Creating Tones Using Headphones On Pod Hd500

[ejdj]

I need to get myself a good pair of headphones to create tones and not have to worry about how the tones will sound when I'm plugged into the PA !! I made a few tones on the headphones I already have and they sounded amazing ....But through the PA they sounded horrible.... !!!!

 

can anyone please recommend me some good flat frequency response headphones which work well for creating tones so that the tones sound same through the PA and the heaphones..!!!

[arislaf]

True the above, but for headphones i vote senheiser HD 20

[gunpointmetal]

^{yep, as stated....you're never gonna get a truly accurate "live" sound in headphones...volume affects tonal perception, not all PA's have the same base response, different speaker brands have different resonant frequencies, etc.....best bet is to get PA and a room you can be loud in to work out live patches for PA use.}

[DeanDinosaur]

As everyone mentioned, headphones will never translate the same result when speakers are used, but you can mitigate the major adverse effects from playing a patch that was conceived on headphones using regular speaker by doing a few things. The major problems have to do with the stereo separation that will translate horribly from headphones to speakers. If you pan every thing in the center, what sounds good on headphones might not sound as good or identical on speakers, but it won't sound as horrible as when you place things left, right and in between;  in some cases it might sound quite good on speakers even though it's different. Also reverb will always be more than is really needed when you use speakers, so that can easily be lowered for when you need to use the patch with speakers..

[cptnhook]

Reviving this thread.  Does anyone else have tips for mixing patches on headphones to be ultimately used with live speakers?

 

I realize that this will depend on the particular headphones, the particular live speakers, etc.  What I am looking for are general observations -- the above comment about generally not needing as much reverb is very helpful.  

[ejdj]

It's impossible to get a tone on the headphones that will sound exact on the pa.. But I would recommend using the least bit of delay , reverts , dimension or such effects when creating tones on the headphones and then quickly tuning them on the pa,. I have bought a pair of powered studio monitor speakers.. And in my opinion the tones created using them sound same on the pa. I only sometimes have to tweak the highs later on.. But it's much easier this way then using headphones which I started out with :-P

[edstar1960]

As everyone has already said - monitoring on headphones is completely different to monitoring through a physical PA at volume - patches always have to be tweaked to suit the amp/speakers/volume they will be played back through - and if you are playing as part of a band then they need further tweaking to sit well in the mix.

 

If you build patches at low volume or on headphones then you inevitably will have more reverb/delay, and more bass and highs, and more distortion then needed when playing through speakers at volume.   At volume and within a band mix, your guitar sound needs to have more middle than you would think, to cut through.

 

Hope that helps.

[FlyingSquirrel]

I use the Sennheiser HD280 Pro, $99 through Musician's Friend or Guitarget.
 

They're ok to do basic tweaking, but any final tweaking, I do in the context of a full band mix.
Usually, I'll dial up a session that has some basic tracks & then tweak the preset until it sits in the mix just right.  Not too big, impeding on other instruments, but still thick & fat for its own space.

[Mynameismatt]

I have found that my patches created in headphones sound ace through our church PA when I put a tube screamer in front of the POD.  

 

I only use one patch so tweaking it per venue is fine for me.  Im starting a cover band though that will require me to have several different patches ready to go (from metal to bluesy stuff at the press of a button) and I won't have time to check them all.  Would an EQ pedal help in this situation or should i get it right through our pa in the rehearsal room and hope it translates well to different venues?

 

any tips?

 

Matt

[bjnette]

Man I notice even a different guitar or different pickups have an effect on the tone.

 

Headphones cannot reproduce that amp interaction when you are with it in a room.

More so for the PA, As mentioned there is enough modulation in the room so the effects are much more tamer.

 

I personalty make patches and store them in a setlist based on monitoring method.

 

eg. One for studio monitors, another setlist for 4CM into an amp and another via PA

 

Sometimes depending on the size of room and PA the output mode of "combo" with most of the high shelf lowered and the focus down can sound a lot tighter even though there is less volume. There is no cab and this works fine especially if amped on stage.

 

There are so many ways to get control of the tones and volume. It doesn't hurt trying out as many possibilities as you go, but of course once you get it where you like it keep it.

[pfsmith0]

Funny. I get the complete opposite of some of the advice here. When I setup a patch on headphones and then move into the gig and running thru a PA, I almost always have to ADD more delay and overdrive/distortion to get the tone back that I like. Otherwise, they get lost in what else is going on.  Reverb, yes, this can usually be dropped back some since the room usually adds a lot.

[jandrio]

each venue needs different equalization, so the pa MUST be equalized according 2 the venue's sound "signature".

u can check that by feeding the pa with a simple mp3 track. if it sounds good, then ur pod will also sound good.

 

check out foll:

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/8225-dilemma-pod-hd-on-pa-lottery/?do=findComment&comment=56994

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/8387-hd500-x-headphone-tone-verses-xlr-out-tone-live/?do=findComment&comment=58028

[Brazzy]

I remember walking through the crowd at a concert once and the music sounded great in one area and like total garbage in another. I suppose it's never really perfect in the whole venue. Probably the best place for a listener at a concert is somewhere in the front middle or closer to the front middle.

[TheRealZap]

look for the sound desk... that's the guy/location that's going to have the best sound...

 

Probably the best place for a listener at a concert is somewhere in the front middle or closer to the front middle.

[Mynameismatt]

A good sound guy will mix for the crowd not himself in his mixing position.  Our guys move around and compensate both in sound check and during the gig.