As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Issue 9 – Autumn 2019 – Ladies of Metal
After having tested out the Yamaha SessionCake SC-01, I was also given the SC-02 to try. For those who aren’t familiar with the SessionCake, it is a portable mixing headphone amplifier that can be powered by batteries. It allows players to have silent rehearsals — ideal for those who may not have access to a rehearsal spot, have close neighbors or children and want to practice late at night, or any other reason you may need to keep your rehearsals quiet.
The SC-02 allows you to connect with multiple players that can all hear each other. It allows you to create your own headphone mix through this device, along with the levels of the other mixes that are coming through other SessionCakes. The SC-01 is not all that much different to the SC-02 — the only difference being that the SC-01 is aimed at guitar, bass or anything that uses a single jack input, whereas the SC-02 has a microphone XLR input and a stereo line input. These additional inputs allow for vocals, keyboards, electronic drumkits, or any electronic instrument that can be connected via an input.
Often in rehearsals, I have problems getting a good mix, whether it be that I can’t hear my own vocals or some members are too loud while others are too quiet. This can become problematic as the volume levels are going to be different depending on where you are standing in the room. The SessionCake solves a lot of these problems, and it’s ideal if all of your band members owned one as it has the ability to link up to eight devices.
Another plus is that you can also rehearse without the need for an amp or PA system. There is also an app you can download to be able to add effects as not many people like playing with a dry signal. Personally, I’d probably prefer rehearsing full volume but would need to test it out with a full band before I could make up my mind on that one. I was able to check it out with a mic and a keyboard, and it worked great and I had hours of fun checking out everything this device has to offer.
All in all, I think the SessionCake SC-02 is a very nifty little device for jam sessions. It’s lightweight making it very portable, fun, affordable, and great for beginners or pros alike.
For more information and specifications, visit usa.Yamaha.com.
Price: $99.99
