Pickup Plug

The Internet's One-Stop Guitar Shop

Blog

Open vs. Closed Headphones

by

Whether you currently use open or closed headphones is probably a matter of personal preference. Some people feel more comfortable with an open headphone, which allows them to keep track of real world noises as they listen to music or podcasts. Others like the isolation and immersive experience that closed headphones can bring. However, if you are wondering which kind is better to use on a regular basis, there are a few factors you can look at to help you decide.

When Do You Use Your Headphones Most Often?

Whether an open or closed headphone is right for you can depend on the situation you prefer to use them in. For commuting on a bus or bicycle, running or working out, an open headphone may be better as it allows you to hear background noises like cars approaching or workout buddies talking to you as they pass by. A closed headphone can be better for work or study as it truly allows you to block out the outside world and get your work done faster. By eliminating distractions, you may be surprised to see how much you improve your productivity.

What Headphone Fit Is Ideal for You?

There are a few different kinds of headphone fits available in open or closed headphone styles, including:

• On ear headphones fit directly over the ear surface to create a full sound while blocking out ambient background noise. They are the most obvious kind thanks to the full earphones and headband used to connect them.

• In ear headphones sit inside the ear canal the way earplugs would. They create a fuller sound by forming a seal within the ear, but some people find they still allow a fair amount of background noise to come through.

• Earbuds are a form of in ear headphones that are popular because they come with most mobile devices and some computers. Thanks to the built-in microphone that most have, they are easy to use when talking on video chat or over the phone. While they are convenient, some users have a hard time getting a good bass sound out of earbuds.

• Over ear headphones have a special portion that allows them to stay on the ear without covering the whole surface. They are a good option for runners and active people who like to wear headphones while moving around.

What do The Professionals Say?

Professionals who use sound as a component of their work, like musicians, studio engineers and singers tend to prefer closed headphones. These headphones allow for a better experience that puts you right inside the moment. By covering the entire surface of the ear, these headphones stop ambient noises like conversation and other sounds from coming in. This allows for better focus and concentration.

Whether you should use open or closed headphones really depends on your preference and lifestyle. One of the best ways to determine which is best for you is to try several different kinds for yourself and see which delivers the kind of sound you like best.

How Does an Audio Interface Work?

by

What Is a Audio Interface?

An Audio interface is a device that you can purchase to make recording sounds such as music and voice sound clear and professional. This works by improving the sonic capabilities of a computer and producing that studio crystal clear quality sound. Some of the interfaces allow you to connect instruments and professional microphones to your computer as well.

Will I Need This If I Have A Sound Card?

Every computer already comes with a sound card but it was not designed to output higher resolution associated with music. So this is where the audio interface comes in to play. Yes they may be the same thing as far as both being a sound card but the similarities stop there. The audio interface produces a higher quality of sound than the already installed sound card on your computer and it allows you more input and output options for instruments and microphones.

Which One To Get?

There are different options to choose from based on your need and what you are going to be doing. If you are going to to be making simple music with one or two microphones then you can just do the simple two output option interface. On the flip side if you are going all out with instruments and more than two microphones you will need a more fully equipped interface with more than two input and output capabilities.

How Do I Connect This Interface To My Computer?

The audio interface is very easy to hook up to your computer. The most important thing is to know what kind of connection ports are on your computer. These can be different size USB ports, fire wire, PCI card slots, and express card slots. This will all be based on the type of computer you are using. Knowing this will help you find the right interface to suite your need. If you have more than one option for a port on your computer than you can choose which one you want to use. To narrow this down you need to think about what you will be doing. If you will be using multiple instruments and microphones you will need the best port, and for this it would be a high speed port such as fire wire. If you are doing something more simple with one microphone you could just stick with a regular USB port.

