How can you hook up one set of headphones to two sources?

GeoNjules · #1 December 12th, 2006

Wanting to know if I could hook up my CD player and guitar to one set of headphones for private jam.
I looked on the for some type of splitter cable, with no luck.

D-Dawn · #2 December 12th, 2006

My sons amp has places for both...Fender G-DEC..other than a splitter I dunno.

solidwalnut · #3 December 12th, 2006

Try an inexpensive mixer, like the ARTPro Mixer for $80, or go all the way and get a Tascam guitar trainer.

Steve

fly135 · #4 December 12th, 2006

A headphone is a speaker driven with a power source. Probably not a good idea mixing two power sources by tying the wires togeather. I have a Tascam like solidwalnut mentioned. Really nice but a bit pricey $150. It does what it meant to do well though.

allthumbs · #5 December 12th, 2006

I used to do that all the time with my modeler and my mp3 player when I was away from home. You just need a Y splitter with the correct adapters plugged into it for the various sized jacks. The Source or Radio Shack will have that stuff. That is where I got mine.

Matty22 · #6 December 13th, 2006

If you cant buy a cable to do it, its fairly easy to make one....
Buy the connectors(2xmale 1xfemale). and a lump of wire. Join the two tails to the female connector (where headphones plug into), and solder them up, and do the same on the other two ends.... Just make sure to keep the polarity the same, otherwise you'll end up with phasing problems, where one speaker will be pushing and the other is pulling.

WernHalen · #7 December 13th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by allthumbs

I used to do that all the time with my modeler and my mp3 player when I was away from home. You just need a Y splitter with the correct adapters plugged into it for the various sized jacks. The Source or Radio Shack will have that stuff. That is where I got mine.

Thank you Marty, you have just saved me a couple of rands. I have been looking at getting a headphone amplifier, that will be able to mix two sources... I have been meaning to do it the way you suggested but were not sure if it is do able...

GeoNjules · #8 December 13th, 2006

Thanks for the help all.
I found some plugs and adapters lying around the house, and gave it a try. it worked........sorta. The guitar works alright, but when plug in the stereo I get a loud buzz, and can barely hear the CD in the background.

WernHalen · #9 December 13th, 2006

Could be that the levels are all wrong between the CD player and the Guitar, or it could be that the wires you are using are wired wrong...

Matty22 · #10 December 13th, 2006

Id say check the wiring.... Sounds like its grounding out (ie: shoring to the ground)

Matty22 · #11 December 13th, 2006

If you want to get tricky... .You should be able to pan them too..
By joining both wires from 1 side of the Y to the Left of the head phones, and the same for the right.....

fly135 · #12 December 13th, 2006

It would be just a standard stereo 1/8" Y adapter. Used all the time for attaching two headphones to one sound source. However, you would need to also buy a female to male gender convertor because you need two male plugs and one female.

The guitar is going to need somekind of amplification. No way is is going to drive headphones. Plus there is always the chance that the pickup coil will burn up from running the CD headphone amp into it.

I still question how well this will work. Although it probably unlikely that it will harm anything, except maybe your pups.

GeoNjules · #13 December 13th, 2006

I tried running thru an amp, w/o amp w my effect box(5 watt).I have the proper wires and plugs. Guess I'll quit being a cheap a$$, and by one of those little mixer boxes. Saw one for $25....Thanks again.

GeoNjules · #14 December 13th, 2006

I'm kinda new at this. Will this work?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/docum...ive&sku=180635

Rockerbob · #15 December 13th, 2006

You need something like this:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MacroMix