Oh Yes Another Silent Practice Set Up Question. What Direction Should I Go In?

[xposaune]

Edit - you have headphone out on the amps so you can just go with a simple mixer to add the audio source. I have a mackie 8 channel but you can go way cheaper if you want. I also use the mixer to add in a metronome or drum track playback. You'll be surprised how fast inputs get used.
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Like others have said a basic audio interface and mixer is all you should need.

I have macbook USB -> Presonus audiobox -> L/R to mixer inputs -> headphone out of mixer. Can use the audiobox to balance between bass volume and track volumes. I can also record into garageband this way (or you can use the PC equivalent audacity) to record and practice.

I practice every night this way.

For ideal practice i eq out the bass on the track so i can play over it.

Can use either the computer or a phone for playback.

 

[seamonkey]

Would something like this work? Products - Hotone Audio

What I'm really looking for is a box to plug my laptop into and play music from windows media player while also plugging my bass into same box while being able to hear both music and my bass in my headphones. I don't want to add software on my laptop to do this if I don't have to.
Or if a small practice amp is the better option than I'll go that route.
I'm looking for quick, cheap, small, and easy.

Better would be something like this:
IK Multimedia - iRig HD 2

There's several brands of interfaces like these from other manufacturers.
Can't name them all here.

Works with PC/Mac/iPhones/iPad
Comes with decent software. You want that. You'll want to play along with youtube, mp3's, and tracks from other players/...
And you'll want to record yourself as it's one of the best practice tools around.

 

[BBassBassington]

Just an audio interface is enough really. I run my Rumble 500 head into a Behringer interface. If I engage line monitoring, and set it as my computers audio device for sound output I get to run my whole main rig (minus my cab) through it. The bonus part of this is I can seamlessly go from playing along to some tracks to recording if I need to.

For a personal setup you really don't need a mixer.

Now if you want portable then the Vox Amplug, Zoom B1 Four, or on the higher end Ampeg Scrambler DI are all good to great choices in that order. Personally I'd save up for a Scrambler in this case though. The Zoom is great at what it does but it does not play nice with other pedals. The Ampeg on the other hand can become a great tool for your pedalboard. IMO something that's usable in all situations is easier to justify the purchase of.

 

[logdrum]

If you have an iPad or iPhone. Get the iRig 2 guitar ( ~40) And 3 apps. Yonac Tonestack, AUM, and the bass expansion for the Yonac = ~30 Plug iRig to Phone or iPod. Yonac becomes you virtual, effects and cab. If no Apple products, there is a way to do this on Android as well as PC

 

[Watchootognbout]

I recently got a TC Electronics Thrust BQ500 amp head.
It has a headphone jack.
Threw out my old Vox Amplug.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Don't you have more then one room in your house, I practice in my music room with my laptop connected to stereo monitors and my rig at low volume, doesn't disturb what's going on in the other rooms, just sayin...

 

[clockworkcorpse]

A small mixer will do everything you need, and provided your laptop has a headphone out, you don't need the audio interface. If you want to use your laptop as a recorder, and your laptop does not have a mic in jack, then a simple interface or a mixer with usb might be better.

I'm old fashioned, and prefer to use a mixer, as I can mix everything I want from separate devices that I already own and understand. Though definitely not for me, it seems the way of the future is to use a tablet and apps for everything.

 

[Claymore]

+1 on the bass AmPlug. I love that thing. Wish it had more than 3 drum beats, though.

 

[Tom Baker]

Zoom H5 or H4n depending exact on your needs. I have a H5. Usually I recommend spending less money but in this case either will grow with you.

 

[hbarcat]

Like others on this thread, I recommend a compact mixer with USB.

Regarding the Vox Uniplug, I have one and use it for practice when I travel, but it's inadequate for practice at home because it's output is very quiet since it's powered by a single AA battery.

PM sent.

 

[singlemalt]

I did the small mixer thing for a long time, it worked just fine.

