Al Krow

Just seen you're looking at something for vocals also and want to avoid gear duplication...in which case the single PA top / FRFR option may well be the better option for you if you're looking for something that covers all the bases (excuse the pun!) Do you have PA already? If not, there's a whole separate rabbit hole for you to dive into e.g. Compact budget PA set-up to put bass through (without back-line) - I ended up ditching my backline for a pair of RCF 912As, but there's plenty of other options! And many of those PA speakers have been widely used as FRFR speakers by BC'ers: the RCF 732A seems to be a popular option and would handle vox better than my 912As due to better mid range horns.

Yes, and the Fender Rumble 500 is also much loved by BC'ers too!

We put our full band through a pair of RCF 912As, without needing a sub, and they provide us with a very decent bass response. A single 912A should therefore be able to very comfortably handle bass if you want to use it as a 'FRFR' powered speaker, and will cost a fraction of the price many of the more traditional separate amp & cab set ups that many BC'ers use. But perhaps the better comparison is with something like a Markbass CMD 121P combo, in which case the price differential is not so large, particularly if you are comparing used prices.

Kinda reminds me of discussions I've had with bandmates and deps around playing a part that fits the song vs playing the bass line / guitar riff / drum pattern of the song. Must admit I really appreciate working with drummers who include the fills and nuances of particular songs we cover vs simply bashing out a rhythm and tempo that fits the song. Maybe that's equivalent to us just playing the root notes? Sure it can be "fun" to keep things simple, and horses for courses, if that is all we want to be doing with our music - getting out and gigging can be massively fulfilling in itself! But equally if we don't have to settle for less, then why not aim to be the best musicians we can? And I'm saying that knowing I've got a very long way to go...

For sure! Now these guys do "making it their own" brilliantly!

Not a decision as such. Many years back when I first started playing it with a previous covers band, we were struggling to get tight on coming in together at the start with acoustic guitar coming in on the up beat ahead of everyone else, so that's what we focussed on sorting. The simplified bass part I played fitted, was certainly "good enough" in terms of audience reception to our song - it was always about the guitar solo at the end for them - and no one said anything. That changed when the singer in my current band last year mentioned that she'd heard a really sweet bass riff on that song. It did then actually take a fair bit of effort to unlearn the "wrong" bass line! I think it's only since I've been working with a semi-pro crew that I've been paying closer attention to some of the actual bass lines and realising just how much better many of them were than the simplified versions I'd been playing! Another easy example would be Killers "Somebody told me" - for me that loses a lot when the bass line is flattened, which I've often heard. With that one, I made sure to learn that one properly from the off!

Sometimes it's only the band who notice their bandmates getting it right, but their smile in recognition is for me reward in itself. Often the audience actually also does notice, without necessarily fully knowing why? Sure we've all "flattened" / simplified bass lines to get them good enough for a gig, maybe due to a lack of time or perhaps technical ability and never return to work on them further. But when they are done properly they can often give a song a lift. A simple example: the iconic riff in John McVie's Go your own way bassline - I'd been guilty of leaving that out for far too long and playing sonething that fitted. But playing McVie's line as he intended it, has definitely added something to both the band sound and my enjoyment of playing that song. So, if you want to invest the time in nailing a bass line, Dave, go for it mate!

Tricky situation Phil! I know of one band who are 'talented hobbyists' rather than semi-pros, with other sources of income, and who are happy to take home less each from gigs so that their dep bass player, who is a pro and lives off his performance income, can get a decent fee. They end up with an excellent bass player who is happy to commit and the rest of the band enjoy the gigs much more as a result Tangentially, I've heard of a band leader not personally taking any payment from gigs in order to be competitive on pricing, so the rest of the band got a decent fee per gig, and building up a roster of venues. The band then put up prices once they had got themselves established. I guess we've been fortunate in not needing to do either of the above, but there's a certain logic to the first and I do have admiration for the approach taken in the second! They may give you a sticking plaster solution till you find your permanent band member. Good luck!

Interesting point which I'd not really given any thought to: a low male can often get comfortably down to a b1 = 61 Hz. My ignorance, but why would it matter if that was being handled by the sub(s) rather than the tops?

A first review on bass, looking at just the presets... Maybe just a couple on there that I might be tempted to use e.g. 49 T-Wah, but I suspect the value-add, as with many multis is going to be from creating our own patches.

@Pirellithecat - question for: do you think not finding a bass tone that you are happy with could potentially be down to too much low end in some of the more cramped venues you're playing in?

I can appreciate that the subs will make a big difference, particularly at outdoor gigs which is where we notice the lack, but we do precious few of those. But, as you say, space can be limited at a lot of indoor, certainly pub, gigs and we do seem to manage to get a pretty decent low-end with our more humble 912As.

Impressive set up! Welcome to the A&H CQ18T club! I'll be hoping to join you in the RCF 932A club at some point soon - I think our singers deserve better than the more budget 912As we currently have, to bring out their vocals. But as for RCF 705 subs and custom IEMs...you've left us for dust!

Nice! The SR Premium range have an active / passive switch, but will set you back a fair bit more...as would my Spector EuroLX which doesn't have an active passive switch, but does have a very accessible battery socket to compensate (which I think all the Ibby ranges will also have). Guess just need to add "check battery" to the pre gig routine!

KZ ZARs tick all the boxes for me (prefer to my Shures and KZ ZS10s). Very competitively priced via Ali Express.

Just leaving this here! Super compact and just £80 for a multifx, amp modeller and IR loader.

I'm sure none of us are keen on encouraging child labour exploitation. But you disrespect so many nations and their hard working citizens by making such generalisations. Where exactly are "these places" in the "Far East" you refer to where children are working 7 days a week for 12 hours a day, making high tech bass PA equipment that we consume here in the West? Which Western bass equipment manufacturers are you aware of who are importing such kit without looking at the working conditions of the factories making the products they import? It would be good to know - I'm sure we would all benefit from the research you have done on this.

I'm sorry that is such an offensive, bigotted post. Exactly which far eastern economies are you referring to?

Welcome! The Zoom B1-4 is a wonderfully good value piece of kit - this thread may be of interest to you: Zoom B1-4 & B3N - Effects patch ideas and tips - Effects - Basschat

After two very late night finishes on Thursday and Friday at a couple of our pub residencies and back home in the small hours, which included having to deal with one of the venues that had hitherto supplied the drum kit not having one anymore, but not bothering to inform us(!), we had a real treat Sunday morning as the course band for the Hackney half-marathon for our fourth year. 8am arrive to set up and then 25,000 runners streaming passed over 2 hours which we played solidly without a break - so a bit of a marathon for us too! Made doubly special for me by having my daughter participating as a runner again this year. A complete blast and a great atmosphere! A little insta clip here to give you more of a feel for the event.

Interesting if you're equating K12-2s with RCF 912As in terms of your personal preferences Phil?

Oh that's interesting! What do you feel they are lacking? Consensus seems to be they are comparably good to RCF speakers and, I guess from what's been said, the FBTs also.

The plastic bucket load, right? 😅

V. helpful A/B based on the spec sheets, although I guess the proof of the sound has got to be in the hearing? Not sure about the power ratings you've suggested though - the 912A's are stated to be: LOW FREQUENCIES: 1400 W Peak HIGH FREQUENCIES: 700 W Peak Which I reckon should translate to 700 + 350 = 1050W RMS per speaker, which is decent? How rugged is plywood typically vs toughened plastic?

Apologies to the OP for the RCF fanboi thread derail! But...which RCFs are you guys using?