what do you use for band practice?

[project_c]

i'm curious about what you all use for band practice (NOT home practice), and if you're happy with the sound you're getting. if your sound cuts through the guitars and drums without losing definition, and you're getting a rich, well rounded and nicely driven tone without drowning the whole room in sub frequencies, AND you can fit your rig into your car, i really want to hear what you use.

i'm looking around for something portable (i can't leave any gear at the rehearsal room, so everything has to fit into the boot of my car), but with a large, punchy and defined 'proper' sound. is this even possible with a small-ish rig, or do I need to start thinking about big cabs and decent heads?

as it is, i currently have 2 choices - use the 'vintage' Peavey combo at the rehearsal room, which sounds like a depressed frog doing curry farts in a lukewarm pond, or take my Markbass Mini along. While the Markbass is certainly loud enough, it's definition and sound quality is of course limited by the size of its' speaker, and i feel like my sound is compromised because of this during band practice. so it's time to look around for something bigger and better, i'm open to all suggestions, regardless of price for now, i'd just like to hear some opinions and ideas. cheers

[bremen]

[quote name='project_c' post='357714' date='Dec 18 2008, 11:32 AM']a depressed frog doing curry farts in a lukewarm pond[/quote]

I know the sound exactly.

Have a look at:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=13344&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=13344&hl=[/url]

I haven't used this particular cab, but I have one I built myself that uses the same bass driver in a similar size box and it's plenty good enough for rehearsal with a very loud drummer, and for most pub gigs. For amplification I use an Ampeg SVP preamp and a 300W power amp. I get a lot of positive comments from audiences and from other bass players that use the rig.

Alex definitely knows his stuff, drop him a line.

[Toasted]

Right now I'm using an Aguilar DB750 and a Bergantino HS410 - I was at band practice last night and it sounded so, so, so good. Even the guitarist said so.

Gain on about 1pm, volume about 10pm. SO MUCH POWER.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Toasted

[Finbar]

I use an Ampeg SVP preamp into a QSC 1200w power amp, and a Schroeder 1212L cab. I use about a quarter of the power of it, and I'm already too loud at practices, which are normally louder than the onstage sound at gigs. Fairly light, and will fit in your boot - You can carry the whole thing in two hands if you're feeling man enough.

[alexclaber]

I used an Acme Low-B2 for years for rehearsals, and then a pair at gigs. Glorious sound, just needs a fair bit of power to get LOUD.

More recently it's been The Compact (my own superlight 1x15" design) which despite being a single 15" is punchier than the 2x10"+5"+1" Acme (though it doesn't have the same prodigious and unparalleled lwo frequency extension) and despite weighing only 32lbs is loud enough to handle remarkably loud gigs on its own.

Alex

P.S. Thanks for the plug Bremen!

[project_c]

some cool suggestions here, keep them coming..

[crez5150]

Eden Metro combo.... Outstanding if not a little heavy

[Ray]

Aguilar AG500SC head + GS112 cab for rehearsals. Loud, lightweight and fits in the boot of a Fiesta with room to spare.

I add a second GS112 cab for gigs.

[Merton]

Trace Elliot V-Type 1x15 combo.

Light? Not really - 30kg - but it has castors
Loud? Yup
Tone? For days

[bassfunk]

I just use an Ashdown Mag 250 C115 (combo with the 15 inch speaker). It cuts through most of the time and is plenty loud enough. But when we gig in venues without a P.A it tends to fall short. So I'm looking to upgrade to maybe the Hartke LH 500 and an XL 410 or something similar. But the combo has done me proud for the past 5 years. I know they get slated a lot round here but it's reliable and I've never had a problem with it. People actually compliment my tone as well.

[project_c]

[quote name='crez5150' post='357878' date='Dec 18 2008, 01:16 PM']Eden Metro combo.... Outstanding if not a little heavy[/quote]

i just checked those out, they look super good. i'm assuming the tonal difference between one of these and the Markbass Mini combo (121p) would be immense? price-wise they're very expensive for a combo but if the tone is really that good, i can understand why.

