MP3 playback volume - still can't sort it - Solved

  • For my band we have a few intros to songs that are pre-recorded. I have struggled to find inexpensive hardware ( £100 or less) to play it back, but settled on a mobile phone ( no sim) with a sample playback - so just hit a button and it plays a 1 shot MP3.


    This is connected into my KPA with a splitter cable to the input jacks.


    Problem is, the volume out of the PA is significantly lower than my guitar volume, even with the phone and Aux in at max. The audio levels are reasonable volume as well without clipping and I don;t think my guitar rigs are set particularly high


    Recently I want to move away from the phone as its clumsy etc. and so looking at looper pedals, specifically the Digitech Jamman ( bought another loop but found it doesn't do the "one shot" so keeps playing in...yes you guessed it...a loop...Doh!!). I am assuming that I might get more gain out of that device than a mobile phone headphone out.


    So questions to the group:

    1) Anyone else do the same and what hardware do you use. The trigger pad devices are very expensive, the Akai MPX8 was awful.... Loopers are generally way more functional than I need but seem the closest..

    2) Anyone know if I'm likely to get more volume out of a looper pedal than the phone - line level versus headphone level ????? The Jamman has stereo out and I wondered if using both outs would make any difference than the current splitter to the separate outputs.

    3) Any other way of balancing the guitar output without reducing the volumes of each rig. I think reducing the volume to the main out will affect both guitar and MP3 output


    If this doesn't work then I might need a dedicated output to the PA. I'd rather avoid this as its extra hassle to set up.


    My utopia longer term would be to have the ability to import files to the KPA and play them as a single shot, triggered by the remote!


    Any suggestions???

  • I use this one but haven't used it live yet, or for intro lead ins. I use it mostly for rhythm track to play lead over. I imagine you can use it anyway you need. Has 5 minutes of loop time.


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    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • I use this one but haven't used it live yet, or for intro lead ins. I use it mostly for rhythm track to play lead over. I imagine you can use it anyway you need. Has 5 minutes of loop time.


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    Thanks dude. I looked at the ditto although not sure if it does the 1 shot playback?

  • Like this? I think the Ditto would be start button one click / stop button one click, then click start twice for next phrase. But the Boss is one click...


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  • Like this? I think the Ditto would be start button one click / stop button one click, then click start twice for next phrase. But the Boss is one click...

    Yes. Basically I am playing intros, so I want to kick it off and not have to stop it looping :). Both the Boss and Jamman do this, but couldn't see it on the ditto...

  • Main reason I got the X2, besides it can do stereo, is the two button feature to start/stop and it connects to Computer via USB to upload tracks. But for "click once" option then Boss probably the best option.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • My band plays along to click tracks so that we can have samples playing at the right times during the songs. Doesn’t sound like you’d need the click part of the equation but the same setup would solve your problem. I just use my iPad with the Soundcue app on it. You can load any MP3 you want (I have over 40 on mine). I run an 1/8” cord from the output of the MP3 into a direct box that i have mounted on my pedalboard and then a mic cable out of the direct box to the PA. It sounds like a lot to set up, but it’s really not. All I do each show is mount my iPad to my mic stand and plug in the cable from the direct box to the PA. Literally takes less than a minute. But then you get far more control over your samples than you would with a looper. You’d have a dedicated channel on the board so you could adjust the volume or EQ however you need.

  • My band plays along to click tracks so that we can have samples playing at the right times during the songs. Doesn’t sound like you’d need the click part of the equation but the same setup would solve your problem. I just use my iPad with the Soundcue app on it. You can load any MP3 you want (I have over 40 on mine). I run an 1/8” cord from the output of the MP3 into a direct box that i have mounted on my pedalboard and then a mic cable out of the direct box to the PA. It sounds like a lot to set up, but it’s really not. All I do each show is mount my iPad to my mic stand and plug in the cable from the direct box to the PA. Literally takes less than a minute. But then you get far more control over your samples than you would with a looper. You’d have a dedicated channel on the board so you could adjust the volume or EQ however you need.

    Thanks dude.


    Ironically that's what I'm trying to avoid - a direct output to the PA. I'd like to make better use of the aux in through the Kemper so I don't have the ask the sound guy for a separate channel.


    However, that might be the last resort.


    Click track would not work as I can't play in time :)

  • You could still use the phone/iPad solution when plugging into the KPA

  • I'm wondering how a headphone signal of a smartphone could be too low. Have you really cranked up the headphone volume control at your smartphone?

    Yes it is, hence it seemed strange.


    Yesterday the Jamman arrived......plugged in.....plenty of volume!!!! So problem solved now.


    I think the cause was:

    1) I did up the volume of the samples, although this was not significant

    2) I noticed the Aux mono checkbox was unchecked. Not sure if this makes a difference??

    3) I definitely think the Jamman provides more signal.


    Thanks all for your input. I add "solved" to the title.

  • The headphone out of my Samsung smart phone can deliver more than sufficient juice. Perhaps the jack doesn't completely fit into the socket e.g. because of a smart phone protection cover.


    Aux >Mono merges the signals of the ALTERNATIVE IN and RETURN (or RETURN 1 and 2 at Stage). This is for applications when you just have a mono signal source (and mono cable), which you would like to feed into both sides of the stereo image without using a split cable.

  • The headphone out of my Samsung smart phone can deliver more than sufficient juice. Perhaps the jack doesn't completely fit into the socket e.g. because of a smart phone protection cover.


    Aux >Mono merges the signals of the ALTERNATIVE IN and RETURN (or RETURN 1 and 2 at Stage). This is for applications when you just have a mono signal source (and mono cable), which you would like to feed into both sides of the stereo image without using a split cable.

    Yeah never got to the bottom of it but the jack did fit so not sure. Maybe it was the device itself or the player i was using?? Anyway sorted now :).


    Just to be clear on the Aux mono - If I'm running the jamman which has left and right outputs and I'm using one output to Alt in and one into return, then should I check it or does it not make any difference with a mono file ( sorry if thats a daft question) ? I assume I do....