Anyone gone to "silent" practice?

[Geepers]

Boss Bass Waza … best piece of gear I’ve ever bought

 

[DuluthDank]

I've found some good guitar sounds through headphones, but I've never been able to find a satisfying bass tone. this is with a couple mutli effects units and a decent amount of tinkering. I have a DSM Humboldt bass simplifier on the way.....I'm hoping that does the trick.

 

[InhumanResource]

For most of my bass playing time, it's just been a bass and an amp setup. Over the last few years playing larger gigs I started using my amps built in DI to the sound board. That was all fine and good until I turned up the amp volume during a gig. Not realizing that the DI volume was linked to the amp volume (I'm sure that you can imagine the look I got from the sound tech). Anyway after that I added an MXR M80 to my vanilla pedal board (tuner, compressor, EQ). In the home studio it was a nice addition to mic'ing the amp. One day I was working on bass and vocals with a Karaoke YouTube, and decided to shut off the amp to quiet the room down. After that day, I really haven't looked back. Whether it's rehearsal recordings, Karaoke or regular YouTubes that's become my goto practice setup. Took a little while to get my mix setup correctly but once dialed in it's great. While headphones can be a hassle, hearing yourself clearly is hard to beat (K240's). My studio is away from the house so noise is not an issue, it's just such an easy setup to use. Just wondering if anyone uses a similar solution.

My setup:

• Tascam Model 16 mixer
• Backing tracks: Computer USB input (stereo)
• Bass: DI --> Mixer
• Vocal: Mic --> Mixer

Headphone Mix:

• Behringer HA 4400 headphone amp
  • Main In: Stereo out (Sub mix Backing track with a little bass and vocal blend)
  • Aux In: Aux 1 monitor mix of bass and vocal (Mono)

Yep. Pretty much ever since domestic life took over. I got that little Behringer DAW with the 3 knobs on it and play along with YouTube or whatever other computer based source I’m dealing with. The cables were annoying for a while but you get used to it.

 

[erratick]

Went to rehearsing at home just plugged into laptop in 2010 or 2011. Headphones usually although sometimes through the tiny speakers.

I record bass DI at home, and that is usually headphones, but could be studio monitors.

And some guitar recorded DI. Every now and then I plug in an amp at home to either make sure it works for a gig or do some guitar recording.

At rehearsal I usually use an amp still. I wish I weren't sometimes, but it's mostly easier.

 

[dune]

I don't like practicing with headphones much at all. I do occasionally like to practice some while watching TV (usually PGA tour golf) and have a Spark NEO for that. It's more than adequate, and at least it's wireless. I used to use a Zoom B1 Four, which was great, but of course required not one, but two cables, which was often a pain.

 

[birminghambass]

My home pedalboard has amp simulation into a small mixer into an iPad. I use it for recording and silent practice. The mixer gives me total control over my volume, the music/iPad, and the headphones or studio monitors.

 

[Element Zero]

I take the DI out from my head into channel 1 of a little mixer and then a lightning or usb c cable from phone or iPad into stereo 1/4” into channel 2 on mixer and then out to my BD DT770 Pro headphones. Using the Moises app to take out the bass track and play along with whatever I want to play has been amazing. Couple that with the BackBeat strap attachable personal subwoofer and I don’t miss having a cranked amp behind me.

Seriously. If you haven’t looked into a BackBeat, you need to. It’s LIFE CHANGING!!!

Feel Your Bass Anywhere — BackBeat G2 Tactile Transducer

BackBeat G2 is a wearable tactile transducer for bass players. Feel every note through your body on silent stages and IEM rigs. $399, ships from USA.

getbackbeat.myshopify.com

 

[Tom Gallo]

Bass -> audio interface -> mac - logic pro (ampeg SVT plug in) -> headphones. Since all audio is routed out to the headphones, I can practice to songs without any changes.

 

[jad]

For home practice Bass > HX Stomp > Flow 8 > K240 phones. I have Moises on my Ipad with the bass tracks and backing vocals muted. The Ipad connects to the Flow 8 over bluetooth. Everything is always on. I love being able to pick up my bass a few times a day and just play a song or two.

 

[Bodeeni]

I do mot of my practice early in the morning. I am 95% into a daw and headphones. It has been great. I am a cover band player so jamming through an endless amount of youtube greatest hits is my goto.

