Do I actualy need my bass rig?

[Kevin Dean]

I use a MB & Barefaced super 12 T rig , but I also have a 3K PA with active subs etc I was considering just having something like a MB micro combo & DI from it . mainly because I hate carrying gear around & some of the pubs we play in are very cramped . We have electric drums so I don't have to compete with anyone sound wise . Does anyone else do this ?

[bonzodog]

Depends if youre ever in a position where you would not use the full PA. You say some of the pubs are cramped but do you still take the active subs in?
We play a lot of small pubs where we only use a small PA with 12" tops so I still use my bass amp then and only put vocals through PA.
As long as youre happy with sound from a smaller amp and sound of bass through the PA then there is no reason why you cant do what youre suggesting, just as long as you can hear yourself on stage

[clauster]

Did similar a while back.

My last covers band had a decent PA - 32 Channel desk, various processors, 4.5K of power amps and Turbosound subs and mid-tops.

A little Ashdown EB180 was sufficient for rehearsals and at gigs worked well as a personal monitor with a DI out to the PA for FOH.

[pete.young]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1397558296' post='2425054']
I use a MB & Barefaced super 12 T rig , but I also have a 3K PA with active subs etc I was considering just having something like a MB micro combo & DI from it . mainly because I hate carrying gear around & some of the pubs we play in are very cramped . We have electric drums so I don't have to compete with anyone sound wise . Does anyone else do this ?
[/quote]

Yes. I use a TecAmp Puma combo as a monitor for me and the drummer, and DI everything through the PA. We always use our subs.

[BigRedX]

It doesn't matter how good the FoH system is. If you can't hear yourself properly on stage you are not going to play as well. Getting rid of your bass rig will most likely entail getting a better monitoring system.

[JTUK]

Depends what the rest of the band thinks.... because if they can't hear you, you haven't got much to play with.
If you hate carrying in gear what are you lumping 3k for... and where..??

I don't think I'd lug around bins and tops just so the bass player could carry not a lot

[EBS_freak]

I only roll out the big rig for visuals. Otherwise, I'm happy with letting the PA (feed in via the preamp of my EBS amp) do all the work and have monitoring via in ears.

[Kevin Dean]

I need the subs for the Roland TD drum kit & the keyboards & we have monitors .

[JTUK]

And the monitors will take the bass to a level that the band can hear and play to..??

This is the key to monitors... do they take bass and how many mixes can you have?

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1397558296' post='2425054']
I use a MB & Barefaced super 12 T rig , but I also have a 3K PA with active subs etc I was considering just having something like a MB micro combo & DI from it . mainly because I hate carrying gear around & some of the pubs we play in are very cramped . We have electric drums so I don't have to compete with anyone sound wise . Does anyone else do this ?
[/quote]

My old cover band did exactly this. The e-drums are the key (and an understanding guitarist i.e. no half stacks, or ideally no valve amps of any description - our guitarist used a floor pod). Wouldn't attempt it otherwise or you'd need some seriously good monitoring. With e-drums I found I could get away with a Line6 Studio 110 combo DId and a little powered wedge monitor.

[goblin]

I like having my own rig, but I gigged recently using an RMI Basswitch DI. Straight out into the desk, and then a return for my in ears... It made me wonder, that's for sure!

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1397562906' post='2425135']
I need the subs for the Roland TD drum kit & the keyboards & we have monitors .
[/quote]
[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1397563052' post='2425138']

And the monitors will take the bass to a level that the band can hear and play to..??

This is the key to monitors... do they take bass and how many mixes can you have?
[/quote]

That's pretty much hit the nail on the head as regards monitoring. Generally on small "stages" monitors are for vocals and instruments that are acoustic. The more things you put through a monitor mix the more confusing the mix becomes. The more confusing the mix becomes the less happy the vocalists and anyone else who is currently needing the monitors to be able to hear themselves will be. Plus the average wedge monitor simply isn't designed to take the level of bass most bass players would like to have.

On the occasions that I've had to rely 100% on the monitors in order to be able to hear my bass on stage, the only ones I've been really happy with were when the stage and PA were massive and the monitoring system included full-range side-fills.

[Bigwan]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397567468' post='2425199']



That's pretty much hit the nail on the head as regards monitoring. Generally on small "stages" monitors are for vocals and instruments that are acoustic. The more things you put through a monitor mix the more confusing the mix becomes. The more confusing the mix becomes the less happy the vocalists and anyone else who is currently needing the monitors to be able to hear themselves will be. Plus the average wedge monitor simply isn't designed to take the level of bass most bass players would like to have.

On the occasions that I've had to rely 100% on the monitors in order to be able to hear my bass on stage, the only ones I've been really happy with were when the stage and PA were massive and the monitoring system included full-range side-fills.
[/quote]

All true if running at high volumes, but if you run quiet on stage the monitoring requirements drop drastically in my experience. Now I totally get the fact that some folk have no desire to play quietly, but for the purposes of the cover band I played with it was ideal and I had the clearest on-stage sound I'd ever experienced. We weren't using stellar gear either. 3 aux mixes between 4 members from a soundcraft mixer, cheap active monitors (mine was a stagg 12" 100 watt job). I usually just lived with whatever mix one of the guitarists had, but with my little bass combo I could add whatever I wanted of myself. Definitely wouldn't have rattled any fillings out though!

