Basic USB/Mixer setup

[LarryGK]

Long time musician in jazz trumpet, but bass noob posting. Here's the scenario:

Amp/cab is a GK400RB head with cab yet to be bought.
I take Zoom lessons via my Windows PC. I discovered you gotta have a USB audio interface as he can't hear my bass.
I also like to have sources from my tablet (e.g Moises.ai band minus one stuff) for play along, as well as phone playlist tune while practicing.
That's it. No recording interest or need.

So thinking a Simple Alesis MultiMix 4 for all of this?
Output of that into the 400RB, etc.

Guidance appreciated.

 

[kgbeast]

Bass guitar straight into USB interface sounds kind of crap. As a budget option you can use Dr.J Bass Brown (used to be sparrow). It is a kind of poor man amp sim and DI in which you can plug your bass. From that, you can plug into any USB interface such as M-Audio M-Track Duo. You will need an XLR mic so you can speak. Pair of headphones so you can hear zoom and your play.
I think that would be best for the zoom lessons.
You can practice with the amp when not on zoom. Zoom and the amp will not really mix well.

 

[LarryGK]

Bass guitar straight into USB interface sounds kind of crap. As a budget option you can use Dr.J Bass Brown (used to be sparrow). It is a kind of poor man amp sim and DI in which you can plug your bass. From that, you can plug into any USB interface such as M-Audio M-Track Duo. You will need an XLR mic so you can speak. Pair of headphones so you can hear zoom and your play.
I think that would be best for the zoom lessons.
You can practice with the amp when not on zoom. Zoom and the amp will not really mix well.

Thanks. Never heard of those modules, so you are completely eliminating an amp and going from bass to Sparrow to M-Audio to my PC. YEah I have headphones with built in mic either hard wire or BT. Interesting. Yes this all started because he cannot hear my amp as that little mic in my PC is not equipped to pick up the frequencies of our favorite instrument. HIs other Windows students used that Alesis MultiMix thing. I'm just not into buying gear that I am only going to use 5% of the time but on this no choice as I have an excellent Berklee teacher. Thanks again.

 

[kgbeast]

Alesis Multimix is a small USB enabled mixer with one of the input compatible with "instrument out". So basically, it is the same thing as for example M-Audio M-Track-Duo, just costs twice the money. With that you'd still want some kind of amp simulator which the Joyo Brown is the cheapest while an ok thing I can think of. Well there is also a clone of it called Caline Wine Cellar for $10 cheaper. Without this box, the tone of the bass most likely will be crap, but you can try without it and see how you like it. The cheapest setup I can think of is probably M-Track-MONO and Caline Wine Cellar. That will set you back probably $90 from Amazon (or just the M-Audio piece for $50).
The main problem that you have is the need in connecting your headset in. If it has a cable, you can connect it to the headphone out on the M-Audio and hear stuff, but microphone is a problem. Even if it is available on its own connector from the headset, it is unlikely to work connected to the mic input on the M-Audio as it needs special power which neither M-Audio nor Alesis will provide. So I do not see any way not to have a microphone that can be connected to the XLR input on the M-Audio. Only other way is that you switch the "microphone" device in the Zoom by hand. You pick USB interface for playing, and when you want to talk, you pick the bluetooth. Probably not ideal.
The cheapest mic that you can plug into M-Audio will probably be $30 Amazon Basics Dynamic Microphone which comes with an XLR to 1/4" cable which you can plug into the M-Audio Microphone. So at a bare minimum you will need some kind of USB Audio interface with an Instrument input, and even the crappiest one from AliExpress will be $30 range. And the $30 mic... And something like Caline Wine Cellar or Joyo Brown (Sparrow) to improve the sound of your bass.

You can also just mic the Amp/Cab. Get something like Samson Meteor USB mic, put in front of the cab. When you talk to your instructor over zoom, you use your usual Bluetooth headset. When you play, you select the Samson as mic device for your zoom. Actually if you set it in omnidirectional mode it probably will pickup enough of your voice as well. Not optimal, but will work better than your current headset alone.

 

[kodiakblair]

Guidance appreciated.

Larry , I've used this set up for years with no issues.

Instead of the Alesis I have the Behringer Xenyx 502 USB but the 302 USB works just the same; Amazon $70.
My basses run through a preamp/DI into the mixer. I own both the Dr J Sparrow and Wine Cellar mentioned by @kgbeast , perfectly capable pedals. Another well worth investing in is the $40 Behringer BDI21, don't think I'm shilling for Uwe ; this affordable gear is up to task For play along I've an old pair of M-Audio monitors but also use Superlux headphones, again $40 on Amazon.