quick question

[bobbytodd]

hi just a quick question.now my band have sorted the onstage volume issues i was wondering if any of you lot just run direct into the desk and not bother with a bass amp.our gig on saturday is up four lots of stairs and to be honest im not looking forward to carrying my amp up them.

[pietruszka]

I dont see any reason it wouldn't work. Why wouldn't it?

But ask your self this; Would I be happier playing through a bass amp? Will it sound better through a bass amp?

Hope you come to a decision.


Dan

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='bobbytodd' post='1060107' date='Dec 15 2010, 10:20 PM']hi just a quick question.now my band have sorted the onstage volume issues i was wondering if any of you lot just run direct into the desk and not bother with a bass amp.our gig on saturday is up four lots of stairs and to be honest im not looking forward to carrying my amp up them.[/quote]

It really depends on how hot the output from your bass is; if you have to crank it on the desk to get sufficient level then you are in jeopardy of adding extra noise. Also does your desk have decent EQ and monitoring? How many aux does your desk have and will you get your own monitor mix, the last thing most singers want is the bass blasting through the monitors when they are trying to pitch themselves.

If your desk has sufficient power to do you justice and you are confident that you'd be able to hear yourself then I would at least suggest a DI box or some form of preamp (in the past I've used a BBE acoustic preamp intended for acoustic guitar which worked equally well on bass).

[Marvin]

[quote name='bobbytodd' post='1060107' date='Dec 15 2010, 10:20 PM']hi just a quick question.now my band have sorted the onstage volume issues i was wondering if any of you lot just run direct into the desk and not bother with a bass amp.our gig on saturday is up four lots of stairs and to be honest im not looking forward to carrying my amp up them.[/quote]

silddx, on here, does via a Line 6 Pod. He'd probably be happy to give you the detail.

[SteveK]

[quote]any of you lot just run direct into the desk and not bother with a bass amp.[/quote]
Done it once or twice over the years. I wouldn't do it again out of choice, but providing you have a DI and you can hear yourself through the PA or monitors, then, you should be ok.

I remember doing a festival in Switzerland many years ago, and the John McLaughlin Trio were on the bill. Dominic de Piazza just turned up with his gig bag slung over his shoulders, he unzipped it, took out his bass, walked on stage, plugged into a Di, and off he went...no back line at all...sounded pretty good to me.

[lemmywinks]

Two things you'll need:

1 - A DI box or preamp/pedal with a DI out
2 - Decent monitors so you can hear youself

I've happily done gigs like that before, some gigs i've done with proper audio companies doing the FOH the amp has been a token gesture. Just as well really as the biggest audio company round here thinks a knackered old Trace combo with a rattling grille and a dodgy power stage is a sufficient bass amp for outdoor festivals!

[bobbytodd]

ive got an old presonous tubepre di our desk is some yamaha thingy that can run 2 monitors but we use 3 mackie srm450v2 as monitors so i was thinking if we linked two of them together for vocals ect then run the other one from the second aux with just my bass through it.

Edited December 15, 2010 by bobbytodd

[JTUK]

Nope...you shouldn't be thinking about this as I doubt you have enough experience to make it work.
You don't want to be finding your way with a new system/config and you'll need your own bass mix probably.
If you can't seperate the bass from the vocals and everything else, you have no mix...and you can bet the bass will be the one thing to be sacrificed if things go awry.

Too much to go wrong here and although feasible, needs more thinking and working through.
This isn't the type of thing you want to invite learning about on a gig, IMV.

[mep]

I went down this route on a gig as I couldn't bring my rig, only my Sansamp DI. The PA guy said it would not be a problem with his rig. How wrong he was. The monitor was a 12" with no guts so I could barely hear myself all night, even if I had my own mix which I'm not sure I did. I really missed my rig.

Another time my speaker blew mid gig so I quickly DI'd. The only way I could really hear myself was to stand close to the PA bass bins.

Don't try this without giving it a go at a practice and you will need your own monitor mix and a nice powerfull monitor system. The monitor needs to be a 15" floor wedge and powered if possible. A big pro PA rig will probably do you justice. Alterantively get some in-ear monitors?

[SteveK]

[quote name='bobbytodd' post='1060147' date='Dec 15 2010, 10:50 PM']ive got an old presonous tubepre di our desk is some yamaha thingy that can run 2 monitors but we use 3 mackie srm450v2 as monitors so i was thinking if we linked two of them together for vocals ect then run the other one from the second aux with just my bass through it.[/quote]
Okay, my last reply was assuming that your PA could cope with task. I don't know the gear you list, but my guess is that it's not up to the job...
I think I would get a mate to help you get your gear up the stairs.

[icastle]

[quote name='bobbytodd' post='1060107' date='Dec 15 2010, 10:20 PM']hi just a quick question.now my band have sorted the onstage volume issues i was wondering if any of you lot just run direct into the desk and not bother with a bass amp.our gig on saturday is up four lots of stairs and to be honest im not looking forward to carrying my amp up them.[/quote]

Technical answer - Perfectly doable on most desks.

Feasibility - Even if your monitoring system is up to the task (and many of them frankly aren't) you'll have enough going on without having to worry about whether your sound is right FOH and trying to position yourself so you can hear what you are playing.
I wouldn't do it on a live gig unless I had absolutely no other option.

[bobbytodd]

advice taken im having 3 weetabix and taking my amp