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Topic: Headphone practice rig |
Dan Klotz
From:
Houston, Texas
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Posted 9 Apr 2015 12:24 pm |
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I started doing some touring recently. I need a practice rig for the the bus or hotel. I need to be able to hear my guitar and an audio rack to practice with. I have an iRig, but you can only hear the guitar as far as I know.
Any suggestions?
Anybody here ever tried practicing steel on the bus? I guess it'll be hard with all the bumping around, but I guess it's better than nothing.
_________________
2- Rittenberry D10's
Quilter Steelaire. Nashville 400. Session 500 |
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Ben Waligoske
From:
Denver, CO
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Posted 9 Apr 2015 1:22 pm
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I highly recommend the Apogee Jam unit for this exact application. A single 1/4" input with a gain slider, let's you input to an iPad/iPhone and use any of the many apps available as amp/effects sims: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Jam
As for the app side of things, I've tried many and finally have settled on AmpKit+. It's not free, and any of the others work fine, but I like AmpKit's tones and just spent the extra $5.99 recently to get the Trace Elliot 1x15 bass amp simulator, which has a 5 band EQ, compression, etc. built in, and it does the trick just fine. Add delay/reverb or EQ etc. on the included pedals to taste, and you're off and running.
Plus, the final kicker is AmpKit has a built in tuner (although I prefer to use AudioBus, another great app for connecting apps, to link AmpKit to UltraTuner for more accuracy) and a music player + backing tracks... what's not to love?
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about getting it setup... but this has most certainly worked for me, and from what I've read and experienced, the Apogee unit is a lot more durable than the cheaper iRig and etc....
Cheers!
-b
Last edited by Ben Waligoske on 9 Apr 2015 1:25 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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Ben Waligoske
From:
Denver, CO
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Posted 9 Apr 2015 1:24 pm
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| Jeeze - just caught you already have an iRig! No worries, that'll do the trick just fine - in that case, see if you can't get AmpKit dialed up! The audio player and etc. are pretty point and shoot, but again feel free to PM if you have any questions.... Happy Steelin! |
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Jeff Metz Jr.
From:
York, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2015 11:22 pm
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I use the original Digitech Jam Man Looper(Blue 2 pedal version)
That allows me to play with songs I pre record, or I can use the usb port to upload songs. I would just run out of the rack into the Looper.
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 , Lil Izzy Buffer, Goodrich 120 volume pedal, Boss DD-7, Peterson Strobo flip, Peavey Nashville 112 |
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Daniel Policarpo
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 10 Apr 2015 4:05 am Re: Headphone practice rig
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| Dan Klotz wrote: |
Anybody here ever tried practicing steel on the bus? I guess it'll be hard with all the bumping around, but I guess it's better than nothing. |
hey Dan. I remember in Steel Guitarist magazine where they showed Paul Franklin with a neck slapped onto a board,something he threw together so he could practice blocking and scales on the bus. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 10 Apr 2015 5:28 am
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An iRig should work. I played along with tracks in my iPad with it . I'm not sure if I did anything special. It should be possible with the stuff you already have.Keeping your chops together while on the bus is super important. Helps with music and sanity !
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Bob |
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bob drawbaugh
From:
scottsboro, al. usa
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Posted 10 Apr 2015 6:40 am
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| If you have the irig check out the ampkit. I have it and it works good with the irig. You can download your tracks to the ampkit and play along with control of the track volume. |
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Darrell Birtcher
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Posted 10 Apr 2015 6:51 am
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If you decide to not go with the iRig/Apogee Jam type of route and want a dedicated headphone amp, I can recommend the Yamaha THR5 or 10, if you have room. It's a small desktop amp with a nice sound and a good, quiet headphone amp. I hate hearing hiss and noise through headphones. It can be battery powered if needed.
The problem I've found with many devices that have a headphone out is that they're just not loud enough or the amp itself is not clean enough. Some of this can be overcome by making sure your headphones are of a low enough impedance and are efficient enough for the task.
The version 2 firmware (free upgrade) of the THR's improves the clean amp sims nicely, the effects are decent, and the aux in jack is handy for practicing. I like having real knobs to mess with when dialing in a practice tone as opposed to virtual knobs in an app. The THR 10 does have 5 presets you can program to speed things up but the THR5 costs less and is easy to operate.
I looked for a decent headphone setup for a long time and am very pleased with the THR5. It makes practice really enjoyable. Just an idea if you decide to go that route. |
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Justin Emmert
From:
Greensboro, NC
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Posted 10 Apr 2015 8:39 am
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I use a couple of options. One is Irig and the Fender Amplitube app. You can load songs from your music list into the Amplitube app and play along. It also allows you to loop sections and slow them down or speed them up. I also am able to play along with video lessons I have put onto my iPad. Mainly, I use the iPad rig for the instructional materials (video) I have purchased, so I can easily play along with the video.
i also use a Tascam Bass/Guitar Trainer. You have to load mp3's from your PC into the unit,which can be a small hassle if you use iTunes. But along with tempo changing and looping, it will also tune down or up. Tuning up and down is a big deal when playing covers, especially if the original was slowed down in the studio. |
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