Al Krow

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Oh interesting - I have a U4, but I have been using the cheap £20 wireless because it is stereo and having got used to stereo it is hard to go back to mono. I hadn't seen those, I was trying to find something that was stereo that was somewhere between the £20 and £300 range!

Yes, that's a key point to note re. the U4s that they are mono transmitters. Our lovely, and very capable, little desk has 6 monitor outputs, not quite enough for us to go down the stereo route which would require 4 x 2 = 8 monitor outs for our 4 piece set up. Has going stereo really improved your gigging experience, Woody? If so, maybe something for me to consider for my crew down the line at some point!

43 minutes ago, javi_bassist said:

I am using and abusing (for 6 months, at least 3 gigs a week) the Xvive U45. The rest of my band has the U4s and we are all happy with them. I have to say that I have mine attached to my pedalboard because I have a Rolls PM351 before it to level my bass myself (I had horrible experiences with soundguys). Except for ona project that we make our own mix using an app, for the rest I use the Xvive.

Is the U45 a decent step up from the U4 for you? I note that it's a 5.8 GHz, whereas the U4 is on the more crowded 2.4 GHz.

"The Xvive U45 is a significant upgrade to the U4, mainly moving to the less crowded 5.8 GHz band for better interference resistance, adding USB-C charging, an auto-scan feature to find clear channels, and minor physical improvements like stiffer knobs for durability, making it a highly recommended buy for new users despite a small price increase. While the U4 is a good budget system, the U45 offers more reliability, especially in crowded venues, through its improved tech and dedicated channel scanning."  

Hmmm...does sound good! Not come across too many wireless IEM transmitters in the 5.8 GHz space (although the cheaper Swiff WX520 our drummer is using is also 5.8 GHz).

1 hour ago, TimR said:

I've scrolled quite a few pages. Is the Lekato wifi what a lot of people are using to power their IEMs?  

3 of us have been using Xvive U4s for a while, which seems to be a decent mid-price range. 

Drummer has recently got a Swiff WX520 from Ali Express (they're currently just under £75) which he's really liking.

2 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Yeah, it’s just for IEM, as i agree with you, it just add’s a bit of air to the sound, especially nice in stereo. 

Thank God for digital desks eh?! i wouldn't have a hope of doing this with my old analogue desk!

Just as an aside:

This level of flexibility combined with the better pre-amps on our A&H CQ18T (vs my old Soundcraft MTK12) and the ability to give everyone a tailored feed that we're already benefitting from, seems to me to make a quality digital desk the single most important factor in getting a band to successfully adopt and accept IEMs in place of backline? With quality in ear headphones running in a very close second - one of our singers tried got a set of KZ ZARs from Ali Express for £30 recently. She's over the moon with how good they are!

8 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

We dont ever put reverb on bass for FOH.

Thanks for clarifying that.

16 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

This is what i do for my IEM mix. We use one reverb for FOH, and a separate one for IEM mixes. I have a bit on the bass and a bit more on the vocals. 
While we can just have the reverb to FOH or IME, or both, i prefer to keep the two separate. I prefer a shorter reverb in the IEM mix. 

Interesting, as a lot of the received wisdom is not to have much, if any, reverb on bass for FoH? 

1 hour ago, spyder said:

I always put a small amount of reverb through the iem feeds. It adds an extra dimension that really helps the bass sit in the mix.

Are you managing to put the reverb just through the IEM feeds and not FoH?

Using reverb to enhance the IEM experience

My understanding is that reverb isn't particularly widely used by your average pop / rock set bassists like me, but the IEM interaction is an interesting one! Apparently a very subtle hall (or hall-like) reverb in IEMs can make the bass tone subjectively nicer and the gigging experience more pleasurable for the bassist, even though it does not improve articulation in a technical sense. This is a monitoring and human-factors issue, not a tonal-engineering one. 

