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headphone practice solution

#21
Total cost for Amplitube was right about $50 (cost me $20 for the app, about $30 for the iRig adapter). It just happens to have effects built in. You also don't have to use other handy built in features like a presets, a tuner, metronome or recorder... it's just all there in one handy app. There are free and Lite (LE) versions on the iStore too, if you want to explore it a bit before actually shelling out cash.

If you're absolutely against effects period, there's also Gallien Krueger's [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], another iOS app (and I have this one on my iPad as well). The iRig adapter works for this app, but GK also has their own version, the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Again, you can jam along with tracks on your device. Again, this app has a free version as well, full version is only $4.99.

Just making suggestions based on you saying you're looking for a headphone practice rig and you'd already be using an iOS device. :cool:

I haven't gotten either one to work in a live situation yet, but have only tried once... I've heard of people doing it though, so I may give it another go. :bassist:

EDIT: The practice rig I actually use at home is a Line6 Toneport UX1 with Podfarm.

5sg.
 
#22
Can't believe these haven't been mentioned.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

This is the one I use and it's great. Sure there are plenty of other brands.

1 volume for aux 1 volume for instrument
 
#23
I don't keep amps at home... ...

There are seriously zillions of options.

Voxamplug
Behringer small mixer
korg pandora
rolls pm351
line 6 x3
recording interfaces
Shure PSM inears

you could go cheap and import your mp3s to audacity then just plug into your computer's sound card

I tried using my itouch/iphone... battery sucker and tons of goofy cords that an amplug doesn't need.

What else would you want it to do.

Contrary to what th TB nuts will note "I love my" for what you're describing, there's very little difference between my Behringer mixer and $$$$$$$ walter setup...

I'd save a bit of money for comfortable headphones.... I found some old school ones that have volume controls on the headset that save me reaching for knob s.
 
#25
If you have a iPod touch, or iPad, or iPhone, you just need the irig dongle thingy to plug in your bass. Use whatever ear buds or headphones you have. $39. Yeah it is a battery suck, I get a little over an hour.

Cheap mixer is fine, and that let's you run a couple of sound sources, like drum machine, cd player.

More dough will get you an interface to get into your computer.

Sounds like you want down and dirty, I've gotten 20 years of hard use out of a Scholtz bass rockman. I still use it almost everynight for practice at home. I can plug in a cd player, iPod, drum machine, stereo...

My kid's Marshall mgfx amp has aux in and headphones.

There's lots of options, but consider that it may well become your main practice tool for keeping the peace at home. Something worked out for easy everyday use is the way to go. I use a restaurant style wire rack with everything mounted high so I can stand up.

The coolest thing about the iPod type devices is that I can get an email about tonight's gig, with a request from the horn player, download the tune, play with it in my headphones, search sheet music if I need it: all while sitting out on the deck.
 
#27
I have both the vox amplug (30$) and the iRig adaptor. I tend to use the Vox way more. The aux-in allows me to plug it on my computer for the drummachine and band-in-a-box softwares. It has less line noise than the iRig. But the iRig allows to fiddle with effects.

Vox use 2 aaa batteries, 1-2 set a year maybe ? iRig use your itouch/iPhone battery at a scary rate (similar to playing games) plus you double the line noise if you try charge the iWhatever while playing.
 
#29
Well I pratice with headphone for more than 11 years now. I plugged my Ipod or PC into the second "in" of my amp and I have a 1/4 for headphone on it so not complicated.

And now, I use a M-audio plugged direct into my computer so i can play with my Itune open or I can record if I want.
 
#31
This is all helpful. Thanks for all comments so far. I definitely am reading them and I recognize that some of them are going to get me where I'm going. But I just want to reiterate what I'm looking for:

---bass amp or fx board------>

---iPhone/iPad music player-->

----------->
---------------> my headphones
----------->

That is, I don't want to plug my bass directly in. I want my effects board at least.
 
#32
scottfeldstein said:
I really agonized over where to post this. It doesn't seem to fit nicely anywhere. But I think readers in this forum are going to be the most knowledgeable about the subject, so here goes...

