I wanna talk 'bout practice

[db59]

I practice unplugged when working on parts..... rig when I'm writing parts.
When unplugged it's usually with the Weather Channel on mute....and here's a rough short diddy with that title

 

[Allan Allan]

I practice unplugged when working on parts..... rig when I'm writing parts.
When unplugged it's usually with the Weather Channel on mute....and here's a rough short diddy with that title

I used to watch the TV guide channel and practice!

 

[Rabidhamster]

Full size rig but I only have a 2x10.

Actually once in a while I’ll practice with big headphones now that I have a tube DI. I grabbed a pair of ATH-M50x headphones that can actually reproduce down to 15hz and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. These are my favorite headphones yet specifically for bass playing, and they’re great otherwise too.
I’ll run into the UA Solo 610 into an Akai MPC and listen through the headphone monitor, it’s surprisingly acceptable plus I have re-ampable recording right there.

I plan give the 70s a try in the future when I have some cash to burn, as they trade collapsibility for increased frequency handling down to 5hz for mastering.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

it all

S...

I have an AEB that I'll sometimes pick up just to keep the memory cells working or to try to work out a new song. But also will work with my Elect. Spectors either unplugged, or sometimes plugged into a smaller version of my amp (especially when wanting to mess with my pedals)

 

[Jehos]

Headphones or speakers. I play through an HX Stomp, so I just plug that into a little 2-channel mixer that is also an audio interface for my computer. I can play along to music I'm learning or whatever and hear through headphones if I want to be silent, or turn up the speakers if I don't want to use headphones.

 

[singlemalt]

Line 6 hd500x with in ears.

Decent in ears are down to $40.

Also hooked into the Mac and a beat buddy.

I’ll agree that unplugged is better than nothing, but it really helps to have amplification.

 

[Hambone70]

BC Gigster | Porter & Davies
I use one of these with headphones. Practice you can really feel without bothering anyone else.

 

[LBS-bass]

My band practices at my house. I'm not going to lug an upright up from the basement to practice. It is leaning 3 feet from my rig. I often just play without the rig, it takes a lot more effort , but it sounds better without the rig.

That's rehearsal. I think the OP means when you're working on stuff by yourself.

 

[Pings Bass]

I checked all but mini rig, cuz I've only got one rig (it's actually pretty mini, but whatevs). One option not listed is plugged into an audio interface, which I find myself doing a lot when I'm learning new material for tracking. Either through phones or studio monitors in that scenario, then, once learned, I can just go right to recording. (Added bonus if you like amp modeling.)

 

[Thorny1]

I have a little 15w combo with a headphone jack that I jam with at home. However, back in my VERY early days, before I even owned my own bass, I found a way to get by acoustically.

If you lean the body of the bass (usually near the jack) against something hollow, such as a closet door, cabinet, etc., you can make that furniture resonate. In a quiet room, its surprisingly clear. I wouldnt use it as anything but a last resort, of course, but it is kinda cool turning random hollow objects into bass cabinets.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I spend most of my practice time unplugged with my six string bass.

What am I missing out on by going acoustic for practice sessions?

Unplugged or into studio monitors...I don't have a dedicated practice amp.

 

[matthewbrown]

Practicing producing a good sound requires making a good sound. How can you learn to master different types of attack on EB without using amplification?

 

[lermgalieu]

Practicing producing a good sound requires making a good sound. How can you learn to master different types of attack on EB without using amplification?

I don't see the connection, necessarily. In a quiet room I can hear variances in attack just fine. That said, I do practice with headphones (mainly for learning recorded material), through an amp (for fun) and also unamplified. It all works, IMO. I think you can get valuable insights into your playing without an amp.

 

[IamGroot]

This is my killer practice amp. It sounds terrible but cuts through the track im practicing with and accentuates every flaw. No comfort pad . If you sound good on this rig, you will sound good on a real bass amp.

 

[IamGroot]

I also practice in bed with the lights out. Bass, not what you are thinking. Most of my improv , theory and metronome work is done laying on my back.

 

[micguy]

Most of my gigs are ampless/in ears. I practice at home through headphones (I live in a townhouse), which makes it very much like playing out. I do have an amp I use for small "coffee house" loudness gigs (it's not really a coffee house, but that image will give you some idea of the vibe). What I really need is a nice 20 watt amp, but...200 watt ones today are cheap enough, light enough, and they have volume controls, so there's really no point in worrying about that.

 

[matthewbrown]

I don't see the connection, necessarily. In a quiet room I can hear variances in attack just fine. That said, I do practice with headphones (mainly for learning recorded material), through an amp (for fun) and also unamplified. It all works, IMO. I think you can get valuable insights into your playing without an amp.

I think this depends on how many different types of attack (and muting techniques) you practice. I use a lot of legato sometimes -- hammer-ons and pull-offs -- and much of it is hard to hear w/o an amp. Likewise practicing slap, which generally requires some compression. And rh muting would be pretty hard to hear, too, although I haven't tried it unamplified.

 

[dalkowski]

[Allen Iverson GIF here]

Largely out of laziness, I spent many decades practicing unplugged. My touch/technique has suffered greatly. Would NOT recommend.

 

[lermgalieu]

I think this depends on how many different types of attack (and muting techniques) you practice. I use a lot of legato sometimes -- hammer-ons and pull-offs -- and much of it is hard to hear w/o an amp. Likewise practicing slap, which generally requires some compression. And rh muting would be pretty hard to hear, too, although I haven't tried it unamplified.

Guess it depends on your ears and what you're doing. I often use the old headstock-to-sympathetic wall or ear-to-bass body trick to turn my head into an amp. I really enjoy playing unamplified, always have.

 

[mikewalker]

My mini rig (bedroom amp) is 250WRMS into a 3-10 stack