IEMs lack:
- acoustic coupling with the room
- cabinet air movement
- spatial cues from reflections

So, a small amount of ambience:
- Restores a sense of physical space
- Reduces the “dry DI in your skull” effect
- Makes sustained notes feel more musical
- Lowers perceived fatigue over a long set

Not something I've given much thought to before! Dunno if this chimes with other IEM users' experience?

On 13/12/2025 at 19:36, itu said:

Where were compressors, EQs, and reverbs? A hint of reverb to OD/dist/fuzz sounds even better. 

 

Several compressors, most popular are tce HyperGravity, and Daring Audio's Phat Beam for fretless 

5 band parametric Ibanez EQ to tame rooms, and a HPF 

Iron Ether Nimbus reverb 

Interesting you mentioned reverb. I've just been trying to figure the difference in sound between what I thought were two identical fx patches but which felt like they had a distinct flavour through my IEMs at a gig on Saturday night. I've since done a bit of digging and one has a reverb ('hall') block omitted from the other, which I'd not spotted before! Always thought that reverb was more of a thing for vox and guitar than bass, but I've clearly been missing a trick!

4 hours ago, itu said:

Where were compressors, EQs, and reverbs? A hint of reverb to OD/dist/fuzz sounds even better. 

 

Several compressors, most popular are tce HyperGravity, and Daring Audio's Phat Beam for fretless 

5 band parametric Ibanez EQ to tame rooms, and a HPF 

Iron Ether Nimbus reverb 

I'd kinda assumed Option 1 for EQs and compressors = your clean tone, and often on a preamp?

Reverb = other

4 hours ago, pantherairsoft said:

I need an option for ‘all of them’

Hah! You can tick all the options, you're not limited to one!

14 minutes ago, LawrenceH said:

Just to update that I did another reset of the desk and reinstalled the latest version of MixPad, and this time all worked without a hitch. I've set the wireless to 5Ghz in case that was the issue, but really have no clue what was stopping it working previously. Just hoping it never recurs! 

 

Anyway, a test and play around with an SM58 and some good headphones leaves me very impressed, things sound good. I will definitely (over)use that double tracker effect. Channel compressors sound very good and versatile, lack of sidechain filtering notwithstanding. I think the app layout could be more versatile but the quick channel presets are good enough starting points that it's worth persevering with, just to build up some useful presets.

 

Those who use Mixing Station, is there a way of straightforwardly transferring Mixpad-derived settings?

 

I notice there are no hardware pads on the mic inputs, has anyone found this a problem in practice with e.g. kick drum mics?

All's well than ends...

Enjoy your CQ - it's a great piece of kit! We've been using our CQ18T for almost exactly a year now and my singer reminded me last night how much more clearly she was able to hear herself at the same Xmas party gig we did a year back, after upgrading from our Soundcraft MTK 12, which I put down to the better preamps and being able to tailor individual IEM feeds for everyone.

Thought it could be interesting to get a feel for what fx pedals the BC collective are regularly using live that give us our signature sounds with our bands.

If there's a particular pedal that is the heart of your sound and you couldn't manage without do let us know.

If you have any clips of you making use of particular fx live, even better - please feel free to share!

Feel free to tick more than one fx category if you're using regularly i.e. at some point on every gig.

Bought a Boss multifx from Ben. Pedal was in excellent condition (as always), sold to me for a very fair price, and another super smooth transaction

53 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Looks good, is it the same thing with a battery and controls (and a built in drum machine)?

Looks like the GP-100 without the expression pedal and, interestingly, on sale for a tad more than the GP-100!

3 hours ago, paul_5 said:

Your concern is justified @al krow, the Meatball is the single best filter I've used in over 30 years of playing.

You've whetted my interest! Out of interest, which other filter pedals have you used?

29 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

My concern is that this could very possibly be the best filter out there and put even the 3 Leaf stuff in the shade?! May need to dip a toe in with the Behringer clone first?

We're bloody lucky to have Peter on hand to deal with detailed queries like this! Amazing customer service!

23 minutes ago, miles'tone said:

Best is a Harley Benton mahogany bass uke and a set of the Galli-Kala flats for it.