[Kevin Dean]

I have 2 12" 300w active monitors & I'm getting a MB micro mark 8" for home .I was thinking of using this for a bass monitor , I think it will be worth a try .

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1397586115' post='2425453']
I have 2 12" 300w active monitors & I'm getting a MB micro mark 8" for home .I was thinking of using this for a bass monitor , I think it will be worth a try .
[/quote]

More than enough I'd say!

[thisnameistaken]

I keep a 'rig' because I like having some familiarity from rehearsal to backline. The whole thing is as lightweight as I can get away with (a Shuttle head and a Schroeder L cab) so compared to the years spend lugging 410s and Trace Elliot heads it's pure luxury.

It's no consolation whatsoever on double bass gigs however, and I think I will ditch the whole ****ing thing for a preamp and an IEM before long.

Edited April 15, 2014 by thisnameistaken

[Muzz]

My rig's been getting smaller for a while since we started with IEMs. The in-ears are so much better than any rig, because the clarity's there and you can mix yourself (we have individual mixes) to whatever level of bass-dominance you like, plus you have overall control of the VOLUME. Sorry, that made it into capitals because I suffer with tinnitus...

With the best rig in the world, you're hearing it in a very compromised manner, depending on room acoustics, stage size, shape and construction and good old band members volume preferences on the night. We've found that we've improved as a band since moving to in-ears purely because we can all hear what we're doing so much more clearly.

The only downside I've come across is you lose that 'live' feel, but it's a price I'm willing to pay to keep my hearing functioning for a few more years...

[Raymondo]

[quote name='clauster' timestamp='1397559787' post='2425081']
Did similar a while back.

My last covers band had a decent PA - 32 Channel desk, various processors, 4.5K of power amps and Turbosound subs and mid-tops.

A little Ashdown EB180 was sufficient for rehearsals and at gigs worked well as a personal monitor with a DI out to the PA for FOH.
[/quote]

+1 from me ....When I lived and worked in Tenerife I worked with a drummer with an electric kit and the EB 180 was more than enough to help me hear myself in the bigger venues.

[itsmedunc]

There's loads of little 1x10 combos now with a DI that are more than capable of providing adequate monitoring for the whole band. I'm not so sure about an 8" though. Ibanez, Redsub, Harley Benton (500w versions getting harder to find), Ashdown, Mark etc. Any of these should solve your issues.

[LukeFRC]

The main place I play at the mo has gone all in ear, with our own mixes. It's good - and I did wonder when buying my last cab if a decent set of IEM would have been a better buy. The thing I would be worried about is then not being able to pick up other gigs where IEM isn't an option.

[bassintheface]

I'm having the same thoughts.
Since buying an x32 as our desk, coupled with a big and decent JBL PRX active speaker set (inc 18" active subs), I'm really wondering about ditching the rig for some gigs - I don't think I'll ever get rid of my Aguilar rig, but for most of the weddings etc we do, I can just plug in my sans amp, set a nice sound and go into the desk, which has tons of processing, speaker simulators etc.

We each have our own monitor mix via in ears and we each control our own wirelessly off our iphones anyway.

I'm just trying to get the guitarists to consider smaller amps - they really don't need the Fender Blues deluxe and the Musicman 212 - 50w and 65w valve combos respectively. They run them at low levels anyway and could easily get an apogee and use their iphone / ipad or get a smallish digi amp - like a line 6 or similar.....

[Monckyman]

Same as all above really.
We have an E kit, and I used to take an Ampeg pf500 and an Ashdown mini 4x8 for a small rig,mounted on a keyboard stand so it was pointed at my head.
We could get a lively stage sound while keeping the clarity in the vocal mix.
Since we got a new singer we have been off the road working up a new set, so I'm taking the opportunity to introduce IEMs to the singer, the drummer ( who uses a click also) and the guitarist, who is happy to use a multi pedal/di setup.
I have been looking at an iPad/di setup into either IEMs or a wedge monitor for myself,( I need to monitor the sound) which if everyone else is on IEMs, could be relatively quiet.
all of this depends on having a desk with enough aux outs for monitor sends,and enough capacity for low end in your P.A, but even with a simple desk you should easily be able to keep levels down enough to not have to carry the 4x10/head +marshall half stack type rig.
If thats what you want.
A massive bonus of using quiet or no backline, is the front of house mix is greatly improved.

[thodrik]

If you have a good PA system and monitors to every gig you could probably get by without owning an amp. Going from venue to venue with different house PA systems, I usually find that there are too many variables for me to be comfortable not bringing a bass amp. For that reason I always bring an amp.

[brucew]

Interesting, l've quickly thumbed thru this thread & l don't think there's one mention of ' your tone ' or as l still like to call it, ' bass sound '. l play an old valve amp with a 2x15 cab, whenever l'm D I'd, to my ear's (admittedly awash with tinnitus) l sound like most other bassist's (sorry) The thought of being DI'd all the time would probably make me knock it on the head, l suppose it maybe depend's on what style of music you play or how far ' up the ladder ' you are with regards to a regular engineer & freedom of the desk . . . not for me tho.

[LiamPodmore]

I could happily gig with just my bass and my preamp, providing the monitoring was good enough. The rig i've been aiming toward is the same. I can get a powered cab if i need an amp, but otherwise i wouldn't get one.

Liam