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During lockdown, I played my 'acoustic' (aka pimpocaster/not really an acoustic) plugged in - but I got the gain staging wrong and had the GR-S convertor set to 'line level' and not 'amp' - which meant it 'felt' realllly sensitive (I think it was a +4db boost into the signal chain). It really showed up string noise and any (in my case...ALL) sloppy technique.

Easy fix, just play line amp level. But it got my thinking that one should really play acoustics plugged in as part of one's practicing. There's subtleties/nuances you'll just not hear when the sound hole is pointing away from ears - so I found it really interesting and super useful to have that highlighted.

Roll forward to this week - I hadn't done any interface based recording in the longest while (cell phones don't count!) - and there I was with headphones one tracking something. And boy did I struggle. It was something slightly ambitious, but still I was hacking away just not feeling it - usually I'll get it eventually, but not this time.

Went for a stroll before I broke something and figured...that I hadn't played on 'phones in the longest time and all those little things I hadn't been hearing were there all the time (or crept back in). If I had been playing loud (99% of the time I don't), that might of helped, but I think playing on headphones is more immersive.

So the note to self is : remember to -at least- occasionally jam on headphones - keeps me honest for sure.

Do you play with headphones as part of your practicing?

This poll has ended.

    I am in the "occasional" camp. I avoid it due to my tinnitus. Ie. Dont like consistent noise right in my ear. The other issue, i cannot get a decent sound through headphones, which then irritates me as i dont like what I am hearing.. and so lose my mojo.

    So for volume issues, and tracking, i do it through the monitors. I either use the 11R or otherwise its the amp> 2notes captor > cab sim... and presto.. good tone at bedroom levels.

    I hear you re the cleanliness of playing through headsets though

    • V8 likes this.
    9 days later

    hi guys. opened up the post too late to vote, but I'm in the "yes" camp for this one. in my case its sort of a necessity, as the room I occupy is exposed to lots of external and extraneous background noise, which is a dealbreaker when all you want is to be alone with your guitar. I have to watch overall volumes tho, because I too suffer with tinnitus. something to keep in mind/not forget: if you really would like to just hear the tone of your fingers + guitar then keep things as dry as possible, very little echo/reverb/modulation 😀

    • V8 replied to this.

      nick_D01 So one yes!

      Heh, I'm in the I should camp. Though I've havn't played in over a week 🤫 EIsh.

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