Eleanor Fudd
Member
I assumed that the interface preamps did the job.
[It's a good thing there's a newbie section.....]
[It's a good thing there's a newbie section.....]
Steenamaroo
...
Might be worth reading some of the tweeks guides and things like that to get your terminology sussed.
In this scenario a preamp amplifies a the signal from a microphone.
Your interface (which has a preamp/preamps in it) may have a headphone output.
If it does, you don't need a separate amplifier.
What interface do you have?
In this scenario a preamp amplifies a the signal from a microphone.
Your interface (which has a preamp/preamps in it) may have a headphone output.
If it does, you don't need a separate amplifier.
What interface do you have?
Eleanor Fudd
Member
Right. Then why buy a headphone amp? Does it do a better job of boosting the signal?
Steenamaroo
...
Simply, Yes.
They can usually take line inputs too, so you could use one where a built in headphone output isn't available.
They can usually take line inputs too, so you could use one where a built in headphone output isn't available.
J
jaygee
New member
It may boost the signal more depending on the design, but the interface headphone output should be adequate.
If you need to drive more than 1 pair of headphones, then a multiple output headphone amp would be needed.
If you need to drive more than 1 pair of headphones, then a multiple output headphone amp would be needed.
Seafroggys
Well-known member
I have a seperate headphone amp so I can have multiple headphone channels. My Firestudio has one headphone out (that I use), then I have an HP4 which uses 4 headphones (split on one signal) that the musicians use.
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
For normal use, a headphone output on your interface should be fine.
Two reasons somebody might use a headphone amp though. First, if (for example) you have a mixer, you can create one or more customised mixes using auxes and take the line output into a headphone amp for musicians to have in their headphones.
Or, as already mentioned, if you're recording several people at once, a headphone amp with multiple outputs can let you give headphone feeds to several people at once.
But, for most things a solo musician would do at home, the output on your interface is fine.
Two reasons somebody might use a headphone amp though. First, if (for example) you have a mixer, you can create one or more customised mixes using auxes and take the line output into a headphone amp for musicians to have in their headphones.
Or, as already mentioned, if you're recording several people at once, a headphone amp with multiple outputs can let you give headphone feeds to several people at once.
But, for most things a solo musician would do at home, the output on your interface is fine.
Eleanor Fudd
Member
Thanks for all these replies. That explains it well.
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