Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Big_Al on 18 August 2013, 12:58:43
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hi guys,
a bit of advice required if anyone can help .
Need to slightly modify my "portable" battery powered guitar amp & backing track playback system that I have constructed to be able to play anywhere outside without mains power .
This comes to light from yesterdays system try out session at the Wycombe meet .
The small 12v powered amplifier that I have has a decent guitar channel with good EQ etc. as well as a MP3 /CD input for playing the backing tracks .
BUT . . . This MP3 /CD input has no level control at all . I am using both my old Sony "walkman" minidisc player & my newish Samsung galaxy 7" tablet to supply the backing tracks . :'( :'(
It seems the levels of these tracks are at many slightly different output levels & although there is volume adjustment on both, these are difficult to adjust quickly & accurately from either the walkman or the tablet themselves between tracks .
The connection lead from these devices is simply a 3.5mm stereo jack plug & is taken from the headphone out sockets on these.
Question is can I make up a 3.5mm stereo jack lead with a simple passive rotary volume pot in the line for easy & quick adjustment of the level ?
If so what type of pot do I need & how do i wire it ? :-\ :-\
TIA to any electronics wiz who can sort this for me Regards, Al :y :y :y
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Summat like this? :-\
http://www.t2retail.co.uk/Wired/Volume-Control-Cable-for-Stereo-Headphones (http://www.t2retail.co.uk/Wired/Volume-Control-Cable-for-Stereo-Headphones)
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Question is can I make up a 3.5mm stereo jack lead with a simple passive rotary volume pot in the line for easy & quick adjustment of the level ?
You could, but it wouldn't be very effective, you wouldn't be able to get any volume boost if you have a track that is particularly quiet, and the potential for impedance mismatch is right up there with that scenario.
Something like the FiiO E5 Headphone Amplifier (http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-E5-BK-E05-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0026RJQJ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376827720&sr=1-1&keywords=fiio+e5+amp) will do just what you want, and the battery lasts all day with ease (I used to use one before I started boosting the output volume on the phone itself).
I may still have one kicking around somewhere, if I do then you can have it.
EDIT:
Just found it, it's the FiiO E6 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-E06-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376828012&sr=1-1&keywords=fiio+e6+amp) I have.
PM me your addy and I'll pop it in the post.
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Question is can I make up a 3.5mm stereo jack lead with a simple passive rotary volume pot in the line for easy & quick adjustment of the level ?
You could, but it wouldn't be very effective, you wouldn't be able to get any volume boost if you have a track that is particularly quiet, and the potential for impedance mismatch is right up there with that scenario.
Something like the FiiO E5 Headphone Amplifier (http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-E5-BK-E05-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0026RJQJ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376827720&sr=1-1&keywords=fiio+e5+amp) will do just what you want, and the battery lasts all day with ease (I used to use one before I started boosting the output volume on the phone itself).
I may still have one kicking around somewhere, if I do then you can have it.
EDIT:
Just found it, it's the FiiO E6 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-E06-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376828012&sr=1-1&keywords=fiio+e6+amp) I have.
PM me your addy and I'll pop it in the post.
Wow! :o :o Thanks Opimal . . . once again OOF at it's best :y :y
Would like to try it & if it does what I need , would like to offer you something for it at least :y
PM being sent now . thanks very much , regards, Al :y :y
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Summat like this? :-\
http://www.t2retail.co.uk/Wired/Volume-Control-Cable-for-Stereo-Headphones (http://www.t2retail.co.uk/Wired/Volume-Control-Cable-for-Stereo-Headphones)
hi BM . . .I need something that has quite a large "Knob" on . . . excuse my french . . . but I may need to adjust it while playing sometimes .
Was thinking along the lines of how the volume control works on the actual guitar pick up's . :-\
Think I may have been sorted by a very kind offer from Optimalkiller though.
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You could make up a very simple and cheap Passive Mixer to fed to Filo or MP3 Amp in, that way you could pre set the input level from each devise separately.
I draw something and post it in a minuet. Chris. ;)
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Something like this, 3 x 10K Volume Pots or sliders (Logarithmic), this way the output impedance should be fairly constant.
(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg299/zirk-photos/DSC02867.jpg) (http://s251.photobucket.com/user/zirk-photos/media/DSC02867.jpg.html)
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
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Thanks Chris,
seems simple enough. But I could be totally wrong here , that sketch looks like mono . Is it just the case of converting the stereo lead from the device (stereo . . .2 x hot tips & 2 commons to a mono plug with the 2 hots linked to the one hot tip of a mono plug ?