 

[grubdumpling]

We have our band's rehearsal space in our living room. Keys, bass and Electronic drums go into a 1U mixer through a 1U xlr patch bay, and the mixer goes right into a 1U headphone amp, all in a 3U rack. nice and tidy, though the permanently set up drums and keyboard just turned into part of the furniture... everything also connects to my computer for recording, and the output of the audio interface goes into our lovely home stereo.

I generally only practice alone with headphones, but sometimes when my wife and I are working something out without the drummer we will play out loud through the speakers at a reasonable level.

I keep a tiny pedalboard on hand with only a tuner and OE bassrig fifteen, though I have learned to turn off the cabsim. The preamp part of the OE15 is quite beautiful at low gain without the cabsim.

edit : eloquence

 

[ValleyBass77]

The only time I turn on an amp at home is to make sure it works before a gig. Otherwise I'm DI'd in my home studio, either with headphones or on studio monitors.

Same here. I’m 100% headphones at home.

 

[pfschim]

Still using amps for rehearsals, either an Ampeg BA108 (which is decent tone and modest volume, and an easy schlep) or an Ampeg PF500/1x15 combo (rehearsal studio amp for many years).

Mix of amps, DI, IEMs and FOH as gigs dictate. I'm trying hard to move more and more to all IEM, but it's just not feasible on everything I get called for.

At home in my personal rehearsal space, it's pretty much all silent. I have a few options:
Bass => pedalboard (Cali76 => VT => Noble DI) => Focusrite 18i8 rev3 => BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro headphones
or
Bass => Anagram => DT 770 Pro headphones ..... or Anagram into the Focusrite/DT 770 setup when I need to work with external audio sources.

I use a Mac for external audio sources (CD, YT, Logic, SoundCloud etc) ... plugged into the Focusrite

Sounds great, easy to work with.

 

[No such thing]

Consider an Acoustic bass as well.

Just handy to have overall, and great during a nice long power outage

 

[shirojiro]

I love having practice amps. That said, it is difficult for others at times so I often use headphones.

Back in 1990 I got a Boss Training monitor/Line driver and used it constantly for headphone practice in my apartment. I still have it today.

I’ve always used headphones for practice when volume and noise would be an issue.

When I got my first bass, I used a 1/4”
To RCA plug cord and plugged into our home stereo and used headphones with that setup.

I have a dozen or more ways of using headphones for practice between amps and headphone amps or other monitors.

Having an aux in is important to me and with a Bluetooth adapter, it’s easy to stream to any of these devices.

I recently got a Boss Waza Air Bass and while it’s clearly a luxury item, I find it great for silent practice. The feature set is great and the sound is excellent.

 

[Guitalia]

I've never plugged in to practice. Lazy, I guess. Plus, I've usually had neighbors wherever I've lived who would hear it if I used an amp, and I don't like bothering people.

If I'm learning a song, I have it playing quietly through my 30-year-old stereo..

 

[tothemax]

i have this for silent practice, and it actually can hold it's own in a rehearsal or gig. that palmer bass pocker amp has all the inputs and outputs you'll ever need. both also work with 9v batteries, so it can go anywhere

When I get together with friends for small gigs, at rehearsal I'll just use my pedal board and play through the PA. I bought a pair of Mackie Thump 12's for those gigs, for larger pickup gigs we'll rent a FOH system and use the Thumps for monitors. It's nice having the option.

 

[tothemax]

I only use an amp for rehearsal studios and live stage monitoring. At home it's always straight into the interface and out through studio mons or cans.

The last rock band I played in did silent rehearsals with e-drums. That was great. Current band is all acoustic so not really necessary.

That is actually the best, but it's hard getting folks to do that. I'm hitting 70, so most of my bandmates are starting to have hearing issues and you would think that playing at volume might be a deterrent, not a chance. Our practice room is pretty small so I play with one Hearo earplug (drum side), with both I can't hear myself... I still love RnR, so need to protect my hearing.

Cheers

 

[DirtDog]

I can’t remember the last time I fired up my amp. I run a few different DIs at home or go right into the interface. With my band, it’s been Helix and IEMs for years. We record videos and music 99% of the time. Done with gigging.

 

[toastw]

I rarely turn on any of my amps these days. Definitely enjoying the silent room (except vocals and drums). Still refuse to sell any of my amps though