The Impact of a Prototype Acoustically Transparent Headphone System on the Recording Studio Performances of Professional Trumpet Players

In the recording studio, most professional performers choose to place only one headphone on the ear, leaving the other ear uncovered, suggesting a need for a better alternative.

The team’s prototype utilizes a pair of standard headphones with microphones mounted near the ears. An electronic circuit powers the microphones and mixes their signals with the foldback signal. 

This chapter discusses experimentation and analysis involving professional performers. This has firstly improved the acoustic environment leading to more comfortable performance, and secondly enabled performers better to manage the energy put into their performances, producing noticeable and measurable improvements in tone quality and accuracy.