Headphone options

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 4 Jun 2003 8:22 pm

Well it finally happened... the neighbors have had enough. What's everyone using for practicing to themselves... Anyone using any of those Korg Pandora boxes?

Tony LaCroix · Post by **Tony LaCroix** » 5 Jun 2003 6:24 am

Get some headphones- one set for each neighbor.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 5 Jun 2003 8:01 am

I too would like to know what headphones and headphone amps would be good to use. I would like to plug my CD player into it along with my steel.

Is there such a thing that does not create ANY distortion. The one I saw was for the Rock bunch so needless to say if I picked more than one note there was bad ehnarmonic distortion. I know most of the world likes ear damaging loud distorted music.

Is there no hope for those of us that like it soft and clear?

God help us,

carl

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 5 Jun 2003 8:57 am

I got a little Behringer 4-channel mixer for earphone practicing, but am not satisfied with it. You can plug four instruments or mikes into it, plus a CD or tape player, and it has an earphone jack with a volume control. It hummed like crazy, but I fixed that with a line loop (?) anti-hum box.

The CD player comes through loud and clear with no distortion at any volume level below the pain threshold, so there is nothing wrong with the mixer or earphones. But my steel (Fessy with BL 712 run straight from Hilton pedal into mixer) distorts when I try to match the volume of the CD. Part of the problem is that to get acceptable steel sound I have to turn the bass all the way up and the treble all the way down.

Has anyone tried the new Peavey practice amp and it's earphone circuit? Being made for steel, I would imagine it works well. But I hate to have to buy a whole amp just for the earphone circuit.

Gary Peaslee · Post by **Gary Peaslee** » 5 Jun 2003 9:03 am

I would suggest a small mixer like the Behringer Eurotrack 6-channel, less than $100. It has a headphone jack, can accomodate other sources such as a CD player, and will work with any brand of headphones. I use AKG K240's. They sound great and are very comfortable. This type of setup is much more versatile than a dedicated headphone amp.

Rob Anderson · Post by **Rob Anderson** » 5 Jun 2003 9:19 am

I think the best solution is one of the cheap mixers but the steel guitar won't go directly into it. Try Behringers active direct box (around $30)Plug the guitar into that and then into the mixer,which will boost the signal enough to be useable by the mic preamps in the mixer. It won't sound like a nice amp, but it should be good enough for practice with headphones.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 5 Jun 2003 10:06 am

A small inexpensive 4 tracker will accomodate the CD player , the Steel and Headphones..

And you can even hit the record button and listen back if you care to..

I practice almost exclusively thru my 8 track digital workstation with headphones. Occasionally I use my small Peavey ( pawnshop acquired ) Backstage 30 amp which also has a Headphone output. I also bring this little Peavey amp to local steel shows and use it for tuning and pre-event practice. Then when it's time to display my wares I use my N1000 and it is then revealed that all that practice in the headphones is...better kept in the headphones !

there are many many small amps in the Pawn Shops that have headphone outputs. Many even have reverb..

just my take

tp

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 5 Jun 2003 10:09 am

The Peavey HB-1 box. It doesn't have CD inputs but it is a headphone ampllifier. If you are interested, I can e-mail the U.S. MSRP. My e-mail address is;
mikebrown@peavey.com

Charlie Vaughn · Post by **Charlie Vaughn** » 5 Jun 2003 10:22 am

Carl I got a headphone amplifier from Herby Wallace that I use mainly for tuning when I am at a show that has no tuning room. I find it is very clean with no distortion. Does the job for me.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 5 Jun 2003 10:31 am

Charlie,

this sounds like what I am looking for. Do you recall whether one could plug a CD or tape deck into it? And what is the price?

carl

Wayne Carver · Post by **Wayne Carver** » 5 Jun 2003 10:52 am

Do a search on the Digitech RP-100 or 200. It is an effect pedal that folks also use for practicing. You can plug in a cd player and headphones in the RP200 and maybe the 100.

