Favorite practice tool w/ aux in and headphone jacks?

[DirtDog]

Hi all - I've tried some of the older headphone amps of yesteryear (Cafe Walter, Raven Labs, Phil Jones Big Head, Darkglass element, etc), but I'm looking for any suggestions for newer practice tools.

I generally run from my pedal board (ending with a Noble pre) into a Bergantino IP112 stack, but I'm looking for a high quality tool that I can use to blend in Spotify songs (via aux in) and play along with the music. A headphone output would be nice for silent practice, but I'd really like something that doesn't only send the aux in signal through the headphone output. I also want something that won't denigrate my signal / tone too much. Bluetooth capability for the aux in would be nice, but not necessary.

I've looked into the Solid State Logic SSL 2+, a Rolls 351, or maybe a mixer. Any other options I should consider?

Thanks!

Basic, small format analog mixer would be my choice. I have used an Alesis multimix 8 for just this use case in the past.

I’m pretty much 100% in the box for jamming along to internet music these days. For that I use an interface, headphones and Amplitube 5.

 

[Yamarc]

Anyone tried the Cranborne N22H headphone amp? I’m wondering if you could run an aux in to the other input alongside your bass.

Cranborne Audio N22H Headphone Amp & C.A.S.T. Breakout Box

 

[TaySte_2000]

I think it would work but you don’t have independent level controls or a mix control and I don’t know how much it’s able to amplify the signal of the bass.

Might not matter if you’re running the noble into it but if you’re looking at this you’d be better with something from Rolls

 

[TaySte_2000]

Highly recommend that EC1 now that I’ve got it.

NUX is convenient, Camden is quality

 

[Yamarc]

What do you like most about it?

 

[TaySte_2000]

I am going to ramble here so my apologies.

Clarity and heft. There is a deeper low end extension than what I get over the NUX.

Same over the Summit (which doesn’t have the IO I want anyway) the ec1 is flatter but bigger sounding.

The two together are nice though, but I think I prefer running the ditto into it and really that’s just to have a further gain stage.

I like I have a gain control, preamp volume control and headphone volume control. It drives the DT990s no problem (which I didn’t think about until I went back to my IEMs and had to drop the volume by 2/3rds)

I ran the ditto tube di into it and it pushed really nicely, I use the thump setting with the mojo all the way up, gain pretty high and then roll it all down with the preamp volume and then I can still adjust headphone volume to suit.

Now that’s a very excessive setup but it sounds like being in a studio, that’s the only way I can put it, there is a depth you don’t get with preamp pedals and little digital devices.

I’m using a 3.5mm female into 2 1/4 in the back with a twelve south airfly to play along with tracks. You have an independent volume control for aux.

it’s a flatter sound on that too, a lot of people complain about the NUX boosting bass on bluetooth.

Now for the past 3 weeks I’ve been practicing with my older Nux unit, a zoom multi, the summit td100 and it’s been fine, they each have their issues and don’t quite fully do what I need but today I’ve spent 3 hours playing the ec1 and it’s an utter joy. It’s great on its own, it’s even better hammering it with further gain stages.

Sound and feature wise it can replace so much gear I have.

It’s still early days but it’s rare I find something I’m this happy with this quickly.

 

[Yamarc]

Very cool. Could it also drive a power amp?

 

[dc-upright]

I just changed up my headphone practice set up last week. I bought a used Hartke Bass Attack 2 run into a channel in a Zoom L8 usb mixer. I am really liking it so far.

 

[TaySte_2000]

Very cool. Could it also drive a power amp?

Couldn’t say, it has the connections to.

Specs say the following
Balanced XLR = +27.5dBu (<0.002% THD, 30dB Gain)

Impedance Balanced ¼” Jack = +21.5dBu (<0.002% THD, 30dB Gain)

If you can power the IP’s from the noble then I’d expect this would work fine and I’d run the noble into the ec1 and then into the IP.

As always YMMV and my idea of great tone could be your nightmare but at $399 from Sweetwater I think it’s worth a punt