[img]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F66.media.tumblr.com%2Fef9d4d5bd51eed5d2e47756018cbe32d%2Ftumblr_paws98ZIzL1ujmjj5o1_500.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=db9307623712ad299010037af8e00967c2cd496b6d223972f99ff272f0c11c11&ipo=images[/img] <3

just plain lovely. beautiful. I’m literally in the tub commenting i liked it so much.

just plain lovely. beautiful. I’m literally in the tub commenting i liked it so much.

Coming up next week: "Body Of The Century"

Joking aside, that's a rather bright bridge pickup! This time the outputs of both mics and DI are closer. It's harder to choose. But also because the recording is rather quiet (measured -19 LUFS with the file). If I turn up the volume real loud, I like "C" the best. The guitar is nice and bright, and it's got less noise overall and it's pitched the highest so it doesn't get in the way. "B" has some extra hum that sounds more lofi. "A" picked up the guitar the brightest but it's the noisiest overall.

Coming up next week: "Body Of The Century" Joking aside, that's a rather bright bridge pickup! This time the outputs of both mics and DI are closer. It's harder to choose. But also because the recording is rather quiet (measured -19 LUFS with the file). If I turn up the volume real loud, I like "C" the best. The guitar is nice and bright, and it's got less noise overall and it's pitched the highest so it doesn't get in the way. "B" has some extra hum that sounds more lofi. "A" picked up the guitar the brightest but it's the noisiest overall.

Ribbon - SM7B - DI.

Again, based on the amp noise, and the ribbon have less "air" than the other one... But yeah you really have to be focused to ear the shifts. And my favourite would be the sm7b there.

Nice peaceful guitars there.

Ribbon - SM7B - DI. Again, based on the amp noise, and the ribbon have less "air" than the other one... But yeah you really have to be focused to ear the shifts. And my favourite would be the sm7b there. Nice peaceful guitars there.

Lovely sparse, contemplative track. Really like the use of open strings here. Definitely feeling inspired to do a DADGAD track soon. As others have said, C has the least noise so I suppose that's my DI guess. Tone-wise they all sound great to me. A is maybe my favorite in terms of "fit" for this track, and B has a bit more "oomph" to it to me, I won't pretend I can tell why though maybe more low/mid range or compression.

Lovely sparse, contemplative track. Really like the use of open strings here. Definitely feeling inspired to do a DADGAD track soon. As others have said, C has the least noise so I suppose that's my DI guess. Tone-wise they all sound great to me. A is maybe my favorite in terms of "fit" for this track, and B has a bit more "oomph" to it to me, I won't pretend I can tell why though :lol: maybe more low/mid range or compression.

All 3 sections sound subtly different, all sound good, don't know which is which.  I guess I liked C the most if I had to choose.  Mostly just enjoying the guitar playing.

All 3 sections sound subtly different, all sound good, don't know which is which. I guess I liked C the most if I had to choose. Mostly just enjoying the guitar playing.

So good. Reminds me a lot of Hayden pedigo. Favorited

So good. Reminds me a lot of Hayden pedigo. Favorited

^^agree with the Hayden pedigo. saw him in january, great show really lovely guy too

^^agree with the Hayden pedigo. saw him in january, great show really lovely guy too

I like all recordings the same. The question is, do our speakers or headphones reproduce your efforts the same way you are  hearing it? But you are playing beautifully.

I like all recordings the same. The question is, do our speakers or headphones reproduce your efforts the same way you are hearing it? But you are playing beautifully.

Lovely piece once again... I think pulling apart the difference in the mics is much more difficult though...

Lovely piece once again... I think pulling apart the difference in the mics is much more difficult though... [spoiler=Mic Guesses] A) LR100, again because of noise... it's like 2db nosier than everything else, it's also a little tinnier in the top end. B) DI... though I'm pretty close on B, and C here, BUT, while there is noise through out... the noise here sounds... I don't know, detached maybe... like it doesn't sound like the noise is responding to the volume of the signal, it's just kinda flat... where in both of the others, the noise is "moving". Also it sounds like there might be a tiny bit of reverb on it and it doesn't sound like the same space as A or C. But A and C both do kinda sound like the same space. C) SM7B, similar noise level to A though not as pronounced, and a similarly brighter (slightly) high end boosted sound... though not as "tinny" as A A and C sound more similar to each other than B sounds like either... but again I'm not super confident [/spoiler]

very calming, tone is great.

very calming, tone is great.

Love how the melody tells the story in different parts especially with the pauses and silence in between.  This has such a cinematic feel to it.  Well done!

Love how the melody tells the story in different parts especially with the pauses and silence in between. This has such a cinematic feel to it. Well done!

All sounding good, very subtle diffs, but when all 3 in the end, so nice. Love the melody you have here, peaceful. I listened, then left for quick errand, and this stayed in my head, I was humming it. Which is great.

