Types of Headphones

For the sake of this article I’m going to assume that you are looking for headphones and not in-ear monitors designed for live use. We’ll save those for another time. But when choosing headphones, the first thing you need to consider is the environment in which you’ll be using your headphones. Professional studio headphones usually come in two varieties: open-back and closed-back.

Open-Back Headphones

Open-back headphones are generally lightweight and very comfortable. They are designed to sit gently on or over the ear. The important thing to understand about open-back headphones is that they offer very little noise isolation. So not only can outside noise interfere with your listening, you may also encounter situations where what you are listening to leaks out of the headphones and is heard by others.

Closed-Back Headphones

Closed-back headphones are designed so that the ear-cups cover the ears completely to provide a seal that helps to block outside noise. Obviously, these would be better for any listening situation where there was a lot of noise going on around you that you want to block out.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

While we’re on the subject of noise, I want to touch on noise-canceling headphones. These are a special type of headphones that use electronic methods to literally cancel outside noise so it doesn’t interfere with your listening experience. Sounds like a great idea, and it is. However, the electronic method that most of these headphones use to cancel outside noise affects their sound quality. For casual listening they are just fine but I would never use them for professional, critical listening situations.

Other Features To Consider

Replacement Parts

Professional audio headphones can be a serious financial investment. When you make that sort of investment you want to be able to fix them if something should break. The two main things that break or deteriorate over time on headphones are the cable and the ear pads. I wouldn’t invest in any pro headphones that didn’t offer detachable/replaceable cables and ear pads.

Driver Size

The specification that most directly affects headphone sound quality is the size of the drivers. Each earpiece has at least one, if not two, drivers. In general, the larger the driver, the better the overall sound quality. Professional audio headphones usually have driver in the range of 45mm.

Collapsibility

This is more of a convenience thing but I also look for headphones that are easy to carry. Collapsible headphones are a little more portable than non-collapsible. They can more easily fit into gig bags and backpacks and just tend to last longer.

Of course, I could go on and on but I think we’ve covered the main things you’ll want to look for when choosing professional audio headphones. For what it’s worth, my favorite headphones are the Audio Technica ATH-M50. Their audio quality is fantastic and they aren’t nearly as expensive as some of the other “name” brands out there right now. I think it would be worth your time to check them out.

>>Click Here For A Great Price On The Audio Technica ATH-M50<<

Insert the Carbon Copy into your signal chain.

Plug your guitar cable to the input of the Carbon Copy.  Next, the Carbon Copy plugs into your guitar amp.

Unless it is your sole pedal, you’ll need to determine out where in your signal chain to put the Carbon Copy. The general rule of thumb for guitar signal chains is dynamics processing (compressor/limiters), followed by distortion/boosters, followed by modulation processing (delay/reverb).

Understanding what each control does.

Delay:

The Delay knob allows you to modify the amount of delay time from 20ms (fully counter-clockwise) to 600ms (fully clockwise).

Regen:

The Regen knob allows you to adjust the number of delay repeats from one (fully counter-clockwise) to infinite (fully clockwise). This knob works with the Delay knob, changing the amount of Delay changes the amount of Regen.

Mix:

The Mix knob allows you to vary the portion of delayed, or “wet”, signal from entirely dry (fully counter-clockwise) to equivalent amounts of wet and dry (fully clockwise).

Mod:

The Modulation button allows you to impart a certain amount of modulation to the delay signal. Modulation is an effect that changes the pitch of a signal by a small, regularly occurring amount, making a warbling effect.

There are two internal trim pots that provide you to change the width and rate controls of the modulation effect.

Effect on/off switch:

Like most guitar pedals, the Carbon Copy has a foot-switch that toggles on and off.

Some suggestions:

Start with the Delay and Mix knobs arrange entirely clockwise and the Regen knob place complete counter-clockwise. Turn the pedal on by stepping on the footswitch. A blue LED illuminates when the effect is engaged. Now all you require to do is dial in your desired sound by adjusting the three knobs in relation to each other.

Don’t let a lack of experience stop you from twisting those knobs. Don’t ever be afraid of “happy accidents”.

Incredible Analog Vibe

It’s simple to understand why the Monotron sounds so cool when you notice that it has the same analog filter circuitry as the outstanding MS-20. This filter path gives the Monotron a depth of tone that you just have to hear to believe. Simply put, you get the quality of an honest analog synth, yet you can carry it in your hand.

It’s Pocket-Sized And Portable

Another feature that blows me away is you can literally take this thing wherever you go. It runs on two AAA batteries and has a built-in speaker. Creating music on a synth couldn’t get any easier. As far as audio outputs go, the Korg has one that does dual function as a headphone jack or stereo out. Running the stereo output of the Monotron into another equipment opens up worlds of sonic opportunities.

Share Your Melodies With The Ribbon Controller

Using a ribbon controller, your music is instantly more expressive and thrilling. You will quickly notice that the ribbon helps you flex and sweep notes like never before. With a ribbon controller, you instantly have access to all sorts of swooping and sliding sounds that you just can’t fully simulate using a traditional keyboard.

Full-On Analog Effects

You’re going to learn to love this about the Monotron. Glance at the back and you’ll notice a connection labeled Aux Input. This jack sort of turns the Korg into a modular synthesizer in that you can run any audio through it’s filter path. Bam, immediate old-school analog filtering.

There’s nothing like filtering drum loops with this machine. Right away, your music goes to an entirely distinctive place. A word of caution, this one feature is highly addictive. Personally, I have spent full weekends mutilating loops through my Monotron.

All This For Less Than $70

No really, it sells for under $70. All of your favorite music stores are carrying them. Outstanding audio, little size, this thing is the complete package. Don’t overlook the Korg Monotron.