Do I Need Anything Extra

You really will not need anything extra to make the interface work. However it is good to get some good quality speakers so that you can hear all that good quality sound that is about to produce from the interface. Make sure you choose the best for your needs and what you are trying to do. If the speakers will connect to your interface make sure you have the correct connection ports. Another good item to purchase is some good quality studio headphones. This is not a requirement but a nice option if you need some private listening time. You would also want to make sure that you have some good quality microphones with the quality connection cables. If you go the cheaper route you will be able to tell in the quality of the sound. So it is good to put out a little more cash and go for the best. We all know the saying, “You get what you pay for!”

How Much Is It?

The cost for one of these depends on what your doing with it. For the simple basic interface with two outputs and a headphone port the cheapest can start at $25.00. With this one in particular you must keep in mind it is very basic. The more technical things you want to do with your music means you probably will pay more. The mid price range is $79.00 to $99.00 and the most expensive hitting the $1,400.00 range. Yes that is a pretty pricey tag but keep in mind it is worth it if you want quality sound. But if your just starting out it is a good idea to start off small then go big later on.

Now that you are armed with this information you should be able to make a sound decision and start making music. So get going there is music to be made!

Headphones vs. Earbuds in Music Production – Which Should You Use?

by

The music industry is booming with a colorful arrangement sounds in music production. People are jamming out to their favorite tunes while producers continue making their music for people all around the world.

What goes on behind the equipment for producing music? Quality audio headsets.

Some people might debate on which style of headsets are the best for music production and make a more enjoyable experience. Audio devices, such as headsets, can help produce a higher quality scale of work, thus a better listening experience.

Having the right headphones for music production is a huge factor in producing quality music for mass audiences, but what type of audio feedback is needed to ensure the best experience for production level as possible?

There are two types of headphones to consider, headphones and earbuds.

While the quality of headphones has improved over the past decade, there are some key notes to buying the best style for music production.

Let’s begin to discuss the better option of the two choices at hand. There is a reason you never see DJs or music producers wearing earbuds. There is also a reason why earbuds should explicitly be used only for leisure music listening.

Earbuds have a worse frequency response for music feedback. In music production, it is almost vital to have the proper course of frequency feedback as possible. Nobody wants to hear the distortion of sound in music. Headphones have a better frequency range overall. Music that plays between 20Hertz or 20,000Hertz should deliver the perfect signal and response to any distortion.

The second important point in ensuring you have the best quality of music in production is being able to correct atmospheric sounds, noise cancellation.

Noise cancellation is not to be confused with noise isolation. They are two completely different things. All sets of audio listening devices have noise isolation.

Noise-cancelling, to differ with, actually has something to do with the signal processing before you get the sound coming through the headset. The headset listens for atmospheric sounds, like noisy construction outside or the sirens of an ambulance. After listening, the headset takes the waveforms from those noises to reproduce and cancel it out from the music. Basically, the sound or waveform coming from the headphones is inverted from the audio.

Something to note is that noise-canceling only works with steady noise. If someone accidentally drops a glass in the background, the headset won’t cancel the instantaneous and sudden noise. Overall, if you want noise-cancellation with music production, then headphones are the better option.

The last point to be made is about comfortability.

When it comes to music production, having a comfortable fitting headset is almost vital. if you are wearing a headset for hours, comfort is a must, especially while producing music.

Let’s discuss earbuds when it comes comfortability. Earbuds tend to have a curved shape which doesn’t always fit the individual person wearing them. If the shape of the earbuds does not fit with the shape of your ear, they can quickly become uncomfortable and therefore delay any work you are doing with your music. Irritability is definitely a negative to have when producing music.

Headphones are the better option when it comes to comfortability. over-ear headphones tend to have a better fit for listening and music production experience. They keep your ears warm and tend to fit better over the shape of the head without sticking into your ear. The only downside to choosing headphones for music production is that if you wear thick-framed glasses, the headphones can become uncomfortable over time.

Overall, headphones are the most suitable choice for music production. You will be able to cancel out constant distractions of noise, hear the better frequencies of sound, and have more comfortable experience while producing those future hits.

If you prefer earbuds for listening to music, they are still a suitable choice for just listening to music. So if you aren’t producing and just want to listen to your favorite jam, then earbuds might be for you.