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Small mixer for headphone amp substitute

jnewmark

jnewmark

Just wanna play the groove.
Supporting Member
Aug 31, 2006
10,121
7,022
NW Ohio
Disclosures
Third St. Cigar Records staff musician.
#1
I'm thinking of getting a small, unpowered mixer , strictly for learning tunes, as I am getting more and more disenchanted with the typical headphone amps I have been using, ( Bass Buddy , Tom Scholtz, etc ). I'm looking for something that has instrument input capability, separate volume controls for headphones and Aux in. MP3, or stereo input, and some rudimentary EQ. The number of channels isn't important, although I'm obviously looking for something small, to sit on a desktop, in front of my PC. I've checked out the usual culprits like Mackie, Behringer, etc., but I don't see where they say that they are instrument input friendly. Anybody have any suggestions, favorites, etc ? Thanks.
 
#2
Mackie 402VLZ4 has two instrument inputs with 1MOhm input impedance. That will work well with any passive or active bass. It has another stereo input pair and then a tape/aux input pair. Also has separate main and phones level controls. That should cover it. Competing models by Behringer should be substantially the same.

I'm still using an original Mackie CR-1604 that I got new over 20 years ago. Only repair needed thus far was to replace the control room output fader.

Otto
 
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#3
I have a behringer mixer that works for this. I use it on occasion for this sort of thing, but mostly I just use a Korg Pnadora. You can get those for around $100 used these days. I have the 4 (4b or something like that). It's red.

It is specifically designed as a practice tool. It even has a pitch adjuster for the music input channel and full effects for your bass, a tuner, a drum machine, etc. And it is about 3"x 4". I have Winamp on my computer and plug the computer into the input. That way I can play along with mp3's, youtube, you name it. And it even has a "practice" mode that removes the bass from the input source.

I sing Summer of 69 in my band - but a step down. I just adjust the pitch of the input and I'm golden. There are also songs on mp3 where the original recording is slightly off key. No prob. I just adjust the pitch (it is very granular) to match my bass and I'm good. I don't have to change bass tuning. These things are truly a godsend if your main method for learning songs is listening to and playing along with the original recording.

Just google it...
 
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#4
Robroy said:
I have a behringer mixer that works for this. I use it on occasion for this sort of thing, but mostly I just use a Korg Pnadora. You can get those for around $100 used these days. I have the 4 (4b or something like that). It's red.

It is specifically designed as a practice tool. It even has a pitch adjuster for the music input channel and full effects for your bass, a tuner, a drum machine, etc. And it is about 3"x 4". I have Winamp on my computer and plug the computer into the input. That way I can play along with mp3's, youtube, you name it. And it even has a "practice" mode that removes the bass from the input source.

I sing Summer of 69 in my band - but a step down. I just adjust the pitch of the input and I'm golden. There are also songs on mp3 where the original recording is slightly off key. No prob. I just adjust the pitch (it is very granular) to match my bass and I'm good. I don't have to change bass tuning. These things are truly a godsend if your main method for learning songs is listening to and playing along with the original recording.

Just google it...
Click to expand...
I thought about the Pandora, but wondered if it wasn't overkill for my needs. How adjustable is the pitch control ? What exactly is Winamp ?
 
#5
jnewmark said:
I thought about the Pandora, but wondered if it wasn't overkill for my needs. How adjustable is the pitch control ? What exactly is Winamp ?
Click to expand...
The pitch control seems to be infinitely adjustable. I've turned songs down three whole steps. i.e. from A down to D. But it is so finely adjustable (you spin the big wheel on it) that if a song is slightly out of tune you can easily get it quickly to where you need it, pitch wise.

Winamp is just the free software I use to play mp3's on my computer. If you don't have it, don't bother. They no longer exist. Just use a different player.
 
#6
I have worked with a lot of drummers from Nashville. To a man they almost all use the Rolls HA43 with a few also using the Rolls PM50s.

they use them to run a monitor mix in one channel and a click in another. But they have told me they use them for home practice as well.
 
#7
jnewmark said:
I thought about the Pandora, but wondered if it wasn't overkill for my needs. How adjustable is the pitch control ? What exactly is Winamp ?
Click to expand...
It's not overkill, though it's not cheap. I thought mine had broken a few months ago and suddenly fell into "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone" mode. I panicked. It drastically simplifies learning new music.

Oh, and I am a serious cheapskate when it comes to music gear. This is one piece that was worth it. The effects are in stereo, btw. I was using it in my avatar.
 
#8
Robroy said:
It's not overkill, though it's not cheap. I thought mine had broken a few months ago and suddenly fell into "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone" mode. I panicked. It drastically simplifies learning new music.

Oh, and I am a serious cheapskate when it comes to music gear. This is one piece that was worth it. The effects are in stereo, btw. I was using it in my avatar.
Click to expand...
I mainly learn tunes by finding them on YouTube. I just run out of the headphone out of my pc
into a stereo input on whatever headphone amp I am using. Does the pitch shifter work if I did this, and is there a stereo input on the Pandora ? I noticed the incoming signal does not have a volume control on the Pandora. Is this ever a problem ? Also, does it slide around at all when placed on a desktop, as it seems so small, just wondering how stable it is with everything plugged into it. Thanks.
 
#9
jnewmark said:
I mainly learn tunes by finding them on YouTube. I just run out of the headphone out of my pc
into a stereo input on whatever headphone amp I am using. Does the pitch shifter work if I did this, and is there a stereo input on the Pandora ? I noticed the incoming signal does not have a volume control on the Pandora. Is this ever a problem ? Also, does it slide around at all when placed on a desktop, as it seems so small, just wondering how stable it is with everything plugged into it. Thanks.
Click to expand...
The pitch shifter works on whatever is being fed into the aux input.

BTW, I use a site that strips the audio from youtube video into mp3 files which I then store on my computer. I have limited internet so it's a must.
 
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#10
Robroy said:
The pitch shifter works on whatever is being fed into the aux input.

BTW, I use a site that strips the audio from youtube video into mp3 files which I then store on my computer. I have limited internet so it's a must.
Click to expand...
What headphones are you using with it ?
 
#11
jnewmark said:
What headphones are you using with it ?
Click to expand...
Glad you asked. I have five pair and they are simply INCREDIBLE. Especially for bass. I've actually thought I left my subwoofer on while using them. They are $17.50 (on sale usually) and so light and comfortable (over ear) that you can wear them quite literally all day. I have a pair at my cubicle at work and have done just that.

Here they are:
Invalid Link Removed
 
#12
Wow, those sound almost too good to be true ! The Pandora sounds interesting. Any differences between the larger model and the Mini ?
 
#13
jnewmark said:
Wow, those sound almost too good to be true ! The Pandora sounds interesting. Any differences between the larger model and the Mini ?
Click to expand...
I just learned about the mini. I think it costs more. However, they do look pretty cool.

But yeah, those headphones do sound to good to be true. I saw the reviews and bought two pairs. After receiving and giving a listen, at the next sale I bought three more. and the guys at the recording studio were blown away by them.

I mentioned them in a thread here a while back. I know of at least one member who bought them and reported back that they were everything I said. I'll be blunt: They are the best under $200 headphones I've ever owned when taken as a whole. That is, sound, comfort, convenience.
 
#15
Ben B said:
@Robroy thanks for the tip on the Pandora. I was planning to get a headphone amp to use when I travel. The Pandora seems a great choice.
Click to expand...
Just so you know, I actually used it for a while as a live effects "pedal" for gigging. But some of the tones are fantastic for practicing. It's also fun to use the drum machine to do a duet with a "drummer".
 

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