Recently, I have started to play exclusively through a processor and headphones. When I practice, it’s sometimes for hours. During that time, I play the same lines over and over until they burnish into my head. The problem is, I have a wife and son. They live in the same house and they don't want those lines burnished into their heads, so…

I use a Zoom G5N Effects processor.

This is Zoom’s flagship model and for just cause. It is a really excellent device for making music. It is feature packed. It has a headphone output and an auxiliary input. It also works beautifully with my Computer as a Digital Audio Interface. This is important to me, because I practice and record with this same device. I just plug it into my Surface Pro3 and its drivers communicate seamlessly without latency with YouCam6 video recording software. It’s fast, easy and it sounds amazing.

I have not even scratched the surface of the G5N’s capabilities. Nor do I ever intend to. I like Clean, Pure sound. The sound of an Archtop guitar. And I like the good old sound of the Fender Twin Reverb amp without the reverb. So I use that as an amp simulator. I enjoy the HD reverb effect on the G5N instead of the Fender Reverb.

For the past couple of months, I’ve been using Beats Solo2 headphones. It amazes me how many folks out there despise these headphones. There is a pre judgment of them that most times is unfair. I think they are great headphones. They are comfortable to wear, well built and classy. The only problem is, they make the music you play through them sound, too good. The bass and trebles are enhanced. They provide a very deep soundstage. When I practice with them, it makes my guitar sound unreal. So much, so that when record with my same signal chain, the recorded sound is rather disappointing. It has become apparent to me that I need a headphone that is more of a reference headphone. So I did some research and picked up a pair of Sennheiser HD598SR’s.

The 598SR’s are open back headphones. They are also, EXCELLENT reference headphones. What you hear, is what you get. No enhancements. The sound is not made to sound better than it really is. It’s just pure, accurate sound. They are over the ear headphones that are the model of comfort. You don't even know you are wearing headphones. Basically, you can wear them for hours with no fatigue. And the best part, you are not destroying your eardrums in the process. The open back design allows sound energy to kiss your ears and then exit the screen in the opposite direction. After a couple hours of playing you don't feel that your hearing has become impaired. Another GREAT thing is if you are playing an acoustic instrument that is also magnetically amplified, you can actually hear your instrument through the screen in back of the headphones. So you get that extra dimension of true sound that you won’t otherwise get with a sound deadening headphone. The open back design will also allow you to hear your family tell you things while you playing. Like, “Honey would you like a cup of coffee”? Or, “Remember, we have to leave in a little bit to have lunch with the Johnsons, so you might want to jump in the shower soon”. The open back headphone design may also give you enough time to gather up your gear and exit the house after they yell, “Daddy, the house in on fire, we will meet you outside”... All kidding aside, you can hear everything going on around you, just like you can when you are playing through an amp. But the rest of the household cant...

The auxiliary input is excellent if you want to learn a song or play along with backing tracks. Just plug in your iPad or phone, adjust the perfect mix of volume and hear the music directly and accurately through your headphones. For learning music, I use a free app called Tempo. It allows me to access my music library, stop and start, rewind or fast forward, slow down the speed without losing the correct pitch. Damn, I wish I had this when I was a little kid. Learning solos with the turntable on 16rpms and then transposing the solo up an octave was really a pain in the ass...

So, I feel that I’ve found the perfect solution for all my playing needs. For Playing and Practicing, I go, Guitar > ZOOM G5N > Sennheiser HD598SR. For recording I go Guitar > ZOOM G5N > USB cable into > SurfacePro 3 > YouCam6 video recording software (which also picks up perfect, Studio Quality recorded sound).

I hope you like my story.

Joe D

My Signal Chain for Practice and Recording

Joe DeNisco

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