Wow, this is a cool idea. Radial Engineering’s new H-Amp allows you to take a headphone feed off the signal that goes to a speaker. If your drummer is like Alex Van Halen and they only want guitar in their headphones, this is an easy way of providing it. Or you can take a feed off the monitor so you can wear huge headphones on stage like Paul Gilbert (I know he does that because he damaged his hearing, but I just think it looks cool too).

Here’s the press release:

Radial Engineering Presents Radial H-Amp Speaker to Headphone Driver
January 13, 2009

Radial Engineering Ltd. announces the release of the Radial H-Amp, a unique passive interface that lets you take any speaker signal and convert it to a headphone source.
Designed for live stages, the Radial H-amp is the perfect interface to allow a drummer to get a monitor feed from any loudspeaker! Using the ‘through’ connection from a wedge monitor or side fill, the H-Amp is equipped with a Neutrik Speakon connector input and converts the high level speaker signal to a mono feed for headphones. It features a variable level control, high pass filter to remove excess low-end, a variable tone control to smooth out the highs plus a selector switch to enable various headphone types with wide ranging impedance and in-ear monitors to be connected. A second Speakon provides a throughput to feed a second H-Amp opening the door for applications such as in the studio or on concert stages where multiple members of the orchestra may need a headphone feed.

The Radial H-Amp is 100% passive. Because it only taps a small portion of the signal, it will not affect the amplifier’s impedance or load making it easy to use without any system reconfiguration. All you do is plug and play! It also works great with a power amplifier.

As with all Radial products, the H-Amp is designed to handle the rigors of professional touring. It features a 14-gauge steel welded internal I-beam frame with an outer book-end design that provides a protective zone around the connectors, switches and potentiometers plus the full-bottom no-slip pad helps keep the H-Amp on the drum riser even after a 20 minute drum solo!

For more information, contact Radial Engineering: 1588 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 5M5. Tel: 604-942-1001 Fax 604-942-1010

$220 US Retail

For more information, visit their web site at www.radialeng.com.