largo

I believe the FOH sound is great according to various reviews, it's just the volume/muddiness on stage that is an issue. For the record we use an analogue Allan & Heath Mixwizard 16:2 analogue desk and have QSC rig comprising of a KW112 top & K Sub each side. The desk definitely has HPF options and I'll be looking at using those on the next gig, especially on all vocal mics. We have no noise gate (AFAIK) for the drums, which are mic'ed on bass drum, snare/hi-hat & then overhead for rest of the kit. It's only in the last year or two that we've had problems with onstage volume, coincidentally since we changed to powered subs instead of passive driven from a power amp. I always put it down to the guitarists hearing going, he's the only one who has never worn earplugs in the 20 years we've been playing!

Thank you for all your help, certainly a few things to try at the next gig. Will be interesting to see how our "sound engineer" guitarist responds to the advice

So, everything is typically mic'ed or DI'd in the band I play in. As most people do I guess, we get our gear setup and have a quick onstage sound check making sure gear works, bass, drums, keys and set a decent onstage level. Then the PA volumes are cranked up and typically I can no longer hear my backline over the bass bins! Just get a low muffled bass. So, I turn up, the guitarist turns up, the drummer hits harder and we all have to wear earplugs because on-stage is so loud! I stand almost in line with the bins as is the case with most areas given to a band, wide but not very deep! I haven't got the option of moving further back. We did think it was the bass bins last time, so last resort was investing in a new PA rig. Very same thing is happening. So, I was wondering if others have a similar problem and what might be done to fix this. Would, for example having a couple of boards with acoustic foam, strategically placed to prevent "spill" back to the stage make a difference. Or will it not make a difference to bass bins? Getting desperate.

My JE circuit is exactly the same, very low output in passive mode. Because of this, I never flick the switch!

Having played both, they each have their merits. If I didn't have PA support then I'd still have my 2 x 210MNT Vanderkley cabs. Amazing tone, great build, nice size and not too heavy for a 2x10" cab. Because I do have PA support I've downsized even further and gone for 2 x One10 Barefaced cabs. Great "onstage" tone & volume, decent build and very, very light. That being said, I do miss that "heft" behind me that the VK gave but the BF don't. I've no doubt the larger BF cabs would give this too, they just look crap compared to the "Retro" series IMO and I didn't want that look. After all that, I'm still keen to check out the "up-rated" Ashdown RM-112-EVO cabs too, might be a good compromise! That's Basschat for you.

Thank you very much, I'm off to eBay now. Basschat is a wonderful place.

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1478196328' post='3167498'] That is much nicer looking than the D800 and if you buy an HPF for about £100 you are sorted. [/quote] We'll agree to disagree on that one

That looks like the one. So, just double checking. The power supply doesn't have to be rated at 150mA? Will it only draw the current it requires?

When I was packing up the gear after last gig, I noticed the wire on the power supply to my HA400 headphone amp was starting to split. Stupidly, it's been left in the trailer with the rest of the gear and so I'm not sure what to buy as a replacement. Could anyone point me in the right direction? Worst case, I buy a whole new HA400 unit as they're not that expensive, but fingers crossed & thanks for your help Basschat buddies.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1477989553' post='3165685'] I'm not really surprised at any of this. Alex has always been spot on and totally honest with his posts here, and in his BGM articles but he makes his living by selling speakers and has to indulge in advertising talk on his website. Barefaced sell very well engineered cabs with great drivers, but there is no magic speaker genie. The 'sound ' of a cab is down to taste and what suits upon the music you play. The independents have pioneered lightweight high excursion speakers, the big boys manufacturing in China were bound to catch up with 'me too' products. [/quote] Pretty much this, it was only a matter of time before some of the bigger players wanted a piece of the pie...

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/292963-ashdown-rm-112t-v-barefaced-super-compact"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/292963-ashdown-rm-112t-v-barefaced-super-compact[/url] [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1477935077' post='3165383'] After many posts about amps, cabs and running with neither. . . before I drew any conclusions, I'd check exactly why Kevin did what he did. His situation seemed to be very specific to him. [/quote] Still got me curious though....

far too heavy...

It depends if you are looking to get the same volume from a smaller, more efficient rig. I've got a couple of Barefaced One10 cabs and they are ridiculous in terms of the volume I can get from them vs their size. However, on the bigger stages there are times when I wish I had just that bit more. After reading Kevin Deans reviews of the new Ashdown Rootmaster-EVO 12" white cabs & the fact it knocked a couple of BF Super Compactsout of his rig, I am seriously interested in trying these out too. I believe there's an upgrade option that gives 700W speakers in a 12" 10KG cab.

I'd just get Mr Shuker to build me a bass & get a sparkle finish on it. Oops, wait a minute, I already did that

I use 2 custom "cajon" bags made by Roqsolid for my One10's. Works fantastically well although I do get a bit of stick for the pizza delivery bags or for bringing my own carry out to the gigs!

Woohoo! 😀

I think it's important to think about the supply & demand aspect too. There will always be a few people willing (& able) to spend upwards of a £1000 on IEM but, similar to backline the majority of us are just looking for the best solution on a budget. My guess £200-£300 price range & that's where the Westone AM range works really well. Personally I'm not looking to run with no backline, just less onstage volume & being able to hear everything a bit clearer while protecting my hearing.

The cobalts are flatwounds that sound like rounds, don't really see the point except they're nicer feeling on soft hands Didn't last very long on my bass, started going rusty after a few gigs & I've swapped them out. I've gone back to the Status Halfrounds. Still got that flatwound feel but sound like a worn-in roundwound and closer to flats & much better value for money. Hope they are UK made & not shipped in, otherwise this Brexit nonsense is going to start costing me. With my luck they're probably made by Unilever too

Thank god it's wider than my Barefaced One10 cabs. Like others, I just bought the D-800 which is a perfect fit. Wouldn't want amp overhang!

I tried to convince the guys in the band to try the BF PA system when we were looking at a new PA. Unfortunately, being relatively unknown outside the bass-playing community & the "homemade" look meant the rest of the band wouldn't entertain spending £4K on the BF system, trial or no trial. We ended up going for the QSC KW112 tops & subs in the end.

If it's an consolation, I used to own a Wal mk1 back in the early 90's. I was drawn to the looks but knew a lot of the big name pop bassists were playing them too. After playing it, I couldn't understand the hype & it was easily the heaviest bass I've ever owned, including the 5 strings I've played. I wouldn't have another. Does that make it any easier for you....

As we build to a rousing finale, the drummer typically hits harder & everyone digs in that bit harder & as a consequence the overall volume creeps up. On stage & FOH.

I recently got a set of the Westone AM 30 Pro's. Not cheap but not as pricey as custom moulds. These have filters that reduce "crowd/stage" volume by 12db, a bit like a good set of earplugs. Playing you get the IEM volume, but the good thing is when there's gaps in playing between songs you hear onstage & crowd. Works a treat!