth a consideration.

The MDR V6 was superseded by the 7506 and is a popular location recording headphone along with the Beyer DT 48 and Sennheiser HD 25-1.

But I would not consider any of them suitable for monitoring while mixing and mastering (other than now and again to listen to detail).

For mixing and mastering you need clean and accurate open headphones.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rescorbic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pretty sure I'll be the only kid in class without Grados, lmao.

You can have lots of fun with that. Make comments about soundstage and space in various recordings and watch all the kids with Grados get all confused.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rescorbic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pretty sure I'll be the only kid in class without Grados.

Then you are a wise man.

Grados are really *not* monitoring headphones - they have a sound that a lot of people love (and rightly so), but for monitoring you need accuracy and headphones that reveal faults - *not* necessarily a "nice" sound.

 

[partysnatcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePio /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Partysnatcher, I would agree about the headphone being best for monitoring, I just don't see what can beat them in this field... Sound like an interesting MOD! It would be awsome if you posted a guide with pictures! Did you use dynamat? Either way the bass for me is perfect, only a very few songs the bass can be a tad overpowering, which this mod would be perfect for! Cheers! DT 150 X2 !

Hey Mike!
It is almost a shame to modify these beloved cans, but the LDMK3 does many very good things too, and I want to keep the combination! I don't think I have time for the pics part just yet, very tired after a long day at work, but I'll give you a description. PM me if you are wondering about the specifics!


Yeah, I used a small square of Vibroplast (like Dynamat, but easier to work with and easier to get off) in the back of each cup. I re-opened them many times, listened, took out the Vibroplast again, stuck a new piece, to get the right effect (I wanted a very subtle change).

The first time, I used a huge piece of Vibroplast, and the bass was gone. Not neutral, but the bass went almost completely flat. Help! So I made the square smaller and smaller, without getting that much bass back. Started wondering a bit.. But then I discovered a little hole at the middle of the cup, covered with a thin plastic mesh, which I had been covering up with the Vibroplast. I tested out placing the Vibroplast outside the hole, and voila! The bass was back, but tight!

I ended up with about 2 x 2 cm squares of Vibroplast, but I think I could make them bigger now that I don't cover the holes.

Here's a tip to test out what the Vibroplast (or Dynamat) does: Before you add the Vibroplast, tap or snap the cup at the back with your fingers, and remember the sound they make. You should hear a flimsy plastic sound. Stick the Vibroplast in there, fasten it well, tap the cup again, and enjoy the difference. MUCH tighter resonance.

After adding the Vibroplast, I cut out a coin-sized piece of cotton pads (the makeup kind) which I placed in the middle back of the cans, making sure they didn't interfere with the driver (the top of the screw sockets is where the driver stops).


Conclusion:
This micro-acoustic mod then covers resonance reduction (Vibroplast/Dynomat) and reverb absorption (cotton). It tightens up the bass and adds detail to the top, I also think it makes the soundstage more precise. The whole operation takes about 3 minutes per side after some practice.

The DT150s combine elegance, monitor neutrality and fun in one package, they are amazing cans unmodded, and many head-fiers have testified to the fact that they punch way above their price class. DT150s sharpened up and combined with the MKIII.. well what more do I need to say

I am considering re-opening them and adding more Vibroplast just for the experiment. But yeah, the sound is GOOD now, and I don't want to tighten it up too much and lose that wonderful smoothness either.


Quote:

Originally Posted by rescorbic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pretty sure I'll be the only kid in class without Grados, lmao.

Hmm.. your classmates want to make music with a small soundstage and colored headphones? I know several sound technicians and DJs, and that is generally considered a very bad idea. Anyway, good luck on your purchase!

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by partysnatcher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm.. your classmates want to make music with a small soundstage and colored headphones? I know several sound technicians and DJs, and that is generally considered a very bad idea. Anyway, good luck on your purchase!

You need to try the RS-1, before you...

 

[partysnatcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif You need to try the RS-1, before you...

All right. Sorry

I need to try more Grados in general, but what I wrote above is what Grado fans themselves have told me about them!
I am still really curious about many Grados, especially the RS-1.

 

[MikePio]

Thanks for the write up Partysnatcher,

This upgrade is something I will consider in the future, since for now, It really is not to big of an issue, only with certain songs, but they are few, so for the most part, it really just comes down to the recording quality as well... Once again, thanks for your time, I will experiment for sure... Cheers,

 

[carledwards]

I used AKG K240DF for a number of years in my home studio (mulit-track digital) and found them to be durable and reliably neutral for recording. I always mixed with near-field monitor speakers, however. Don't know if the 240's are still in production, however.