I take it everywhere as it lives in the car. I'm playing and learning 10x more now. Best £150 all in I've ever spent.  As a very busy dad of 2 with autism, It's really made a huge difference to my overall mental health. My fam is reaping the benefits too as I'm a much less frustrated and now happier daddio these days 👍

What a great story!

Pics please?! (And same to @Greg Edwards69 maybe with your full rig if you have one to hand?!)

44 minutes ago, Paddy777 said:

That looks really good @Chadu25 🔥🔥🔥 

Agreed! Quite a change to the NBD picture, in a good way! Very cool that it was so easy to find alternate PUPs that are same size as the stock ones, and EMGs (from my experience with them on my Spector) are a great choice.

Thanks for sharing that. Be interesting to see what Behringer are going to be retailing these for? Hopefully will put these within reach of many more musos given that the original Lovetone Meatball typically sells for around £750 used!

8 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

Only that I have had problems with lag on Android tablets. However have now ordered a the one you suggested to try. 

I literally can't think of a better way of settling the issue! 😅

1 hour ago, Chienmortbb said:

I agree with Ed, sorry Al. Using 5GHz is your best bet. The CQ is the best compact mixer on WiFi however many people do use travel routers with them, not because the WiFi is not good but often so they can run wired and wireless networking at the same time. One limitation is that you can only use wired or wireless on the CQ, not both at the same time. 
 

I have used both Soundcraft Ui and The Behringer X series and both have virtually unusable WiFi and had to have an external router. 

Not sure what we are in disagreement about? 😅

19 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

My wife had a heart attack on saturday night. Thought it was heartburn but it went to her arms. Took her to the hospital anyway to see and yes, found the markers for a heart attack so was taken in, her BP was over 200. 

She has been kept in for tests, and although they don't think it was a serious blockage that needs surgery she has to stay in to be monitored for the next few days.

It is amazing how it shifts your life perspective 

Best wishes to you both, Woody, during what is undoubtedly a scary and worrying time

6 hours ago, LawrenceH said:

Thanks chaps - good to know even a cheapo Android tablet has been reliable. Slightly hesitant to risk it on a gig! But a standard iPad seems within the realms of affordability, and assuming that Apple batteries and OS tend to be pretty stable.

 

Couple of questions if you don't mind:

 

Is it easy or even possible to swap devices to, say, a second tablet or indeed a phone as backup if the main controller goes wrong?

 

Also, is a wired connection possible while charging the tablet? Or would I have to use wireless in that scenario?

 

I will definitely take a look at Mixing Station as well, thanks for the tip.

Well I've risked it on over a hundred gigs since I bought it a couple of years back!  Not been tempted to upgrade just yet particularly as my first, much posher, tablet got trashed on its first outing by a drunken punter at a fancy function gig when he fell and knocked over my mic stand! But you'll get better quality from an iPad, for sure. Plus you're purely reliant on a tablet whereas the CQ12 & 18T have excellent screens which makes using the tablet optional.

I've not needed to use it wired, fingers crossed, as I make sure my tablet is fully charged before leaving the house. The key tip for connectivity has been to switch the CQ from 2.4 GHz to 5GHz - made a massive difference.

44 minutes ago, LawrenceH said:

Well, a CQ20b is on its way to me having popped up at a very decent price, complete with case. Entering the digital age!

 

So I need something like an iPad to run it. Anyone got any recommendations or advice? Main concern is long term reliability and stability. I might explore using it for other music things but I don't want to splash another grand on an iPad pro especially if the bog standard one looks to have a good lifespan

I bought a 2023 model of this with less RAM and for nearly double the price, back then. Has performed really well since. It's not the fastest chipset in terms of booting up, but that's a non issue when you have so much else to be getting on with setting up pre gig! Now ridiculously good value at under £60 on Amazon.

DOOGEE U10 (2025) Android 15 Tablet 10 inch, 16GB RAM+128GB ROM(1TB TF)