coasterbass Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I've had this niggling idea at the back of my mind for ages, and I wondered why no one else has thought its a good idea. Maybe you can help me understand how stupid I'm being.... You know the story... setting up for a gig, and you've got your entra long lead/wireless so that you can wander around whilst you soundcheck and see what it 'sounds like out front'. But... everytime you want to make a change to your settings you have to wander back to your amp and play with the controls. Why can't we have remote control amps, which would work like a home hi-fi/tv, to adjust the tone/graphic ? Of course we would also be given the controls to the guitarists amps during the gig so that we can turn them down as needed? So... a poll.... how dumb is this idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Active basses, FX pedals and foot-switches? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Would this mean you'd have to stop playing in order to fish the remote out of your pocket? Would the remote be IR or radio? If it was IR you'd need line of sight. But maybe it would be possible to achieve something using bluetooth...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbass Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 [quote name='alexclaber' post='349361' date='Dec 9 2008, 08:57 AM']Active basses, FX pedals and foot-switches? Alex[/quote] But when you are really 'out front' listening to how your sound will, ahem, sound, you'd still have to wander back to get to pedals etc, and that wouldn't change the fundamentals of your tone ie. your actual amp controls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) [quote name='coasterbass' post='349360' date='Dec 9 2008, 08:54 AM']Why can't we have remote control amps, which would work like a home hi-fi/tv, to adjust the tone/graphic ?[/quote] I wouldn't want an amp that could be controlled by someone who wasn't stood right in front of it. As you said, if you can have the control for the guitarists amp, then he can have the control for yours. Shudder at the thought. S.P. Edited December 9, 2008 by Stylon Pilson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 lol! fighting over the remotes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Assuming we're talking about "real" amps here (as opposed to digital amp modellers) then there's no doubt that the technology exists ... [url="http://www.fender.com/products/cyber/cybertwinse/home.php"]http://www.fender.com/products/cyber/cybertwinse/home.php[/url] The Fender Cyber Twin has motorised knobs so that you can manually create an EQ setting, store it, then reset all the knobs. When you recall the preset EQ the motorised knobs automatically return to the positions that you preset. It wouldn't need much, I suspect, to make that feature controllable remotely so that you could adjust the preset EQ with a handset and the motorised knobs would move to the desired position. How useful this would be i have no idea. It would also be expensive with all that extra hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Remote control? I'm in a house band for a jam night and you wouldn't believe what some people try to do to the gear!! I've often wished for this myself. I think this is a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 It's not practical, as you'd would need to take a sofa with you to keep the remote wedged in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 [quote name='BOD2' post='349415' date='Dec 9 2008, 09:43 AM']Assuming we're talking about "real" amps here (as opposed to digital amp modellers) then there's no doubt that the technology exists ... [url="http://www.fender.com/products/cyber/cybertwinse/home.php"]http://www.fender.com/products/cyber/cybertwinse/home.php[/url] The Fender Cyber Twin has motorised knobs so that you can manually create an EQ setting, store it, then reset all the knobs. When you recall the preset EQ the motorised knobs automatically return to the positions that you preset. It wouldn't need much, I suspect, to make that feature controllable remotely so that you could adjust the preset EQ with a handset and the motorised knobs would move to the desired position. How useful this would be i have no idea. It would also be expensive with all that extra hardware.[/quote] The GK Fusion heads have similar motorised knobbery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 [quote name='chris_b' post='349423' date='Dec 9 2008, 09:49 AM']Remote control? I'm in a house band for a jam night and you wouldn't believe what some people try to do to the gear!! I've often wished for this myself. I think this is a great idea.[/quote] I've had exactly the same thought for this very reason. My idea is a wireless controlled attenuator (gain of 1 or less) which plugs into the amp Effects Loop. I can then stand out front and as the player turns up the volume, I can just wind it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 saw this and thought 'what a great idea', but by the time i'd got to the bottom of the thread i've changed my mind. on set you're pretty much close enough to your amp to do any small tweaks, unless you're doing a stadium gig, but that's what roadies are for. at soundcheck I just shout instructions to our gitartist of which knob to tweak. Gimmick idea i'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 [quote name='SteveO' post='349504' date='Dec 9 2008, 11:09 AM']... at soundcheck I just shout instructions to our gitartist of which knob to tweak.