Why do you "need" an Amp??!??

[mmx6]

Currently I do not have an amp

I am using my Fender Jazz 60s with my Vox AmPlug Bass hooked up to my Denon receiver going into my Home Theatre 7.2 system 1400 Watts RMS

Set the AmPlug on overdrive and set to gain to an 8, the output is extremely clean and so bassy the whole house shakes when on the lowest note lol

Also the definition of the plucking is realistic and very clear on the higher frets


At lessons, the teacher only got an 15W and 30W Fender Rumbles

They do not have much low frequencies and output is not clean

Why do you need amos for practice at home??? Amp is useful for gigs especially 100W or so since it is not io big or heavy.

[DeliriumTremens]

going to lug your home theatre system out to play a show or record in a studio? The Rumble amps you mention are for beginners, not professional amps

[mmx6]

Originally Posted by DeliriumTremens

going to lug your home theatre system out to play a show or record in a studio? The Rumble amps you mention are for beginners, not professional amps

Read the OP, I know having amp is of course convenient for gigs, but why do I see people practice with their mono or bi mono or tri mono cabinet amps 500W+ at a home environment or even studio??

I feel the sound coming from a large sub or multiple large subs combined with speaker system mid frequency drivers as well as the high frequency tweeters give the optimal sounds.


Or use reference headphones such as a HD600/650 or even an HD700, 800, Q702/K701/702, K550. SRH840/940 etc. with a good headphone amp like bluedot etc

He sound would be clearer and much more accurate

[thedudebrah]

How are you getting a clean sound out of the overdrive setting on a Vox AmPlug?

[Munjibunga]

You don't. But I do.

[JamesGoodall]

My amp also consists of my compressor and my pre/overdrive (is 3 eq-ing sections too much?). I have it so that I can set my sound how I like it and potentially practice at near-gig volume, when the circumstances allow, to get a feel for how my bass will actually sound and sit in a mix at gigs.

Plus a lot of us dont have home theatre systems like that, nor can most (not all) reproduce my lowest notes with the definition that my amp can. Plus I feel badass sitting in front of a 4 foot tall rig blasting my face with bowel movement-inducing lows. It's just sexy

That said, When I am on campus I do run my amp via the line out or DI into my mixer and out a pair of near-field monitors or through my Beyerdynamic 770-pros.

It's nice having something "small" like that, but IMHO/E nothing beats what my 410 can give me. Except maybe a fEARful 1515/66/1. One day...

[topo morto]

I don't need an amp for practice. Depending on what I'm practicing, I don't need to be plugged in at all for solo practice. And if I do, I can get a better sound out of my micro home stereo system than my rumble 15, which has very poor bass. And of course headphones are an option...

For band practice, I plug into the same PA the singer goes through. That works live in a lot of situations as well.

The only reason I might keep the rumble 15 is that it works quite well as a guitar amp.

I do also have a 150 watt amp in case I ever get a gig with a different band where I don't know what the PA is like, but TBH in all situations I could probably have done without it so far.

[Wallace320]

Originally Posted by JamesGoodall

My amp also consists of my compressor and my pre/overdrive (is 3 eq-ing sections too much?). I have it so that I can set my sound how I like it and potentially practice at near-gig volume, when the circumstances allow, to get a feel for how my bass will actually sound and sit in a mix at gigs.

Plus a lot of us dont have home theatre systems like that, nor can most (not all) reproduce my lowest notes with the definition that my amp can. Plus I feel badass sitting in front of a 4 foot tall rig blasting my face with bowel movement-inducing lows. It's just sexy

That said, When I am on campus I do run my amp via the line out or DI into my mixer and out a pair of near-field monitors or through my Beyerdynamic 770-pros.

It's nice having something "small" like that, but IMHO/E nothing beats what my 410 can give me. Except maybe a fEARful 1515/66/1. One day...

+1
OP: you don't run your pedalboard in your home theater DTS, and live I need poundin' speakers behind me, it's like muscles in my arms, you feel much better when you stretch'em, it's your battery of field Howitzer: how can you fill your battlefield side without'em behind you?
And believe me: I hate my 4x10" Peavey, muscles aside, for its impossible darn weight (4x10" Crate is way lighter): would you lend me your DTS for liveset? Would it be any easier to carry in n'out?

Cheers,
Wallace

[Emibass]

I´m with you on this but I think it´s a matter of taste.

it´s simplier for me just to plug-in directly to my interface and listen the bass trough studio monitors. It gives me a better perspective of the bass and I really like my basses tone in studio enviorment.
Live I tend to use a small amp just for monitoring but sometimes I just use the house floor monitors.

[BoomBoomOGTL]

Because HT theatre systems are meant to reproduce music, not create it. I'd never in a million years run my bass through my audio system (Threshold, Conrad Johnson and Martin Logan, FWIW).

On the same note, some folks are happy playing their guitars and basses solely through their PCs. It might work for some, but not this guy....

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by Wallace320

+1
OP: you don't run your pedalboard in your home theater DTS

I run mine through my micro system!

