recording and listening to playbacks

[flowerdoodle]

Hello,
I need help. I use an M-Audio fasttrack interface into a macbook and garageband to record. So, my problem is: Say Im recording a song with a friend-- Im recording a part, earphones on, listening to the track, playing my bass part, lets say. And say after 3 or 4 attempts I like the take and I want to hear it in the monitors (out loud) so that my buddy can hear it too. How do I make that a fluid transition?? I dont have proper monitors, so instead I use a p.a. and its speakers or a pair of small computer speakers (Im poor).

Is it possible to transition between "recording w/ headphones" and "playback on monitors" without having to "unplug my headphones from the interface, look around the floor for the speaker cable and then plug that in" etc ????

Please help. Do I need monitors that will plug into the back of the interface and then I just use the A/B button? Do I need an amplifier?

 

[guitarplayr82]

One choice would be to get an A/B box for your speakers and headphones. You could also switch the output through software by leaving your monitors plugged into the interface at all times, using the headphones with the computer's soundcard, and switching the output in the DAW. A final option would be to split the output signal and have it go to both the headphones and speakers and only turn up the speakers when you want to hear them.