Apartment Practice

810wmb · #1 03-18-2011, 09:13 AM

ok, i suddenly find myself in an apt. what is out there to practice with?

i need to be able to play along with cd's...low volume or headphones.

thanks

**JxBass** · #2 03-18-2011, 09:15 AM

I'm sure you'll receive a lot of useful suggestions. I bought my son a Peavey Max for exactly that purpose. Low cost and very suitable.

stflbn · #3 03-18-2011, 09:16 AM

Just save yourself the grief and buy something with a headphone output on it. The last thing you want is to be pissing off new neighbors with the BooM BOOM bOOm.

Pandora units work great and sound very good.

Many other heads and preamps also have headphone outs on them.

hdracer · #4 03-18-2011, 09:17 AM

I like my Acoustic B20. It has nice tone at low volumes. At $150 it is a nice amp.
Headphone out & cd in.

georgestrings · #5 03-18-2011, 09:23 AM

I've gotten an unbelieveable value out of my used Korg Pandora PX4B - combined with a set of Grado SR60 headphones, it sounds really good - and allows me to practice anytime, without disturbing anyone else... I've probably got a total of $140 into everything - and have been using it hard for about 4 years now...

- georgestrings

My name is Mudd · #6 03-18-2011, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdracer

I like my Acoustic B20. It has nice tone at low volumes. At $150 it is a nice amp.
Headphone out & cd in.

This!

Bassamatic · #7 03-18-2011, 09:28 AM

If you are upstairs, keep the amp off the floor.
Also consider a Tascam bass trainer. You can play along with the CD and also replay sections for learning. Headphone out. There are MP3 and older CD versions.

ergbass · #8 03-18-2011, 09:48 AM

korg pandora!

BassScum · #9 03-18-2011, 09:48 AM

I use one of these! Inexpensive and gets the job done rather nicely!

VOX | amPlug | Headphone portable guitar amp

jeff7bass · #10 03-18-2011, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JxBass

I'm sure you'll receive a lot of useful suggestions. I bought my son a Peavey Max for exactly that purpose. Low cost and very suitable.

What he said. Only 80 bucks, sounds good and has cd in, headphones out, built-in compression (helps) and tube emulation.

**JxBass** · #11 03-18-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff7bass

What he said. Only 80 bucks, sounds good and has cd in, headphones out, built-in compression (helps) and tube emulation.

I also have the Korg Pandora that others have suggested. The only downside IMO is that sometimes you just want to play through an amp w/speaker, even if it's at low volume.

TFunkadelic · #12 03-18-2011, 10:06 AM

Get to know your neighbor/learn the building and you might be able to get away with moderate practice volumes.

I live in an apartment and I can get away with practicing through my amp by playing in a room opposite where my upstairs neighbor normally hangs out, always play with the door to that room closed (I also sound proofed it to some extent), and I personally went upstairs to scope out how loud it was in his apartment at a given volume.

Beyond that, I know his schedule as well as I know my own so if I want to play loud, I know when I can do it without being a bother.

Col Pruse · #13 03-18-2011, 10:09 AM

I use the Line6 Toneport. Think it was $70?

USB it into any computer and you can jam along to any mp3/cd/internet radio you feel like. Plus there are multiple amp/speaker configurations to choose from.

TheGinBass · #14 03-18-2011, 10:12 AM

How bout Behringer ucg102 usb interface?

Tracebassplayer · #15 03-18-2011, 10:30 AM

The Fender Rumble series has RCA in puts for CD, MP3, or record player if that's what you got. Active & passive inputs, vol bass mid treble controls, Head phones in the front, effects loop, preamp out power amp in, and sounds pretty good.
I have a Rumble 25 that sounds pretty good and you can take it anywhere. Yeah, I know it's not a Trace Elliot but, it came as a package deal with my Spector bass.... I have seen them between 100-200 depending on wattage

Staredge · #16 03-18-2011, 10:35 AM

I have the small Orange PiX amp. Luckily it has a headphone jack. PITA neighbor downstairs. Played it out loud once....she was beating on the door. (not very loud....tv was louder but she complains when I walk across the floor late at night) I use Best Practice through my laptop. Run it out to the amp.

I just got 5 minutes to play out loud.....saw her leaving.

Ahhhh....it's the little things.

810wmb · #17 03-18-2011, 10:56 AM

dang - thaks for all the help.

i have never had to deal with this before, so i didn't have a clue where to begin.

thanks for the suggestions thus far..keep 'em coming

Octavian · #18 03-18-2011, 11:00 AM

I like the Acoustic as well and used it quite often with an iPod plugged in the AUX input and with or without headphones. But, I'm getting more cramped with space and have a gig rig that I use if I want to "share" my sound with the neighborhood!

For everything else, it's headphones to keep peace. I'm selling the Acoustic and have started using a Peavey mixer as my practice amp. Works great. Plus I can run a mic into it as well as my iPod and have all three channels going into the headphones.

elwood1205 · #19 03-18-2011, 11:02 AM

I have a Hartke B300. Little practice amp I bought used for I think less than $100 a few years ago. Has a headphone jack. Got it for practicing when the kiddo went to bed. Works like a charm.

TwinBass · #20 03-18-2011, 11:06 AM

Has anyone tried Amplitube for the iPod touch? It seems like it would be suitable for practice. It has built in effects and stuff and it's on an iPod so you wouldn't be confined to just one space. Just curious about thoughts and reactions before I plop down the dough for the iRig attachment and the app itself.