Presume it will be 3.5 stereo plugs in & out from the FiiO as well
Also which tag on the pots . . thinking theres usually 3 ? or are these all linked & any one will do ? :-\ :-\ :-\
Although I used 2 devices yesterday . . it is my plan to use just the tablet as I can get all my backing tracks (250 odd) on the one device in various playlist formats.
The problem with tablet is altering the volume is very hap hazard . . .either full on or almost off . . it is difficult to get a small defined adjustment with out fiddling for a second or two . . probably because of my "banana sized " fingers :-[ :-[ :-[
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
Sorry Albs , only available from Zirk & Essex Al (patented & copyrighted) Enterprises ;D ;D ;D ;D
albs tried taking a 3.5 mm stereo jack from your compuer headphone /line out & putting into your stereo aux input .I've been doing that for years now . . .seems to work well for practice purposes ;) ;) unless your using a Marshall stack or similar for practice
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hi BM . . .I need something that has quite a large "Knob" on . . . excuse my french . . . but I may need to adjust it while playing sometimes .
Was thinking along the lines of how the volume control works on the actual guitar pick up's . :-\
Think I may have been sorted by a very kind offer from Optimalkiller though.
That might be an issue for you, the volume control on the FiiO is a 64 step "up/down button" type.
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id personally set up a series of resistors and link them to the tablet through a circuit protection device to allow for the note C minor,on the pre out volume I would run it through a 40watt monofilament bulb to reduce the impedance and amalgamate a varied magnitudal ampage inverter switched simply through a 3 way rocker switch :y
simple really :-* ;D
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The problem with tablet is altering the volume is very hap hazard . . .either full on or almost off . . it is difficult to get a small defined adjustment with out fiddling for a second or two . . probably because of my "banana sized " fingers :-[ :-[ :-[
You should be ok with the FiiO once you get used to the volume control, it's a 64 step jobby so adjustment can be quite made in quite small increments.
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Thanks Chris,
seems simple enough. But I could be totally wrong here , that sketch looks like mono . Is it just the case of converting the stereo lead from the device (stereo . . .2 x hot tips & 2 commons to a mono plug with the 2 hots linked to the one hot tip of a mono plug ?
Presume it will be 3.5 stereo plugs in & out from the FiiO as well
Also which tag on the pots . . thinking theres usually 3 ? or are these all linked & any one will do ? :-\ :-\ :-\
Although I used 2 devices yesterday . . it is my plan to use just the tablet as I can get all my backing tracks (250 odd) on the one device in various playlist formats.
The problem with tablet is altering the volume is very hap hazard . . .either full on or almost off . . it is difficult to get a small defined adjustment with out fiddling for a second or two . . probably because of my "banana sized " fingers :-[ :-[ :-[
Yep, mono, is your Amp stereo?, if so just double up with Dual Gang Pots or Sliders (Sliders can go noisy after a while due to the crap that can get in them), being Logarithmic you need to wire them correctly, as you say 3 pins per channel, the sliders are normally marked which one needs to go to ground, the Pots with 3 pins work as per Volume control so as you look down on it from the front, left would be ground, centre i/p and right o/p ie clockwise, if that makes sense..
If your amp is mono, which I suspect it is, then just short Left and Right on all the inputs jacks. ;)
On the level side just put your devices on near full volume and let the mixer do the rest. ;)
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
Sorry Albs , only available from Zirk & Essex Al (patented & copyrighted) Enterprises ;D ;D ;D ;D
albs tried taking a 3.5 mm stereo jack from your compuer headphone /line out & putting into your stereo aux input .I've been doing that for years now . . .seems to work well for practice purposes ;) ;) unless your using a Marshall stack or similar for practice
In simple terms. Wee small jack at one end of the lead,and a big one on the other end,yes ? :-\ ;D ;D.....are such leads generally available.
The amp is a Marshall btw..............................................................................10w practice amp. :D
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
Any bits like this that you need doing Albs, just let me know, :y
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id personally set up a series of resistors and link them to the tablet through a circuit protection device to allow for the note C minor,on the pre out volume I would run it through a 40watt monofilament bulb to reduce the impedance and amalgamate a varied magnitudal ampage inverter switched simply through a 3 way rocker switch :y
simple really :-* ;D
sounds good but have not got a 40 foot HGV trailer to carry around in ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
PS. by the way . . C minor is either a chord or a key not a note ;) ;) ;D ;D ;D
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id personally set up a series of resistors and link them to the tablet through a circuit protection device to allow for the note C minor,on the pre out volume I would run it through a 40watt monofilament bulb to reduce the impedance and amalgamate a varied magnitudal ampage inverter switched simply through a 3 way rocker switch :y
simple really :-* ;D
sounds good but have not got a 40 foot HGV trailer to carry around in ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
PS. by the way . . C minor is either a chord or a key not a note ;) ;) ;D ;D ;D
testing you there big al,i knew that ::)
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
Sorry Albs , only available from Zirk & Essex Al (patented & copyrighted) Enterprises ;D ;D ;D ;D
albs tried taking a 3.5 mm stereo jack from your compuer headphone /line out & putting into your stereo aux input .I've been doing that for years now . . .seems to work well for practice purposes ;) ;) unless your using a Marshall stack or similar for practice
In simple terms. Wee small jack at one end of the lead,and a big one on the other end,yes ? :-\ ;D ;D.....are such leads generally available.
