Bad tone with this practice setup. What's yours?

[Gary Wessels]

Hi Everyone,

I practice lots with music from my laptop running into a Digital Audio Interface, and out to headphones. I love the ability to be forced to "play a practice gig" along with random songs every night (and save my marriage with the headphones at the same time). Both my laptop and my Quilter TB202 feed into the Interface, which gives me a roughly "mixed" headphone feed.

I can hear a big difference in tone with and without the Interface. I'm aware that my interface is not a high quality unit, so I'm looking for a new setup.

I'd love to see what some of you are using for practice thru headphones using an amp head and a computer/phone playing tracks.

Here's the gear I have currently (See pic below):

Rains SD-10 with a George L Pickup
Goodrich Volume pedal
Quilter TB202
Behringer U-phoria UMC202HD Interface (fed via USB from Mac Laptop)

The "sig out" on the TB202 is split into twin (L,R) 1/4" plugs into the Interface. The laptop feeds the input on the back of the interface via USB.

Thanks for your help!

Gary

[Doug Taylor]

I have tried just about every setup imaginable over the last couple of years. I have settled on the following: this works just as well for my Tele or P bass.

I run my steel into a Zoom L8 mixer/ audio interface then use MainStage with 2 channels set up. The first is running Helix Native and the second channel runs TONEX. I only use 1 channel at a time depending on my mood and what I want to hear but either one I am happy with.

My headphones are Yamaha HPH-MT8. Mac Min M2 computer.

I am really happy with this setup, it really sounds nice through the headphones which I have gone through 2 or 3 different brands. It also sounds really good though Yamaha monitors.

[Donny Hinson]

I'd suggest a graphic equalizer between your volume pedal and the Quilter. That would give you far more tonal capability and control than the Quilter's simple bass-mid-treble controls allow.

For maximum tonal variation and control, you need either a graphic EQ, or mid-shift capability in the amp. When you have neither of those, you're working under a handicap, and you must settle for whatever sound you wind up with.

[Gary Wessels]

I appreciate the help, Donny and Doug!
Gary

[Brett Lanier]

Rather than splitting the TRS out on the Quilter into two preamps on the interface, try using a single TRS cable into only one preamp. That's typically how line level signals are fed from preamps into an interface (by TRS). Splitting it into 2 could be causing phasey weirdness. Also set the toggle switch to the Left (pre). In post mode the TRS cable will split the signal so you can hear it in both headphones. Pre mode will give you a balanced signal with cab and speaker emulation.

Another thing worth mentioning is that you want to make sure you're monitoring the steel out of the interface only, not the daw. It's a common mistake. If you have a track open on the daw that's not muted, that might be your problem.

That little Behringer doesn't have the greatest pres, but it shouldn't be a noticeably worse sound. Budget level interfaces aren't that bad. And as long as you're monitoring your steel correctly like I mentioned, there's no analog/digital/analog conversion happening anyway.

I have a Quilter 202, and a V8 pre. Both sound good, and I've done di recordings with both. However, if you want a really amazing direct sound, a good amp into the Universal Audio OX box is pretty incredible. I used to have access to a studio with all the same mics the OX emulates. Even with all the real stuff I couldn't get it to sound as good as the OX. My setup now is a Standel custom 15, into the Ox(2x12 JBL cab, Royer 121, AKG 414, U67 room), then into a metric halo interface.

[Gary Wessels]

Brett,

If I run a single TRS cable into one preamp plug, I only get a one-sided (L or R) signal to my headphones, in both Pre and post switch positions. Perhaps it's a flaw of the Behringer unit.

I'm not using a DAW, just the TB202 and the little Behringer box. Good point though!

I'll check out the Universal Audio OX box

Thank you!
Gary

[Dale Rottacker]

I too, use a 202 and use the Sig Out to record, into a PreSonus 1824c Interface, with my guitar seeing a Sarno Black Box first and running my Benado Steel Dream into the Send/Return of the 202 ... A wise recording engineer told me years ago, to get the sound I'm happy with coming out of the speaker and record that. THAT SAID, I also realize that the track I'm playing to, because of how it may be Eq'd and instruments involved, that although my guitar may sound sweet by itself to my ear, it may not sit in the mix of what I'm playing too as well as I'd like. Just something to keep in mind