All sounding good, very subtle diffs, but when all 3 in the end, so nice. Love the melody you have here, peaceful. I listened, then left for quick errand, and this stayed in my head, I was humming it. Which is great.

It's a nice and calm performance.

It's a nice and calm performance.

--->

thank you! and be careful! 

thank you for listening and sharing your thoughts! i'll post the mic/DI breakdown at the bottom of this comment thread.

peaceful was the goal, thank you djippy. mic/DI breakdown will be posted at the bottom of this thread. 

oh - i hope you do a DADGAD track this year! it's such a fun tuning to use. mic/DI breakdown down below 

thanks for listening, Cosmic Cairns!

thanks SQF/Luau! i didn't think i was familiar with Hayden P, but after looking him up i recall reading about his City Council run and seeing his amazing video for that! spent some time with "The Happiest Times..." and wow, so good. 

that is a good question. i have a feeling that a lot of the Weekly Beat crew have better monitoring setups than i do, so i did wonder how that would affect what people were hearing. i'm mainly mixing in headphones too, which i know a lot of people don't think is ideal. 
i appreciate your kind words.

thank you, and wow! i'll post the breakdown below and respond more specifically there. 

thank you! i played a little music fest several years ago and someone printed up a bunch of those "Hello, my name is..." stickers, but the text said, "Ask me about my tone." ha!

"Ask me about my Tone... MATRIX!" 

mission accomplished! thank you, miraclemiles

glad that came through, been trying to summon some more calm in my heart & life. 

[quote=emily] <3[/quote] <3 ---> <3 [quote=neon liminal]just plain lovely. beautiful. I’m literally in the tub commenting i liked it so much.[/quote] thank you! and be careful! :D [quote=rplktr]Coming up next week: "Body Of The Century" Joking aside, that's a rather bright bridge pickup! This time the outputs of both mics and DI are closer. It's harder to choose. But also because the recording is rather quiet (measured -19 LUFS with the file). If I turn up the volume real loud, I like "C" the best. The guitar is nice and bright, and it's got less noise overall and it's pitched the highest so it doesn't get in the way. "B" has some extra hum that sounds more lofi. "A" picked up the guitar the brightest but it's the noisiest overall.[/quote] thank you for listening and sharing your thoughts! i'll post the mic/DI breakdown at the bottom of this comment thread. [quote=djippy]Ribbon - SM7B - DI. Again, based on the amp noise, and the ribbon have less "air" than the other one... But yeah you really have to be focused to ear the shifts. And my favourite would be the sm7b there. Nice peaceful guitars there. [/quote] peaceful was the goal, thank you djippy. mic/DI breakdown will be posted at the bottom of this thread. [quote=Cursory]Lovely sparse, contemplative track. Really like the use of open strings here. Definitely feeling inspired to do a DADGAD track soon. As others have said, C has the least noise so I suppose that's my DI guess. Tone-wise they all sound great to me. A is maybe my favorite in terms of "fit" for this track, and B has a bit more "oomph" to it to me, I won't pretend I can tell why though :lol: maybe more low/mid range or compression.[/quote] oh - i hope you do a DADGAD track this year! it's such a fun tuning to use. mic/DI breakdown down below :) [quote=Cosmic Cairns]All 3 sections sound subtly different, all sound good, don't know which is which. I guess I liked C the most if I had to choose. Mostly just enjoying the guitar playing.[/quote] thanks for listening, Cosmic Cairns! [quote=SQF]So good. Reminds me a lot of Hayden pedigo. Favorited [/quote] [quote=underground Luau]^^agree with the Hayden pedigo. saw him in january, great show really lovely guy too[/quote] thanks SQF/Luau! i didn't think i was familiar with Hayden P, but after looking him up i recall reading about his City Council run and seeing his amazing video for that! spent some time with "The Happiest Times..." and wow, so good. <3 [quote=Q-Rosh]I like all recordings the same. The question is, do our speakers or headphones reproduce your efforts the same way you are hearing it? But you are playing beautifully.[/quote] that is a good question. i have a feeling that a lot of the Weekly Beat crew have better monitoring setups than i do, so i did wonder how that would affect what people were hearing. i'm mainly mixing in headphones too, which i know a lot of people don't think is ideal. :) i appreciate your kind words. [quote=Napear]Lovely piece once again... I think pulling apart the difference in the mics is much more difficult though... [spoiler=Mic Guesses] A) LR100, again because of noise... it's like 2db nosier than everything else, it's also a little tinnier in the top end. B) DI... though I'm pretty close on B, and C here, BUT, while there is noise through out... the noise here sounds... I don't know, detached maybe... like it doesn't sound like the noise is responding to the volume of the signal, it's just kinda flat... where in both of the others, the noise is "moving". Also it sounds like there might be a tiny bit of reverb on it and it doesn't sound like the same space as A or C. But A and C both do kinda sound like the same space. C) SM7B, similar noise level to A though not as pronounced, and a similarly brighter (slightly) high end boosted sound... though not as "tinny" as A A and C sound more similar to each other than B sounds like either... but again I'm not super confident [/spoiler][/quote] thank you, and wow! i'll post the breakdown below and respond more specifically there. :) [quote=mzunguko]very calming, tone is great.[/quote] thank you! i played a little music fest several years ago and someone printed up a bunch of those "Hello, my name is..." stickers, but the text said, "Ask me about my tone." ha! [quote=Tone Matrix]Love how the melody tells the story in different parts especially with the pauses and silence in between. This has such a cinematic feel to it. Well done![/quote] "Ask me about my Tone... MATRIX!" <3 [quote=miraclemiles]All sounding good, very subtle diffs, but when all 3 in the end, so nice. Love the melody you have here, peaceful. I listened, then left for quick errand, and this stayed in my head, I was humming it. Which is great. [/quote] mission accomplished! thank you, miraclemiles [quote=KAMI Lime]It's a nice and calm performance.[/quote] glad that came through, been trying to summon some more calm in my heart & life. <3 [spoiler=DI/mic breakdown] A.) 0 - 00:48 = Monoprice LR100 ribbon mic B.) 00:49 - 01:36 = Direct One DB-01 direct input C.) 01:37 - 02:00 = Shure SM7B dynamic mic D.) 02:01 - end = all 3 tracks. Monoprice ribbon was center, DI panned hard left, SM7B panned hard right again, i was pretty happy with the sound of all 3 sources. and yeah, if i had to pick a fave it would be the ribbon again. there's a little electric guitar on my Week 13 track and yes, i used the ribbon for it :D it is interesting to me the detail that others are able to hear in recordings. i've been working at deep listening, thanks to the influence of onezero i'm sure. but yeah, i also wonder if i would hear more detail through nice monitors or more high-end headphones. i also realized that our noisy-ass water softener has probably made it's way into so many of my recordings. since i'm hearing it ALL.THE.TIME i think i usually just tune it out or can't tell if i'm hearing it in the mix or just hearing it as ambient sound in the house. Napear - your comments were fascinating, and spot on. i did use a tape sim plugin + a tube plugin on the DI in section B in an attempt to make it sound more amp-like and add a little noise that wouldn't be coming in naturally through a microphone. that you could hear that the noise in that section was flat and not moving is pretty impressive. i certainly wasn't hearing that distinction! ok i'll stop rambling, thanks again for listening, all, and for your interest and kind words. XO [/spoiler]