[artisan]

i'm really lucky as our drummer has an electric drum kit for practice only,so i just use my Roland cube 30 & it sounds ace
so a bigger Roland would be a good choice.
alternately if we practice at Bash studios in Harrogate i use their totally sh*te Carsboro bass bomber & man is it sh*te,but at least it saves me lugging my rig about.

Edited December 18, 2008 by artisan

[crez5150]

[quote name='project_c' post='357899' date='Dec 18 2008, 01:40 PM']i just checked those out, they look super good. i'm assuming the tonal difference between one of these and the Markbass Mini combo (121p) would be immense? price-wise they're very expensive for a combo but if the tone is really that good, i can understand why.[/quote]

I've never tried the Mini Markbass so cannot comment. They are expensive but the tone is full, focussed and powerful. It's two channel and one of those has a valve stage. See if you can find a second hand one as they go at reasonable prices these days...

[The Funk]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='357792' date='Dec 18 2008, 12:21 PM']I used an Acme Low-B2 for years for rehearsals, and then a pair at gigs. Glorious sound, just needs a fair bit of power to get LOUD.

More recently it's been The Compact (my own superlight 1x15" design) which despite being a single 15" is punchier than the 2x10"+5"+1" Acme (though it doesn't have the same prodigious and unparalleled lwo frequency extension) and despite weighing only 32lbs is loud enough to handle remarkably loud gigs on its own.[/quote]

I tend to gig with a pair of Acme Low-B2s myself but have used The Compact in rehearsal. It works for me! Loud and light.

[ahpook]

i use my pedalboard, which ends into an ebs microbass II and run that into the fx return of whatever amp is in the practise studio.

very light indeed !

[umph]

trace elliot v6 > matamp 2X15 very very loud

[Raggy]

Anything from a Berg NV610 + GK 1001RB to a Marshall MB30.

[lonestar]

Markbass102cmd.

I've found in the past and when using a big 4x10+1x15 stack to rehearse that depending on the room I usually hadmy amp much louder than at a gig in a large hall.
Something to do wi th acoustics and sound bouncing off the back wall apparently.
That and the fact that I always gig di'd through the pa in addition to my amp. Our sound engineer likes my 2x10 augmenting the PA subs

[machinehead]

Another Markbass 121P user here.

Used for practice, rehearsals and nowadays, most gigs. Brilliant piece of kit.

Frank

[skankdelvar]

No helpful suggestion, sorry - I just use whatever's in the room. If it ain't loud enough and it's farting out, I just ask the others to turn down.

Not too worried about tone, etc in rhsal rooms:

* Because the acoustics are usually crap, and the louder you get, the plankier it usually sounds
* It's only a rehearsal

This approach allows you to focus your hard-earned cash on your gigging rig

[warwickhunt]

Rehearsals = 1 Aggie DB112 + Thunderfunk

Gigs = 2 Aggie DB112's + Thunderfunk

Almost the same tone at rehearsals as gigs but just less of it. I don't get a shock when I practice songs on one bit of kit and suddenly it doesn't sound the same at gigs!

[ezbass]

As my band is currently using a school hall I take my LMII and Schroeder 1212L, which is my gig rig too (nice and compacy, not to mention light). If we use rehearsal rooms with PA I don't take any amp and just DI into the PA using my MXR M80.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I have been using EDEN NEMESIS NC-250 COMBO , the band said'' AWESOME!!''
Band in disarray at moment(I may have to look for another).
As I don't drive (& couldn't afford walkabout scout ) , I now have AGUILAR AG500 AMP /DB112 CAB,
and am waiting to try this out at next rehearsal.

[ardi100]

I use my Roland DB500 combo for rehearsals and gigs.

Haven't done loads of gigs yet but for rehearsals it fills the room, and our drummer is loud. Playing a school hall with 1000 kids in it tomorrow so that should test it out!

[mewsie]

genz benz shuttle 6 and 1 or 2 aguilar gs112s, depending on how/where we are rehearsing. we have this maahassive warehouse that we most often rehearse in so i take both there. fit on the back seats of the mini with only a small number of swear words.

the band have a behringer something-or-other at the warehouse from the last bass player, but it sounds like i'm playing underwater so i'll only use that one if i'm feeling ill or lazy, or if i'm working somewhere during the day and going straight there.

use the same at home.