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Question about practicing with headphones via amp or preamp
- Thread starter Photonic
- Start date
The Vox Amplug is a great little tool for practicing. The preamp sounds pretty nice, and if anything, it forces you to play with more control since the headphone speakers fart out if you play notes too aggressively...it is sort of a like a tilt feature on a pinball machine...for those old enough to remember pinball machines.
Just to add (assuming the Boss Waza-Air Bass will have been discussed elsewhere in more detail. I have had one for a good five years now with near daily use. And I keep using it almost every day - have essentially learned my last two cover band's entire repertoire on the Waza. It absolutely solves the issue of flat/unpleasant headphone sound and has unbeatable ease of use: you are up and playing within mere seconds with your phone for backing/learning tracks connected via Bluetooth instantly. The app with effects and surround sound etc is okay but just a nice add on - even without it, you get clear bass tone with plenty headroom, cutting through the mix. Yes, it's a pricey investment upfront - one can get a solid bass head for that, but to me has been worth every cent. Highly recommended, especially for people with limited time, children around etc...
Your HP's are 55ohm impedance. Many amps can't drive anything higher than 32 well. I find $30 TASCAMS better for many amps and preamps headphone outputs
It costs more than $200 but the Phil Jones Big Head Pro will get you there.
I highly recommend grabbing a darkglass element for silent practice. You can grab one used for around $120. Has 4 programmable cab sims, headphone in, aux in for backing tracks, DI out, bluetooth pairing and can act as an audio interface as well. For the price and everything it can do, it's pretty hard to beat. All of the other recommendations of preamp pedals with headphone jacks are great to (esp the genzler one) but thats still not going to get you the versatility that the element will get you.
Your headphones are fine. In fact, I use the same ones. What will help you a ton is a little mixer. It will let you change the volume level of all the stuff you're trying to pull together for your practice session.
Assuming you're playing along with something via aux. in.
TBT the most efficient thing you can do for your work flow is get one of these for home silent practice:
mackie.com
That one is super basic, but if a PC or Mac is part of your workflow Mackie makes a mixer that has USB connection for your PC. - That's the one I have ;-)
mackie.com
Trying to keep on budget, get a little inexpensive multi-effects. Zoom B1 FOUR is mine. you can find them dirt cheap used.
This will get you speaker sim, compressor, whatever you need to make your tone nice so you will like practicing.
You also get a little looper as well as a basic drum machine in the bargain.
Here's your setup:
Bass into Zoom B1 FOUR - Out of B1 FOUR into channel 1 input on the Mackie.
There's a headphone jack on the Mackie Mixer.
There's aux in on the Mackie Mixer.
With the mixer, you can conveniently change volume of your aux, in. Not all practice tracks are leveled equally. It's cool to able to just grab a knob and fix it.
You can change the level on your input channel so you can change how much or little signal your bass provides.
(a version of) this has been my silent practice setup for the last 10 years.
Assuming you're playing along with something via aux. in.
TBT the most efficient thing you can do for your work flow is get one of these for home silent practice:
Mix5 5-Channel Compact Mixer | MACKIE
Ideal for musicians, streamers and other content creators, the Mackie Mix5 is a 5-channel compact mixer that delivers high-headroom, low-noise audio.
mackie.com
That one is super basic, but if a PC or Mac is part of your workflow Mackie makes a mixer that has USB connection for your PC. - That's the one I have ;-)
ProFX6v3 6-Channel Analog Mixer with USB - MACKIE | MACKIE
Designed for musicians and creators who want high-resolution audio, the Mackie ProFX6v3 is a professional analog USB mixer with award-winning Onyx mic preamps.
mackie.com
Trying to keep on budget, get a little inexpensive multi-effects. Zoom B1 FOUR is mine. you can find them dirt cheap used.
You also get a little looper as well as a basic drum machine in the bargain.
Here's your setup:
Bass into Zoom B1 FOUR - Out of B1 FOUR into channel 1 input on the Mackie.
There's a headphone jack on the Mackie Mixer.
There's aux in on the Mackie Mixer.
With the mixer, you can conveniently change volume of your aux, in. Not all practice tracks are leveled equally. It's cool to able to just grab a knob and fix it.
You can change the level on your input channel so you can change how much or little signal your bass provides.
(a version of) this has been my silent practice setup for the last 10 years.