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 5 Jun 2003 11:11 am

yup I use a Pandora. Very nice practice situation. Has many sounds from clean to dirt, reverbs, chorus, etc., various bass lines to jam with, CD input to jam with, a metronome, chromatic tuner and records up to 16seconds (mine does) of CD or any input so you can slow it down, loop it etc. to help learn licks. With all that I think it's worth the price. I've worn out the original Pandora, and now have a new one. Travels well. I use it for guitar and lap steel too. Does eat batteries so if you use it daily get the power wart.
chrisk

------------------
Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 5 Jun 2003 11:45 am

Hey Chris
Do you have the PX4? I'm thinking about getting one, how do the amp models sound?

John Hawkins · Post by **John Hawkins** » 5 Jun 2003 3:47 pm

Gerry Walker's Stereo Steel pre-amp ,amp and Digitech Studio Quad 4 is configured so that you can plug in the back of the amp / pre-amp
with two R.C.A. patches coming out of a .C.D.
or Cassette player and play stereo with the
C.D. or cassette hearing it through a headphone connection on the front of the amp/ pre amp . You can adjust volume , tone , and effects level from right there on the front panel of the Stereo Steel that is reproduced right on into the head phones you are wareing and nobody can hear it but you ! This is a great way to play along with either finished songs or just the
sound tracks .

Contact Gerry Walker ( look him up on the forum links) and visit with him about this system . I have had one 5 years and they are great sounding on stage , very powerful , and very , very user friendly .On top of everything else , the whole thing on weighs only about 30 lbs .They are made for a steel player application by a very fine steel player in Gerry Walker.

Carl Dixon this system would fit you prefectly . You plug in your steel as always and hear everything else too as you are playing along with the song or sound track .

They are not cheap but worth every penny you spend on one .
Just my 2 c'

John[This message was edited by John Hawkins on 05 June 2003 at 04:48 PM.][This message was edited by John Hawkins on 05 June 2003 at 04:55 PM.]

Charlie Vaughn · Post by **Charlie Vaughn** » 5 Jun 2003 6:01 pm

Carl The unit I have is very simple and battery powered. One input for guitar and output for headphones. However you can get a 4 channel mixer at Radio Shack that will expands the inputs and outputs. I use that set up when I want to play along with CD or record with rhythm tracks. Inexpensive and works great. The headphone amp sells for 39.95 but I understand Bobbee Seymour has them for 29.95. The unit John Hawkins spoke of in the above post sounds good. [This message was edited by Charlie Vaughn on 05 June 2003 at 07:06 PM.]

Charlie Vaughn · Post by **Charlie Vaughn** » 5 Jun 2003 6:11 pm

Forgot to mention that the Radio Shack mixer had 4 indivual control for the inputs so you can get a good balance between Cd and Steel.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 6 Jun 2003 6:17 am

Thanks so much. I will check it out.

carl

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 6 Jun 2003 10:15 am

If you play pedal steel with a volume pedal, forget the el cheapo battery operated earphone-amps. They work fine for regular guitar, but as with regular guitar amps you need about 4x the power to get the sustain an headroom you need with steel. Likewise I am curious whether those above recommending Pandora's Box have used them satisfactorily with pedal steel and a volume pedal. Do they distort the steel at high levels? And why is this not in the electronics section?

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 6 Jun 2003 4:46 pm

I have an ADA Micro-Cab that works a bit different. You unplug your speaker in your amp,then plug a wire out from the speaker jack and into the Micro-Cab. Now, you are using your amp, just not the speaker. So you can set all your controls just the way you normally do. The Micro-Cab has several settings for different speaker combinations, so it is a cabinet emulator. It does not have a 15" speaker selection though, but it does have a 12" setting. I think they are out of business now, (or maybe just not making the Micro-Cab anymore) but maybe there are some used ones are around, or perhaps another company makes something similar. They were designed for recording direct, but do have a headphone out. Good idea and product.

Bill Moore (RIP) · Post by **Bill Moore (RIP)** » 6 Jun 2003 5:57 pm

Here's another vote for a small mixer, I also use the one from Radio Shack, like Charlie. I use the Profex II or Alesis Nanoverb, then into the mike input of the mixer. Then connect the cd or tape player to one of the other channels. The Radio Shack mixer can use batteries or an AC adaptor. They are always available on Ebay for 10-20 dollars.