DI or not?

[john_the_bass]

I know there's probably loads of threads on this but I've got a gig tonight and I'm hoping for a quick exit, what with it being a work night and all that. I would like very much to not have to bring my rig so I don't have to drag it in and then have to try and drag it out quickly again.

There are plenty of stage monitors so I should be able to get something out of. Should I just bite the bullet and use my amp or should I stroll breezily in with my DI box and stick it on the stage and say, "right lads, I'm using that tonight"?

[coasterbass]

If you trust the soundguy then go for the DI.
Its refreshing to travel so simply, and you'll get kudos from your bandmates (especially the singer) for lowering the stage volume. Your ears will feel better in the morning.

[wateroftyne]

Personally, I think the sound of an amp is an integral part of what I consider to be a good bass tone. Also, I find that bass via monitors is always a little compressed. It freaks me out a bit.

I need to hear and feel that (not neccessarily at huge volume) to enjoy what I'm doing. I'll always use an amp.

I'm less bothered about what comes out of the FOH - assuming I trust the sound guy.

As for a quick get-in and get-out.. that's partly why I bought a MESA Walkabout Scout.

Edited June 11, 2008 by wateroftyne

[WalMan]

I spent a while just using my BOD xt straight into the PA, which was fine for me with IEM, but others who weren't using IEM were moaning that they could not hear/feel the bass on stage even with it back through their monitors.

I have since "given in" and bought the MB combo to move some air on stage.

With decent monitoring it [i]should[/i] work, but just springing it on the rest of the band at a gig might not go down to well. Probably better to ease them in to it at a full PA rehearsal - assuming you do not hire in / use house PA's all the time.

[Jase]

Take your rig man!....How long can it take? Not long to strip it down and get it in the car and bugger off! Don't think I could rely on a DI box alone....bit risky I reckon.

[john_the_bass]

The venue in question is miles from any half decent parking - it won't take me 30 seconds to strip the rig down, stick the covers on and get it ready to go, but I need to fetch me car, find somewhere on the ring road in the middle of the roadworks to pull up and try and get all the stuff out in one trip (I can't) and as usual I am providing a guitar rig for my guitarist. I'm just being lazy, but what can you do?!

[cheddatom]

Are any other bands on? Maybe you could contact them to see if you can borrow a rig.

[john_the_bass]

I did think of turning up and asking, but I hate it being done to me - yes you're right though, I should try and get hold of somebody in advance.
I'm such a lazy bugger - plus I'm trying to find out what's wrong with the other half's car at the minute so she is driving the rep mobile and I've got enough room in hers for a 1x12 guitar cab and a bass!!

[john_the_bass]

I just thought I should point out that I've taken my rig to every other gig we've ever done - hauled it across fields and up fire escapes, squeezed it into tiny cars and hired vans to cart all of our gear 70 miles. I just can't be bothered although more seriously, perhaps it's my commitment to my band that I'm having trouble with.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='216653' date='Jun 11 2008, 09:49 AM']...although more seriously, perhaps it's my commitment to my band that I'm having trouble with.[/quote]

*gets notebook*

Have a seat. Tell us all about it...

[Jase]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='216653' date='Jun 11 2008, 09:49 AM']I just thought I should point out that I've taken my rig to every other gig we've ever done - hauled it across fields and up fire escapes, squeezed it into tiny cars and hired vans to cart all of our gear 70 miles. I just can't be bothered although more seriously, perhaps it's my commitment to my band that I'm having trouble with.[/quote]


Ahh,I recognise this...I get you mate, I'm at the "can't be bothered/need a change soon" stage myself...maybe I'd be toying with the DI box Idea too if it was an option on a gig.

[john_the_bass]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='216658' date='Jun 11 2008, 09:59 AM']*gets notebook*

Have a seat. Tell us all about it...[/quote]



[url="http://www.myspace.com/27brigade"]This[/url] is my band. I have an errant drummer (aren't they all? ) who seems to view rehearsing as optional and a recently departed guitarist, taking us to a 3 piece. We've tried to adapt what we've got to work as a 3 piece, but to be honest, the songs need totally deconstructing, or sacking off and starting again. I think we're getting a bit bored with the same songs and haven't done any writing for a while.
Now might be the time to call time on it or at least have a break for a couple of months and come back to it, but to be honest, if we do come back to it, I'd be tempted to do something completely different.
I'm still playing in a covers band and actually, I think playing covers to a pub [b]full[/b] of people who are clearly having a good time takes the shine of doing the original stuff to 3 people in a crappy bar!

I sort of wonder why make all the effort?

Edited June 11, 2008 by john_the_bass

[BassBod]

GO for the DI option. The success will be very dependent on whether you like the DI (they can vary, surprisingly) and whether your PA engineer can get enough of your sound in the monitors before everyone starts complaining they can't hear themselves.

It is a different approach and some people just can't get used to it (not usually the bassplayer..). Try your/a DI flat into the effects return of your amp and see if you like the sound...if you don't it may not be the thing to do this time.

One important thing - don't plug a passive bass into a passive DI. It will sound very flat, and pretty crap. I've seen engineers do this...several times.

BB

[john_the_bass]

Cheers BB
I've got a Behringer Ultra G G100 DI thingy - probably not the best DI you can get, but all the soundmen around our way seem to use Behringer DI's. I take it that because it requires either a battery or phantom power, it's active?