Oh man, mechanical noises are the worst, you go ear blind to them SOOOO quickly.  One of my neighbors is a wood worker and I have definitely takin to doing my mixing work in the evening in no small part because of the noise of his dust extraction system. 

I listened to your track (first) on a pair of Shokz OpenRun bone conduction headphones, and for sure could NOT hear the distentions I pulled out... but I switched to a set of AiAiAi TMA-2 and I was able to pull out the above details with those.  Though, if I'm remembering correctly, I was also able to hear the things I mentioned with a set of ATH-M50x headphones, which definitely aren't super high-end, great headphones, but not like high quality "mixing" headphones or whatever. In the video it looks like you are wearing a set of DT-770, I'll have to test those out and see if I can pull out the same things with those this evening... but based on the frequency response curve I would expect to. 

... and almost all of that like "detailed" listening skills I have now came directly from one of the courses I took last fall.  As part of the class we were given music written by someone else, and we had to (using our own tools) recreate the track we were provided... PERFECTLY... both musically, but also sonically.  One (of the many) notes I got on one assignment was because the reverb on one of my instruments was off from the original by a couple of db... and on one I got dingged for not getting the pitched deflection timing of a guitar string bend exactly in time with the original.   Which sound super fussy... and I guess it is... BUT, my ability to hear REALLY minor detail was dramatically leveled up. 

So I HIGHLY recommend that as an exercise.  Like take a recording of a guitar, and try to recreate it exactly, right down to the reverb tails.  I don't think it's actually possible to truly "perfectly" match, but trying to, really improves a bunch of skills. 