[/quote] You have a guitarist who knows how to set knobs at something other than 11 ? How novel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 [quote name='SteveO' post='349504' date='Dec 9 2008, 11:09 AM']saw this and thought 'what a great idea', but by the time i'd got to the bottom of the thread i've changed my mind. on set you're pretty much close enough to your amp to do any small tweaks, unless you're doing a stadium gig, but that's what roadies are for. at soundcheck I just shout instructions to our gitartist of which knob to tweak. Gimmick idea i'm afraid.[/quote] Letting your guitarist do that? Talk about living dangerously.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Or find a bass amp with midi (is there one?) and use a pedal board mounted midi controller with presets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='349429' date='Dec 9 2008, 09:56 AM']It's not practical, as you'd would need to take a sofa with you to keep the remote wedged in.[/quote] LMAO [quote name='skankdelvar' post='350350' date='Dec 10 2008, 01:28 AM']Or find a bass amp with midi (is there one?) and use a pedal board mounted midi controller with presets?[/quote] Yes, there's the [url="http://www.clivebutton.com/Trace/pages/Mp11.htm"]Trace Elliot MP-11 programmable eq[/url]. But they're very uncommon, especially with the foot controller. I used to have one and as a preamp they're a bit inflexible but still useful if you need just a programmable eq. There's also the [url="http://www.whycalvary.com/ADA_MB_1/index.htm"]ADA MB-1 bass preamp[/url], arguably just as uncommon because ADA went out of business years ago but perhaps more feted on the other side of the pond. Also the [url="http://www.guitarcenter.com/Tech-21-Sansamp-PSA1-1-Preamp-480041-i1145233.gc"]Tech 21 PSA-1 Sansamp MIDI preamp[/url] and the [url="http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/shop/flypage/product_id/13080"]Rocktron Blue Thunder[/url] preamp too. There are any number of multi effects units out there with programmable eq settings as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I came up with a similar idea (of sorts) It revolved around having a battery powered foot controller that interfaced with a compatible amplifier via Bluetooth (having seen how well PS3 controllers work) The said amp might well have some fx/features built in. You'd need a wireless system for yer bass to capitalise on it fully, though. All you'd have is a power cable for your amp, and (if necessary speaker cables for your cabs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbass Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 Yeah, ok, it was a dumb idea. I just had this image of walking out to where the audience would be, playing some stuff and thinking 'hmmm, not cutting through enough in this room', pulling a remote out of your pocket and fiddling with the mid/treble until it sounded right. it would save the play/walk/adjust/walk/play/walk/adjust cycle that I seem to get into. As for stopping people playing with it when you're playing, I'm sure we could put a bypass/off switch on the amp itself. Hmmm.... maybe i'll have to come up with a better idea to make my millions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 [quote name='coasterbass' post='350447' date='Dec 10 2008, 10:11 AM']Hmmm.... maybe i'll have to come up with a better idea to make my millions.[/quote] Dunno about that Coasterbass, I like the idea of the remote controller and think the off/bybass switch to stop anyone else remote controlling your amp is the one. What about having nothing but a motorised Master Volume on the amp front (like a hi-fi) with all the other controls remote controlled and shown on a digital display? (which could also be a touch screen for 'lost remote' times). The remote could have a 'port' on the front of the amp for storage and charging. JTB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 [quote name='coasterbass' post='350447' date='Dec 10 2008, 10:11 AM']Yeah, ok, it was a dumb idea. I just had this image of walking out to where the audience would be, playing some stuff and thinking 'hmmm, not cutting through enough in this room', pulling a remote out of your pocket and fiddling with the mid/treble until it sounded right. it would save the play/walk/adjust/walk/play/walk/adjust cycle that I seem to get into. As for stopping people playing with it when you're playing, I'm sure we could put a bypass/off switch on the amp itself. Hmmm.... maybe i'll have to come up with a better idea to make my millions.[/quote] I thought it was a great idea, but it IS rather specialist. Not many bands are playing in venues big enough to take advantage of this. I've never had a wireless system for example, so I wouldn't be able to take advantage. I think perhaps a specific remote controlled pre-amp aimed at top pro players would be more effective in the marketplace. I have leant my bass amp out before and I would have really appreciated a remote controlled volume control. Some people just don't listen to your advice/rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 How about a roadie and walky talkies? You would obviously have to teach them how to press the receive button.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 [quote name='coasterbass' post='349360' date='Dec 9 2008, 08:54 AM']Why can't we have remote control amps, which would work like a home hi-fi/tv, to adjust the tone/graphic ? So... a poll.... how dumb is this idea? [/quote] It's not a dumb idea but I believe in getting your sound right first time and not touching your amp again until the end of the gig. Makes the soundman's job easier. But for all the twiddlers and fiddlers out there, I think it could work quite well, and if you'd like different amp settings on different songs, it would be very useful. How many different bass sounds do you want from one amp though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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