Blue Cat's Re-Head Plug-In For Headphones Released!

[ilmai]

While I generally love Blue Cat plugins, this is a pass for me. I'm already using CanOpener in a similar role and when comparing against dry sound, CanOpener and listening to speakers, Re-Head feels like it loses a lot of high end or something? And this is with a flat EQ curve (I have Sonarworks Reference in the chain before these). CanOpener also feels like it's making the stereo image more natural and better comparable to speakers. Maybe I was doing something wrong but I don't feel like it's working correctly?

[Blue Cat Audio]

Very intriguing and very promising! Blue Cat Audio is known for great tools, so I hope this will be one of them. It seems to be like combining ReferenceWorks/MorphIt and Can Opener.

Well, the primary goal is not headphones correction here but head response correction. The head model is something you do not find in either of these plug-ins if I understand them correctly.

When listening on headphones, there are a couple of differences compared to speakers in a room:
1. Room response (you can add this with reverb or using a room impulse response in Re-Head).
2. Headphones response vs the speakers' response (that's what you can correct with a bit of EQ or an IR in Re-Head).
3. the response of the head that lies between the ears: that's Re-Head's primary function, and I don't think these other plug-ins offer this correction.
4. the crossfeed between ears (that you can manage with the "width" control).

Like others above, I am thinking about missing headphone models. In the video, there is the 770 and 990, but not the 880 for example. Maybe we in this pro and semi-pro community can somehow make our own models/EQ settings (?) and then share them using the Load... function? That would be an awesome addition, I think, and it would set this product even more apart from ReferenceWorks and MorphIt.

Maybe we can indeed add more models in the future, but we do not have access to all of them

[Blue Cat Audio]

While I generally love Blue Cat plugins, this is a pass for me. I'm already using CanOpener in a similar role and when comparing against dry sound, CanOpener and listening to speakers, Re-Head feels like it loses a lot of high end or something? And this is with a flat EQ curve (I have Sonarworks Reference in the chain before these). CanOpener also feels like it's making the stereo image more natural and better comparable to speakers. Maybe I was doing something wrong but I don't feel like it's working correctly?

The plug-ins you mention do not take the head response into account, and it will indeed affect the high end. You might add a bit of brightness if it's too dark for you (head response is different for everyone, so it may require some adjustments).

You may also want to add the headphones correction software AFTER Re-Head, because it may screw up the crossfeed mechanism. And maybe try without it (depending on how the curves were measured, it may have additional corrections that you do not want to use together with Re-Head).

[SparkySpark]

Well, the primary goal is not headphones correction here but head response correction. The head model is something you do not find in either of these plug-ins if I understand them correctly.

Well, let's hope for an all-in-one solution. Having read NUMEROUS threads both here and on sites like GearSlutz and SoS on mixing with headphones, I'd say the market is HUGE for that sort of tool.

Judging by the reply to the question re where to put EQ correction tools, I would say it makes even more sense to integrate all three tools into one.

[enCiphered]

Well, the primary goal is not headphones correction here but head response correction. The head model is something you do not find in either of these plug-ins if I understand them correctly.

Well, let's hope for an all-in-one solution. Having read NUMEROUS threads both here and on sites like GearSlutz and SoS on mixing with headphones, I'd say the market is HUGE for that sort of tool.

Yes, it is!
I am working with both, speakers and headphones so for me this was an insta-buy.
But without the proper eq-setting for my specific headphones (audio technica ath m50x) I´m afraid it won´t get used properly.

[Michael L]

I notice that the volume in each channel fluctuates much less through this plugin. My ears are not getting hammered, so it's easier to concentrate on the frequency info. It took some time to dial it in by ear, but each parameter is useful.
A standalone version for system sound would be terrific!
BTW enCiphered, it includes an ATH M50 curve in EQ>Select>Factory Compensation; only a slight difference to M50x.

[enCiphered]

Thanks, Michael. Yes I tried the ATH M50 curve but wasn´t satisfied with the sound. But if you say it is almost identical I will give it another try

[Michael L]

I found that the frequency response curves of ears + cans can be a starting point, but then I chose some familiar mixes and tweaked the various parameters until I heard all the frequency info. It took quite some time-- saving EQ curves along the way-- but I am happy with the results. In the demo, you can save curves but not load them.

[Blue Cat Audio]

I found that the frequency response curves of ears + cans can be a starting point, but then I chose some familiar mixes and tweaked the various parameters until I heard all the frequency info. It took quite some time-- saving EQ curves along the way-- but I am happy with the results.

Yes, the most important thing in the end is to have good references, whatever monitoring system you are using.

In the demo, you can save curves but not load them.

This is odd - there should not be such limitations in the demo as far as I know.

[Michael L]

I was wrong. I was expecting the names of my custom eq curves to appear on the EQ display, but I see that a custom curve is part of a named preset. Bought.

[rrichard63]

... You may also want to add the headphones correction software AFTER Re-Head, because it may screw up the crossfeed mechanism. ...

Internally within Re-Head, does the EQ come before or after the binaural crossfeed?

Extensive discussion about Sonarworks and Waves NX on another forum convinced me that frequency response correction has to come after crossfeed processing -- just as you suggest. See this summary:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/product ... st11654242

[rrichard63]

Well, let's hope for an all-in-one solution. Having read NUMEROUS threads both here and on sites like GearSlutz and SoS on mixing with headphones, I'd say the market is HUGE for that sort of tool.

Judging by the reply to the question re where to put EQ correction tools, I would say it makes even more sense to integrate all three tools into one.

This. And the solution needs to incorporate speaker/room response correction as well as headphone response correction and "head response" correction (binaural crossfeed). As things are now, in order to switch between speakers and headphones, I have to enable/disable/change presets on at least two plugins (maybe three) as well as mute/unmute the speakers. In some DAWs it would be feasible to have two control room monitor busses, one for speakers and one for headphones. But that's extra screen real estate once it's set up properly.

[hotmitts]

I'm really curious about this plug-in, wondering how it deals with headphone fatigue ?

[Blue Cat Audio]

Internally within Re-Head, does the EQ come before or after the binaural crossfeed?

Yes: both the EQ and IR loader come after the crossfeed. This way you can use stereo impulse responses (for room simulation for example) without damaging the signal.

[Blue Cat Audio]

I'm really curious about this plug-in, wondering how it deals with headphone fatigue ?

Because it sounds much less "in your face" and more natural with the plug-in, it definitely helps with ear fatigue.