Naked (no amp) Bassist's Club?

Roadkill · #1 09-07-2011, 02:47 PM

So, who here has found they don't really need an amp at all? One project I play in we are all on ears and I find I prefer to just DI direct into the board and not haul around a bunch of gear I can't hear anyways.

crguti · #2 09-07-2011, 04:15 PM

this is the amp room, if you don't want one go to talk BS to the effects room.

BurningSkies · #3 09-07-2011, 04:23 PM

Bass playing without an amp is like Christmas without any presents.

Roadkill · #4 09-07-2011, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crguti

this is the amp room, if you don't want one go to talk BS to the effects room.

Since when is a DI an "effect" ?

fokof · #5 09-07-2011, 05:15 PM

Been playing professionaly without a bass amp for the last 12 years , count me in !

( before that , I was too young and innocent that's why I had a bass amp )

Roadkill · #6 09-07-2011, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fokof

Been playing professionaly without a bass amp for the last 12 years , count me in ! ( before that , I was too young and innocent that's why I had a bass amp )

Great! You are now officially "Ampless Bassist's Club #2".

So, have you used ears all them years or floor monitors or ?

fokof · #7 09-07-2011, 06:30 PM

IEM or active monitors.

Roadkill · #8 09-07-2011, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fokof

IEM or active monitors.

Do you just a DI straight in or do you use a sansamp and/or other stomp boxes or rackmount gear? Knowing that the soundguy is going to be messing about with my tone anyways I like hearing my bass's uncolored output straight-up

.

fokof · #9 09-07-2011, 06:46 PM

For the last two years , I've been using a VB99 processor.
This thing has been a revelation to me. But I don't use the EQs and I don't use the amp simulation.
I use it mostly for the synth sounds, upright bass emulation and chorus here and there.
It has an XLR out for FOH and another output for stage monitoring

Before that , it was : Bass=>TD100 (tube DI)=> Monitors/FOH.
I ran that setup for ten years.
The TD100 is one of the best piece of bass equipement I ever bought.

Roadkill · #10 09-07-2011, 07:13 PM

That VB99 looks like fun! Can it give you the TD100's warmth - or do you still use the TD100 too?

rodl2005 · #11 09-07-2011, 07:17 PM

Sorry, I love having a rig behind me.
Full respect to you guys though if that's what you like!

Do you have a 'colony' or camp, where y'all go to BE naked?
;D

Roadkill · #12 09-07-2011, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Do you have a 'colony' or camp, where y'all go to BE naked? ;D

Ampless Bassist's Camp

fokof · #13 09-07-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Do you have a 'colony' or camp, where y'all go to BE naked?
;D

I'd call it "The Ampless Club" , but I'm not the Prez.

Interceptor · #14 09-07-2011, 09:09 PM

I'm ampless except at church and in my practice den these days.

I'm very happy with it. The funny part is that right around the time I got my rig sorted, I ended up FOH full time.

VanillaThundah · #15 09-07-2011, 09:12 PM

Soooo do you practice unplugged or something? o_O

Roadkill · #16 09-07-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanillaThundah

Soooo do you practice unplugged or something? o_O

I actually use a Tascam "Bass Trainer". It's an MP3 player with a 1/4" jack input for your bass. I use my IEM earphones with it. It allows you to slow down and/or change the pitch of a song, enhance or remove the bass, loop a section. It also has a tuner, metronome, and some FX I never use. I believe it is discontinued now but Tascam has a new combo guitar/bass trainer that can also play and record to SDCards. I do noodle though my amps from time-to-time and use a 1x10 combo to rehearse with another project (a jazz standard jam kind of group with a couple horns even

) but have played "naked" with them on-stage when using provided sound at festivals.

FarkusSWR · #17 09-07-2011, 09:46 PM

I played a large festival last year where the two bands before us and one band after us had no bass amp that I could see. No IEM's for either of them; I guess they just used the monitor wedges. I'm not sure I could get used to that. If I can't hear/feel my cab behind me it just doesn't feel right to me. YMMV.

AwkwardLoudness · #18 09-07-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadkill

So, who here has found they don't really need an amp at all? One project I play in we are all on ears and I find I prefer to just DI direct into the board and not haul around a bunch of gear I can't hear anyways.

So, the DI box and PA system are amplifying your bass signal.

Anyway, I have played acoustic upright bass occasionally with no amplification at all. Most of the time, however, I am amp'd up and louder than hell.

**B-string** · #19 09-07-2011, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwkwardLoudness

So, the DI box and PA system are amplifying your bass signal.
Anyway, I have played acoustic upright bass occasionally with no amplification at all. Most of the time, however, I am amp'd up and louder than hell.

Yeah but they are bummed from someone else!

Sorry Bass on the cheap is not for me and I also own the PA. Oh yeah and I am in the "Amps" forum.

fokof · #20 09-08-2011, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanillaThundah

Soooo do you practice unplugged or something? o_O

I use two JBL LSR28P + sub to practice at home and a RCF ART310a +RCF ART902as sub with a band.
I don't consider these 'bass amp' , I would call them 'monitoring'.