Behringer Xenyx 502SYour headphones are fine. In fact, I use the same ones. What will help you a ton is a little mixer. It will let you change the volume level of all the stuff you're trying to pull together for your practice session.
Assuming you're playing along with something via aux. in.
TBT the most efficient thing you can do for your work flow is get one of these for home silent practice:
Mix5 5-Channel Compact Mixer | MACKIE
Ideal for musicians, streamers and other content creators, the Mackie Mix5 is a 5-channel compact mixer that delivers high-headroom, low-noise audio.
That one is super basic, but if a PC or Mac is part of your workflow Mackie makes a mixer that has USB connection for your PC. - That's the one I have ;-)
ProFX6v3 6-Channel Analog Mixer with USB - MACKIE | MACKIE
Designed for musicians and creators who want high-resolution audio, the Mackie ProFX6v3 is a professional analog USB mixer with award-winning Onyx mic preamps.
Trying to keep on budget, get a little inexpensive multi-effects. Zoom B1 FOUR is mine. you can find them dirt cheap used.
This will get you speaker sim, compressor, whatever you need to make your tone nice so you will like practicing.
You also get a little looper as well as a basic drum machine in the bargain.
Here's your setup:
Bass into Zoom B1 FOUR - Out of B1 FOUR into channel 1 input on the Mackie.
There's a headphone jack on the Mackie Mixer.
There's aux in on the Mackie Mixer.
With the mixer, you can conveniently change volume of your aux, in. Not all practice tracks are leveled equally. It's cool to able to just grab a knob and fix it.
You can change the level on your input channel so you can change how much or little signal your bass provides.
(a version of) this has been my silent practice setup for the last 10 years.
I have the same challenge when I travel.
I just adjusted my expectations.
I use a simple (maybe $25) plug in headphone amp into simple ( maybe $20) headphones . The tone is nothing like I'd expect but that's OK. My only expectation from such vacation practice is learning the song... knowing if I do that, the song will sound just fine whenever I reconnect with a good amp/speaker.
My 2c!
Super compact mackie mixers have really strong headphone amps. And are cheap.
If i play through a mixer it just sounds direct and that's all I need to practice. I've played through amp sim vst plugins and it doesn't do much for me but YMMV
If i play through a mixer it just sounds direct and that's all I need to practice. I've played through amp sim vst plugins and it doesn't do much for me but YMMV
Maybe just the Zoom B1 Four then. The Zoom will take batteries or alternately can be powered using a cell phone/tablet charging brick.
Also, there's an aux in, and the output jack will take headphones. For practice purposes you can get anything from a solid clean tone to pretty much anything you'd want for just the simple needs of practice. I've actually done this back when My family had a camper. To keep my little music package small, I'd bring my little medium scale bass, headphones, zoom pedal, and needed cords. The times I did this was to run through new tunes we were going to be doing in church the following week. I used my iPhone with a lightning/3.5mm headphone adapter for guide tracks. To compensate for variance in play along track volume, just turn the volume of the phone up/down.
I still stand by my previous solution. The above would just be a more portable version. I've used/found both versions useful. I still use the version that includes the Mackie Mixer. This morning before work actually. I always carve out 30 minutes b4 work to practice something that I pick to work on the night before.
Also, there's an aux in, and the output jack will take headphones. For practice purposes you can get anything from a solid clean tone to pretty much anything you'd want for just the simple needs of practice. I've actually done this back when My family had a camper. To keep my little music package small, I'd bring my little medium scale bass, headphones, zoom pedal, and needed cords. The times I did this was to run through new tunes we were going to be doing in church the following week. I used my iPhone with a lightning/3.5mm headphone adapter for guide tracks. To compensate for variance in play along track volume, just turn the volume of the phone up/down.
I still stand by my previous solution. The above would just be a more portable version. I've used/found both versions useful. I still use the version that includes the Mackie Mixer. This morning before work actually. I always carve out 30 minutes b4 work to practice something that I pick to work on the night before.
Best practice setup I've ever had. (and I had the original bass Rockman
)Despite the occasional bluetooth or wireless glitch - it's still the most powerful tool I've used, and you're not "tied" to anything - "Going Mobile"
(I've even taken it to fill-in gigs for the last minute "oh- by the way, do you know....")
I hear much more detail through the headphones - even at low volumes - which makes learning songs an easier/quicker process.
The bass tone is great - and I run it pretty straight / no effects.
