joel406

Two notes C.A.B. M

Never happens.

I've seen a few threads. But they quickly degrade into disdain for IEMs. One chap even said putting them in his head would result in him ripping them out and throwing them across the room. A very toddler Ish reaction. While many have embraced IEMs there are more (it seems) that are unwilling to even try them. A lack of understanding how they work seems the underlying problem. Personally, I have been playing since the 70's and admittingly was apprehensive and slow moving to IEMs. But once I made the decision to at least try them, I wondered what took so long. Bass response is staggeringly great. And the clarity is unmatched. I understand that not everyone can afford quality equipment. A good set of IEMs with just 5 drivers can easily run upwards of $500+ usd. And a decent wireless unit is a minimum of $850 usd. Not everyone is about that. But when you look at what we spend on inefficient amps. That pales in comparison to the tone of IEMs the expense is very justified. Yes, I still own amps. A throw back from a dying era. And I will keep them (maybe). The Mesa Subway D-800+ and my Epifani UL901 are amazing. Paired with either my Mesa Subway 212 cabs. Or my Mesa Subway 410 cabs. They outshine anything out there. But the Quadcortex and the C.A.B. M have them on file. And now I can have them easily available without having to transport them. The biggest benefit of IEMs (to me) was being able to move anywhere I wanted to, without having a change in sound. Tone doesn't change as well as the mix. You can go to the toilet and your sound remains the same. Long post... sorry. But there is a lot of ignorance out there in regards to IEMs. People hate change. Even when it's for the better.

That can't happen. Modern IEMs are controlled by their user. With a laptop, tablet or smart phone you have complete control of volume and your EQ. If you blow your ears out, you are the one to blame.

I have several pedal boards setup to quench whatever thirst I have at the time. I've been ampless for the last 2 years. I have both the Mesa Boogie Subway pedals. Both perform perfectly. I also have a Le Bass that is a bit better. Probably the tube. Which led to picking up a Revolt. And a CABM. Both amazing. The Crown Jewel of course is the Quadcortex. It does it all. Expensive. But more than worth it. I also have a variety of compressors, but I pretty much married to the Keely compressor pro. Love it so much I keep 3 on hand. I also have the Empress and a couple of MXRs. But the Keely is just right. Very subjective subject. Not a lot of love for ampless users here. Even if it is better than any amp setup. And I have a 1600 watt Mesa stack. I'll take in-ears any day. The sound is soooo much better.

I have 2 Mesa Subway D-800+ heads. 1 Epifani UL 901 (Custom tone stack). 1 Epifani UL 310 cab. A 310 cab that's living at my guitar players house. Now considered furniture. 2 Mesa Subway 212 cabs. 2 Mesa Subway 410 cabs. Band is all In-ears now. So they stay home now.