[AuntieBeeb]

Originally Posted by BoomBoomOGTL

Because HT theatre systems are meant to reproduce music, not create it.

This is the difference - the amplifier in your Home Theatre rig is designed and set up to reproduce the sounds you play through it with the absolute minimum of harmonic distortion. Maybe your AmPlug adds enough "colour" to counteract this, but personally I've always found guitar/bass through a HiFi sounds very sterile. You may also find after a while that too much low end makes your speakers sound a little "furry."

A dedicated bass amp, on the other amp, is designed with your bass in mind. The speakers are generally more heavy-duty, and the preamp should sound a little warmer than your Home Theatre.

Fender Rumbles are probably not going to convince you of this, however, as they can often sound a bit "woolly." (I think they still have the mid-range notch built-in, don't they?) It might be worth shopping around for a slightly "clearer"-sounding practice amp.

Or, of course, you could save space by running a Line6 device into your computer. The different variants on the Pod give you plenty of amp models to experiment with. None of them ever quite sound like a real amp, but the tonal flexibility is impressive at least.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by mmx6

Read the OP, I know having amp is of course convenient for gigs, but why do I see people practice with their mono or bi mono or tri mono cabinet amps 500W+ at a home environment or even studio??

1. I don't have a home theater system
2. If I did, I wouldn't plug my bass into it, that's not it's purpose
3. Since I do have multiple amps, that's what I use
4. I gig, a lot. I need an amp.

He sound would be clearer and much more accurate

That's all a matter of personal taste.

I don't really want a "clean" sound, and that automatically means that's not going to be as accurate as possible in audiophile terms.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by BoomBoomOGTL

Because HT theatre systems are meant to reproduce music, not create it.

Part of being creative is ignoring 'what things are meant for' and being open to something else that might work (which is not to criticise those who have decided that the conventional route is the best)

I love playing through a big hi-fi or monitor system with a decent reverb - makes me come up with completely different lines, slow stuff, chordal stuff. I can imagine a surround system would be even more awesome.

[AuntieBeeb]

Originally Posted by topo morto

Part of being creative is ignoring 'what things are meant for' and being open to something else that might work (which is not to criticise those who have decided that the conventional route is the best)

I agree entirely - I'm partly just concerned about the OP damaging his HT speakers by running too much bass through them!

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by AuntieBeeb

I agree entirely - I'm partly just concerned about the OP damaging his HT speakers by running too much bass through them!

Absolutely, you do have to be aware of what your gear can handle - but unless you need to be loud, there's not much of a problem. If you do need to be loud, that's when you need an amp / well set up PA.

[nukes_da_bass]

A bass amp is the best "stage monitor for bass" ever designed. With my bass amp, I represent my sound to myself, my bandmates, and often, to the house itself.
Only a non professional relies on a house PA system.
PA mains have horns that make a bass signal sound horrible IMO. I've done it when my amp blew up, and it didn't sound pretty.
Why would you need a NASCAR vehicle for a race?
Maybe YOU wouldn't. But you wouldn't get the job done properly.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by nukes_da_bass

A bass amp is the best "stage monitor for bass" ever designed. With my bass amp, I represent my sound to myself, my bandmates, and often, to the house itself.
Only a non professional relies on a house PA system.
PA mains have horns that make a bass signal sound horrible IMO. I've done it when my amp blew up, and it didn't sound pretty.
Why would you need a NASCAR vehicle for a race?
Maybe YOU wouldn't. But you wouldn't get the job done properly.

Well-put reasons for using an amp, but it can still be a considered decision, rather than an automatic one. I've taken my amp along and left it in the van more than once because it was clear I was going to hear myself fine through PA, and my sound would be good enough for the gig. Other times I thought I needed the monitoring. I am not a pro, which may prove your point, but even if I was the thought process would be the same...

[Maz]

At home I have a couple of choices: If I'm playing along with something I plug my ipod and my bass into my 15 year old tascam 4 track and play through a set of Audio Technica m40f monitor phones. If I'm just jamming at home or practicing band songs solo, or writing solo, I play though a crate practice amp that has just enough guts to sound good. At band practice I play through my buddy's 8x10 cabinet and tear the walls down.

The difference is: My little 50watt practice amp is tailored to the instrument, and colors the sound simlilar to the way a bigger amp does, which for the purpose of practice or feeling out new material, is more accurate. I want to hear those basslines the way they're going to sound in the wild. On the other hand, those at m40f's have a pretty flat frequency response, and everything turns up, extra finger noise included. They are good for not muddying the waters when I'm trying to figure out a new song with my yet untrained ears, but they don't have enough soul to write with.

That's my take on it.Hope that gives you some more perspective OP. If you have a sound system that you can play your bass through that's great, especially if you can tailor the eq to get the sound you want. It's not a bad idea to have an amp as well though, even if you only use it as a referee.

[mystic38]

no you dont need an amp.. but i fail to see the point of playing bass in your living room your whole life..