[Jase]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='216675' date='Jun 11 2008, 10:18 AM']
[url="http://www.myspace.com/27brigade"]This[/url] is my band. I have an errant drummer (aren't they all? ) who seems to view rehearsing as optional and a recently departed guitarist, taking us to a 3 piece. We've tried to adapt what we've got to work as a 3 piece, but to be honest, the songs need totally deconstructing, or sacking off and starting again. I think we're getting a bit bored with the same songs and haven't done any writing for a while.
Now might be the time to call time on it or at least have a break for a couple of months and come back to it, but to be honest, if we do come back to it, I'd be tempted to do something completely different.
I'm still playing in a covers band and actually, I think playing covers to a pub [b]full[/b] of people who are clearly having a good time takes the shine of doing the original stuff to 3 people in a crappy bar!

I sort of wonder why make all the effort?[/quote]


Sounds really, really good! I love "Love Twist The Gift"....WHY are you thinking of leaving these guys????? That's good stuff to use as a 3 pce...surely

Edited June 11, 2008 by Jase

[john_the_bass]

Thanks Jase, much appreciated
That stuff was done when we were a 4 piece and there are certain things we can't recreate with only 1 guitar - I have thought about recruiting another guitarist but we've not got that far yet. I don't want to leave them, I just don't think there's much mileage left in it, which is a crying bloody shame!

[Jase]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='216699' date='Jun 11 2008, 10:55 AM']Thanks Jase, much appreciated
That stuff was done when we were a 4 piece and there are certain things we can't recreate with only 1 guitar - I have thought about recruiting another guitarist but we've not got that far yet. I don't want to leave them, I just don't think there's much mileage left in it, which is a crying bloody shame![/quote]

Yeah, easy for me to say "carry on, carry on"...just I could hear the stuff as 3 pce but totally understand where you're coming from with recreating written parts. Agreed, it would be a shame if it lost mileage, it's a great sounding band!!

[john_the_bass]

Thanks Jase - I've been a thinking about it for a couple of weeks and wondering what we should do - we're not short on offers of gigs so we can get out there, but I think we need to start writing again or at least pull some of those songs to bits and try them without so many parts.

[cheddatom]

If I were you, i'd pack the DI, see if anyone minds you borrowing an amp as well, if they mind, just use the DI. Then after the gig while you're feeling good about playing together, talk to the band and ask if anyone else is bored and try and work on new stuff. If you've lost a guitarist, get yourself some pedals/a Pod!

I worry that the lack of communication in my band meant that our drummer would rather have gone home and leave us in a state of suspension, than talk through the issues we had (which were mainly created by not writing enough and playing sh*t gigs with too much heavy equipment too far away).

[Jase]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='216715' date='Jun 11 2008, 11:12 AM']If I were you, i'd pack the DI, see if anyone minds you borrowing an amp as well, if they mind, just use the DI. Then after the gig while you're feeling good about playing together, talk to the band and ask if anyone else is bored and try and work on new stuff. If you've lost a guitarist, get yourself some pedals/a Pod!

I worry that the lack of communication in my band meant that our drummer would rather have gone home and leave us in a state of suspension, than talk through the issues we had (which were mainly created by not writing enough and playing sh*t gigs with too much heavy equipment too far away).[/quote]


That's a good point there cheddatom!!!

[johnnylager]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='216699' date='Jun 11 2008, 10:55 AM']I have thought about recruiting another guitarist but we've not got that far yet.[/quote]
You can have mine John, he's a bit of a c*** mind

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Jase' post='216722' date='Jun 11 2008, 11:23 AM']That's a good point there cheddatom!!![/quote]

Thanks. Your mother also thinks so!

[john_the_bass]

my mum doesn't know what a DI is


[quote name='johnnylager' post='216725' date='Jun 11 2008, 11:26 AM']You can have mine John, he's a bit of a c*** mind [/quote]

Much obliged to you sir!

[cheddatom]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='216760' date='Jun 11 2008, 12:13 PM']my mum doesn't know what a DI is[/quote]

She does, trust me.

[Shaggy]

Try the DI tonight! After 30 years of lugging unfeasibly large and heavy rigs about I only very recently became a convert to DI – bought a Retrospec Juice box (all valve) on the forum a few months back. Fantastic clean, articulate sound, with headroom only limited by the PA, plus the PA projects the bass into the audience much better than a backline only can. My band’s PA is OK, but last gig I had the chance to plug into a 5kW / £10K system and it was the first time I really heard the true sound of my bass.
However, soon found that unless your stage monitors are very good (which our solitary one isn’t) you still need some sort of backline to (1) let all the band hear the bass properly and (2) keep that live bass energy driving the music. First time DI-ing I used a totally inadequate combo as a monitor and no-one except the audience could hear a thing, now use a lightweight 4x10 cab and digital head. The only other drawback is that 90% of the time I want that totally clean bass, but for the 10% when a bit of overdrive is needed I guess I’ll have to break the habit of a lifetime and use a pedal.

Re the band, well it depends how well you get on with the other two guys; good band-mates should be treasured. If the drummer’s such a pain replace him with a drum machine if you can’t get another – makes small pub gigs a cinch and gives you the option of getting another guitarist or keyboards in. Relegate your old set to the “subs” bench and write a whole new set list – a new project breathes new life into your bass playing, and after a while you come back to the old songs with fresh ways of approaching them. If you’re a “pub” band then try learning a “club” list, and vice-versa, and try playing different venues to the usual.
Rambled on enough – got a long lunch break to kill!