I was once anti-pedal. Oh how times have changed. Band went amp-less about a year ago. And I just dove straight into the QuadCortex. A fantastic piece of kit. More options than you could ever use. But live application with bass is way over kill. Especially if you're not constantly changing scenes. The amp sim and IRs are cool, and it does sound amazing. That being said. I wanted simpler. I already had a stable of pre-amp DI pedals. So, I figured let's run a few. When I use an amp, nothing compares to my Mesa Subway system. After running through the entire "current" line I found my sound in the D-800+. The TT-800 and WD-800 are fine amps, just not my sound. The 212 and 410 cabs (Subways all) are second to none for power handling and tone. Love them so much I got 2 of each. I also found a very "Special" Epifani UL901 (custom tone stack) that is incredible. But I digress. This is supposed to be about a pedal. I got the Subway and Subway+ pedals because their pre-amp is based on the D-800+. And they sound great. But using them with an amp is just redundant. So I put them away. The Mesa's, Sadowsky and Le bass (which I only got to try out once) were put away. Now since I wanted something simpler than the QuadCortex I started bringing them back out. The Mesa pedals rock. Just not very clear. The Sadowsky wasn't very clear either. I wanted more punch and distinction. Then I remembered... I have a Le Bass. There it was. Clean, with bite. Combined with a Keely Compressor pro, I was there. But wait, there's more. Finding how good the Le bass was (and kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner) I began the ritual information grab. I wanted to know more about it. Several moments into my research I found out the Le Bass was discontinued. Such a great sounding pedal. Off the market. So I went to the Two notes website. Le Bass was replaced with Revolt. Hmmmm... I spent the rest of the day and most of the night researching this revolt. Which led to the discovery of the Cab M. Which led to a large order to Sweetwater. The revolt has had 2 gigs. So far. It will have 3 this week. All I can say is... HOLY *&%$! Channel one. AKA clean. Based on the SVT. A little muffled. But easily brightened. Channel two. AKA Vintage Dirt. Based on the Marshal bass amp. There it is. Smooth, bright and distinct sound everywhere with every bass. Channel three. AKA Overdrive. Two notes own creation of grit. Crazy good and I can see the application. Not what I need at the moment but it's good to have. And with a little tweaking a nice boost when needed. This is a longer post than intended. But I felt a little history of my pedal journey would help with perspective. Needless to say. I will keep all my pedals. The Mesa Subway pedals are a favorite of mine. The Sadowsky is ok. Nice backup pedal. The Quadcortex is without a doubt king. But this Two notes Revolt pedal is special. I recommend it.

I've switched permanently to 5 string. I've gotten so comfortable with it that 4 string just feels like a toy now. I use the B all the time. Makes playing much easier even at low E and above. After 4 years of 5 string, I now consider 4 string inferior to 5 string. I no longer even consider 4 string a real bass.

I found 5 string to be very liberating. It's not for everyone. It was for me. Small hands so 6 is out of the question. As is 35" scale. Ironically the Fender American pro line was where my comfort zone was. Life has been sweet ever since.

Question: What is everyone using for their ampless setups? I'm using several setups depending on whatever mood I'm in. A Mesa Subway preamp DI with Keely compressor pro. A Mesa Subway + preamp DI with compression (Keely pro). Sadowsky Preamp DI with compression. Le Bass Preamp DI with compression. Quad cortex. Obviously, this is an all-in-one package. I love the Keely Compressor pro. But I also have the MXR and the Empress. I also have chorus. But if I get into anything effect heavy, I would just use the Quad cortex. Just looking to see what's tipping the boats out there. I find the Noble preamp interesting. I've had the chance to hear them live a couple of times and they do bring it. But the QC as well as my other DIs seem to do just as well. I have the Boss B6. Just not a fan. Noisy. Not as easy to use as the QC or even the straight pedal DI.

The Mesa Subway D800+ was the cleanest of the line. And if you've never heard of or tried an Epifani... you are missing out.

Enjoy your noise.

Your EQ is set wrong. I use parametric EQ'ing. Much easier than trying to putz with a graphic. I set low at around 80/85hz. Level at about +10/11 Mids are hella scooped. Low mids around 450 with gain at -12. High mids set to 850/875 with gain at -12. Highs at 8.5k with gain at +3/4. Your Q line should be pretty contoured. Gradual rise up and down. Falling slightly below the mids and a gradual rise up to the highs. The level from the desk cannot be too low. If you are turning levels up above 20 on the mixer, the level set to your bus is too low. If your wireless is having dropouts. Try rescanning. If your using a "budget" or cheap POS wireless. Get a Shure PSM300 pro system. Any and every issue you "claim" to have, I have "never had". And I leave the stage and travel upwards of 100 to 150 feet from the stage. IEMs sound clear and sharp. Zero distortion. Also if you're using "budget" or crap IEMs, get some real ones. I've never tried KZ. Mine are custom fit. With "quality" drivers. I own 2 sets. One 5 driver a side (3 lows 1 mid 1 high) with crossovers. My main set is 8 driver a side (4 low 2 mid 2 high) of course crossovers. You are doing it wrong.

