Amplifier has no aux in, what alternatives can I use?
As stated my amplifier has no Aux in jack. It's hindering me from practicing with an otherwise (imo) great amp (a Vox Pathfinder 15r).
Been thinking of using this to interface between the music player and my amplifier since the pathfinder 15r has a mono lineout: Tascam CD GT1 mk2
or maybe this? USB Guitar Link
thoughts?
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The USB guitar link is for recording your guitar into a computer. Useful, but not relevant to your needs here.
To play something like a CD player through a guitar amp, it is sometimes enough to connect the headphone output of the CD player, to the instrument input of the amp. You will need to turn the headphone volume right down, and turn down the gain/distortion on the amp - because the amp will distort a strong signal. Remember a guitar amp is designed to colour and distort the sound.
However, if what you want to do is practice alongside recorded backing music, you would probably be better off letting your guitar amp do what it's good at -- amplifying a guitar -- and have the backing music come from a separate amp and speaker. A cheap boombox or a set of PC speakers would be fine. This way you can adjust the tone of your guitar, without affecting the backing music.
If you plug your guitar into the guitar amp, connect the amplifier's line-out to the Tascam's line-in, and listen to the output of your Tascam through headphones (or some other amp/speaker setup -- one designed not to distort or colour) -- then you are effectively using your guitar amp as a bulky effects pedal.
That's fine, but note that some of the tonal qualities provided by the guitar amp come from the physical build of the speaker and cabinet, and of course if you're not using those, you don't get the benefit from them.
Different answer. I used to use a Tascam,and the chain was gtr - Tascam - amp., which is probably the path you mean. Yes, it'll work.The CD player in the Tascam will obviously let you play CDs,and you can plug the output from mp3 etc. into 'line in' on the Tascam. Be aware that the balance between inputs may be possible but you'll need to change the gain via the output source. All this will work, and the effects will only colour the guitar sound, so no real need to add an effects unit into the chain. If you did, it'd be gtr - effects - Tascam - amp.If all fails, read the instructions,which are fiddly to follow, but help tremendously.
Your simplest option would be to replace the amp with one that has an aux in.That way, the impedences for gtr. and mp3 or whatever are better balanced, and individually controllable for volume, tone etc.Provided you eq. your own amp, the sound will not be as awful as suggested - guitar amps WILL produce clean sounds when the gain is not excessive.Or, find another practice amp just for the backing tracks - 10 / 15 watts will be ample.Or, buy a small mixer - Behringer do great ones, and feed gtr in one channel and sounds through another.Problem with that is - if you want distortion on gtr., you'll have it on the other sound source as well.Good luck.
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