Headphones for Every Stage of the Recording Process

Headphones are integral to modern music production. Historically, they were studio tools for musicians to monitor themselves while tracking, or home Hi-Fi devices for users without space for a proper speaker setup. But with the advent of digital recording, modern music production workflows and the standardisation as the main listening method for users in stereo and Atmos music, their use changed dramatically.

Nowadays, headphones are essential tools for recording, reference mixing, and mastering. Engineers like Andrew Scheps and James Auwater use them constantly in mixing and production, and thanks to ambisonic and modern digital tools, users can customise their listening experience to their hearing and even mimic room acoustics within their headphones. They come in all shapes and sizes, and while one pair can get the job done, different headphones can help you at different stages of the production process, just like microphone choices.

Let’s look at some examples and considerations to keep in mind when choosing headphones for each application.

Recording

Using headphones while recording is one of the most common reasons people look for these devices. They are used to monitor musicians or amps during tracking, especially when they are in different locations, in the studio or remotely. Or when you want to reduce bleed from speakers while overdubbing.

A natural, comfortable headphone mix is essential because musicians must hear themselves and one another clearly to deliver a strong performance. In this scenario, closed-back headphones are the best choice. This lets you increase the musicians’ volume while they play, without worrying about headphone bleed into the microphone. Headphones like the Sony MDR-7506, Audeze LCD-S20, Sennheiser HD-300 Pro, or KRK KNS 8402 also work well for other stages of production.

Drummers need special attention for recording, since their headphones, on top of close-backs, need to reduce the volume of their instrument due to their high SPL. That’s why dedicated headphones for drummers, such as the Vic Firth SIH3 Headphones, can improve their monitoring experience.

In-ear headphones are another good option for isolation and volume control, and they’re widely used for monitoring in live shows.

However, Bluetooth wireless headphones are not recommended for this part of the production. Although some wireless headphones are high quality, Bluetooth’s inherent latency makes them unusable for tracking. That said, new headphone models like the Lewitt LW6 claim to deliver wireless, uncompressed audio quality with ultra-low latency, which could be perfect for recording, mixing and mastering.

Headphones for In-the-box production and Mixing

Now that we are done recording acoustic sources, it is time to move on to production and then mixing. As we mentioned, this process used to leave headphones out of the equation. This is because they used to be done in dedicated professional studios, but modern digital workflows have shown how important headphones are for these steps in music production.

Without the restriction of microphone bleed, semi-open-back or open-back headphones provide a more natural and better critical listening experience. They provide a wide frequency response and uncoloured sound. The Sennheiser HD-490 PRO, HD600, the Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro, or the AKG K-240 Studio are great options to get comfortable and detailed listening for your headphone work.

So, unless you work with other people around you that might be bothered by the sound coming from your headphones, open-backs or semi-open-backs are great for this part of the production.

A Studio on your head

Andrew Scheps has described headphones as “a studio on your head,” since they remove the acoustic variables introduced by different rooms and provide a consistent listening environment. However, Scheps believes effective headphone use depends on experience, familiarity, and choosing a pair that reveals the same problems as trusted speakers. In that regard, he has talked about the Audeze LCD-MX4 as a full-size, soffit-mounted monitor, for its huge low end, detailed midrange, natural treble, and very accurate imaging.

Dolby Atmos mixing

As we discussed in a past article about Mixing Music in Dolby Atmos Workflows, for producer and mix engineer James Auwarter, headphones are not merely a secondary reference for Dolby Atmos; they are central to the mixing process. This reverses the traditional stereo workflow: rather than mixing primarily through speakers, Auwarter prioritises the binaural experience before confirming the mix translates successfully to a multichannel speaker system, checking it through AirPods Pro, conventional studio headphones, iPhones, and iPads. The aim is not to replace a properly calibrated room, but to understand how the mix behaves across the devices audiences actually use.

“I actually do the bulk of my Atmos mixing on headphones” James Auwarter

Mastering

Mastering is all about quality assessment, media delivery and consistency on the playback experience for the music. And while this part of the music production process relies mainly on speaker setups, checking the result on headphones is an essential part of the process, which ensures the consistency of the music playing on all media.

 Headphones like the Audeze LCD-5 shine for this kind of work, where clarity, detail and depth are paramount to deliver the results that every piece of music deserves.

Along with your headphone choice, also consider a quality digital-to-analogue converter and a headphone amp with enough resolution to reveal subtle details.

Reliability and familiarity

Reliable headphone monitoring requires a familiar and trustworthy reference. That’s why listening to music on headphones and understanding how your productions sound compared to those helps you figure out what the music needs and how it will translate on other devices.

On top of that, modern binaural technology lets you place yourself in different locations and studios using your headphones. Plugins like the Abbey Road Studio 3 NX let you check your mixes in a real studio space, giving you another listening reference environment without taking off your headset.

As part of our Advanced Diploma of Music Production and Sound Engineering, our students learn that modern productions will require them to work on headphones, become familiar with mixing and producing on them and get the most out of these devices.