I’m working on a CD project, consisting of the best of two live festival recordings in June of 2007 and 2008. I did the 2007 recording sort of by accident, as the band before me recorded and the engineer and I cut a deal for him to stick around.
While there was some good material, there was not enough to release and so I recorded more at the same festival in 2008. Also, I learned that studio recording is easier to engineer than live recording. Why? Well, when I recorded my studio CD all four of us were isolated in different rooms while we recorded. Of course, we were listening to ourselves with headphones and playing simultaneously. The isolation permitted easy corrections and adjustments because each player had a channel isolated on him. Live? Well each player had a primary mike (or mikes, in the case of the drummer) but there often is some bleed of secondary sounds and instruments onto the primary mikes. That was even further complicated by the fact that my wireless mikes were in and out both years, having to do with flaws in the wireless transmission.
For point of reference, I recorded the day after the Chicago Meet n Great. I’m sure the great time Mrs. Saxguy and I had helped put me in the proper frame of mind to really “bring it” the following day.
As I’ve been working with the engineer on the project, it’s been clear to me that there were subtle differences in recordings and mixes that I was going to have to consider as I figured out what to release and how I wanted it to ultimately sound. Subtle variations could make a big difference in the ultimate product, and I needed a tool that would help me evaluate those differences. The sound system attached to my computer at home, the state of the art Klipsch Promedia 5.1 (at least as of 4 years ago) would have to be played loudly for me to detect those differences. Not a good idea, since it would disturb my (disabled) wife and I might not be able to hear her if she called me for help.
I saw the Bose Around Ear Headphones on sale at BestBuy for $125. The Epinions product listing is for TriPort headphones and these are the pictured item. The Bose web site describes these as using Tri Port technology. I thought these more comfortable and, actually sounding better on the demo than the other ones they had which were more expensive and not as comfortable. I also liked the fact that these are not noise cancellng, so I could hear my wife if she called.
So, I bought these and took them home. I was immediately impressed by the lightness and comfort. These were clearly different as compared to what I had – decent sounding headphones, costing $20 to $40. The differences I could hear included:
- better clarity of individual parts, at all volumes.
- I was able to hear the imperfections (background noise, stage noise, etc.)
- The sound of the instruments was more realistic and ricj
In short, the sound was approaching what I was used to hearing live. On my other headphones, it was difficult to discern the individual parts and the background noise and imperfections and the instruments themselves did not sound as vital. The sound on the headphones was also very, very close to what I was hearing at the engineer’s studio. This is crucial as I listen to the various cuts as they are engineered and make crucial decisions turning on subtle variations.
The Bose web site does not have specs in terms of frequency or range. What it does mention Is that the Tri-Port technology helps accurately reproduce base notes without boosting the bass. I have found this to be true. Also, they mention that their acoustic equalization techniques capture “nuances” that conventional headphones do not. Maybe that’s wordsmithing. Still, the sound on these headphones was dramatically different that what I was used to at a time when I desperately need it.
The headphones are very comfortable. Weighing about 5 oz, they have an adjustable band. The cups themselves are very soft. I’ve used them for 3 hours with no effects other than my ears getting a little warm. The cord is 5 feet, and there is an included extension cord that adds another 6 feet.. There is also an adapter so the phones can be used with a ¼” plug. There is also a nice microfiber drawstring bag included, although I’m temped to go to the grocery store and find a hard plastic container I can use to put these in, if I ever need to take them with me on a gig.
In short, these headphones have done the job wonderfully well, and are helping me build toward my fall CD release. 5 stars are not enough. I’m glad I bought them.
There is a factory authorized sale of $15 off until September 6, 2008. After that, the price will be $15 higher.
Thanks for reading. God bless!
Please check out my music online at
http://www.garageband.com/artist/saxguy
http://www.ilike.com/artist/John Temmerman's Jazz Obsession Band
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=176574831
And watch for details of my upcoming CD release
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