fdavidso

[quote name='peted' post='921497' date='Aug 11 2010, 12:30 PM']I have a Line 6 Lowdown Studio which has both a headphone output (which mutes the speaker) and an mp3/CD/aux input which you can mix in with the bass signal to either the built-in speaker or headphones. I sometimes use it so that my bass sound comes from the Line 6 amp, the output from my Tascam bass trainer gets mixed in and then output is via the speaker in the combo.[/quote] Ok, thanks guys, I know that I could buy another box that does something different. That's no the point - how do I solve the problem as stated? Does anyone have any thoughts?

Dave, I have had help from other forum members on this, but also some mixed messages and I am so inexperienced, it is difficult to see the wood from the trees. I want to use a combo for home practice. I want to be able to play along to a cd piped through the amp. For practice at night, I would like the output to be switched to headphones. If I plump for a combo that does not have dedicated phones out and cd/aux in, what are my options? I want to use the amp to produce the tone, so not just plug my cd/bass into a mixer and use that as the tone generator, if you know what I mean. Two combos I have been eying up have the following holes: 1) active+passive input, effects send and return, unpluggable speaker output, tuner/line out 2) single input, phones (so that problem is solved) effects send and return and tuner output Help

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='921347' date='Aug 11 2010, 10:28 AM']That looks like a pretty poor piece of kit IMO. You'd be much better off getting something like [url="http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/8546-behringer-xenyx-502.html"]http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/8546...-xenyx-502.html[/url] or perhaps a slightly bigger jobbie bought second-hand. Behringer get a very bad press, but for this sort of stuff they're absolutely fine and unbeatable on price. Most of their little mixers are reverse-engineered copies of Alesis kit.[/quote] Ok, this looks serious! I have no experience of these things - do you reckon it can do the following: 1) take cd input and guitar input and feed this into an amplifier to get sound out of the speaker, 2) take cd input and guitar input and feed this into an amplifier and get the output sent back to the mixer from which headphones could be driven? Thanks for your time.

[quote name='fdavidso' post='921326' date='Aug 11 2010, 10:05 AM']Oh you tease... come on, what's a mixer and are they xxx pounds? Cheers[/quote] Ah ha - this kind of thing? [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=36158#helpfaq"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=36158#helpfaq[/url]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='921314' date='Aug 11 2010, 09:37 AM']Little mixer. G.[/quote] Oh you tease... come on, what's a mixer and are they xxx pounds? Cheers

[quote name='JDH' post='921299' date='Aug 11 2010, 09:17 AM']Doesn't this amp have an auxiliary stereo in (3.5mm jack) on the back panel? Regards JDH[/quote] Hi YEs it does, but I was conducting an experiment. in view of my next amp which may not have aux in.

Hi all, Last night, I tried to plug a cd player and my bass in the input socket of my mighty Roland Micro cube via a two female mono 1/4" to male mono 1/4" "splitter" (combiner, really). It did not work! Guitar works, cd player works, guitar plus cd lead but not plugged into player worked. But guitar plus plugged in cd muted the guitar. I tried this with both an active bass and a passive bass. Any ideas? This is a bit of a spanner in the works of my plan to buy a "proper" amp (one without dedicated cd input). Cheers

[quote name='escholl' post='911523' date='Jul 31 2010, 10:21 PM']There are instances where more power is not better, however solid-state bass amps are not one of those cases , and in this case I think you should likely get the most powerful combo that you can afford. Besides, that T15 looks nice! [/quote] Ok thanks for that. Having played a Peavey Century 100 watt head into a 1 x 18 Carlsbro cab in my youth and now plucking through a mighty 2.5 watt Roland MicroCube, I've had the extremes of size Glad to hear that tone stays at low volume

Money and size apart, is there a negative side to buying a high powered combo, if one is not going to have it turned up? So, Say I plumped for a 250 Ashdown T15 250S from Thomann but mainly used it to practice with, will I never get to the output levels that provide the right depth of tone? Would I be better going for the 180 Electric Blue and having it cranked up a bit further, or indeed a 50-100 watt combo. I do need it to jam with pals so it has to cut other instruments, but not a drummer. Dyce

[quote name='flyfisher' post='911157' date='Jul 31 2010, 12:45 PM']But the bottom line is not to plug headphones directly into an amp's speaker outputs.[/quote] - thanks for the advice, like the original poster, I am looking at headphone solutions to units without dedicated phones out. I am probably about to buy an Asdown T15 250S from Thomman. This has lineout/tuner and effects send. I will wait and see what happens when I plug my Audio Technica phones into either of these. I guess they don't mute the speaker, but the speaker can be unplugged in any case. All a bit of a botch, which I don't like. BassManiac

[quote name='derrenleepoole' post='911094' date='Jul 31 2010, 11:44 AM']Very bad idea! There is a good reason why sockets are labeled speaker and some headphones! Amps, speakers and headphones are easy commodities to replace, your hearing is not![/quote] Just seen this [url="http://www.studiospares.com/headphone-amps+splitters/art-headtap-headphone-controller/invt/325100/"]http://www.studiospares.com/headphone-amps...er/invt/325100/[/url] seems to take speaker out and calm it down to headphone level - no batteries/dc input wires either! Do you think this can amp up line out though? BassManiac

