EBS_freak

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1453820000' post='2963064'] my pedals (non dodgy, 'though) go before the amp, and will be present in the preEQ DI... [/quote] guitar -> pedals -> DI with cab simulation -> amp -> etc...

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1453819775' post='2963061'] it's music, not flying a plane that may crash if something malfunctions... if the amp dies, quick swap to DI box and carry on. How often does an amp fail? [/quote] As I've alluded to, it depends upon the gig. You remember a gig somewhat like The Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert - live, very high profile? You reckon for the sake of a DI box you'd take the risk of using an onboard DI? If the amp goes down, it would be the sound guys fault for being a loss of signal, not the amp manufacturers. Besides, you want to maximise the focus on the shoddy singing from the second rate pop stars... Amp failures? Well... that depends upon who made it and if fire takes out the DI.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1453804308' post='2962815'] Although he is endorsing Guinness in this shot. [/quote]

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1453804268' post='2962813'] 'Bass' tech. [/quote] Is he 'Trout' tech too? </crap fishing gag>

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1453803754' post='2962804'] Tickled Trout sound crew. [/quote] Is he front of house... or the dedicated monitor engineer?

I guess you are questioning my statement above. In reality, I guess a lot go for the simple life - OK, they'll take your DI from your head, they take your DI as pre/post eq. If they have a problem working with what they get... and I don't suppose they care too much - it depends upon the gig. Does a function band/original band gig really matter? I'm sure the audience at the Tickled Trout won't care a hoot where the DI comes from. I'm sure any sound guy working there (if they have any) will care either. The number one is getting paid and going home. There's a load of BS in this game and the sound engineers have to be pros at dealing with it. The long standing joke of "make this change to the monitor mix for me please" - sound guy does nothing - "yeah, that's great now, thanks". Sometimes its not worth their while to even bother saying anything to the band in order to avoid any conflicts. On the other end of the spectrum, a television/radio broadcast/live recording, I tell you there will be a load of sound guys that will insist on external, isolated DIs (not just separated, isolated in the fact they won't hum, like many amps do), so they have the cleanest unadulterated signal to work with, and then blend with a mic on the cab if the player is a big fx person. Also, the DI output from heads can very, with many being hotter than ideal. A known DI box takes away this unknown - nobody wants to start messing around with inline attenuators to tame a hot DI feed. There's a reason that Avalons grace many a stage - although in my opinion, super expensive DIs for live are a bit pointless as the signal is pushed and pulled a mile, compressed, EQed from their original starting point - although that source does need to be clean (free from hum) and at an optimum level when fed into the preamps of the desk.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1453795580' post='2962723'] I have no idea why I find this post so funny [/quote] Same. Although shouldn't it be JT's Grand Slam Allstars? Or am I missing something? Is it Yoda speak or something? Anyway, I'll be sure to phone up The Tickled Trout to establish what PA and monitoring facilities they have. Will try and establish the natural resonance of the hall there that I'll be playing in too.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1453795364' post='2962719'] We do the usual thing, backline set up to match the drums with vocal only through the PA and monitors. It works and everyone understands it. I've given up on trying to get everyone to turn down to give us a cleaner sound but one local band uses an electronic kit and no backline. Even their monitors are at stunningly low levels, standing behind them it sounds like they are practising acoustically, you'd have no trouble hearing yourself talking at a normal speaking volume. Out front they sound very much like any other pub band, though with a noticeably cleaner vocal sound. That has to be down to a mixture of better singing because they can actually hear themselves, and a lack of bleed from the instruments into the vocal mics. To me it seemed weird having such a low level but I'm sure you'd learn to get used to it, obviously they could turn the monitors up to any level they wanted. You'd be stuck with the electronic kit of course. I'd find it hard to develop the energy to really perform at really quiet levels but it'd be great to look after your hearing like that. People tend to brand different approaches 'right' or 'wrong'. I don't think that's fair, each approach has advantages and disadvantages though extreme volumes on stage make it all but impossible to get a really clean sound. It's possible to get a really poor sound whatever system you go for though, the problem is usually the squishy organic bit between the ears. [/quote] Good post. Your point about developing energy is very valid. Can't get into a gig when a drummer is being limp waisted! One thing which I don't think has been mentioned - in terms of keeping things quiet on stage and letting the PA do the work... How many amateur bands realistically carry around a PA that can support that. Nobody wants to invest or carry the thing!