The amp is a Marshall btw..............................................................................10w practice amp. :D
Does it have a separate Aux in though?.
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Thanks Chris,
seems simple enough. But I could be totally wrong here , that sketch looks like mono . Is it just the case of converting the stereo lead from the device (stereo . . .2 x hot tips & 2 commons to a mono plug with the 2 hots linked to the one hot tip of a mono plug ?
Presume it will be 3.5 stereo plugs in & out from the FiiO as well
Also which tag on the pots . . thinking theres usually 3 ? or are these all linked & any one will do ? :-\ :-\ :-\
Although I used 2 devices yesterday . . it is my plan to use just the tablet as I can get all my backing tracks (250 odd) on the one device in various playlist formats.
The problem with tablet is altering the volume is very hap hazard . . .either full on or almost off . . it is difficult to get a small defined adjustment with out fiddling for a second or two . . probably because of my "banana sized " fingers :-[ :-[ :-[
Yep, mono, is your Amp stereo?, if so just double up with Dual Gang Pots or Sliders (Sliders can go noisy after a while due to the crap that can get in them), being Logarithmic you need to wire them correctly, as you say 3 pins per channel, the sliders are normally marked which one needs to go to ground, the Pots with 3 pins work as per Volume control so as you look down on it from the front, left would be ground, centre i/p and right o/p ie clockwise, if that makes sense..
If your amp is mono, which I suspect it is, then just short Left and Right on all the inputs jacks. ;)
On the level side just put your devices on near full volume and let the mixer do the rest. ;)
yep mono guitar amp . Think i've got it now . . . was just confirming about linking left & right where a mono plug is required :y
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
Sorry Albs , only available from Zirk & Essex Al (patented & copyrighted) Enterprises ;D ;D ;D ;D
albs tried taking a 3.5 mm stereo jack from your compuer headphone /line out & putting into your stereo aux input .I've been doing that for years now . . .seems to work well for practice purposes ;) ;) unless your using a Marshall stack or similar for practice
In simple terms. Wee small jack at one end of the lead,and a big one on the other end,yes ? :-\ ;D ;D.....are such leads generally available.
The amp is a Marshall btw..............................................................................10w practice amp. :D
Does it have a separate Aux in though?.
i may have confused things here for you albs . . i meant . .take a 3.5mm from your laptop line out/headphone & plug into your home hi fi aux input . these may be 2 x phono plugs . . . but all these hybrid leads are avaiable from Teralec at rochford essex.
It would also work if you have an aux or MP3 / CD input on your marshall amp . But unlikely on that model i think :-\ :-\
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Thanks Chris,
seems simple enough. But I could be totally wrong here , that sketch looks like mono . Is it just the case of converting the stereo lead from the device (stereo . . .2 x hot tips & 2 commons to a mono plug with the 2 hots linked to the one hot tip of a mono plug ?
Presume it will be 3.5 stereo plugs in & out from the FiiO as well
Also which tag on the pots . . thinking theres usually 3 ? or are these all linked & any one will do ? :-\ :-\ :-\
Although I used 2 devices yesterday . . it is my plan to use just the tablet as I can get all my backing tracks (250 odd) on the one device in various playlist formats.
The problem with tablet is altering the volume is very hap hazard . . .either full on or almost off . . it is difficult to get a small defined adjustment with out fiddling for a second or two . . probably because of my "banana sized " fingers :-[ :-[ :-[
Yep, mono, is your Amp stereo?, if so just double up with Dual Gang Pots or Sliders (Sliders can go noisy after a while due to the crap that can get in them), being Logarithmic you need to wire them correctly, as you say 3 pins per channel, the sliders are normally marked which one needs to go to ground, the Pots with 3 pins work as per Volume control so as you look down on it from the front, left would be ground, centre i/p and right o/p ie clockwise, if that makes sense..
