saibuster Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I've got a POD X3 and and it is one of my favorite piece of kit, I use for home practice and recording. The presets I'm using are all my own as the factory presets are unusable (im very gentle here). I've got some gigs coming up and since i don't have an amp or cab I'm planning on using the POD straight to the PA. I'm probably guessing that the presets I've programed for practice and recording wont work in a live situation. Most of them are combinations of DI + MIC/CAB/AMP simulation (yes the X3 has a bi-amp option). I'm a studio sound engineer but have 0 experience when it comes to live situation. I'd love to hear tips and experience anyone had playing straight into the PA. Can your generic PA handle the whole bass freq spectrum? or shall i use HiPass filter to cut 30hz and below? How would you use your compressor? shall i leave a lot of dynamic space or limit the signal into a straight controlled volume? I'm sure i wont have the time to program a preset that would work specifically for each venue during sound check. That is why I'd like to hear some generic ideas regarding PA. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I think you're thinking too much like a sound engineer rather than a bassist Will you be doing the sound engineering of the PA? I would just get a sound that you think sounds good to you and let the PA sound engineer tweak it to sound good out front. I shouldn't think that your average bass player will worry about using hi-pass filters when playing live. I would probably use less compression live than when in the studio to maintain dynamics, but that is up to personal preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I used a Bass POD XT Pro in gigs for a couple of years with no problems. Here's what I found - Presets that sound good through headphones or a low volume might not sound so good at gig volumes. I always tried to tweak the presets at rehearsals, at proper gig volumes, to get the best results. You will need amp/speaker simulations to get the best sound as the PA should be fairly transparent. The mic placement setting isn't so important but won't do any harm. Can the PA handle the spectrum ? It depends on the PA really. I never bothered with hi pass filtering but I don't see any point in sending much below 50 Hz to a PA - it would just be a waste of energy really. Try to avoid big level changes in your presets - it causes the sound engineer no end of problems trying to balance the sound if the bass level changes every other number. I actually ended up using only 2, sometimes 3 presets throughout an entire gig - and I tried hard to ensure the levels on those presets were as close as possible by checking on a VU meter. Remember that you'll need some good monitoring to hear yourself - don't understimate the importance of this as it's no fun playing when you cannot hear yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saibuster Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Maybe im thinking too much like a sound engineer and not like a bass player . I think i will create a couple of different presets ranging from pure DI to heavy modeled bass amp tone and check which one works best during sound check. The rest of the work i will leave for the engineer. (ahh leaving my precious tone for a complete stranger... ) thanks for your thoughts ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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