'Tis the season of giving - but if you're anything like me, a few gifts for yourself sneak into your gifts for others !!!

Is anyone planning on gifting themselves any musical goodies, like

- lessons with a great music teacher
- online video streaming lessons
- any kind of music books
- a day off from work (or from your usual retirement routine) just to play, practice, or listen to your favorite music

Best,
Joe

Absolutely there will be some self-gifts under my tree!

First and foremost, I'm giving myself more opportunity to play the drums - I bought a drum kit earlier this year that I haven't had much opportunity to use yet, so I'm going to book some regular time at a practice space. As well, I'm going to try and squeeze in an electric drum kit if I can.

Secondly, I started a small collection of nice headphones recently, and I might add to that - I've got a few nice pairs of open-backs, and might spring for a nicer pair of closed-back cans

What are you gifting yourself?

Absolutely nothing! In my case both the giver and the receiver are incredibly cheap, and If I give myself a gift, then social protocol says receiving me must them give a gift to giving me, and that sets up an endless loop of giving/receiving and receiving/giving that led to me have 8 guitars I don't pay and 8 keyboards I rarely play (I could do with just the Kurzweil I have down here in my office area.) and a rack full of synth modules.

Plus I am also a grouch (or in this case, grinch) and I don't do holidays.

But to all of you who do get involved with this kind of thing, don't be cheap and buy yourself something nice!!

For you, Simon, I suggest a set of Sony MDR7506 phones. $90 at Walmart, or $130 from Sony if you want to feel like you are splurging!! I have 2 of these, one upstairs and one downstairs, and they are great.

Nothing here. My 14 year old Nikon left us and moved on to that great photoshoot in the sky so all my pennies have to go towards funding a replacement.

You think plugins are expensive....

You going to buy a DSLR or a film model? (Do they even make those anymore?) I picked up a Canon EOS Rebel T6 with a 50mm fixed lens in a pawn shop for $200 a couple of years back. Then added a 75-200 zoom lens, an 18-55 zoom, a remote shutter switch and a monopod. A few accessories, like a body cap and some lens covers because to ones that came with the lenses we non good, and I brought the whole system in for about $500. I don't use it much, but it does a nice job for me.



This duck was about 300 yards from me at Salem Lake in NC when I was down that way for Herbfest in 2022.

I know a lot of people prefer film, but I just wanted to share what I picked up as you search for your new stuff. I also know a few Nikon people and they will use nothing else. Like how I used to be a Gibson snob in my day and thought the Les Paul was the only guitar in the universe.

Well, BIAB 2024 of course. The best Goodie out there.

I did just buy a luxury item: a Lokius by Schiit Audio (a Texas company). It's a small six-band tone control that sits right in front of me, instead of my reaching for the old multiband equalizer over in the rack spaces. When I listen to music, this little device allows me to tune in, or tune out, the bass etc. to help make hearing individual parts much easier to transcribe. https://www.schiit.com/products/lokius

Besides BiaB 2024, I've already purchased a few Xtra paks and styles that I need to complete my collection.

I was inspired by a friend who said he wants to put more of himself into his music, a sentiment I share. So I recently got a good deal from my gear advisor for a drum sampling pad; the kind you play with sticks.

This thing is awesome and provides endless fun and growth. I'm looking forward to using it to add percussion to the BiaB songs I write.

And BiaB 2024 is on order.

I've considered the 7506's, but I've already got a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50's which are pretty similar to the Sony's. I've also got Sennheiser HD 380 Pro (which desperately need new earpads), AKG K7XX, a pair of 1970's K240's, and (currently my favourite) Grado SR60E. Considering a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770's though, quickly demoed them at a store recently and liked what I heard.

I always suggest having things like that at your fingertips. Years ago I built a studio monitor controller, mostly because I needed switchable inputs and a big volume knob, but I also added in a Mono switch and a Polarity switch, and dang do I use both of those religiously when checking a mix. Good thought about a tone control though, I wonder if I can add that and still keep the design passive...

Onya mates

Simon, I now use Beyerdynamic 770s. They are great. I also have the Sony 7506 which is good to wear when recording.

For mixing long periods, I use Alessandro open headphones. Your Grados were modified by Alessandro. Both are comfortable, neutral and clear.

See I've heard a lot of good things about the 770's and practically nothing bad, that's why I'm leaning towards those.

And absolutely, these Grados are incredibly comfortable and clear, though like everyone I'd appreciate just a little more bottom end.

Anyway, good to have a handful of nice cans in my line of work

The MDR 7506 is an industry standard. I can count the number of basses in the section of a well recorded orchestra. If only the cords used a jack instead of being hard wired.

I dislike that the ear pads fall apart after a couple years or so. I found some Genuine Sheepskin Leather Earpads over memory foam replacements about six years ago and couldn't be happier. They're a little tricky to install but, if I can do it one-handed, anyone can do it with two. Like any new leather gear, it takes a few hours for the leather to break in and become comfortable.

Recently, the lip that fits into the groove became too flexible and the cups fell off my most used pair. A small bead of silicone over the groove fixed that and will be easy to remove if these cup pads ever wear out in my lifetime (still looking good). Anyway, all of my 7506s sport these now.

I now do critical mastering with the Steven Slate Audio VSX system and those 'phones are incredibly comfortable but I don't use them for anything else.

I have an old pair of Grado open air for casual listening but I rarely do that anymore. Because of my limited mobility, I prefer to crank up the speakers nowadays but certain old recordings including anything with Joe Osborne or Chop Douglas on bass just sound like magic on those Grados.

There are a few websites that offer headphone modification service or DIY parts for that sort of thing - not sure if any of them cover the Sony's though.

That happened to my M50's and my HD 380's - just replaced the pads on the 380's actually and they're like new again. I didn't like the stock pads on the M50's that much, so on a recommendation I used a set of Shure pads on them and they feel incredible now and so far have lasted a lot longer. I also may swap the pads on my K7XX's, they're a bit firm for my liking, although they're also easily the most comfortable big headphones I own.

Similarly I prefer speakers, but yeah dang my Grados are magical like you say. I can hear new things in music I've been listening to for decades!

Honestly headphones for me are mostly for fun and for outdoors - I mix through studio monitors whenever possible. For listening at home I've got my original HR824's and my home theatre which consists of a Marantz receiver and a pair of medium size 1970's Technics speakers - both systems sound fantastic.