Would this help?:

Line6 amp modeling boxes.

Thanks...

Ok I guess the question is whether or not I can plug a standard mic into a headphone amp and get any sound.

Hmmm...the idea sounds a tad convoluted.

What interface/software/hardware are you using?

There's got to be an easier way to do this. Even if it's to buy a cheesy $40 Beh**nger mixer and plug the outputs of your DAW into channels 1&2 and then plug a mic with a momentary switch (Radio Shaft has these pretty cheap - or you could build yer own...) into input 3 and then the outputs into your headphone amp...That should work just fine and it's a tad less confusing than the previous ideas.

Or, run a dedicated line directly from the mix room to the booth.
Switched Mic -> Cheap-o mixer -> Cheap-o amp -> Cheap-o speaker mounted in booth...

Here is what you do with all the junk you have laying around.

Go find that old $39 Radio Shaft kids mono toy cassette recorder. Plug in a $.99 dynamic microphone. Put in a blank cassette and press the record pause button. Take the output of the cassette recorder and feed it into a Radio Shaft 3 line level RCA inputs that switch to a single output. Plug the cassette recorder into inputs 1. Plug the output feed from your computer recorder interface into inputs 2. Now take the output of the switcher box and feed that into your headphone amplifier.

Whenever you want to speak to them you will switch to your feed from the cassette recorder with its built-in automatic volume control (adjust the output volume control from the earphone output to match the level from your computer interface). It will interrupt their feed from the computer which will automatically get their attention even before you say a thing.

Simple and cheap, just like me.
Ms. Remy Ann David

Cucco wrote: What interface/software/hardware are you using?

DAW Output:
E-MU 0404 PCI interface to a Presonus HP4 headphone amplifier to monitors and headphones.

Cucco wrote: There's got to be an easier way to do this. Even if it's to buy a cheesy $40 Beh**nger mixer and plug the outputs of your DAW into channels 1&2 and then plug a mic with a momentary switch (Radio Shaft has these pretty cheap - or you could build yer own...) into input 3 and then the outputs into your headphone amp...That should work just fine and it's a tad less confusing than the previous ideas.

What if I input this then before the headphone amp?: http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHMX400

$20! I just hope there's no noise...otherwise I'm scrapping it.

That would work. It's line-level only though, so you'd need either a mic designed to work at line level or some way of boosting it there. You'd still want that momentary switch too.

You should also be able to plug a mic into the EMU in addition to the one that you're using for your vocalist and in your E-MU Patchmix DSP designate this as a talkback or if not, at least leave it on so that your singer can hear what you're saying.

Just some thoughts...

How about the "personal monitor amplifier" on the headphones out from the headphone amp.

(Dead Link Removed)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BG2SQ/?tag=r06fa-20

Again, I can plug a mic (talkback) into it without having to increase its level and it accepts a stereo signal in which would be the stereo headphone out from the headphone amp. I can also adjust the level of each! And yes I would get a momentary switch also.

I think this would work but I'm not such an expert about the types of cabling and other level issues.

Thanks again for everyones help! I really appreciate it...!

No thoughts on using a personal monitor amp as a talkback system?