If your amp is mono, which I suspect it is, then just short Left and Right on all the inputs jacks. ;)
On the level side just put your devices on near full volume and let the mixer do the rest. ;)
yep mono guitar amp . Think i've got it now . . . was just confirming about linking left & right where a mono plug is required :y
Yep, just to confirm you cant use a mono plug in a stereo output socket (ie, headphone) as you only get one channel, the other channel will be shorted to ground by the mono plug design, so stereo plug and short left and right together. ;)
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
Sorry Albs , only available from Zirk & Essex Al (patented & copyrighted) Enterprises ;D ;D ;D ;D
albs tried taking a 3.5 mm stereo jack from your compuer headphone /line out & putting into your stereo aux input .I've been doing that for years now . . .seems to work well for practice purposes ;) ;) unless your using a Marshall stack or similar for practice
In simple terms. Wee small jack at one end of the lead,and a big one on the other end,yes ? :-\ ;D ;D.....are such leads generally available.
The amp is a Marshall btw..............................................................................10w practice amp. :D
Does it have a separate Aux in though?.
i may have confused things here for you albs . . i meant . .take a 3.5mm from your laptop line out/headphone & plug into your home hi fi aux input . these may be 2 x phono plugs . . . but all these hybrid leads are avaiable from Teralec at rochford essex.
It would also work if you have an aux or MP3 / CD input on your marshall amp . But unlikely on that model i think :-\ :-\
Amp has a socket which says "CD in / emulated line out" would that do the job with a lead from my laptop. Don't even have a home hi-fi anyore Al,but would be playing at work anyway.
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I want one of those Zirk. Make me one,theres a good fella. :y ;D
The only time I bother picking up guitar is to play along to music on youtube.Obviously the volume of the amp (even very low) drowns out the speaker on my laptop. Hence the last time I bothered trying was the Christmas before last. :-[ ::)
Sorry Albs , only available from Zirk & Essex Al (patented & copyrighted) Enterprises ;D ;D ;D ;D
albs tried taking a 3.5 mm stereo jack from your compuer headphone /line out & putting into your stereo aux input .I've been doing that for years now . . .seems to work well for practice purposes ;) ;) unless your using a Marshall stack or similar for practice
In simple terms. Wee small jack at one end of the lead,and a big one on the other end,yes ? :-\ ;D ;D.....are such leads generally available.
The amp is a Marshall btw..............................................................................10w practice amp. :D
Does it have a separate Aux in though?.
i may have confused things here for you albs . . i meant . .take a 3.5mm from your laptop line out/headphone & plug into your home hi fi aux input . these may be 2 x phono plugs . . . but all these hybrid leads are avaiable from Teralec at rochford essex.
It would also work if you have an aux or MP3 / CD input on your marshall amp . But unlikely on that model i think :-\ :-\
Amp has a socket which says "CD in / emulated line out" would that do the job with a lead from my laptop. Don't even have a home hi-fi anyore Al,but would be playing at work anyway.
Yep. :y
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Best get me a lead then,Cheers. :y
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Best get me a lead then,Cheers. :y
no probs . . . laptop end will be 3.5 mm stereo jack ( little one in your terms ;D ;D )
CD in on your marshall will probably be 6.5mm or 1/4 " in old terms .
easy way out is just to get a 3.5mm to 6.5mm adaptor ,where the the small 3.5mm jack coming from the laptop plugs into this & then the adaptor being 6.5mm goes straight in your amp . . sorted :y
If i know for sure the plug sizes for both the laptop out & amp CD input I can get you one . But probably got a couple knocking about here anyway ;) ;)
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I might have an adaptor among all my tat here Al.Will have a look .If not I will give you a shout. :y
Thanks Al & Zirk :y
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albs . . post up or pm me the actual model number of the marshall amp .
i'm thinking that the Cd input on the amp could be 2 x phono plugs. Not a problem . . just need to know ;)
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Looks like a standard jack input to me Al.
Its the same as this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARSHALL-MG10CD-Series-GUITAR-AMPLIFIER-no-Reserve-/190882296163?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c7178b163&nma=true&si=Ft3Yo83ezqfVyzUfaDdR6SYvgIc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
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If you have issues with varying volumes on MP3s, remember that a lot of ripping software will normalise the level of the music during the ripping process, so you can standardise on a level and make all your tracks the same. :y
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If you have issues with varying volumes on MP3s, remember that a lot of ripping software will normalise the level of the music during the ripping process, so you can standardise on a level and make all your tracks the same. :y
Thanks Kevin,
my son was trying to explain to me that was a possibility. he is looking into it :y
My trouble is I'm useless with this IT tech stuff. Probably really simple to most people . . but remember you are dealing with a complete PC dummy here :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[
should be able to get it sorted now though . . . .if not . . don't worry I'll be shouting again ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Just to add to Kevin's comment, there are also media players (PowerAMP being one) available on Android Market that have a feature called "Replay Gain".
When that option is enabled, the player carries out automatic volume levelling across all the tracks that are selected.
I'll still post you the headphone amp anyway, but that is another option you could look in to.