Why I Gave Up My Music Studio For Headphones

I recently decided it was time to pack up my studio space and commit to making music exclusively on headphones.

Having been an advocate of studio space for years, this wasn’t an easy call to make.

We are constantly hearing about how important it is to have a dedicated studio for producing, and there are some good arguments to support that.

But I can see now that, in my situation – which may be similar to yours – headphones make a pretty strong case for being the best option.

Here’s why I made the switch:

They’re more accurate.

Okay, this might sound a little backwards, but hear me out.

One big argument for studio space over headphones is that a studio provides a more accurate listening environment, so your tunes can translate well to other systems.

This is totally fair – if you’ve got a legitimate studio setup in a proper room with proper treatment, or you’ve done your research on home job setups.

While it’s not unheard of, it’s not generally the case for the common bedroom producer. It definitely wasn’t for me.

If your studio isn’t set up correctly, you’re not getting the intended benefits; the sound coming from your speakers has been coloured to shit by the time it hits your ears. Throw in some nasty resonant spikes and you’ve got yourself a pretty poor sound.

That’s not to say you don’t get coloration with headphones – you absolutely do.

But at least the sound is hitting your ears straight away, and if you’ve got a set of good quality cans, they’ll be more trustworthy once you get used to how they sound.

Plus, you can flatten them out quite easily with something like Sonarworks Reference 4, which I can’t recommend highly enough. No excuses!

For me, headphones win when it comes to accuracy.

They’re cheaper.

I’m sure you’ll agree – this is a big win.

Cost is an important consideration when it comes to gathering your production materials.

Once you’ve forked out for – at minimum – a laptop or desktop computer and the required software for making music, you might not have a lot of money left.

This makes headphones incredibly attractive. I bought my Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro’s for around $250AUD, and they’re even cheaper at the moment.

Don’t get me wrong, you can build an acceptable home studio for cheapish, but it’s not likely you’ll be able to do it for less than the cost of headphones. Besides, there are so many other good reasons to go for cans.

Mobility (if you’re working on a laptop).

This is a personal preference, but it’s got legs.

Now that I’m on headphones, I can work on tunes comfortably from anywhere I want.

This is important to me, because – although I’m not living it yet – I want that kind of lifestyle. The idea of being able to make music in a café, on the train, on a park bench, etc. excites me to no end (yeah, this is what excites me nowadays).

Equally important, a mobile workstation keeps me musically active. I’m prone to procrastination, so I need to get rid of any excuses that are going to stop me from making music. Being able to sit down anywhere and get started wipes out a big one.

Since making the switch, I’ve been listening to and making more music – another win.

It’s quieter.

Well, maybe not for your ears, but for everyone around you.

As awesome as your music might be, not everyone wants to hear it all the time.

Whether it’s your parents, roommates, partner or neighbours – it’s going to be a lot easier to avoid tension and passive aggressive behaviour if you’re working in headphones.

You’re probably making music at weird times, too. Unless producing is your 9 – 5 job (if it is, right on!), you’re likely up early in the morning or late at night to get it done.

Working in headphones gives you this flexibility and – again, in my case – cuts out excuses for not doing it.

It’s easier on my relationship.

You might laugh at this, but it matters to me.

My relationship is a massive part of my life, and my girl’s needs are important. This might be an unpopular opinion among producers, but if I have to make some sacrifices for her – like making music on the couch next to her vs in the studio – I’m ok with that.

Understand that if you’re in a serious relationship and you’re able to make music daily, you’re winning.

Being a producer might seem fine on paper, but it’s not so easy to find a partner who’s truly ok with you spending lots of time with your mistress. If switching to headphones is going to ease that strain, it’s a no brainer.

Don’t take this section lightly – this is a very real thing. If you want a fulfilling relationship with both your creative interest and your partner, headphones may just be the way to find that balance.

Yes, there are negatives.

What kind of person would I be if I didn’t address the downsides?

I’m sure there are many reasons why monitors are generally seen as a better choice than headphones, but as this is an article on why I switched to headphones – not what sucks about them – I’ll keep it short.

These are my negative experiences so far:

• The stereo image is exaggerated. It can be a little jarring to experience “true” hard panning, especially if you’re listening to something like two different melodies playing on either side of you. Honestly, it hasn’t been much of an issue for me outside of listening to metal but be aware – it can throw you for a little while.

• I feel like I’m not getting to experience sound “live”. When I was using speakers, I could really crank the volume and feel like I was listening to a live performance in all its fury. You can definitely have some really nice listening experiences with headphones, but in a different way. It’s not so bad, but I do sometimes miss the “live” feeling.

• Speaking of cranking it, it can be hard not to want to keep turning things up. This is generally considered bad practise no matter how you’re listening, but the sound hits your ear a lot faster and honestly, it does a lot more damage than I think any of us realise.

So far, that’s it. I might see more negatives emerge later on, but I’m happy with the outcome of my personal pros and cons list.

Conclusion:

The truth is that no matter what you’re using to make music, you’ll eventually get used to the sound. It’s absolutely possible to make amazing music in a shit room, on shit speakers or in shit headphones.

But if you’re currently struggling with your setup, having problems with pissy neighbours or just unsure about which way to go, I hope this article gave you a bit to think about.

Now, I’d like to hear from you! Do you use headphones or monitors? Have you got any other reasons headphones win? Any other reasons why they don’t? Let me know!

In the meantime, you might like to check out These Music Production Habits Fucked Me Over, Bigtime if you’re struggling with your productions – who knows, maybe it’s one of these habits!

Thanks for reading, my friends!

Cheers :)