Arts >> Music >> Recording Music

How To Build a Bass Headphone Amplifier

A bass headphone amplifier is a portable headphone amplifier designed specifically for use with the bass guitar. Practicing late at night or backstage before a gig can be difficult without bothering others. Using a regular headphone amplifier produces poor results because bass guitars require special signal processing. Building a small personal amplifier attenuated for bass is a simple project that requires minimal special skills or knowledge.

Things You'll Need

  • 25-watt soldering iron
  • Rosin-core solder
  • Small Protoboard
  • 2 Audio Jacks
  • Metal film resistors
  • On-off switch
  • Capacitor
  • Knob
  • Project enclosure
  • Small jumper wires
  • Power drill
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Use the Internet to search for and choose a bass headphone amplifier circuit schematic. Using symbols to represent electronic components and lines to represent how components are wired, a circuit schematic is the guide to construction. Most headphone amplifier schematics are compact and run on batteries.

    • 2

      Write down of all the different electronic components and their specifications, using the schematic. Purchase the necessary electronic components from electronics retailer. A bass headphone amplifier generally requires capacitors, resistors, transistors, on-off switch, battery socket, a potentiometer and audio pins.

    • 3

      Populate the protoboard with the electronic components by inserting the connecting pins of each component into the sockets. Arrange the electronic components in a layout that resembles the circuit schematic.

    • 4

      Turn the protoboard over, and begin wiring the electronic components according to the schematic. For connections more than one hole apart on the protoboard, use a small wire jumper. Insert the exposed copper tip of the jumper directly into the protoboard with the connection pin of the electronic component. Place the rosin-core solder against the joint of the wire and connection pin, and touch the heated tip of the 25-watt soldering iron to the solder. Melt a small amount of solder to the joint, and remove the soldering iron. For connections one hole apart on the protoboard, solder the pins directly together.

    • 5

      Drill four small holes into the project enclosure for the audio-in, audio-out, on-off and potentiometer. Remove the knob from the potentiometer, and then place the completed circuit into the project enclosure. Fit the nub of the potentiometer through the pre-drilled hole, and then re-attach the knob from the outside of the project enclosure.

Recording Music

Related Categories