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1453789425' post='2962686'] ... but they would still be happy to mic up a guitarist using a board of dodgy old pedals and a valve amp with a vastly higher probability of kit failure in the signal chain ??, makes no sense whatsoever. About the lamest excuse for not wanting to take an amp output I've ever heard (and not one I've come across in real life). [/quote] In any mission critical gig, it will be normal. I'm not talking your average originals venue where a guys DI box is likely to go missing. I played on a live TV broadcast and they were insistent that I was pre amp DI - and to be honest, it's a good move. I don't want to look like the dick making no noise when I should be because my amp has gone down. As for the guitarist, well, as you say, their signal chain is more complex - but that's why if you watch any big gigs, they have two heads ready to switch should anything happen to the primary head. Don't even have to move the mic off the cab.

Again, sound guys will want pre eq. With di before amp, they know exactly what they are getting - as opposed to a bass player sending "their tone" with a shed load of bass which is just going to be mud through foh.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1453759718' post='2962592'] Any links to your new band please JTUK? [/quote] Did he get booted for causing the band much embarrassment with sound guys? Or was the band's monitoring solution not up to spec?

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1453744334' post='2962380'] Now (a bit more) serious. I don't count on wedges for my bass monitoring. I don't even use the suplied DI as my amp's DI are professional grade. [/quote] Here's your first problem. Any sound tech worth their salt would never use an onboard DI. The amp dies, so does all direct signal to the desk. Chance of a DI box failing? - very low in comparison.

Just what gigs is JTUK doing anyway? I'd be interested to see what sound engineers say to him when he phones up about their respective rigs?

If a monitor is good, use it and keep your rig low. If it's not, rely on your backline. Phoning up and getting the PA spec? Ridiculous. I've specced PAs in the past and worked with the hire team to get things right ahead of the performance - when I've been told to do so. For all else, you get what you're given - and like all pros, you work with what you are given. Anything bigger, you are touring with your own PA company anyway. I can just imagine the abuse I'd (justifiably) get if I phoned venues asking for the spec of their monitors. If you want your monitoring out of the question, invest in a monitoring (in ears or wedges) rig and a bank of XLR splitters. Mind you, I would expect similar abuse if I waltzed in with my own wedges.

Am I the only one that seemingly doesn't phone venues ahead of the gig to get the spec of the monitors?! Seriously?

There's plenty of great class D products out there, many with "heft" but they seem to be exclusive to the PA arena... everything in the bass amp world, seems to be derived from hi-fi products. Having been sat in front of some fairly serious 18" subs run from class D power amps, I would dispute the comment that all class D amps lack heft.

Not my bag :-/

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1453395248' post='2959141'] We wanted the best sounding amplifier period: louder, more versatile and articulate. [/quote] Didn't somebody's mummy not say, "I want never gets"?

Great result!

That's only half the story...

But can you phantom power it from the XLR?

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1453378247' post='2958868'] If i where marketing a product, i would look at endorsements less as "people will buy whatever [bob] has" and more along the lines of exposure (i know i know, its a dirty word, but hear me out). Giving a bass/combo/pedal to a well known musician to use increases the amount of people who see the product, for allot less and more effective way than any advert will.Id much rather give a guy a [thing] and tell him to use it at his next gig/recording than get him to stand there and read off a load of lines about how much he likes it. [/quote] Isn't that what most companies do?

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1453376948' post='2958845'] Wow, who found piss in their Bran Flakes this morning? [/quote]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1453222310' post='2957585'] I used to have a K5, it was my second bass, when the neck was damaged falling off a stand I bought another one with the insurance money. They were the older natural finish ones, before they added the chambers; looking back they very well made instruments, I wasn't wild about the 12th fret inlay, but lived with it. I'd happily have another one so long as I could budget in an electronics upgrade as neither the stock pickups or pre-amp were spectacular, but it would make a great starting point for a project instrument. [/quote] Indeed - its actually really hard to buy a really poor bass nowadays. I'm just wondering though, what made you buy a K5 in the first place? Was it something about the bass... or was it Fieldy?

Looking forward to seeing this one.