[quote=jwh] [spoiler=DI/mic breakdown] A.) 0 - 00:48 = Monoprice LR100 ribbon mic B.) 00:49 - 01:36 = Direct One DB-01 direct input C.) 01:37 - 02:00 = Shure SM7B dynamic mic D.) 02:01 - end = all 3 tracks. Monoprice ribbon was center, DI panned hard left, SM7B panned hard right again, i was pretty happy with the sound of all 3 sources. and yeah, if i had to pick a fave it would be the ribbon again. there's a little electric guitar on my Week 13 track and yes, i used the ribbon for it :D it is interesting to me the detail that others are able to hear in recordings. i've been working at deep listening, thanks to the influence of onezero i'm sure. but yeah, i also wonder if i would hear more detail through nice monitors or more high-end headphones. i also realized that our noisy-ass water softener has probably made it's way into so many of my recordings. since i'm hearing it ALL.THE.TIME i think i usually just tune it out or can't tell if i'm hearing it in the mix or just hearing it as ambient sound in the house. Napear - your comments were fascinating, and spot on. i did use a tape sim plugin + a tube plugin on the DI in section B in an attempt to make it sound more amp-like and add a little noise that wouldn't be coming in naturally through a microphone. that you could hear that the noise in that section was flat and not moving is pretty impressive. i certainly wasn't hearing that distinction! ok i'll stop rambling, thanks again for listening, all, and for your interest and kind words. XO [/spoiler] [/quote] Oh man, mechanical noises are the worst, you go ear blind to them SOOOO quickly. One of my neighbors is a wood worker and I have definitely takin to doing my mixing work in the evening in no small part because of the noise of his dust extraction system. I listened to your track (first) on a pair of Shokz OpenRun bone conduction headphones, and for sure could NOT hear the distentions I pulled out... but I switched to a set of AiAiAi TMA-2 and I was able to pull out the above details with those. Though, if I'm remembering correctly, I was also able to hear the things I mentioned with a set of ATH-M50x headphones, which definitely aren't super high-end, great headphones, but not like high quality "mixing" headphones or whatever. In the video it looks like you are wearing a set of DT-770, I'll have to test those out and see if I can pull out the same things with those this evening... but based on the frequency response curve I would expect to. ... and almost all of that like "detailed" listening skills I have now came directly from one of the courses I took last fall. As part of the class we were given music written by someone else, and we had to (using our own tools) recreate the track we were provided... PERFECTLY... both musically, but also sonically. [b]One [/b] (of the many) notes I got on one assignment was because the reverb on one of my instruments was off from the original by a couple of db... and on one I got dingged for not getting the pitched deflection timing of a guitar string bend exactly in time with the original. Which sound super fussy... and I guess it is... BUT, my ability to hear REALLY minor detail was dramatically leveled up. So I HIGHLY recommend that as an exercise. Like take a recording of a guitar, and try to recreate it exactly, right down to the reverb tails. I don't think it's actually possible to truly "perfectly" match, but trying to, really improves a bunch of skills.

... so I went back and listened with basically all of the headphones I have on hand, which included

• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

• Audio-Technica ATH-M20X

• Beyer Dynamic DT-770 Pro (32 Ohms)

• AiAiAi TMA-2 (wired & bluetooth)

• Mackie MP-360 In Ear Monitors

• Sony MDR-v6

• Whatever kind of headphone Pianote sent me with my membership

And interestingly the DT-770's were the second hardest to hear any difference in the noise (behind the Pianote headphones)... but did a really good job highlighting differences in the tone of the guitar, particularly in the low and low mid range... so I'm probably going to mentally catalog those as "booth headphones" going forward. 

I was able to hear most of the details I mentioned with all the listed headphones, though I REALLY had to strain with the ATH-M20x's and the Piano "Concert Series" or whatever... but there weren't really any surprises for the rest of them with the notable exception of the Sony MDR-v6... they were actually surprisingly good for how cheap they were (when I got them) and how old they are... I got them new for like $75 like 10+ years ago... I would say there were probably the 3rd best all around, both in tonal detail and how flat they are.  But, the MP-360 and the TMA-2 were the most detailed, like by a lot, but the ATH-M50x and the MDR-v6 were solid contenders for detail and flat tonal clarity, particularly for being less than half the price of the first two. Also worth noting that I don't have access to any like Sennheiser HD 800 S or similar super high-end studio headphones, so I don't even know what I don't know there.  And all of this is based on my ears... so you know, big grains of salt. 

Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a gear review, but I figured folks might get some value from my findings. 

... so I went back and listened with basically all of the headphones I have on hand, which included [list] [*] Audio-Technica ATH-M50x[/*] [*] Audio-Technica ATH-M20X[/*] [*] Beyer Dynamic DT-770 Pro (32 Ohms)[/*] [*] AiAiAi TMA-2 (wired & bluetooth) [/*] [*] Mackie MP-360 In Ear Monitors [/*] [*] Sony MDR-v6 [/*] [*] Whatever kind of headphone [url=https://www.pianote.com/shop/concert-headphones]Pianote[/url] sent me with my membership [/*] [/list] And interestingly the DT-770's were the second hardest to hear any difference in the noise (behind the Pianote headphones)... but did a really good job highlighting differences in the tone of the guitar, particularly in the low and low mid range... so I'm probably going to mentally catalog those as "booth headphones" going forward. I was able to hear most of the details I mentioned with all the listed headphones, though I REALLY had to strain with the ATH-M20x's and the Piano "Concert Series" or whatever... but there weren't really any surprises for the rest of them with the notable exception of the Sony MDR-v6... they were actually surprisingly good for how cheap they were (when I got them) and how old they are... I got them new for like $75 like 10+ years ago... I would say there were probably the 3rd best all around, both in tonal detail and how flat they are. But, the MP-360 and the TMA-2 were the most detailed, like by a lot, but the ATH-M50x and the MDR-v6 were solid contenders for detail and flat tonal clarity, particularly for being less than half the price of the first two. Also worth noting that I don't have access to any like Sennheiser HD 800 S or similar super high-end studio headphones, so I don't even know what I don't know there. And all of this is based on my ears... so you know, big grains of salt. Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a gear review, but I figured folks might get some value from my findings.