Well... If you have IEMs, and your IEMs are wireless, your sound system should have WIFI. Your IEMs should already be plugged into the desk. Use the WIFI to connect either your smart phone (iPhone is best) or tablet (iPad is best) to the WIFI network of your desk. Set the app you're using to the bus your IEMs are connected to. You get a mixer on your device that allows you to mix everything to your taste. Remember! Proper EQ is essential. Once you've worked that out it's done. Once you've set your levels you are done. Vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass and drums (as well as any other instrument) will all be available in your mix. Easy as can be. I've been doing this for 2 years now. It's great because going from venue to venue the sound never changes for me. Just a little level adjustment here and there, takes seconds. Then your good for the rest of the show.

I used to have a GK CX210. 2 of em. Worst cabs on the planet. But I since got some Mesa Subway 212s. The difference is shocking. Amazing low end and just all-around great tone. When I stack both they will put just about anything to shame. Including SVTs. I don't dislike 10s. I have a pair of Mesa Subway 410s. Same thing as the 212s. Rock solid and both stacked will stop a charging T-Rex. But if you still want to live in the amp world you gotta get good cabs. The K212 isn't a bad cab. I had one. They just don't have the best tone.

I owned a TT-800 for a while. In fact I had the TT the WD-800 and the D-800+. After months of comparison, I found my sound was in the D-800+. But the TT was a very close second. The WD just plain didn't work for me. I believe I just don't like hybrid amps. I had an even bigger problem with the current GK line that caused me to abandon them after 30 years of loyalty. That being said... The TT-800 is a very fine amp. And even though it didn't work for me that doesn't mean it won't work for you. It's a metal head IMHO. Easily overdriven. I was partial to the Boogie channel. HPF is strong and will tame the wildest boom. Sounds like you have some quality cabs so you should be able to enjoy all the glory it can provide. I did miss the mid volume controls. They seem to be the secret to the D-800+. Having moved on to IEMs amps aren't really on my radar anymore. But I do have them around should the need arise. You did good though.

While very subjective. You're going to get a lot of opinions. I switched to 5 string 4 years ago. Let all my 4's go. I now have a stable of 6, 5 string passive basses. I used D'Adario strings when I played 4 string. After switching I tried a lot of strings. I went all the way around the dial and ended up back where I started. I like the "Half-Rounds". I use them on all my basses. As far as settings go. Again subjective. Watch the low mids. Besides I don't use amps much anymore. When I do it's my Mesa Subway cabs and my Subway heads or my Epifani. But live shows are always amp-less.

That's adorable.

3 big shows this week. Loving the QC and my IEMS. Both total game changers. Keep humping those rigs guys. It's all downhill from there.

Nice. Very subjective and not what everyone else experiences. The QC is definitely the future. Safer. More adaptive. As a bass player this is even more so. And having to move your amps into another part of the venue shows how toxic onstage noise truly is. But thanks for proving my point even if you weren't trying. After the last 3 days of gigs, we are all just a little bit more in love with our QCs and IEMs. And after seeing this I'm so glad we ditched our amps. Maybe the guys in the video will learn to use their QCs one day and get the sound they are after. It certainly does for us.

7 gigs in 14 days. Some small. Some not so small. IEMs for everyone. Sound tech happy. Crowd happy. My back is happy. My tone has never been better. The Quadcortex is a proven amp killer. Are amps dead. No. They have their place. Just not on a stage.

Eh... What?

Yeah! There are.

You seem to have missed, a long time ago.

Had a gig a couple of months ago on a big stage. Old mix board. No wifi. I brought an amp so's not to have to futz with it. 810 Mesa stack with Mesa 800 watt head. Sounded great for about 3 songs. Missed my IEMS the rest of the show. The 2000 people in the audience didn't care.