Headphones tend to get dropped, placed, or temporarily forgotten on the studio floor - right? And then stepped on, tripped over, and/or kicked and busted. And once they are broken, they need to be replaced (at $40-$150 a pop), since almost none of them are user- repairable. One solution to this classic problem is to simply keep the headphones off the floor by providing the client/artist a handy hook to easily hang the headphones on.

Traditional headphone hooks/holders are a bit of a pain in the neck to mount and have associated problems such as stripped screws and, "Crap, I'm using the wrong mic stand - the one without the headphone hook."

Enter SwirlyGig. Where has the SwirlyHook headphone hook been all my life? It's an ingenious little piece of twirled PVC-coated metal that easily attaches to mic stands. There are no moving parts, no mounting screws. It stays put with gravity and friction. So simple. There are a few different variations - drink holders, drumstick holders - but my fave is the ultra-basic headphone holder hook. ($10.99 and up; www.swirlygig.com)

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

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