Best Solution to Play Bass Without Disturbing Others?

Dub56 · #1 10-19-2008, 09:20 AM

I have a bit of a problem

I need a way to play my basses privately and quietly (in a dorm, for example) and I'm pretty picky about my tone. I'm not expecting it to me the same as fully amplified, but I want it to sound pretty decent.

I have tried the following:

1.) I bought a pair of nice Audio Technica studio headphones, but they crackled and distorted just like the $30 dollar headphones I already have.

2.) I have a Line6 Guitarport I found for really cheap, and I could use that on my laptop, but it isn't the best bass software and I would still need some sort of headphones.

My main amp is too large, so what I'm most likely going to do is buy a small practice amp and possibly some nice headphones (If I can find some that suit my purpose).

Anyway, what would you suggest? Practice amp? If so, what brand/model? Headphones? If so, what brand/model?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dangle · #2 10-19-2008, 09:28 AM

what i use that sounds quite nice is a pocket rocke-it bass headphone ampwith sony
MDR-V600 headphones, sounds very nice. or if your amp has a headphone jack just plug into that.

CindyB · #3 10-19-2008, 09:31 AM

I have a SWR Working Pro 10 which is a nice little amp which a couple of features that make it great for practice. It has a nice headphone out with a mute for the main speaker, and it has a "monitor input" which lets you mix in an iPod or a drum machine. (When playing live, I park the SWR behind our drummer and run the line out from my big amp into the monitor input so he can hear me properly.) I use Audio Technica ATH-T44 headphones which sound good, but not as good as I would like. The trick seems to be not to play too loud.

fretlessman71 · #4 10-19-2008, 09:33 AM

There are several headphone-only amps on the market. I have two old Bass Aces (inherited both, use neither one) that work well, Vox makes one that I hear good things about, and I'm sure there are others.

Zooberwerx · #5 10-19-2008, 09:33 AM

I have 2 or 3 multi-fx boxes and just as many amps with headphone outs. I'm also using a decent pair of Sony MDR-7506 'phones; forget what I paid for them. You'll never get the sub-dub oomph out of the set-up but, with some judicious tweaking of the EQ, you can get some useful practice tones.

Riis

anonymous12251111 · #6 10-19-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dub56

I have a bit of a problem

I need a way to play my basses privately and quietly (in a dorm, for example) and I'm pretty picky about my tone. I'm not expecting it to me the same as fully amplified, but I want it to sound pretty decent.

I have tried the following:

1.) I bought a pair of nice Audio Technica studio headphones, but they crackled and distorted just like the $30 dollar headphones I already have.

2.) I have a Line6 Guitarport I found for really cheap, and I could use that on my laptop, but it isn't the best bass software and I would still need some sort of headphones.

My main amp is too large, so what I'm most likely going to do is buy a small practice amp and possibly some nice headphones (If I can find some that suit my purpose).

Anyway, what would you suggest? Practice amp? If so, what brand/model? Headphones? If so, what brand/model?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know if you play arco at all, but there are these "practice" mutes, which are HUGE, and they make the volume decrease exponentially...They also don't let the instrument ring at all. I use it for when I don't have my own space.

MikeBass · #7 10-19-2008, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dub56

I have a bit of a problem

I need a way to play my basses privately and quietly (in a dorm, for example) and I'm pretty picky about my tone. I'm not expecting it to me the same as fully amplified, but I want it to sound pretty decent.

I have tried the following:

1.) I bought a pair of nice Audio Technica studio headphones, but they crackled and distorted just like the $30 dollar headphones I already have.

2.) I have a Line6 Guitarport I found for really cheap, and I could use that on my laptop, but it isn't the best bass software and I would still need some sort of headphones.

My main amp is too large, so what I'm most likely going to do is buy a small practice amp and possibly some nice headphones (If I can find some that suit my purpose).

Anyway, what would you suggest? Practice amp? If so, what brand/model? Headphones? If so, what brand/model?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well, you pretty much said in the first paragraph what you need to do.
Being picky about your tone- play unplugged. I practice about 90% of the time unplugged.

If you don't like what you sound like un-plugged, no amount of EQ or basses are going to make you sound any better.

Your unplugged sound is the root of your tone. Everything that comes from you amp starts from what you put into your bass.
You don't sound like you bass, your bass sounds like you. Unless you play a Music Man, then all bets are off. Everyone sounds lke a music Man when they are playing a Music Man!! LOL!!

We had a bass masterclass that headed up yesterday at out annual arts workshop. Anyway, we talked a lot about input=output, tone etc......

I played my Yamaha BB5000 (stock p/ups, Sadowsky pre), my G&L L2000, one of the students Sadowsky Metro (one of the NAMM models before they were introduced), and another students $400 Ibanez.

Played each one, exactly the same lick, unplugged. Everyone agreed that beside very subtle differences, it sounded the same.
The kicker, same thing plugged in.

So......(sorry so long!!!), my vote is unplugged. Especially if you're picky about your tone.

If you have to rely on your amp that much for your tone, then you really need to play unplugged.

Jim Carr · #8 10-19-2008, 09:40 AM

The SWR workingpro (and workingman's) 10, 12, and 15 all have those headphone/line in features. They are nice. However if you already have a rig, try one of these:

http://www.earwigamp.com/reviews.html

I would have an Earwig, but I already have a Korg Pandora PX4B, which is obsolete, but great. The new one is like this: http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-KOR-PX4D-LIST

Headphones? Get good ones and don't overdrive them--saves money and your hearing.

thisSNsucks · #9 10-19-2008, 09:42 AM

Tascam CD or MP3 bass trainer with headphones for me.

