JTUK

I used Yamaha tops this week and I think they came right over the top of the band very well. None of this vox buried stuff you get a LOT...and I am afraid the band wasn't quiet, so that augurs well, I think. I didn't feel they were inferior in this context to QSC KW's which I have always thought were the benchmark at this type of pricepoint... I liked the settings on the back plate in that you can roll off at 100hz, 120 or 'full range' and I like you could set them to FOH or monitor bias....The gain/volume was set to half way and the peak/limiters switches were all useful. I liked the general sound of them for vox...but maybe straight out of the box I would have wanted a bit more presense but that may come when we get more time on them. I think the fundementals are there and the price is good. Not sure whether the HF config will convince over time and whether a 1" or so compression driver is enough...but none too shabby so far. I also like the 'insurance' of DSP.. but for small places, I see no need for gtr or keys bleeds...as this are varibles in the mix that an unattended sound doesn't need...IMO. So, bang for buck... I think these are as good a voice sound as I've heard so far. The only thing that walks away from these by an obvious distance that we have tried recently is Nexo, but we are talking about an engr'd sound and a LOT more money. They wil more than do small gigs and we will hire in for bigger gigs. FWIW, I tried the Yamaha's against QSC, RCF, JBL and EV ( forget which model ) and could have gone with any of them from that demo point in the shops but out in the real world and in context, am happy with the choice so far.

Yep, done that and I have the rigs I need. The bass has to reach the areas of the stage and that means you need power so the gtr can hear you 20ft away over drums and keys I take this rig so I make sure that will be the case even if the P.A spec tells me they have full range monitors and upwards of 4 mixes.. Unless they have a mon engr on stage, I tend to think I'll cover it, if need be. There is NO way I can do this gig with a 112 combo. It would be painful all round and would detract from the band performance. I'll put a 750w amp up there so I know it will take care of my end for the purpose of the band sound. Of course, it will be powerful sound but we aren't talking about putting it behind a 3-4k rig with 2 tops and 2 subs...and even if we were, that would have to cope and blend with my bass coming through. Small bass rigs mean big monitors and you can take your chances with getting them but even if your rider specifies so and so for monitoring, doesn't mean you will get it. I take all that out of the equation and I take my rig for the stage size and I have volume controls.

[quote name='Westie9' timestamp='1405360793' post='2501241'] Any further reviews on the HK Elements? I'm in a 5 piece wedding / function band and we are looking to beef up our sound but scale down on the size of the equipment. Is this possible? Can these systems handle everything? Positives as well as negatives would be most welcome.... [/quote] No.... IMO. We used 4 array inits and 2 10" subs and ran out of steam in a pub. This is only a 600w system for around £2000. You'd had to think double that for a decent function of around 200 ppl and therefore £4k and I think that puts you into territory where you don't have to worry about whether the kit is man enough. For a little over £3k, you'll get QSC 10's and subs and this should be your benchmark... Also consider Yamaha DXR/DSR and other 1000w rated actives and the equivalent Elements would need 4 subs and you aren't really saving on carry space...??? So, after an extended trial with Elements, my conclusion is 'nice idea but not man enough'

I have 3 heads. SWR400 which I've had for well over 20 years.. very well made and I use for practice. Thunderfunk 550-B. This is my lighter weight solution, racked with a tuner, probably weighs 30lbs all in. Aguilar DB750... HEAVY... but the sound is so good, I will carry it most of the time..and since I will carry that head, I'll carry a heavier ( non NEO ) 212 cab and maybe others If the carry in is going to be silly... I might use the TF550 and NEO 112's but not for the discerning gigs as the sound isn't there. I used to think it was...and to a degree, it still is, but not when you have the Big rig. So, it fails by comparison..but you have to know what else is out there in front to know how far short it is, IMO and if that is worth it to you. If I was interesed in Epi, Mesa or anything else, I would check out basic specs on paper and see if I can live with those and then go see/hear them. I am not so very fussed on design tricks, but I would prefer them to be made in the west and handwired point to point. For that, I'd expect to pay a premium. I think you can buy into the concept and ethic of a maker and the one that fits your remit the closest usually gets your custom. I would like a budget but once you get into the importance of your spec criteria, if they really matter, that tends to get lost a bit. If kit is well made, it is easily repairable..even circuitboard stuff can be obtained as a lot of that stuff can be shared, and is. You may see the same in PV, Mackie, Belhringer. I know a very good repair guy who knows how to build these things and even though he may say he wouldn't have designed it like this or that, he will give credit for the components used, or not ... so I tend to stick along those lines. A valve pre stage is a good idea, but it still depends on the EQ and even then it can't always rescue an amp.

