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RE: Headphones: to seal or not to seal?

Subject: RE: Headphones: to seal or not to seal?
From: "Martyn Stewart" <>
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 08:01:53 -0800
How wonderfully put!!



Martyn

http://www.naturesound.org <http://www.naturesound.org/>





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From: Syd Curtis 
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 12:27 AM
To: 
Subject: [Nature Recordists] Headphones: to seal or not to seal?




Here we have two opposing preferences, and I think I know why.  My wife can
happily listen to two simultaneous conversations and get the sense of both
of them.  If I try, I don't get either of the two.  And I think this is a
pretty general male/female thing.

Syd Curtis



> From: Dan Dugan <>
> Reply-To: 
> Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 19:13:06 -0800
> To: 
> Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] Beginner
>
> Vicki Powys, you wrote,
>
>> I know some people do use sealed headphones, but personally I can't stan=
d
>> them!  I use open-air headphones with no feedback problems.  In the fiel=
d
I
>> can also hear what is happening in reality, as well as what I'm
recording.
>> If I need a directional cue I simply turn back the headphone volume to 0
>> (which doesn't affect the recording level), then I can hear what else is
>> happening around me.
>
> I'm of the opposite school, I want to exclude the real sound so I can
> be fully aware of what my mics are hearing. I use Sony earplugs that
> block the ear canal completely. I've heard the Etymotic Research
> earplug phones are flatter, but more expensive.
>
> -Dan Dugan



"Microphones are not ears,
Loudspeakers are not birds,
A listening room is not nature."
Klas Strandberg




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>From   Tue Mar  8 18:26:56 2005
Message: 7
Date: Mon, 01 Mar 2004 12:03:11 -0500
From: Walter Knapp <>
Subject: Re: Beginner

From: Vicki Powys <>

> Better than ebay, make your own windshield for $5!  I can email a picture=
 of
> my homemade windshield for a ME67 mic, if anyone is interested.  It works
> just as well as a bought one.

I was going to go homemade, but designing something that would provide
suspension and windshielding and could be put together and taken apart
in layers according to amount needed was such a hassle I eventually just
watched Ebay long enough. My typical full up suspension/zepplan/furry
combo cost me less than $150.

I hear lots of homemade windshields being described as working as well
as a bought one. Someday it would be nice to do some measurements. See
just how close the homemades really are to the characteristics of a
bought one. Not just in sound, but bulk, durability, portability, etc.

Incidentally, there is more than one brand of bought one, though rycote
is dominant. Each brand is a little different. I prefer the Sennheiser
design, more robust. And their mono will handle a M/S, rycote's won't.

> I know some people do use sealed headphones, but personally I can't stand
> them!  I use open-air headphones with no feedback problems.  In the field=
 I
> can also hear what is happening in reality, as well as what I'm recording=
.
> If I need a directional cue I simply turn back the headphone volume to 0
> (which doesn't affect the recording level), then I can hear what else is
> happening around me.

I have used open air headphones as well as closed. After too many
feedback experiences, I stick with closed. And I'm recording in the heat
and humidity of Georgia.

Since I record in stereo, directional cues don't require removing the
headphones. Unless it's something that's way out of field. Then it's no
real problem to slip my headphones back far enough to get a fix. Since I
listen to the site for a little before recording, deciding just what
field to record I don't often have that problem. Even when I was
recording in mono, I was pretty good at zeroing in on something using
headphones. One of the reasons for using really high quality headphones,
with open light headphones you won't hear that well being just slightly
off axis.

Walt




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>From   Tue Mar  8 18:26:56 2005
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 09:06:36 -0800 (PST)
From: Jeff and Crystal Smith <>
Subject: RE: Introduction


Hi Martyn,

Your comment makes good sense.  However I can muzzel one of the kids, and d=
on't even have to hire a sherper!  LOL

Jeff



Martyn Stewart <> wrote:
Jeff

I think what you want to do is go with the shotgun set-up and forget the
parabolic setup, as you say, to carry your camera and mics, recorders you
will need to hire a sharper! If it is something you want convenient and abl=
e
to transport with ease, go with the least and ample effectiveness.

Jeff and Crystal Smith
800-718-6659
812-793-9913

http://www.bridephotography.com

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