this was so fun to read & a really interesting exercise! 
i've been in the market for some new headphones so this was valuable info for me - thank you

[quote=Napear] I figured folks might get some value from my findings.[/quote] this was so fun to read & a really interesting exercise! i've been in the market for some new headphones so this was valuable info for me - thank you

wow, thank you so much for all of that. for taking the time to listen and share that info - i truly appreciate it!

i like using the DT-770's for tracking and editing - they are probably the most comfortable headphones i own. but yeah, when i'm trying to fine tune a mix i tend to reach for other phones (and i bounce around between different ones, which i think helps me keep perspective).
those TMA-2 phones look interesting. i'm curious which version you have? and yeah, i've always been pretty happy with Sony headphones, even just cheapo listening models.

i enjoyed reading about your close listening assignments. sounds like some good challenges. i have a long way to go with this stuff, but even just consciously listening deeper and turning the volume down to draw in has been really beneficial i think.

thanks again for your thoughtful response and spending so much time on this. hope your week is going well and look forward to hearing more of your tracks this year! 

[quote=Napear] so I went back and listened... [/quote] wow, thank you so much for all of that. for taking the time to listen and share that info - i truly appreciate it! i like using the DT-770's for tracking and editing - they are probably the most comfortable headphones i own. but yeah, when i'm trying to fine tune a mix i tend to reach for other phones (and i bounce around between different ones, which i think helps me keep perspective). those TMA-2 phones look interesting. i'm curious which version you have? and yeah, i've always been pretty happy with Sony headphones, even just cheapo listening models. i enjoyed reading about your close listening assignments. sounds like some good challenges. i have a long way to go with this stuff, but even just consciously listening deeper and turning the volume down to draw in has been really beneficial i think. thanks again for your thoughtful response and spending so much time on this. hope your week is going well and look forward to hearing more of your tracks this year! <3

I'm glad it was useful, I'm (obviously) a rambly person, and it's hard to know in a forum post when I'm the only person who cares 500 words much you know.  (- ‿◦ )

Always happy to share.  Re: which TMA-2 build out I have...

• (headband) H10 · Ultra-low latency - Wireless+

• X01 Transmitter

• (drivers) S05 · Detailed sound - Bio-diaphragm

• (ear pads) E04 · Over ear - PU leather

• (ear pads) E08 · Over ear - Alcantara®

• (cable) C15 · Straight - 1.5m - Triad hi-fi

Basically the TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ bundle with extra ear pads, and a better cable.  I think how modular AiAiAi's headphone are is like the thing I like the most about them... like I like that if I need to replace a thing, I can replace exactly (and ONLY) the thing that requires replacement.  Two notes, I got two set of ear pads because the PU leather ones have, much better noise isolation and a noticeably better bass response (as one would expect)... but I have big ears and they are not the most comfortable things after a couple hours... but the softer Alcantara ones (or whatever) are VERY comfortable, but drop some bass and have basically no noise isolation.

As to the wireless nature of them, I have to say I was REALLY impressed with how low the latency is... I primarily got them so that I could more easily move between instruments while recording and they 100% solved that problem.  I think Ricky Tinez and Andrew Huang both have videos reviewing them, and I would recommend them has a resource if you interested.  One thing I will say, that I think get's mentioned in at least of the videos, is that the noise floor (WHILE IN WIRELESS+ MODE ONLY) is quite high. It's not really that much of an issue... it just means you have to fuss with the input source to get it as loud as you can before it starts to clip, then you start adding volume with the headphones... so IN WIRELESS+ MODE they are a little quiter that I really want them to be... but it's a fair trade for wireless headphones I can still play a guitar/piano/synth/whatever with... FOR ME... some people the noise is a real issue.  But I don't need wireless headphones for mixing, so I just use them in wired mode with the hi-fi cable and they are great. 

