How beneficial is it buying a PA/monitor rather than a bass amp....

magnusdeus123 · #1 04-24-2008, 08:35 AM

I know it sounds like a stupid questions but I'm asking because I'll be making the next bass related purchase soon , and I've been wondering whether I should get a bass amp or just get some sort of monitor or PA . The reason is because I run my line through a SABDDI . And I'm cool with the sound I get . So would it be better for me to just think from a band standpoint and get something like that ??....

**baba** · #2 04-24-2008, 08:55 AM

If you have an existing band PA and you are talking about just buying yourself a powered monitor, that will work. Just add the DI after your bass and take one out to your mixer and one to a powered monitor.

Better yet - If you sing, or care about hearing vocals or other instruments more prominently, and have enough mixes on your board to get your own mix, take an out from the mixer and plug it into the monitor instead. Then you can hear yourself and mix in the other instruments as desired.

Hopefully I'm not stating the obvious here, but I don't want to assume what you do or don't know.

magnusdeus123 · #3 04-29-2008, 12:36 AM

No I'm talking about buying a small PA instead of a bass amp , and connecting the Bass > DI > Mixer > PA.....

StevieT · #4 04-29-2008, 02:14 AM

In my experience, it depends on the monitors & PA you are using.

When playing in very large open rooms, arenas, theaters, etc. I go from my pedal board to DI and straight into the board, no amp.
I use E-5 in ear monitors here. Very nice sound. I also have a "thumper" but I don't use it very often, it limits me walking around on stage. We use a monster PA in these situations.

When playing smaller venues (more sound bouncing around or floor wedge monitors are used) I use my amp rig & run the DI's out of my amps pre-outs, post eq (2 amps, 2 channels, 1 high, 1 low) so I can have stage sound.
Sometimes I'll use E-1 in ear monitors in this situation along with my stage rig. We use a much smaller PA in these places.

**baba** · #5 04-29-2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magnusdeus123

No I'm talking about buying a small PA instead of a bass amp , and connecting the Bass > DI > Mixer > PA.....

Ok, then it sounds like you will be buying a PA with the intent to use it as a bass rig and also help out the band by purchasing a PA. Realize the PA will cost much more than a bass rig. If you play live gigs I would talk to the band about taking a cut for PA use as well as your regular band member cut. This is very common and only fair as you'll be funding it.

If you go this route just do yourself a favor and pay for quality before size/features. Buy good stuff and have a plan so you can grow the system as needed. Buy used!!!! If you get a budget and can provide details on what's in the band and where you will be playing, I can provide suggestions on what would best fit your needs.

BillyRay · #6 04-29-2008, 10:59 AM

It's frankly not a good idea. I have been forced to do this very thing many times before and you need to realize that:

a) Good PA equipment is usually not cheap, complicated to operate/set-up and heavy. Cheap PA equipement sounds very bad + is inneficient: should never be an option.

b) Most places already have a PA. Even if it's cheap, it's better than schleping it yourself

c) The more important factor: bass takes up, ho so many watts, when you run it trough a PA. Remember how you need watts and speaker surface for days to cut through agressive and loud guitar using a dedicated bass rig ? Well, that situation doesn't magically reverse when you go direct to a PA. In fact, it's compounded because you then lose sound definition OVERALL: everythign will sound like crap because bass will be wasting all the headroom the amps send to the mains/subs.

If you are dead set on going the "PA" route, don't let anything but voice go through it (no keys or bass drum, ever since they are also very voracious on the headroom) and buy a big amp with efficient cabs. Also, be prepared to pay out of the wazoo: monitors, mains and subs aren't cheap and you need the proper gear to make them work (limiters and compressors). ***

Another option would be to get a bass head that has a pre that can be swtiched off (or a very transparent pre), letting you get your SansAmp tone true and clear and hook that up to conventional bass speakers.

*** For voice, I'd say that a dual channel power amp that can send around 200 watts (each channel) to efficient mains + wedge/monitors is more than enough for most small rooms. If you want only mains but no monitors, using rigs as monitors, it starts to depend a lot on band dynamics, but a great powered mixer than can put some watts into each channel is usually cheaper than going board + amp route.

derrico1 · #7 04-29-2008, 11:37 AM

One of my stage rigs options is running pre-amp + power amp rack into a Carvin three-way PA cabinet (LS1503). Because the 1503 is both fairly deep and pretty well balanced, it lets me get closer than most bass cabs to a stage monitor that replicates what I'm sending the FOH system (discounting the subs, of course).

As a bonus, I've already used the 1503 more than a few times for vocals-only PA duty in small club and casual music settings.

jsm81 · #8 04-29-2008, 09:30 PM

I just traded my 410 cab in for a 210 monitor a few days ago. What a difference. Like yourself, I primarily use a Sansamp BDDI as a preamp, so now i send one output through to my poweramp which powers up my cab and the xlr out to the mixer. Having that tilt back monitor has really helped me, I can actually hear myself very clearly now and the rest of the guys on stage like it because I'm not drowning out the stage anymore. My sound guy said that it's a lot easier to mix me in now because he's not fighting with the onstage volume of my bass anymore. This setup is nice too because I control my own monitor volume and the sound guy does the rest.

theshadow2001 · #9 04-29-2008, 10:49 PM

My questions to you are

Do you have a band

Does this band have adequate PA

Do you sing

Do you intend to use this monitor for hearing a monitor mix or just your bass

Do you intend to use the PA for your band to play through or just yourself.

What are you currently using to amplify your bass

landwomble · #10 05-31-2008, 05:14 PM

Bands buy PA kit. Bass players buy bass rigs....!

**Stumbo** · #11 06-02-2008, 03:27 AM

Cons:
1) You might join another band some time and need a bass amp (they already have a P.A).
2) PA's take a lot maintenance (both physical and $$) of cables, mics, monitor, stands, racks, power amps, etc. You need more room to haul them around.

**Stumbo** · #12 06-02-2008, 03:31 AM

There is tons of used P.A. equipment available. And if you use it for vocals, it's a lot easier to find equipment that will do a fine job of vocal reproduction. For example, Peavey SPII's are cheap and sound pretty good on stands.
There kinda heavy though.

A decent mixer/amp/e.q .can also be found cheap.
Have each member buy their own mic/stand/monitor.

Spend the rest of your money on a bass rig.

If you have transportation to move everything, maybe get both.

fokof · #13 06-06-2008, 11:36 AM

It's a very very good idea.

I only use Active monitor "PA type" boxes as bass amp.
I connot play anymore with normal bass amp.
I have a Mackie SRM450 , a RCF ART310A and an active sub for bigger gigs.

My RCF is 27 pounds , 350 watts.
A mackie SRM450 , is 450 watts , and weight 51 pounds.
Try to find those specs in the Bass amp world. Both of these will be cheaper than an good amp/cab combo.

EDIT: I use a TD100 as preamp.