All this for a set of strings..?? I think I would have contacted Thomann or let it drop. I stopped buying another makers strings as I had too many duff ones..and that from a company that used to be excellent, imo, in that regard.

Treat him normally.... he must get tired of same old... Keep it easy, maybe tell him you play bass, but don't ram it down his throat, let him build the conversation. I wouldn't ask him 101 questions about bass..he probably wants to know where the best food in town is... People forget that 'our dream job' is also work if you have been doing it as long as he has...

I think the specs suggest this fits your bill... That is the first part... I'd see how this sounds when pushed hard, baring in mind you might never get to be able to that until you play a loud gig... My reservations with processed sounds, which is how I regard class D types, is how they 'amps' up. You have to contend with class D and NEO..IIRC..?? You need to track one down and hear it..

FWIW...we have tried Nexo and Yamaha DXR/DSR and the Nexo is REALLY a step up... but we couldn't carry the kit for most of our gigs and the 10's, which are brilliant, wouldn't be enough on their own, we felt. We also wanted a smallish compact sub or 2.. The DXR12 tops are great.... so far...and rival QSC K, in my limted experience..so that is what we went for. The subs are coming this week.........

I guess not.. so I looked up a few reviews....if you haven't already done so [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/electro-voice-force-i-e-15-speaker-cabinet"]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/electro-voice-force-i-e-15-speaker-cabinet[/url] A few guesses and thoughts. Old skool tech which has been usurped by modern DSP actives. QSC are leading the way in the middle league ..ie, good local band gear but not at the class required for really discerning P.A's. This ground starts with Nexo, D&B tech etc etc and will the the default tech spec on pro bands riders. As for the EV force... ? lots of cabs so you will be a sound but is the bottom end tight or mushy..? I'd be looking for the high end vocal ability and I suspect this is why it may fail... Having said that, plenty of people prefer the old QSC HPR sound over the K series in terms of sheer sound quality so maybe these older EV cabs will do that as well.........? The most recent EV's I've used have been SX300's which were pokey but harsh at HF.. in that you couldn't stand in front of them without getting blown out. So, they are likely to be decent for the day, hardworking but big and inefficient.. I think you have to go hear them... and see if you want to carry them for what they will give you.

I'll use a 212 and 210..with the option to add another 210, if the stage warrants it but haven't needed to. I can lug that around if I have to and the 212 is a default rig option even though I have lightweight 2x112...they just don't do it soundwise.

I'd also say that 212 is a good unit for 500w ..it depends how capable the amp is to push that volume. I wouldn't say the same about a 210...so you'd need 2x210 in some config. I do loud gigs with a 212.. I wouldn't try it with a 210...