[quote=emily][quote=Napear] I figured folks might get some value from my findings.[/quote] this was so fun to read & a really interesting exercise! i've been in the market for some new headphones so this was valuable info for me - thank you [/quote] I'm glad it was useful, I'm (obviously) a rambly person, and it's hard to know in a forum post when I'm the only person who cares 500 words much you know. (- ‿◦ ) [quote=jwh][quote=Napear] so I went back and listened... [/quote] wow, thank you so much for all of that. for taking the time to listen and share that info - i truly appreciate it! i like using the DT-770's for tracking and editing - they are probably the most comfortable headphones i own. but yeah, when i'm trying to fine tune a mix i tend to reach for other phones (and i bounce around between different ones, which i think helps me keep perspective). those TMA-2 phones look interesting. i'm curious which version you have? and yeah, i've always been pretty happy with Sony headphones, even just cheapo listening models. i enjoyed reading about your close listening assignments. sounds like some good challenges. i have a long way to go with this stuff, but even just consciously listening deeper and turning the volume down to draw in has been really beneficial i think. thanks again for your thoughtful response and spending so much time on this. hope your week is going well and look forward to hearing more of your tracks this year! <3[/quote] Always happy to share. Re: which [url=https://aiaiai.audio/headphones/tma-2-build-your-own/s05h10x01e08c15]TMA-2 build out[/url] I have... [list] [*](headband) H10 · Ultra-low latency - Wireless+[/*] [*]X01 Transmitter[/*] [*](drivers) S05 · Detailed sound - Bio-diaphragm[/*] [*](ear pads) E04 · Over ear - PU leather[/*] [*](ear pads) E08 · Over ear - Alcantara®[/*] [*](cable) C15 · Straight - 1.5m - Triad hi-fi[/*] [/list] Basically the [url=https://aiaiai.audio/headphones/tma-2-studio-wireless-plus]TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ bundle[/url] with extra ear pads, and a better cable. I think how modular AiAiAi's headphone are is like the thing I like the most about them... like I like that if I need to replace a thing, I can replace exactly (and ONLY) the thing that requires replacement. Two notes, I got two set of ear pads because the PU leather ones have, much better noise isolation and a noticeably better bass response (as one would expect)... but I have big ears and they are not the most comfortable things after a couple hours... but the softer Alcantara ones (or whatever) are VERY comfortable, but drop some bass and have basically no noise isolation. As to the wireless nature of them, I have to say I was REALLY impressed with how low the latency is... I primarily got them so that I could more easily move between instruments while recording and they 100% solved that problem. I think Ricky Tinez and Andrew Huang both have videos reviewing them, and I would recommend them has a resource if you interested. One thing I will say, that I think get's mentioned in at least of the videos, is that the noise floor (WHILE IN WIRELESS+ MODE ONLY) is quite high. It's not really that much of an issue... it just means you have to fuss with the input source to get it as loud as you can before it starts to clip, then you start adding volume with the headphones... so IN WIRELESS+ MODE they are a little quiter that I really want them to be... but it's a fair trade for wireless headphones I can still play a guitar/piano/synth/whatever with... FOR ME... some people the noise is a real issue. But I don't need wireless headphones for mixing, so I just use them in wired mode with the hi-fi cable and they are great.

thanks again! those seem really cool, and yeah - the option to replace specific components if needed is a really smart feature.
are those your primary/ favorite mixing headphones?
*hope i'm not taking up too much of your time. if so, feel free to disregard.

[quote=Napear][quote=emily][quote=Napear] I figured folks might get some value from my findings.[/quote] this was so fun to read & a really interesting exercise! i've been in the market for some new headphones so this was valuable info for me - thank you [/quote] I'm glad it was useful, I'm (obviously) a rambly person, and it's hard to know in a forum post when I'm the only person who cares 500 words much you know. (- ‿◦ ) [quote=jwh][quote=Napear] so I went back and listened... [/quote] wow, thank you so much for all of that. for taking the time to listen and share that info - i truly appreciate it! i like using the DT-770's for tracking and editing - they are probably the most comfortable headphones i own. but yeah, when i'm trying to fine tune a mix i tend to reach for other phones (and i bounce around between different ones, which i think helps me keep perspective). those TMA-2 phones look interesting. i'm curious which version you have? and yeah, i've always been pretty happy with Sony headphones, even just cheapo listening models. i enjoyed reading about your close listening assignments. sounds like some good challenges. i have a long way to go with this stuff, but even just consciously listening deeper and turning the volume down to draw in has been really beneficial i think. thanks again for your thoughtful response and spending so much time on this. hope your week is going well and look forward to hearing more of your tracks this year! <3[/quote] Always happy to share. Re: which [url=https://aiaiai.audio/headphones/tma-2-build-your-own/s05h10x01e08c15]TMA-2 build out[/url] I have... [list] [*](headband) H10 · Ultra-low latency - Wireless+[/*] [*]X01 Transmitter[/*] [*](drivers) S05 · Detailed sound - Bio-diaphragm[/*] [*](ear pads) E04 · Over ear - PU leather[/*] [*](ear pads) E08 · Over ear - Alcantara®[/*] [*](cable) C15 · Straight - 1.5m - Triad hi-fi[/*] [/list] Basically the [url=https://aiaiai.audio/headphones/tma-2-studio-wireless-plus]TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ bundle[/url] with extra ear pads, and a better cable. I think how modular AiAiAi's headphone are is like the thing I like the most about them... like I like that if I need to replace a thing, I can replace exactly (and ONLY) the thing that requires replacement. Two notes, I got two set of ear pads because the PU leather ones have, much better noise isolation and a noticeably better bass response (as one would expect)... but I have big ears and they are not the most comfortable things after a couple hours... but the softer Alcantara ones (or whatever) are VERY comfortable, but drop some bass and have basically no noise isolation. As to the wireless nature of them, I have to say I was REALLY impressed with how low the latency is... I primarily got them so that I could more easily move between instruments while recording and they 100% solved that problem. I think Ricky Tinez and Andrew Huang both have videos reviewing them, and I would recommend them has a resource if you interested. One thing I will say, that I think get's mentioned in at least of the videos, is that the noise floor (WHILE IN WIRELESS+ MODE ONLY) is quite high. It's not really that much of an issue... it just means you have to fuss with the input source to get it as loud as you can before it starts to clip, then you start adding volume with the headphones... so IN WIRELESS+ MODE they are a little quiter that I really want them to be... but it's a fair trade for wireless headphones I can still play a guitar/piano/synth/whatever with... FOR ME... some people the noise is a real issue. But I don't need wireless headphones for mixing, so I just use them in wired mode with the hi-fi cable and they are great. [/quote] thanks again! those seem really cool, and yeah - the option to replace specific components if needed is a really smart feature. are those your primary/ favorite mixing headphones? *hope i'm not taking up too much of your time. if so, feel free to disregard.

