Jam-Along with Amp Head?

gtaus

Is it possible to use the Send/Tuner and Return loop on an amp head to jack in an mp3 player to jam along with? I just got a Berhinger BX4500H bass amp head and it does not have separate RCA inputs for an external player input. So I'm wondering if I can get a patch cord to go from my mp3 player to the Return jack in the head amp.

Another thought was to use one of my my small mixers, where I could jack both my guitar and mp3 player into the mixer and take the line out to the 1/4\" guitar input of the head.

Also, I have both active and passive bass guitars. The head amp has both active and passive 1/4\" guitar inputs. Could I have a guitar jacked into one input and the mp3 player jacked into the other?

The reason I am talking about an mp3 player, and not my GNX4, is because I have an mp3 player that allows me to change pitch, tempo, and loop sections of songs. So that is my main practice tool right now. Just trying to get some advice before I blow up anything.

gtaus

Also posted some other questions on active/passive bass guitars and using the GNX4 in a separate thread. Looking for some tech advice as I setup my new gear. Thanks for any help.

iliace

I would say, run your GNX as a soundcard, and play along with it that way with songs from the computer.

gtaus

My first idea was to just play along with files from the computer. In my music room, I have my computer jacked into my PA system. So no problem there if I go that route.

The reason I'm looking into other setups is that my BB410 bass speaker cab has a tweeter built into it that can be turned on/off. Just for fun, I hooked up an amp to the cab and jacked in an mp3 player. I was surprised at how good the mp3's sounded played through the bass cab. Honestly, I was expecting just mud from cab, thinking it was tuned and designed for bass guitar. But that tweeter really brings out the high end. So I got to thinking this rig would work for jamming along with and not having to fire up my full PA system and computer.

Also, the mp3 player I am using, is my Tascam DR-07. It's just super easy to turn on that one machine and play the files. I use the change tempo feature all the time until I learn the new songs, sometimes I have to change the pitch of the original, and of course, some passages I just like to loop over and over again until I get the part down. It's just easier to use the DR-07 than firing up the computer and the PA system.

Lots of the smaller practice amps have built in RCA aux inputs and headphone outputs. The B' head amp I got has neither. But it does have effects send/return jacks and I was wondering if they could be used as some sort of aux input, like the practice amps have for RCA inputs.

If no other options exist, I'll just jack my GNX4 into to the head amp and play my guitar and mp3 player through the GNX4. Or, just fire up the computer and PA and jam along with music.

iliace

OK, option 2: do you have some way to plug the Tascam into GNX line-in, or (better yet) mic input?

gtaus

I have a patch cord to go from my DR-07 headphone output to the GNX4 1/4\" line inputs. So I know that will work if I routed everything through the GNX4. If I can't use the effects send/return loop for jacking in the mp3 player, then I guess I'll go the GNX4 route. I am just trying to find the most basic setup I can use to get the job done. I use my GNX4 on stage, and it is usually packed away in the van with all the other stage gear. But I can dig it out and setup it up.

FYI, currently I use a small practice bass amp at home that has both aux inputs and headphone outputs. So I just jack the mp3 player directly into the practice amp and use my second bass guitar for practice. That allows me to keep all my stage gear packed in the van. That simplifies my life and I don't have to constantly move gear around. When I got the Behringer stack, I was just wondering if I could somehow transfer the same concept I use on the practice amp to the new head amp via the send/return effects loop (since there are no aux inputs on the head amp).

I don't envision taking out the B' stack very often to gigs. For most venues we play at, my small 15\" bass amp is more than enough for use as my stage monitor. So currently my B' stack is sitting at home and ready for practice. It would just be more fun to practice through the B' stack than my small practice amp.

I have just never used an effects loop on an amp before and was wondering if it could work as a mono aux input. From your posts, I get the feeling that it can't. But that's OK. Thanks for all the help.

iliace

You can try the FX loop. It won't hurt your amp. But, here is what I'm thinking, and please don't get offended.

You have the piece of equipment (GNX) that will do the job packed away.
You got a new, big amp, that isn't for gigging - that's what it sounds like from your depiction.
You have a smaller practice amp that does what you want.
Your new big amp doesn't do what you want.

So, why do you have it in the first place?

Now, to solve your problem, you'll need some sort of a mixer that accepts both the RCAs (or whatever output) from the MP3 player, and your bass. Both of those will be summed and sent to the bass amp. How you accomplish that? There is a myriad of ways, but the basic principle remains.

gtaus

\iliace\ wrote:

....But, here is what I'm thinking, and please don't get offended......So, why do you have it in the first place?....

Yes, indeed. I envision using that B' stack for larger venues and outdoor gigs. At 450 watts, it blows away my current 120 watt stage amp. Also, the B' stack does sound a whole better out of the 410 cab. But as you correctly point out, I play through my GNX4 and send the XLR output directly to the mixer, so most of my sound is from the FOH speakers.

I had never envisioned playing bass guitar this long. And now I have worked myself to a point where I am actually thinking I don't suck so much anymore. A lot of the newer songs the band is playing rely more and more on a melodic bass line - while the guitars are crunching away on power chords. So, I'm also more aware of my bass playing and the importance of my part in the band. There is also the point that the better I get, the more I can take advantage of better gear. The B' stack is much better than what I currently use.

I'm still in the 45 day free window for trying out the gear. I'm just looking for all the ways I can use the gear before I decide to keep it or send it back. You are right in that I probably really don't even need a 410 cab. But with a separate head amp, I'm thinking I could probably also get a 115 cab or a 210 cab for the typical smaller gigs. I've upgraded everything else in the band from our start; new mixer, FOH speakers, subs, stage vocal monitors, power amps, multitrack recorder, etc... So my bass amp was the last thing on my list.

gtaus

I found a workable solution to my original question. I went though my misc gig bag stuff and pulled out one of those portable headphone amps. It has both a 1/4\" guitar input and an aux input (for mp3 player), and it has headphone and 1/4\" outputs. So I am able to jack my mp3 player into the headphone amp aux input, along with my bass guitar, and take the 1/4\" output to the head amp guitar input. Easy solution that would work for any amp and/or just to use my headphones for private practice.

So I gave up on the idea of using the Send/Return effects loop. From what I have learned, I don't think that would have been a good idea anyway.

As a bonus, the headphone amp, patch cable, and mp3 player all fit easily into the pocket of my bass guitar gig backpack. That was a good deal as I had to go out of town for a few days and was able to pack everything in my guitar bag and hit the road. So I'm pretty happy with this setup that I can use both at home and on the road.