Bass player in need !!

mikec3 · Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 3

We recently went to a new sound system. It was agreed upon to do away
with the amps and just use monitors and a personal monitor.
Well my problem is I can no longer hear and feel my sound the way it was. But, instead of just putting my amp back up we want to see if
there is a way to make the system work. But, I gotta hear me! I went from 2 15's cab. To a monitor that has every vocal and other sound coming through it and a faint me! Needless to say my playing is less enjoyable. Someone said there was a way using a direct box so I could
control my near sound at me without over-doing it to the audiance.
Does anybody know a way to help me?

lee_UK · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:56 pm Post subject:

I think our resident bassplayer and Moderator could well give some instruction here, 1bassleft where are you??

1bassleft · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:05 am Post subject:

Mike, I fully sympathize (so fully, this could be a long post Smile

).

I don't know a few things, like whether your band has gone for the Bose or some other PA + monitors, if you use a soundman, how big the gigs are etc, please come back in with any further info. Here are a few general points though:

Ask your drummer if he's happy. A good drummer likes to hear a good bassist properly - on stage. Chances may be that another band member thinks the same way as you. Check into "The Bottom Line" forum and perhaps search the archives. A lot of better-payed and (frankly) plain-better bassists than me have discussed this topic. I have to say, most of them are like you and dislike the "PA + mons" approach. I'm even more extreme; for a medium-size venue (up to 250 capacity) I prefer to keep the bass amplification completely away from the PA. It annoys a sounman (he has to work out levels with me, then "trust" Shocked

me to stick to them), but here's why:

A lot of musicians and soundmen don't know this, but bass frequencies are completely monoaural to Joe Punter. They don't judge bass as 'left/right' - it just comes out from the front and up their trousers. A lot of house PA isn't really stereo anyway. Secondly, bass doesn't suffer anything like the absorption-from-bodies that mid-upper (guitar, vocals, cymbals) freqs do. Thirdly, most GP speakers have absolutely pathetic falloffs below 50Hz and really don't cut much mustard below 100Hz. That's why your monitors sound fine enough to everyone but you (and maybe that drummer).

For all these reasons, I prefer to let my amp/cab sit behind me, angled slightly at the drummer and honk out into the auditorium. It bugs the soundman, though.

OK, assuming no-one wants you dragging your head and 2x15" back on stage, then. Finding a good combo with DI out is one possible solution. The other (and I have one of these - tres good) is the Nobels 4-splitter. The four-splitter isn't a Swiss knife for the Rabbi, it's quite a handy little (active, 9V supply) box the size of a cig-pack. Bass plugs into input, giving four, balanced, low-impedance outputs. (1) to stage amp, (2) to tuner, (3) to PA, (4) to FOH or powered monitor or separate FX so you have wet and dry bass etc etc. It's not noisy, either. I first tested it between a passive Jazz and a valve amp, resting the Nobels on a (switched on) PC next to the monitor. For the hell of it, I put the room lights on, too. With this, or some A_B_Y type pedal, you can use an amp onstage at just enough level for you and the drummer to be happy, without upsetting the poor old fader-slider.

I may be barking up the wrong tree, though. Let me know if none of this helps. www.nobels.com

Terry Allan Hall · Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:47 pm Post subject:

The way we do it in my trio is use small combos for the bassist (usually my Trace Elliot 100w "Commando") and myself (a Genz-Benz TransAmp for me, currently), with lines out to the PA...the combos are our "instrument monitors" and the PA reinforces them to whatever degree is needed, depending on the venue. No guitar, bass or percussion in the PA's monitors, which has the advantage of that because we don't run anything through the PA's monitors except vocals, we can hear each other better for our harmonies.

1bassleft · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:45 am Post subject:

Mike, are you still checking in? Is it possible to customize your monitor? If the band insists on the setup, I'm thinking about some possibles.

mikec3 · Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 3

Yeah,I'm..here....my..keyoard..gone..getting..another..quikly...
thank..all..lot..... Laughing

Mike

1bassleft · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 2:23 am Post subject:

Mike, I was in Spain, posted a lengthy, and watched it disapppear into the ether. Spanish customs, I guess. How are you getting on? More news/ops?

Bass

Tim · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:59 pm Post subject:

When we gigged I used to have my regular practice combo, Peavey TNT 150 (1x15), behind me angled at me and the drummer, with a DI to the PA, monitors mainly played guitar and vocal, this seemed to work from pubs to (small) open air festivals with the various volumes adjusted.

Tim.

	GuitarSite.com Guitar Discussion Forum Index -> Guitar	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1