I am actually not a fan myself of GK, but that doesn't mean that other people don't get good sounds out of them and I would suggest them as I thought they might be along the lines of your other criteria. I put GK below old Mark Bass and I think the 102 combo is pretty decent as well as light. I generally have a problem with the low end of most class D/NEO type stuff as I don't think it works when push comes to shove. It will put out the noise, but lacks authority. But, with a budget you have to choose a compromise or two so I would look at an old GK top and their 210's. Or, if you like Markbas, I'd get the 210 combo which is very light for what it will do, ie, anyone with a reasonable ability to carry stuff will find it a breeze. Stack another 210 underneath that and you'll have a good modular and loud enough rig for a loud band. If you consider this as a modular system..and I do... you can run a 210 combo for quieter situations with the option to add an 8ohm etn cab to go to 500... I don't see much to gain with a combo at around 50 odd lbs against a light head in one hand and the 210 in another. If you add the etn cab..youa re doing 2 trips anyway... That is the cost of a 500w rig and you either struggle doing it all in one go...or have two easier walks. I think you can 'cheat' a 500w rig in smaller packages, possibly but then you are going for the volume at any cost rather than being able to choose your sound .. A 12" and a small head with do a lot but you'll find its limits if you have to get loud. Anyone who has gigged the old bombproof Peavey TNT's will know that they had to cane the thing mercessly to get the volume at loud gigs and the sound itself was shot. This is maybe a carry over from those days... as kit has gotten 'better', but there are limits, IMO. Be resonable with your expectations and you'll be more surprised than disappointed..???

1st off... I get why a 210 300w plus combo is attractive but I'd say that is basically where you start. You are going to have to be quite careful pushing a 210 hard so be reasonable what you expect the combo to be able to do. Forget a loud band or outside ( unless very quiet and background ) so you need an amp that will go to 500 into 4 so you can add another cab...pref another 210 matched. You may do well with a 1x15 underneath as well... I think you can just about stand a chance at £1000 to get a 500w modular rig S/h and for that you'd need a class D and lightish 210 and 210/115. I'd be looking at GK seperates myself... or older SWR/Eden or even Trace ..but you'll sacrifice weight. Or... just ignore virtually all this stuff..and go s/h Trace E and bash the crap out of it. It will probably take it and save you £7-800 ..

Beer Festival. Nice P.A, nice crowd and new owners who were delighted as they only took over 6 weeks ago ( the organisation was handed over well ). Had a good chat to the new owners and they want to extend to the large field for next summer and since this village pub has very few neighbours, I think they can do well. On last nights evidence, we wish them the best... altho the underlying note is that pubs change hands very quickly these days.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1405101680' post='2498884'] I presume other members here had a similar feeling as there were lots of views and not one reply other than mine to what looks now to be a great gig, I'd like to hear jtuk's thoughts [/quote] Sure... Not talking about this specific event but yes, P.A, stage, lights, power supply and event management/security all need to be taken care of. That is before you get to a fee. Too many festivals round here feature extensive line-ups and then crow on about how cheap the beers and food is etc etc compared to other events ... and the simple answer is they don't pay for bands so that is probably a cost of £3-5k plus that they don't have to find. The word 'charity' tends to crop up here but even most festivals will produce a charity donation. My main beef about charity is the only ones doing it for free is the bands... and even that has a place, but compare like for like. A charity event does not have the same costs as others, so therefore they tend not to be so good.... Not saying they aren't worth doing but we supply a rider to the festival.. and we have helped one or two of them to progress to be large enough -they don't want to get much bigger altho I think the easiliy could. Only in the sense that we played there 1st and they asked us for advice, tho...and since we knew it as a place that like to do events that THEY would want to go to... we thought they'd be open to suggestions. To their credit, they didn't blink... they went for it. That, to me, is a major Music festival of that ilk.... After that, you are getting into Brewery sponsored Town events with 4 main town st stages... and 20,000-30,000 thru the weekend.

Not sure...have to hear them... We went to Yamaha DXR/DSR to replace QSC as I think they are as good... so no need to pay for QSC and Yam match the 7 year warranty. Mind you, never heard of a QSC going back, so..?? I think you need to hear them in a shop A/B'd with others you have nailed down. I did this @ Andertons and it was a good thing to hear. One thing to really beware of, IMO.. is these small line array units like Elements as you need so many units to get the sound up and that is an expensive way to do it ... Ditto, the Bose variant as well.

