Guitar Amp and Headphones

[Squid_uk]

Hey guys!

I dont know if this is possible but I was thinking the other day...

Is it possible to be able to play music from my iPod through my guitar amp (Marshall AVT) whilst being able to play the guitar through the amp at the same time? So i can play along and also then listen to it all through a set of headphones (so i don't upset the neighbours)

[Silvas]

Buy a Line 6 amp and that ability is built in!

[Poppa_Meth]

Does it have a parallel effects loop on it? My halfstack (also Marshall) has an effects loop that I can set to Serial or Parallel. If set to parallel it runs the guitar signal straight through and mixes the input from the effects loop in with it. This is generally used to put a sound processor in line and have a clean signal mixed with the processed signal. I'm not sure if it'll work with just the input from the effects loop being used and not the output from the preamp. Also you have to deal with level issues. The ipod isn't going to have nearly the initial input power as the preamp in the Marshall has.

[Stiiv]

A quick & dirty way would be to run the iPod output into one amp channel & your guitar through another channel.....

Me? I'd use a headphone amp like the PocketRockit, which has a line-in jack for this exact purpose.

[Lucifers_Ghost]

I'm sort of lucky in that I can plug my mp3 directly into my effects pod.

[Nitro89]

line6 amps sound good, but after a while they all break, I was going to get one but they unfortunately crap out, bought a Peavy Vypyr instead, can't wait till it arrives. As for playing your music through an amp, I'd look at special 2-way connecters between the guitar lead and an mp3 plugin thing. But if you just want to play music through your amp, turn up the distortion, but your headphones over the pickups and play the music, but you can't play your guitar whilst doing that.

[Squid_uk]

Right guys i've had a look at my amp and this it what i have,

A serial port for the Footswitch, then the rest are jack plugs, Headphone, Emulated Line Output (Left and right), Fix return (Left and Right), FX Level and finally FX Send

[Poppa_Meth]

It sounds a lot like mine. Mine has a little push button though to switch the FX loop between serial and parallel. If you don't have such a button then your FX loop is serial only. It sounds like you need to run a signal from your preamp, into your FX unit and back into the power amp on your Marshall. That means you can't run and ipod though it since you can't run the loop into the ipod. You'll have to settle for finding an adapter to split your input. We use to play a bass and a guitar through the same amp back when we were broke and stupid. A simple Y Splitter got both instruments hooked up to one input. You can't adjust your levels very well though. If you do this turn your ipod volume all the way down to start and work up gradually. Amps like this are designed to pick up a passive signal not a powered amplified signal like an ipod will put out.

[Squid_uk]

The only push button mine has on the back is an FX Level button!

[rallynavvie]

I don't mix using my amp. I do use my iPod for playback with headphones, but I'm using a Pandora when I practice without the amp. Pretty neat little box with a surprising amount of effects in it.

[Squid_uk]

So really what im asking isnt possible with the equipment i have

[Poppa_Meth]

It's possible. It's just not going to sound very good. You're only real option here is a Y splitter and you won't be able to mix the guitar and ipod signals very well. It could be difficult to make the setup usable.

[Squid_uk]

What about bypassing through one of my pedals? Digitech whammy?

[Poppa_Meth]

I've never used that pedal. It's possible to do it depending on how it'll let you mix the signals.