Lunch Time Practice Setup

[HolmeBass]

I use a Café Walter headphone amp, it's basically a two-channel mixer with a headphone output. I input audio from my work PC with a 1/8" stereo audio cable, and practice along to YouTube videos, iRealPro, gig recordings, etc.

This seems to be solution. If you have a small recording interface, like a Solo i2i, it will also allow a blend of your bass with computer audio, and is powered by the USB C port on your computer. Has a headphone jack right on the interface. No DAW needed on the computer unless you want to run plugins.

 

[JimmyO]

I've been happy with the Vox Amplug 2. It's cheap, and the preloaded drum loops are mostly cheesy. BUT, how it works great for me is, I use my AirPods in "transparency" mode to listen to the cover tunes I gotta learn, then plug my canned headphones into the Amplug, put them on over the AirPods and practice away. The transparency mode of the earbuds is the key, it really works well to let in the sound of my bass from the cans and easy to adjust both volumes for the right balance. I sometimes get my best practices in after everyone in the house has gone to bed.

 

[logdrum]

A small Rolls 3 steroe channel mixer that has a builtin headphone amp that can drive high impedance headphones well. If I have to go to work, it is a shared work space but with cubicles and it's really a good setup for "silent" practice. But I worked 95% at home so I just have an amp. After so many meetings with a headset, the last thing I want is another headphone, so either I play without or play with speakers.

Of course that's too many moving parts. For an integrated solution, I really like the Palmer pocket bass because it is battery powered as well and has an analog cab sim.

Currently I am seeing how this Chinese copy of the DSM Simplifier bass station is working out for silent practice. The analog cab sims are decent but the best part is that it has 2 FX loops. I do play a Hybrid Guitar like Charlie Hunter. My mini pedalboard that has a rechargeable powered brick is composed of 2 "pedal" preamps for bass and guitar, plugged into the Rolls and I hooked up an iPad or phone for drum, click or backing tack. Higher fidelity than the Palmer and I can always swap out the preamps.

 

[Wesley R]

I currently use a Phil Jones micro 7? It's small, very small, and need to fit underneath and between some stuff in a fifth wheel trailer. Please note that if the middle control is turned up very much, the sound deteriotes quickly.

 

[logdrum]

Currently I am seeing how this Chinese copy of the DSM Simplifier bass station is working out for silent practice. The analog cab sims are decent but the best part is that it has 2 FX loops. I do play a Hybrid Guitar like Charlie Hunter. My mini pedalboard that has a rechargeable powered brick is composed of 2 "pedal" preamps for bass and guitar, plugged into the Rolls and I hooked up an iPad or phone for drum, click or backing tack. Higher fidelity than the Palmer and I can always swap out the preamps.

This is my setup for my hybrid guitar practice. I replaced the Nep with the DSM Bass Station clone and will move to the bass gig pedalboard on the right. I mainly practice the Hybrid guitar because I just started in 2020 playing that way and my upright.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

if it's a quiet space, you technically don't really need an amplifier. I did this for years when there were other people around my living space

 

[Brandon Shea]

Budget permitting, I'd strongly recommend the Waza Air Bass. It works really well, battery lasts more than long enough, and there are no wires to deal with. That's a HUGE bonus if you just want to pick up and play without any fuss, especially since it can stream Bluetooth audio from your phone. I use mine with iReal Pro and Moises to practice with backing tracks and I have a lot of fun with it.

If you already have headphones you like, Boss and Fender both make little headphone amps that cost less than the Waza Air while retaining a lot of the useful features. I've tried some Vox headphone amps as well, and really haven't loved them; volume always seems low with my headphones, and the controls are really awkward to use.

 

[mikeswals]

I used a headphone amp for years on my luchbreaks.

The one nice this was no coworkers bothered me when they saw me wearing headphones.