I never really rated them but..... they did raise the bar at the time so I aspired to them for that reason alone. I think some people can still use them but I never like the graphic and not even a valve in the pre stage could really save them. But if someone was just starting and wanted bang for buck and didn't have extreme tone goals, then everyone should get to know them... If you need to move on... then move on, but they are still going strong all these years so they must have been built to last.

Who is in the band..?? not sure whether a muso mate's wife is doing the show.

I mostly stick to Wordpress.org for free themes ..and one of my faves is twentyfourteen as it is very 'responsive' on all devices. If someone wants to buy a theme, then that is no problem but people generally like it if you show them a few options that are 'free' It depends what they want to end up with, but small jobs in WP are far easier to get look pro than a lot of software. I am generally shocked at some peoples page presentation and what they pay for... The key to freeware on WP is to see plugins and themes are rated and how many time they have been down-loaded. The ethic is basically dev advertising and the benefit is some great free work to use..

Seems like a lot of these numbers wont get the band out of a pub tho...and some might not even get you in one.. I think you need to know your market and make a compromise between what you want to play... what the venues want and how much you want to get paid... If you are doing the same as everyone else, then you'll likely be able to do as well as they do..all other things being equal, but some pub sets on the heavier side ..like AC/DC and the like, for example, tend to leave the band stuck there. Those gigs will tend to pay between £200 and £500 max..and the larger fee will be the max for a party...?? Because there isn't any difference between the pub set and the party set...then also, people might begrudge paying the premium..and then they'll invite their party to your gig. Landlord and party person wins... band doesn't.. If we quote a party or beer festival for £1000, then you have to make it different than your Dog and Duck gig. We can be as pokey as most in a rock band sense, but it is the material that allows you to charge more and/or you have to have something others don't... IME. Choosing a set for a purpose can be a very hard thing to get right... Things I don't tend to like to see is ... 80's classic rock... too many of them round here. Soul/Blues Bros bands... and Rockabilly/Brat pack/crooner bands..( they tend to be pretty good tho ..) Gtr set bands... Strangely enough, the Blues scene is pretty good and most players in that scene will say of all the proper gigs they try and do..the Blues gig is the least one likely to loose them money...!!!

Not vintage, not original..... he is trying it on, I wouldn't deal with him in a fit... IMO

IMO, the bass stays in the shop unless the B is balanced and defined. I run an 118 or 120 taper B...but that is because I want the action on one bass to mirror the other and nothing to do with the sound. If you can't get a good slap sound on the D on the B st, then you can try and fix it...if the seller allows this.. but mostly the B wont be much use... The whole idea, IMO, is for the bass to sounds even and balanced across the strings. Neck thru or bolt-on makes no difference as a building technique, ... Sadowsky, Sei, AC and Celinder run bolts-ons, but build quality really does. I think Yamaha can make good 5's but maybe not all of them work. You have to find the one that does and it isn't a given that you can clean up a B st with some tweaking, so it is best to find one that already speaks... as you'd have to ask why you are trying one that doesn't...and why the seller hasn't done so..?? Maybe... it just can't...

If you have an amp on loan and the guy is in no hurry to get it back..then that fills your needs for now. If you plan to gig or jam later then spend some time here getting to be familiar with what people talk about and use that as a sort of reasonable reference. You'll likely spend more money but if you buy S/H from a good contributor here, you should be able to get good gear and a good price and you should get to know what is fit for puropse. In short, you should get a better deal here than an arbitary shop...plus there is a good bank of knowledge from people who can point out any pluses and minuses on gear. But..all the while you have that loaned amp...you don't have to be in a hurry..as long as the guy isn't mad to have it back.

Depends who you want to attract? We find we can cover a 60th birthday pretty well, down to maybe 25.. but 25 yrs old are not big pub music goers, IMO as they'll be in clubs. Killers and Black Keys would be good but if you have female vocals and keys, there are loads to choose from. and those bands do tend to get the women showing up....but you'll need to change tack from rock blues to do it, IMO.