hey guys,

i tried using headphones at a gig but the drummer was way louder than the headphone signal...so it was useless. i was using an AB switch guitar pedal so i could send the signal to my phones and then switch to the PA when i had the right sample.....but like i said volume was an issue

MY QUESTION IS:

What do i need so i can monitor my samples before i send them out to PA? headphone pre amp? whats a decent cheaper one?

thanks

Maybe use a small pa/studio mixer - they have headphone outputs (loud too) and are very convenient for routing and monitoring.

I'd be careful. You can have the cans as loud as you want with the right amp - and suffer permanent hearing loss for your trouble.

How about fully enclosed headphones designed for isolation so you'll hear less of the outside? You might not need a louder amp then.

If the 'phones you have now are semi-open type (meant for normal listening - not monitoring in isolation), then any enclosed 'phones will be an improvement.

Jim

I agree you can use a small studio mixer so you can monitor the sound output via headphone. By using it you can also balance the sound coming from the drums as well as the other instruments. I don’t know but I can suggest to you to try Senheisser or BeyerDynamic.

to hear over something loud you'll want headphones with good isolation too. Consider dj headphones, particularly ones like Sennheiser HD 280 pro's...good cheap, flat sounding, and will block out whatever you need.

In-ear molded headphones are another possibility.. when custom fitted they give excellent noise reduction and frequency response