I want to practice at home using headphones and an iOS device for music playback. Like, supposing your cover band gives you three songs to learn and you have to learn them in an apartment with thin walls. What do you do?

Here's what I'm proposing. Y'all can tell me if it's overkill or dumb in any way.

Basically, I get a good set of headphones and then put two inputs into them: one, my bass; two, the music from my mp3 player. The end.

Except, you can't do that with just a Y-cable. It works the other way (one source into two headphones) but not the other way (multiple sources into one headphone).

So. What I thought I'd do is get a cheap mixer like this one:

Amazon.com: Behringer MX400 4-Channel Mixer: Musical Instruments

Then I could use the headphone out from my amp into chan 1, and the mp3 player in chan 2. Adjust levels... done.

Of course I'll need some cables/adapters. One to get the mp3 player to plug into the mixer at 1/4". One to get the mixer's mono out to be (pseudo) stereo so I can hear it in both ears.

Should work, right? Is this silly? Overkill? How does everyone else solve this problem? Earbud from iPod in one ear and headphone can from the amp out on the other?
Click to expand...

GK MB200! Headphone jack, mp3 input. I do it all the time.

And....PLUS you get another amp head to use..Fits easy in your gig bag for that quick trip to rehearsal or even the gig!

Actually, my favorite amp head. ( I have 3! )
 
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#35
scottfeldstein said:
This is all helpful. Thanks for all comments so far. I definitely am reading them and I recognize that some of them are going to get me where I'm going. But I just want to reiterate what I'm looking for:

---bass amp or fx board------>

---iPhone/iPad music player-->

----------->
---------------> my headphones
----------->

That is, I don't want to plug my bass directly in. I want my effects board at least.
Click to expand...
So what you need is a way to plug into the iPod and a way to monitor the signal with your music collection without lag. Unless I'm reading that wrong.

iRig or similar will do this.
 
#37
If you have a solid state head with a mute switch and headphone jack , you can use an adapter and plug a cd player or ipod into the effects return jack. I do this all the time with a SWR Workingmans 4004. A Line 6 Pocket Pod also works great as a small mixer and headphone amp.
 
#38
randyg said:
If you have a solid state head with a mute switch and headphone jack , you can use an adapter and plug a cd player or ipod into the effects return jack. I do this all the time
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a really interesting idea. In that instance, I just use the mute button to quiet my cab, put the iPod into the effect return...plug the head phone into the headphone jack...

Hot damn, that just might work. And if not, all I'm out is a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter.
 
#39
scottfeldstein said:
This is all way more complicated than it needs to be. All I want is

a) my bass in my headphones

b) my mp3 player in my headphones

The end.

Well, naturally I want to be able to adjust the volumes independently. And it would be nice if my bass signal came to the mixer out of my amp, or at least out of my pedal board, and not dry out of the instrument. And it would be nice if the mp3s were in stereo.

I do not want it to facilitate recording. I do not need it to have a USB interface. I do not need it to have phantom power. I do not need for it to have separate phones/main outputs. I do not want built-in effects or amp emulation. I do not want 8+ channels.

I just want to listen to myself while I listen to an MP3.

And I want this for $50 or less.
Click to expand...

See post #3 - Vox AmPlug - all you want, nothing you don't need. Plus you're not tied down to anything. You can walk around anywhere and play along with your MP3's.
 
#40
wrench45us said:
These Tascam Guitar Trainers (now with MP3 input) are designed for this sort of thing
(as you probably knew) that's essentially what I use -- the older CD model
Click to expand...

I'll second the Tascam. I use this one:

Invalid Link Removed

I wanted something to be able plug my bass (or guitar) and my in-ears into with a built in MP-3 player for rehearsal in the hotel, in route or just to listen to on the plane. No external mixers, MP-3 players, or other crap to set up. Charges on the same USB charger I use for my phone or off the computer while I'm loading songs. Has built in effects for those that need them. I wouldn't record with it, but it's perfect for what I want it to do. If only it had a blue tooth connection to the bass!
 

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