Playing with headphones and rhythm tracks

Tim McCutchen · Post by **Tim McCutchen** » 26 Dec 2002 6:30 pm

I practice with tracks as I'm sure many on here do. My question is how you hook up your CD/Tape player (Boombox) up to headphones so you can hear both your amp and tracks. I'm driving my wife nuts. (I need to keep her happy because she bought my steel, and I plan or her buying a lot more stuff if you know what I mean). Do I need a mixer or what? Your responses would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Tim

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'01 Zumsteel D-10 8&9
Evans Amp,Profex II

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 26 Dec 2002 7:23 pm

Tim,
I use the CD headphone jack directly into the input on the amp,turn the volume on the CD off,then turn it up verrrrrry slowly untill the volume is to where you want it.You can get the cords and adapters at your local Radio Shack.I just hoss traded a small two chanel amp with headphone jack that disables the speaker,have'nt tried it yet,think it may be what I need to keep peace in the house.

Hope this helps...Bill

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Bill Ford

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 26 Dec 2002 7:55 pm

Tim, I use a small 3 channel mixer made by Rolls with a headphone output. The model is MX28 and sales for around 75 dollars from American Musical Supply. It works good for me. The inputs are 1/4 " , 2 mono for each channel .
Tony

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 26 Dec 2002 8:16 pm

I use a small mixer too !!

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 26 Dec 2002 8:32 pm

The Peavey Transtubefex has an input in the back for your Cd/Tape player and one for headphones. I use a portable CD player. I once had an old Session 400 rigged to have a headphone jack where the light on the front was. We put in a smaller light between the two S's in Session.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 26 Dec 2002 8:37 pm

Many, many years ago, I monkey-rigged
a turn-table to a set of headphones and to my steel.........everything actually worked.

It took a bit of doing, and at the time, I wasn't too sure if it was going to work.
But it did. I was impressed.

I was out of work at this time and living in a small, very comfortable cottage on Long Pond in Plymouth, MA. Collecting unemployment
with plenty of time to practice.

The downside is/was that one day I'm merrily playing along, when all of a sudden, I was almost blown out of my seat.

I had the volume pretty much pegged, when,
out-of-nowhere I start to hear some "interference".....yup...before I could 'throw' the headset, a fuel oil truck, making deliveries in the area, started talking with 'base' and I was nothing now more than a radio antenna. It was a real shock....it happened so quickly.......and while I'm haplisley minding my own business,
nice and warm in the cozy cottage, with steel goin' on all around me, am confronted with NOISE. Huge noise. Oh, my heart.

Watch out when using headsets. That's all. [This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 26 December 2002 at 08:44 PM.]

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 26 Dec 2002 9:17 pm

First of all guys, I think Tim is blowing smoke about driving his wife nuts. He is a very good player!! He has to use CD's 'cause he plays stuff too complicated for anyone to play with him.

I really don't know much about the subject but could he not plug the steel into his Profex II and the Profex II into the amp input and run the CD into the other jack on the amp then unplug the speaker and plug a 4 ohm headset into a speaker jack on his Evans amp? He would have some mixing control on the Profex II and on the CD. Would this work?
Jerry

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 27 Dec 2002 5:45 am

Be assured.....

If you plug a pair of headphones into speaker jack, you will blow out the headset. Not to mention possible doing permanate damage to your ears in the process.

Thats a no-no !!

Joseph V. Sapp · Post by **Joseph V. Sapp** » 27 Dec 2002 9:55 am

Well,,I guess I'm sort of lucky,,,my bride can't get enough of my steel. I a boss DR-5 for various programs I can write out as well as a seperate CD player going into a Fender Passport PA system. My steel into a Nashville 400 and a Fender twin seperated about three feet on either side of me. I place each of the passport speakers close to each of the amps, then balance the volume equally. its alot of gear, but it works for me. as well it gets my ears use to hearing the entire band around me on the various tracks I use. The DR-5 goes into both amps so the sound is seperated . take care and hope this is some help.

Joe
Derby SD-10 4X5 Nashville 400 Fender twin
Lexicon MPX 100 Profex ll (some other secret toys)

DroopyPawn · Post by **DroopyPawn** » 27 Dec 2002 7:16 pm

Look on ebay for Behringer mixer. I think they have some for under $100 that will accept up to 4 inputs. Then you can mix the output any way you want and down to a stereo pair for you headphones.
gs

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Gary Shepherd
Sierra Session 12
www.16tracks.com

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 6 Jan 2003 10:42 am

Get a Korg Pandora, you won't regret it.

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.seldomfed.com

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 6 Jan 2003 11:48 am

Tim,

I just got a pre-amp for Christmas, so my experience is limited -- except for that part about driving the wife nuts.

I run from my guitar into the effects pre-amp (Yamaha DG Stomp), out to the volume pedal and to a 'mic' input on the front of my stereo. I then plug in the headphones and it all comes back to just me.

I have the TV running into that same stereo. So I can play along with the TV/VCR/DVD, CD, radio or another tape, AND record everything on the 2nd tape deck.

I have a Nashville 400 and I haven't incorporated it into this silent practice setup.

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HagFan

[This message was edited by Ron Page on 06 January 2003 at 11:49 AM.][This message was edited by Ron Page on 06 January 2003 at 11:50 AM.]