#512232 - 04/14/04 04:43 PM
An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Mr. Phil
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OK, I am going to be recording my friend's band this weekend, and this will be the first time I've recorded a band (besides my former one).
A problem has occured though!
They have 5 people in their band that need to be listening at once, plus me. What I have been doing before was just using a bunch of Y-Cables out of the headphone jack. That seemed to work good, except I don't have enough for everyone, and I don't have enough money for a big Headphone amp.
So I was wondering if this will work:
I'll take a metal box, and have a 1/4" stereo input. Then somehow (this is where I need help) I want to connect 8-10 panelmount Stereo 1/4" jacks for outputs. This seems like a giant Y-cable to me.
What I need help with: Do I have to connect something in between the input jack and the output jacks? I was think of a ON/OFF switch, or a Volume Pot.
I've also seen something that looks like a whole bunch on connectors on a board. Kind of like something for phones or electric wiring.
Should I get one of these, or just splice the 2 groups of 10 wires together and solder them to their respective places?
I'm also guessing that I should just solder all the ground wires to the box. If thats wrong, please tell me.
Thanks so much guys.
~Phil~
P.S. I'll also be asking my dad what he thinks later, although he'll probably just yell at me about spending money.
This is also posted in the LowDown
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#512233 - 04/14/04 05:33 PM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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By the time you buy the power resistors (so that you don't blow anything up) and the connectors and the other associated crap, you will have spent the $100 that it costs to buy a cheap headphone amp.
Bill
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"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#512234 - 04/14/04 06:32 PM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Mr. Phil
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I don't want to get too technical there.
do I really need resistors? This is not going to have an internal amp. This will pretty much be like a 10 way Y-Cable.
I was figuring about $50 for everything.
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#512235 - 04/14/04 08:32 PM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Philip O'Keefe
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Just buy a cheap headphone amp. Yes, you would need resistors or you're going to possibly wind up frying something. Adding that many headphones with Y cables changes the resistance (load) on the headphone amp you're using, and you can quite easily burn it up.
Something like this would set you back around $90
http://www.music123.com/Rolls-RA53b-Five-Channel-Headphone-Amplifier-i99685.music
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#512236 - 04/14/04 09:25 PM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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fischi
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Doesnt this give some problems with adding impendances on the headphone-out?
The B-Brand has 4 and 8 channel headphone amplifiers for little money :rolleyes:
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#512237 - 04/14/04 10:12 PM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Mr. Phil
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I just learned about all this resistance and Ohms today in Physics. Too bad I was sleeping! 
I'll probably just buy a cheap 4 output and then use like 2 Y-cables.
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#512239 - 04/14/04 10:59 PM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Mr. Phil
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OK. Another (and probably only $20) solution.
I have an old home stereo amplifier that has only the right channel working.
My dad suggested taking the Monitor Outs to the Aux In on the stereo, and then have the 10 output box coming out from the speaker terminals.
Of Course this will only be mono. This sounds like a lot of work for not as good quality though. Also the stereo weighs about 20-30 pounds, so its just another piece of equipment to carry. (I already have my Recorder, Mics, Stands, Cables, and Mixer)
I will have my headphones coming from the recorder, because this stereo will probably color the tone too much.
Now something I just thought of now.
Could make like a couple boxes with 3-4 Outputs and then hook them up to each output on a real headphone amp? ( like this Samson or This Rolls amp )
Probably leaning towards the Samson there. Just because it looks better. :p
Therefore making it 1 output just for me, and having 9-12 outputs for everyone else?
Now How should I make the box? Stereo 1/4" with the left daisy chained to the lefts of the outputs and the same with the rights and the grounds (to the bottom or side of the box)
I'm getting very side-tracked with this and its kinda one of those things you have to figure out before you do anything else. 
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#512240 - 04/15/04 12:04 AM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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Okay, first off, everyone wants different volumes.
Secomnd... as you add those multiple haedphones to the output of the power amp, what happens to the ohmage? It is divided. How many times can you add headphones before the amp sees what it considers a dead short and smokes?
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#512241 - 04/15/04 12:58 AM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Mr. Phil
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Originally posted by bpark@prorec.com:
Okay, first off, everyone wants different volumes.
Originally posted by bpark@prorec.com:
Secomnd... as you add those multiple haedphones to the output of the power amp, what happens to the ohmage? It is divided. How many times can you add headphones before the amp sees what it considers a dead short and smokes?
Would it? Or would there be a way to prevent that? Is there a certain resistor that I could put in bewtween the input and outputs?
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#512242 - 04/15/04 02:45 AM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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where02190
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Ying 5 sets of headphones together would definitely nto work. the impedance drop would most likely smoke anything you plugged it into, and if it didn't it would be pretty distorted and underpowered.
You're ready to spend $50 and build something that will take you a few hours. How much is your time worth? For less than $100 I gave you links to several very good solutions that most definitely will work.
don't be pennywise and pound foolish, you could easily end up with many pairs of blown headphones.
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Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording.
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#512243 - 04/15/04 11:46 AM
Re: An idea for a Headphone Splitter - Give me Ideas
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Mr. Phil
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OK, I'm not making any stupid boxes anymore (although it sounded fun and right at the time).
I'm gonna buy either the Rolls headphone amp or the Samson S-amp and I have 3 Y cables if I need them.
Problem solved.
(although I like making suff.)
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