PatTheAnchor · #10 10-19-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

The SWR workingpro (and workingman's) 10, 12, and 15 all have those headphone/line in features. They are nice. However if you already have a rig, try one of these:

http://www.earwigamp.com/reviews.html

I would have an Earwig, but I already have a Korg Pandora PX4B, which is obsolete, but great. The new one is like this: http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-KOR-PX4D-LIST

Headphones? Get good ones and don't overdrive them--saves money and your hearing.

They don't directly sell on that website anymore... Are they out of business or making a new model???

And I forget where I read this here on TB, but a lot of people somehow said plugging in headphones to your amp is bad... and a lot of these "RIP" comments about doing that. Anyone care to rebuff this if it's true or not? sorry for the threadjack.

bassrique · #11 10-19-2008, 09:52 AM

Once one has one's muting technique down pat, practicing plugged in is not a necessity. I rarely practice with an amplified bass.

spade2you · #12 10-19-2008, 09:55 AM

In the past, I used a Pandora 3 guitar unit, which is WAY outdated by now, but it worked alright on bass. I used decent headphones back in the day and got decent results. I have some Sennheiser HD590s these days and have been itching to upgrade to the new Pandora.

Michael Case · #13 10-19-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeBass

Well, you pretty much said in the first paragraph what you need to do.
Being picky about your tone- play unplugged. I practice about 90% of the time unplugged.

If you don't like what you sound like un-plugged, no amount of EQ or basses are going to make you sound any better.

Your unplugged sound is the root of your tone. Everything that comes from you amp starts from what you put into your bass.
You don't sound like you bass, your bass sounds like you. Unless you play a Music Man, then all bets are off. Everyone sounds lke a music Man when they are playing a Music Man!! LOL!!

We had a bass masterclass that headed up yesterday at out annual arts workshop. Anyway, we talked a lot about input=output, tone etc......

I played my Yamaha BB5000 (stock p/ups, Sadowsky pre), my G&L L2000, one of the students Sadowsky Metro (one of the NAMM models before they were introduced), and another students $400 Ibanez.

Played each one, exactly the same lick, unplugged. Everyone agreed that beside very subtle differences, it sounded the same.
The kicker, same thing plugged in.

So......(sorry so long!!!), my vote is unplugged. Especially if you're picky about your tone.

If you have to rely on your amp that much for your tone, then you really need to play unplugged.

This is very true, but it doesn't involve buying new gear. How could you suggest such a thing as practice.

JonathanD · #14 10-19-2008, 10:02 AM

It might not be the headphones. It might be what is powering them

There an 2 catogories I would look at:

1. Light back up head with phone out.

2. Pandora 5 or similar headphone only device for practice.
Which one works best for you?

It might be that you are pushing too much low into the headphones. be very careful, those low note in head phones can create high SPL and harm your hearing. Sometimes its not that noticeable as its happening.

llamalor2112 · #15 10-19-2008, 10:09 AM

It may be a little bit more costly than a pocket amp, but the Roland Mobile Cube battery powered amp is one of the single best sounding amps I've used. Fullsized or Micro. Honestly. It has a very clean sound to begin with but you can really shape it with all the built-in effects and such. Even through a crappy set of headphones it will surprise you. Without headphones I was even able to strap it across my shoulder and use it during marching band season!
Note: I am talking about the Roland MOBILE Cube not the Micro Cube.

Bluesbreaker5 · #16 10-19-2008, 10:13 AM

+1 on the Tascam Bass trainer. Not a bad tone at all and I can practice anytime without disturbing my family.

Ezbass · #17 10-19-2008, 10:16 AM

I used a Korg Pandora for years, but recently changed to a Tascam Bass Trainer for the internal CD player and longer sample times. The Pandora has the better tone IMO and also has a proper drum machine built in rather than just a metronome. Both are really good products though.

spade2you · #18 10-19-2008, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezbass

I used a Korg Pandora for years, but recently changed to a Tascam Bass Trainer for the internal CD player and longer sample times. The Pandora has the better tone IMO and also has a proper drum machine built in rather than just a metronome. Both are really good products though.

The Korgs don't have a CD player, but an input for something like that. LOL, CD players.......they still make those?

sugarbear · #19 10-19-2008, 10:27 AM

practice without anything. No amp. No headphones. Just you, your bass, and your fingers. When I was in college, I would go out in the hallway, (I would always be up before my roomates), and just sit there and practice with no amp or anything. I even had bought a Bass Rockman to use, but did'nt like the sound, and just started playing without anything. It made me really listen to what I was playing, and not concentrate on the sound coming out of the amp. I was focused on my fingers, and the sound they were making. It got me very attuned to how I was playing the instrument. Not saying you should'nt be in tune with your amp and getting a good sound from that. Just saying its good to just hear how your playing the instrument without amplification. The cleaner you play unamplified, the cleaner and tighter you sound with an amp..... Just my 2 cents...

rogerbmiller · #20 10-19-2008, 10:30 AM

Headphone amp is the way to go for sure. I have a pocket rocket, and quite honestly do not like it. The Rockman Bass Ace is double the price ($80 vs $40) but sounds way better. You may also want to spend a bit more and get a Korg Pandora, chock full of effects, digital dedlay, beats, etc. Loads of fun and doesn't disturb the neighbors.