Then I bought a used Zoom B3. ($150) Big improvement and much more simple set up. It lacked an aux in, but made up for it with usb that powers the unit. Drum machine and usable looper. I still used my smoothie and other effects before the Zoom.

Now, it's a Line 6 hd500x and in ears. Plus a beat buddy.

Anything with an aux in plus usb interface will do ya. I tried to avoid having a computer in the mix, but it's just too easy to organize music into set lists, or have playlists of audio for materials I'm working on.

A good drum machine is a bonus, but the basic Zoom grooves will take you a long way.

The Zoom does a lot for not much money.

 

[MrLenny1]

Consider another gigging head with
all ins/outs needed. I use a TC RH 450
used. It does it all.

 

[JKos]

Yet another option is a Line 6 Pocket POD. Used ones go pretty cheap these days. Lots of good tones, aux in.

- John

 

[kmon]

I've used this setup for years.

Bass w/Line 6 Wireless >> Pedalboard >> M-Audio >> Mac

Headphones plug into the gold headphone adapter sticking out of the M-Audio.

The M-Audio is both audio input and output. Practice is totally silent.

All music(I do covers) is played through GarageBand. I buy MP3s and import each into its own GarageBand project. This allows me to record myself playing, very useful. GB also has an adequate tuner built in.

I also have Transcribe! installed which allows me to slow down songs without changing pitch...massively useful for learning new tunes, especially those with fast/difficult passages.

I really, really like this setup. M-Audio cost me like $30 used, apart from that I pay $1 or so for each MP3 from Amazon. The Line 6 cost me $100 used...absolutely not necessary but it keeps things simpler and tidier in that I don't have an extra cable to deal with(yes total OCD) and switching basses is almost instantaneous. I leave this set up pretty permanently, and from the time I pick up the bass I can be practicing in < 10 seconds.

So ya I'm a fan.

 

[singlemalt]

I keep everything on a standing height work surface, so I can stand while practicing and screens, music, and such are eye level. Pedals can still go on the floor. I don't bang the bass into stuff on the desk nearly as much.

I have a heavy duty drafting stool if I want to take a load off and sit.

Decent in ears cost me $40, well worth it over headphones.

 

[juggahnaught]

+1 on the bass AmPlug. I love that thing. Wish it had more than 3 drum beats, though.

LOL - it does, actually. It's in the manual.

Hold the mode button and press the rhythm button (or maybe that's the other way around, don't quite remember - but it's the same process to switch between volume and tempo) to switch between banks. It has 3 banks of 3, so nine beats overall.

Edit: My vote here goes to the Amplug, especially at its price point. You'll also have to have a 1/8" cable from your computer's headphone out into the Amplug. You could probably use this at the end of your pedalboard if you have a long enough cable to the headphones you'll be wearing, and if you use the low gain setting on the Amplug (bass model).

There are definitely other options.....but this would probably do the trick for what you need, and it's inexpensive enough that you could buy three for the price of anything else on here.

 

[FatBoutedGirls]

Doesn't the gk fusion 500 have an aux in and a headphone output on the back?

 

[PJ Bassthumper]

Wow thanks for all the advice. It's much appreciated. So 35 responses and know one mentioned a small amp like the Fender Rumble 25 or something similar so I feel good about scratching that off the list. So I guess I've narrowed it down to either a small mixer like most of you have mentioned or some sort of preamp / effects pedal with aux in and headphones out like the Zoom B1X Four or the Ampeg SCR-DI.
I feel like I am narrowing in on making a decision.

Thanks again.

 

[PJ Bassthumper]

Doesn't the gk fusion 500 have an aux in and a headphone output on the back?

It has headphones out but no aux in that I know of.

 

[FatBoutedGirls]

It has headphones out but no aux in that I know of.

My mistake, the gk fusion s 500 has an aux.

I use an ik multimedia irig, can practice anywhere silently with my phone.