Headphone Amp

[Funky Fretless]

Hey guys, I'm not sure if this is a dumb question or not. I was wondering if anybody knows if I can buy a headphone amp for recording, to practice at night since my head does not have a headphone jack. I'm guessing I would plug my head into it? I've never used one so I'm uneducated on the subject.

 

[B-string]

How about one of these http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/amPlugBass/

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Hey guys, I'm not sure if this is a dumb question or not. I was wondering if anybody knows if I can buy a headphone amp for recording, to practice at night since my head does not have a headphone jack. I'm guessing I would plug my head into it? I've never used one so I'm uneducated on the subject.

A headphone amp is a small unit you plug your bass into one side and headphones into another. Some have a 1/8th" input for an ipod. None of them are much good for recording. Your bass amp doesn't play in this scenario.

I use my Zoom H4 recorder as a headphone amp. Works better as a headphone amp than anything else I've tried and it records. The H4 is a little pricey but I'm sure a less expensive recorder will work just as well. A lot of what you pay for in the more expensive units are the mics.

 

[suckybassplaya]

How about one of these http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/amPlugBass/

Or how about these, the very definition of "headphone amp":

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/amPhoneBass/



But no outputs, so you can't record with them. Also, they just got released, so you probably won't find many reviews on them.

 

[Funky Fretless]

Thanks for the respones guys I will absolutely look at those products. Due to my wording you thought I wanted to record. What I meant was do you know if I could plug my head or just my bass into this Invalid Link Removed

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Thanks for the respones guys I will absolutely look at those products. Due to my wording you thought I wanted to record. What I meant was do you know if I could plug my head or just my bass into this Invalid Link Removed

Just your bass.

 

[hgregs]

actually, i think that behringer unit is looking for a line level (not instrument level). so in this scenario you'd plug into your head, and then take a line out from the head and plug into the headphone amp. there are more simple solutions. what exactly do you want to do? you mentioned recording, and practicing at night. i use one of these

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] which you plug your bass into (has a preamp) and plug in my headphones (has a headphone amp) ... it also has another input for playing along w/ recordings or whatever, and separate volume controls to mix your bass and the other input.

Just your bass.

 

[zon6c-f]

EITHER LINE 6 POD OR KORG PANDORA..CAN'T LOSE EITHER WAY...

 

[mongo2]

I still use my old Pocket Rockit v1.0.

 

[scottfeldstein]

I went through this dilemma myself not too long ago. For me, I ended up getting a cheap mixer. Into it, I could plug my bass and an iPod for practice. OUT of it, I could run it to my headphones (obviously) or alternately to my laptop for recording. Basically, the mixer was $40, the headphones were $65. I had to think a bit to get all the right cables to hook it up in all the various ways I wanted to, but it all works. I practice in headphones, I record through it. I don't even keep an amp at home anymore.

One of the coolest things about it is that it's transparent. It doesn't try to sound like an amp or have some cheesy effect options. I plug my bass into my pedal board, the board goes into the mixer, mixer goes to headphones--done. I always sound like myself.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

actually, i think that behringer unit is looking for a line level (not instrument level). so in this scenario you'd plug into your head, and then take a line out from the head and plug into the headphone amp. there are more simple solutions. what exactly do you want to do? you mentioned recording, and practicing at night. i use one of these

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] which you plug your bass into (has a preamp) and plug in my headphones (has a headphone amp) ... it also has another input for playing along w/ recordings or whatever, and separate volume controls to mix your bass and the other input.

You're right, that thing want's line level...not what the OP seems to be looking. If his amp has an FX loop he could run it out of that using the preamp gain and turning off power amp volume. Still not the cleanest solution. Some good suggestions have been made. I like that Cafe Walter. Are they still making them? For some reason I have it in my head they aren't available any more.

 

[kurosawa]

...i use one of these

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] which you plug your bass into (has a preamp) and plug in my headphones (has a headphone amp) ... it also has another input for playing along w/ recordings or whatever, and separate volume controls to mix your bass and the other input.

GREAT practice aid. Totally merciless in showing up every little playing flaw!

 

[seamonkey]

Another standard response, if you have an iPhone, or iPod, or similar, use it.

 

[AMorse]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Korg-Pandor...704?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3ccb6cc808 =)

 

[masturbasser]

I have a Vox AC1 Bass rhythm. AFAIK it's the only bass specific headphone amp with drum tracks in production currently (I think the bass specific Korg Pandora is OOP). I heard they're much more natural sounding than the Korg Pandora's drum tracks, but I've never owned one so can't comment.

It has an aux in for an Ipod/CD player, can run on batteries or a 9v adapter, and has a tone knob with a bright switch. It also has 2 very small speakers but they're a complete joke (1W RMS I think).

A pretty good deal for $60. I use mine everyday.