[quote name='Marvin' post='892991' date='Jul 12 2010, 05:30 PM']It's certainly not a dumb question. You sound as if you are in exactly the same boat as me, limited space, limited budget so generally need an all singing all dancing combo. I also practice when the kids are in bed so headphones and cd input is a must. I've recently considered the Hartke Hydrive 112c, but at £450 it's obviously a tad expensive (as to is the Promethean from Ibanez at £500+ , but it is nice). On asking about the Hydrive the A100 was suggested to me here. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93232&hl=Marvin"]Hartke Hydrive 112c thread[/url] I think you can them for a little over £250, and although a little over budget the 100w may sound small, but as in the thread and the reviews I've read it really does pack a punch. The Fender Rumble 100 is also damned loud, apparently. I visited a shop near me a couple months ago and the guy had one in there. I asked how loud it was, and he replied that someone tried it out the previous week and the sound 'thumped me in the chest' it was that loud. The owner was actually stood outside the shop have a sneaky fag at the time. Only setback is is that they aren't the smallest amps in the world. EDIT: must admit the choice is limited and can be frustrating.[/quote] So Im not that weird I read on some forum that Fender Rumble series were not good; mind you, I have read that every amp under £5000 is either fantastic or rubbish. I guess one just has to go and try them out, but limited stock in this neck of the woods. FR looks solid enough. Might be another option. Hartke A70 looked a bit cheap and tacky close up, maybe the Hydrive is a bit more classy?

Seems like I am being dumb here. Can you tell me how I listen to a cd and the amp through headphones at the same time? Do most amps accept a cd input through some other non-dedicated line in or is there some magic box that I can plug various outputs together? BassManiac

[quote name='Muzz' post='892553' date='Jul 12 2010, 09:48 AM']If you like the basic tones from your Micro Cube, and all the bells and whistles it gives, then I'd say the best (if slightly unusual) solution in your budget could be to buy the Roland 115X powered cab currently on EBay (it's nowt to do with me, honest!) for, I think, £200. You could then run your Cube into it and turn it into a 300w 1x15" & tweeter rig. I've used one of these as an extension speaker when I had my D-Bass 115 combo, and it was great. The Roland stuff is seriously underrated, IMO. Ticks all the boxes, and worth a thought. Plus, there's comedy potential to be had from walking into a gig with the Micro Cube... Ah, just re-read your post and noticed "small and light". The 115X isn't massive or light-bendingly heavy, but the castors do come in handy...[/quote] Thanks for this - a good alternative that I had not even considered. I will contact the ebayer to see if for a suitable fee he would post to FN (Frozen North) I like the construction of the Roland - really solid. I was in a shop today having a poke around some Hartke, Line 6 ( both pretty flimsy) and Ashdowns - more substantial and Ampeg - rock solid. Didn't have time to have a plonk, but on construction, the Ampeg looks robust, like my Roland. BassManiac

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='892698' date='Jul 12 2010, 12:23 PM']Also, why does the CD have to be playing through the same speaker? And why do you need headphones from the amp? Surely if you are headphoning, anything with a headphone out will do, and why not a separate portable CD player?[/quote] Because it wouldn't be a Do Everything Amp then. To repeat the my original message, I do most of my practicing at in the evening when all the little bears and mummy bear are asleep. So I need to play both cd and amp through head phones. Now, I guess there is a fancy gismo that feeds all this together, but if it can be done in one box, why not. BTW Tyneside is south - by about 4 hours driving Has anyone got one of the amps I listed can give a thumbs up/down? BassManiac

Ah ha. This throughs a whole new spanner into the indecision works! Thank you. Trouble is, coming from he frozen north, all those tasty ebay "pick up only" offers are not available. So I am am a bit more limited there. I do look on my local gumtree. But I take it from the replies that neither of you think that the above list is a "pick of the best" and I could do better. CD in and phones out are essential and the trouble is that this is quite limiting too. BassManiac

I am at present plugging away with a Roland Micro Cube, which is excellent for my home practice needs, especially as most is done late at night through headphones. However, I have started playing with a couple of pals and need a little omph. Usual story - not much in the bass amp part of the piggy bank. But I would like to spend around the £200-250 mark on a "do everything" amp - that is has phone, cd in, is small light and reasonable compact, but is loud enough to compete with rhythm guitar, keyboards and flute. I play mainly jazz/blues but enjoy reggie at home and also am trying to learn to slap (haha) so I would like a "sonic all rounder" too. I have whittled it down to: Ashdown 5 15 practice amp. Ashdown 5 15 mini rig Hartke A70 Ampeg BA112 I know if I spent much more I could get much better, but thats not an option. Do people have strong feelings that any of these would be a bad choice or are they all much about the same? Many thanks for taking the time to reply. BassManiac