Production sound for film-which headphones for monitoring?

[Soundproof]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to figure out which headphones would be the best for this kind of work or at least give me some idea if there's some set that I've been ignoring etc. Mostly I've been now using Sennheiser HD-25, but now I'm looking into buying another ones.

Soooo what's your choice?

[Melodioso]

Not exactly sure what you mean by production sound, but if you're looking at an alternative with closed design, the Beyer DT 770 Pro is great. Good isolation, and very comfortable. You can just wear them the whole day, the ear rings being so soft!

For accurate monitoring I prefer the Senn HD 650, but will use the Beyer on remote recordings, when moving the mics around.

[Maber]

I've mostly done ENG stuff but we used DT150 and 250's quite frequently and I believe that the Sony ones are quite common as well!

my $0.2...

[Soundproof]

By production sound I mean the sound that is recorded while shooting the film.

The 770 Pros actually are one of the options I've been looking into. What I would like to know though is that is there a huge difference in sound with the 770Ms that are supposed to be for drummers?

Reason I'm asking is because I'd like to check if it would be better to have even more isolation than like the 770 Pros.

Keep em coming!

[Melodioso]

I have never used the 770 M so I can't comment on these. They have better noise reduction specs though. But they may not be as good sounding as the Pro if I remember what others said about it. Depends what you want: good isolation and ok sound, or ok isolation and good sound. FWIW I recorded a rock band a few months ago for a demo, and the drummer wanted a loud click track. The 770 Pro were used, and there was virtually no bleeding.

[Soundproof]

Ok, maybe I'll take a test run with the 770Ms and the Pros. The DT 250s are also being used a lot around here I think, but they don't seem to be as comfortable to wear considering the long shooting sessions... But that's just my thought at this time... Ah hell, maybe I'll test those out as well!

[MATTI]

In the old days the standard was Beyer DT 48,
then Sony MDR-7506 and Sennheiser hd-25,
now you might try Ultrasone and some others.
Why should you change yours, they are good for general location ( film/TV) use?

Matti, Helsinki

[Soundproof]

Originally Posted by MATTI

Why should you change yours, they are good for general location ( film/TV) use?

Mostly because I like to try new things, and always try to find a better way to do things. As you probably know (given that we're rolling the same streets of Helsinki) good production sound here in Finland can be the most valuable thing since everyone is trying to save a cent here and there... So-the way I see it, I must either have decent capabilities to make the best of every shot (soundwise) or move somewhere else where there's more to be done in the post production.

And then there's the fact that this is Gearlutz.com

[MATTI]

OK but when you find the ones you like don`t change them and
don`t change your monitoring volume and you learn to
controll by ear, not by meters.

Btw Audio Technica has just presented a new model -50 something,
wich might be of interest.

Consult i.e. TrewAudio, Coffey, LSC.

Cheers
Matti

[Soundproof]

Yes,

I'm after " the ones I like and never change 'em ". That's why this is so important to me at this point.

I'll look into the ATs as well, thanks!

[pkautzsch]

IME, the 770 makes everything sound good. I prefer DT250 "if it sounds good on these, it IS good" type. Also a bit more rugged than the 770.
In film shooting, you don't wear the cans for hours and hours, do you. Always changing lens, lighting, location, and the sound department waiting and hanging out with the make-up and script girls.

[Soundproof]

Good point,

I definitely don't want any sweetening from my headphones. It's the absolute opposite to what I'm after here!

And you're right about not wearing them for hours in a row, too. I was considering the 770's as being somewhat good in telling me the truth - if this is the case I'll definitely go for the 250's or something more like that.

Thanks man.

[Steve Eagle]

THE best isolating headphones on the market right now are Remote Audio's HN7506. Priced at $275(ish), but considering the fact that you get the Sony MDR-7506 components with FAA-grade noise canceling ear cups, it's a fair deal. I've seen a few production sound mixers use them, as well as carpenters and factory workers who like to listen to MP3's while canceling all background noise. they work remarkably well, and are surprisingly comfortable for their large size.

i prefer the Sennheiser HD25's because they have the smallest and lightest profile of any headphone that is traditionally used for production sound. i would put the sound quality just a notch above the venerable 7506s, but that's a matter of taste considering they're both excellent. for extended periods of time, i find the HD25's to be easier on the head.

Ultrasone makes the best sounding headphones i've had the pleasure of listening to, but most of their models aren't ideal for production work. while they're not uncomfortable, they aren't as malleable as the other phones, and are in general a bit large on the head. perfect for critical music listening though. the HFI 700 is the one model i would recommend for production as it has a very honest and open sound quality and smaller profile than many of their other models.

[MATTI]

[Soundproof]

Wow, those RA's definitely caught my eye. Thanks, Steve!

I had the Beyer DT770M's on me yesterday when we were shooting around in the city. They were quite nice, perhaps a bit too nice and I was constantly wondering if the sound actually will be as good as it sounded there...

Of course, normally I wouldn't have done this kind of test in a real situation but we were taking some shots around the city and I was recording the ambiences.

But tomorrow is the real test when there's actually some dialogue to be recorded! I've got the HD25's with me also so I'll be able to compare the two... Probably will rely on the HD25 for the actual monitoring but then compare the takes with the 770s.

[soundbarnfool]

Sony.