Importance of Your Rig

[micahbell]

Hey Justin,

A few questions about how your sound works when you are on a large tour.

My main question is when you are doing something like an arena tour, how much does your rig really matter, and how much does your sound depend on your front of house guy?

My second question is when you need an EQ change from song to song, is that actually done on your amp or just at front of house? Does your rig stay with the same settings the entire way though the show?

I may go on tour later this year, and it will literally be a jump from playing pubs where vocals are through the PA, and everything else is off the stage to playing concert hall type shows.
I've never played to a room bigger then 200 people, and I really don't know what to expect. I've always dreamed that if I got a great touring gig I'd buy a great rig, but does it really matter?

Thanks for the read

[jmjbassplayer]

Originally Posted by micahbell

Hey Justin,

A few questions about how your sound works when you are on a large tour.

My main question is when you are doing something like an arena tour, how much does your rig really matter, and how much does your sound depend on your front of house guy?

My sound TOTALLY depends on FOH. The cab was only mic'ed sometimes. It's important to me, but not hugely.

My second question is when you need an EQ change from song to song, is that actually done on your amp or just at front of house? Does your rig stay with the same settings the entire way though the show?

Yes, it never changes on the amp. It changed in my rack though settings would change with a TC digital EQ, as well as preamp settings in a Sans AMp PSA1.1. But it wasn't really necessary , man. Just fine tuning. Don't worry about that stuff.

I may go on tour later this year, and it will literally be a jump from playing pubs where vocals are through the PA, and everything else is off the stage to playing concert hall type shows.
I've never played to a room bigger then 200 people, and I really don't know what to expect. I've always dreamed that if I got a great touring gig I'd buy a great rig, but does it really matter?

NO. Not really. Don't even trip. I could have done the NIN tour with a 4 x 10 and a random 300 watt head. I had a big rig that sounded luxurious just because I could. But it wasn't a make or break.

Thanks for the read

Best,
JMJ

[micahbell]

Great, thanks for the help.

I do need a new rig eventually, but I think I'll buy it near the end of the tour as a present to myself, rather then taking out a loan to get it before we start.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by micahbell

Great, thanks for the help.

I do need a new rig eventually, but I think I'll buy it near the end of the tour as a present to myself, rather then taking out a loan to get it before we start.

good idea. your markbass rig should be just fine. the less you spend on gear, the more money you keep.

then again, we all succumb to gas occasionally

[micahbell]

My Markbass is actually gone... blew up on me.
I'm currently using a Sansamp RBI into an old Peavey power amp.
It's not bad, but the power amp gives me **** and needs to replaced, or I need to sink some money into fixing it. It was the kind of thing that if I was going to put any money into it at all, I would just buy a new head because I'm not in love with the sound of it any way, but if it doesn't make too huge of a difference I think I'll just spend the wee bit of cash to fix it and buy myself a new amp when the cheques start rolling in.