How does headphones help?

[Heavenscloud]

Hey been watching Joe Satriani's G3 DVD and realise that his drummer always has a headphone on. Brad Delson of Linkin Park also has one on during performances. What is it for and how does it help in performances? Thanks!

 

[turbochicken]

metronome...

no?

 

[pooo]

Actually, i believe its just there to protect the hearing. On stage it's pretty loud where they're concerned. If you noticed Paul Gilbert also wears one nowadays, as compared to the past. Eric Johnson had one on the first G3 concert.

 

[ItAcHi]

mainly to protect ur ears...but who knows..maybe it does more den what it seem...

 

[hofner]

hmm isn't it like a drumming track thingy? Larry mullen also had those stuff on.

 

[ChanMin]

most prob to protect the ears... if they were listening to anything (monitors ...etc) they would be using in ear-canal earphones...

 

[BF109E]

I thought they were mainly used as a monitor instead of using those fallback monitors placed on the floor. Better clarity and hence ensuring the drums and the rest of the band are playing in sync with the tempo. Sometimes they use the earphone type of monitors.

 

[JMguitars]

I think that all posters made valid guesses on the use of headphones.

My own guess is that headphones are for listening to the rest of the mix coming through the monitors.

I'm guessing that the drummer sometimes drowns his hearing out with the loudness of his rig. Hence, he could be using the headphones to hear the rest of the band, whose instruments are captured through the mixing board.

 

[penta-tonic]

in ear monitors. fold backs can be kinda loud but then again it sounds nicer to hear de air around u without having sumthing in ur ear. n it serves to protect the ears too.