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Tone hammer pedal

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Denis F C

Jun 15, 2018
93
49
#1
Hi guys, long time no see.

So I’m back on bass after almost a year off. I’m in the search of the perfect headphone/tone shaper rig. I have in mind a tone hammer (i always wanted an obp3 in my bass), is it still relevant? And if i wanna play with headphone, what are my option to add to the tone hammer? I curently have an amplug 2 for bass, but its far from ideal... a lot of noise.

Btw the tone hammer will be used as a practice tool, a tone shaper and a di.

Thank you for your help.
 
#2
The Tonehammer's pretty versatile, super clean sounds as well as a range of overdrive tones. I'm a fan!

The Behringer MA400 is a good cheap headphone amp with an XLR input and aux in. I'm using my Focusrite 2i2 primarily these days though.
 
#4
There's plenty of alternatives that have a headphone amp and aux in built in. Depends what features you're after - e.g. if you want something cheap for practice that's a definite step up from the Amplug, at and don't require the DI, check out the Zoom B1 Four.

The Darkglass Ultra range mostly have headphone amps with a cab sim and aux in too.

TC Spectradrive and GK Plex are also worth consideration!
 
#5
I did take a look at the darkglass ultra, a bit pricey but i considere it. For the spectradrive, i dont know what to think about it.

i would really like a di, so the b1(x) four, is out the park. Anyway im scared of not using most of it.
 
#7
I have two fly-rigs (SansAmp & Trace Elliot), both of which are headphone compatible...the Trace has an aux input, the SansAmp does not.

I also have a ToneHammer installed on my "big board" but I wouldn't use it as the foundation of a headphone practice rig.

Riis
 
#9
Denis F C said:
If i go back to the tone hammer, does a mackie hm-4 do the work as a headphones amp?
Click to expand...

No, the HM4 takes a stereo signal and sends it to 4 headphone outputs. At best, you could plug a bass into it and have just your instrument and nothing else just coming out of the left channel!

You will want something take can take a mono input, pref via XLR, and mix it with another source (assuming you want to practice against a backing track rather then just solo all the time). The MA400 fits the bill, but so would most basic mixers.
 
#12
BTW when I was practicing a set of tracks via headphones that called for a P Bass and flats, the Tonehammer produced stellar results with the AGS on. I could find nothing better in fact!

I prefer the Tech21 and Darkglass stuff for more scooped/aggressive sounds though, although the Tonehammer can get Sansamp-esque tones also.

You've not said if you want modern or old school, clean or dirty, etc, or all of the above?
 
#13
In the past (almost 10 years ago) i had a pbddi and loved every second of it ( except the programmable part that i did end not using that much). It will probably be a set-and-forget use, clean or with a very little dirt.
 
#16
Denis F C said:
I actually dig it a lot, but saw that there was some power supply issues... what about that?

but in the end if i can power it with my onespot i have no trouble.
Click to expand...

I don't have one but the only power issues I've read about with the SCR-DI is that it goes through batteries pretty quickly if you are trying to power it by battery. As far as i know, if you use a power supply, it's fine.
 
#18
I use the TH in my headphone practice "rig". Works great. I have a couple different options for headphone amps.

1) Cafe Walter HA-1, a little hard to find nowadays, but it's transparent and runs on batteries or adapter. Think I paid around $150 for it

2)Phil Jones Bass Big Head, small compact, great clean sound, has built in 2-band EQ that I don't touch ever. But it's there. I think they go for $250 new

3)I bought a small fender rumble combo amp new for $200, has aux in and headphone out. I use that sometimes


I love the tone hammer. It's the only preamp pedal I love.

Don't know how much any of this helps but yeah
 
#19
If all you are doing is headphones, I would bargain shop a zoom B10N. It has plenty of great times at a bargain price. The tone hammer is great. I had one for a while. Practice-wise, you can probably cobble together something that will get you close to the obp3 tone - they have an Aguilar amp model in there. A zoom is what I practice with.
 

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