a good track from calmind down from a stressed mood. felt my heartbeat slow down to a gentle pace. Lovely

a good track from calmind down from a stressed mood. felt my heartbeat slow down to a gentle pace. Lovely :)

Not at all, I'm never gonna be upset by an opportunity to ramble about music making.  I wouldn't say that they are my favorite mixing headphones (I love all my children the same)... like you, I think it's best to mix with a number of different speakers and headphones.  And I actually do really like my ATH-M50x's, they sound really good, and after upgrading the ear pads with some Dekoni ones, they are the most comfortable earphones I have.  But in actual practice, I probably use the TMA-2's 3 or 4 times as much as any other headphones. They are absolutely my daily drivers because they are very detailed, much more comfortable than IEMs, and they don't color the sound too much (to my ear).  And, they are basically the only headphones I wear while I'm tracking instruments, recording midi, or when using a groovebox. Because being able to move from a piano, to a guitar without having my headphones yanked off because I was to in the flow too remember that chords exist; or laying in a beanbag with my Deluge, and not having to play cord tetris to sit up and get a drink... is just so much more impactful than I thought it would be, I can't go back. 

Two big notes here though... note the first; I actually do the bulk of my mixing during the composition and recording process, so my Nord Piano Monitors and my iLoud Micro Monitors get used for mixing like 400% more than any of my headphones by shear number of hours.  Note the second; I think the most IMPORTANT headphones or speakers for "mixing" are actually AirPods, TV speakers, and my car stereo... because while the details DO matter, and fancy speakers and headphones let me hear those details, and facilitate much more surgical changes. Given that most of the music I make is intended to be commercial in nature, I don't expect people to hear it on $500 headphones, I expect them to hear it through an off brand soundbar or like a pair of Razor Blacksharks or something. So I don't really consider a mix done until I have listen through my TV, phone, and car speakers.  And, while some would say that's more a question of mastering than mixing, I tend to disagree.  I had a professor once say, "If you have access to the original mix the only thing you should have in your mastering chain is a Maximizer." Sure, that's a bit of a hyperbolic position to hold, and there's a whole pedantic argument over where mixing busses end and mastering chains begin... but I do tend to think that if I play something on my phone and it's sounds bad, and I didn't hear (or notice) the problem on my monitors... it's probably an issue with the mix, and it NEEDS to be fixed. 

[quote=jwh] thanks again! those seem really cool, and yeah - the option to replace specific components if needed is a really smart feature. are those your primary/ favorite mixing headphones? *hope i'm not taking up too much of your time. if so, feel free to disregard.[/quote] Not at all, I'm never gonna be upset by an opportunity to ramble about music making. I wouldn't say that they are my favorite mixing headphones (I love all my children the same)... like you, I think it's best to mix with a number of different speakers and headphones. And I actually do really like my ATH-M50x's, they sound really good, and after upgrading the ear pads with some Dekoni ones, they are the most comfortable earphones I have. But in actual practice, I probably use the TMA-2's 3 or 4 times as much as any other headphones. They are absolutely my daily drivers because they are very detailed, much more comfortable than IEMs, and they don't color the sound too much (to my ear). And, they are basically the only headphones I wear while I'm tracking instruments, recording midi, or when using a groovebox. Because being able to move from a piano, to a guitar without having my headphones yanked off because I was to in the flow too remember that chords exist; or laying in a beanbag with my Deluge, and not having to play cord tetris to sit up and get a drink... is just so much more impactful than I thought it would be, I can't go back. Two big notes here though... note the first; I actually do the bulk of my mixing during the composition and recording process, so my Nord Piano Monitors and my iLoud Micro Monitors get used for mixing like 400% more than any of my headphones by shear number of hours. Note the second; I think the most [b]IMPORTANT[/b] headphones or speakers for "mixing" are actually AirPods, TV speakers, and my car stereo... because while the details DO matter, and fancy speakers and headphones let me hear those details, and facilitate much more surgical changes. Given that most of the music I make is intended to be commercial in nature, I don't expect people to hear it on $500 headphones, I expect them to hear it through an off brand soundbar or like a pair of Razor Blacksharks or something. So I don't really consider a mix done until I have listen through my TV, phone, and car speakers. And, while some would say that's more a question of mastering than mixing, I tend to disagree. I had a professor once say, "If you have access to the original mix the only thing you should have in your mastering chain is a Maximizer." Sure, that's a bit of a hyperbolic position to hold, and there's a whole pedantic argument over where mixing busses end and mastering chains begin... but I do tend to think that if I play something on my phone and it's sounds bad, and I didn't hear (or notice) the problem on my monitors... it's probably an issue with the mix, and it [b]NEEDS[/b] to be fixed.

oh that is so nice to hear. thank you, Minnamari

[quote=Minnamari]a good track from calmind down from a stressed mood. felt my heartbeat slow down to a gentle pace. Lovely :)[/quote] oh that is so nice to hear. thank you, Minnamari

all good info and food for thought. after last week where i was hitting record on my laptop, running to the other end of the basement to get into my little sound cocoon to pick up my guitar and start playing (without out-of-breath huffing) — all while plugged into my phones & draping the cord around all the obstacles — i can definitely see the benefit of a cordless option! 

and yeah, i always check my mixes with my old earbuds and through a little JBL mono speaker. they are both really helpful for identifying problem areas (not that i always know how to fix the problems - ha!).

[quote=Napear] Not at all, I'm never gonna be upset by an opportunity to ramble about music making. I wouldn't say that they are my favorite mixing headphones (I love all my children the same)... like you, I think it's best to mix with a number of different speakers and headphones. And I actually do really like my ATH-M50x's, they sound really good, and after upgrading the ear pads with some Dekoni ones, they are the most comfortable earphones I have. But in actual practice, I probably use the TMA-2's 3 or 4 times as much as any other headphones. They are absolutely my daily drivers because they are very detailed, much more comfortable than IEMs, and they don't color the sound too much (to my ear). And, they are basically the only headphones I wear while I'm tracking instruments, recording midi, or when using a groovebox. Because being able to move from a piano, to a guitar without having my headphones yanked off because I was to in the flow too remember that chords exist; or laying in a beanbag with my Deluge, and not having to play cord tetris to sit up and get a drink... is just so much more impactful than I thought it would be, I can't go back. Two big notes here though... note the first; I actually do the bulk of my mixing during the composition and recording process, so my Nord Piano Monitors and my iLoud Micro Monitors get used for mixing like 400% more than any of my headphones by shear number of hours. Note the second; I think the most [b]IMPORTANT[/b] headphones or speakers for "mixing" are actually AirPods, TV speakers, and my car stereo... because while the details DO matter, and fancy speakers and headphones let me hear those details, and facilitate much more surgical changes. Given that most of the music I make is intended to be commercial in nature, I don't expect people to hear it on $500 headphones, I expect them to hear it through an off brand soundbar or like a pair of Razor Blacksharks or something. So I don't really consider a mix done until I have listen through my TV, phone, and car speakers. And, while some would say that's more a question of mastering than mixing, I tend to disagree. I had a professor once say, "If you have access to the original mix the only thing you should have in your mastering chain is a Maximizer." Sure, that's a bit of a hyperbolic position to hold, and there's a whole pedantic argument over where mixing busses end and mastering chains begin... but I do tend to think that if I play something on my phone and it's sounds bad, and I didn't hear (or notice) the problem on my monitors... it's probably an issue with the mix, and it [b]NEEDS[/b] to be fixed. [/quote] all good info and food for thought. after last week where i was hitting record on my laptop, running to the other end of the basement to get into my little sound cocoon to pick up my guitar and start playing (without out-of-breath huffing) — all while plugged into my phones & draping the cord around all the obstacles — i can definitely see the benefit of a cordless option! :D and yeah, i always check my mixes with my old earbuds and through a little JBL mono speaker. they are both really helpful for identifying problem areas (not that i always know how to fix the problems - ha!). <3