Forgot my head...now get this...

Russell L · #1 10-23-2011, 09:46 AM

Dangnation, if I didn't get to the gig last night and forgot to bring my Little Mark III in it's metal briefcase. 'Bout had a heart attack. Drove 40 minutes to get there. Arrived 45 minutes before downbeat, so there was no time to go back and get it. What to do, what to do? I figured I'd just line out and deal with the sound from where I would be standing with no monitor. Yuck. Ok, so here comes the bandleader with a smile, "Got ya covered..."

Now, no one has ever had this sound before---I ended up playing '01 American Jazz through a Behringer PA head into my Markbass Traveler 151P cab. Heh, heh. I was getting 200w, just enough for onstage, but it was mic'd, so I was in the mains, too. Had to work with it a bit before I found an onstage tone I liked, but it worked. The lowest slider was 63 Hz, a sound I'm not used to. There were others I don't normally get to mess with, too, so it was quite interesting to hear the differences. I got some cool sounds out of it. And, I must say that my 151P performed wonderfully. Plenty of bottom and volume. I went through all the styles, from scooped mids to honking mids and finally settled in on a happy medium. Really not bad at all. But, just to think that I was playing a Behringer PA head through a Markbass cab was an entertaing thought. I coulda never imagined a stranger combo. I figured you guys would get a kick out of it.

Thanks for reading. Anyone ever tried it? If ya have a wild story yerself, lay it on here.

Ya'll be good.

Frankjohnson · #2 10-23-2011, 10:14 AM

I played though My Peavey PV 10 and QSC Plx1602 once. Didn't know I was playing that night, and had brought my small PA for a friends band. Had my bass with me in case I was offered a sit in. Their bass player bailed on the gig. It was very clean and Hi-Fi Sounding. pretty cool!~

Russell L · #3 10-23-2011, 10:52 AM

Cool, Frank. Oh, and I forget what model number the Behringer was---Europower something-or-another, basically a powered mixer. It, too, was very clean.

TripleDouble · #4 10-23-2011, 10:58 AM

Not too long ago a rig that was supplied as backline for a multi-band show blew up right before my band's set. The sound man was on his game, so I had him solo the bass in my stage monitor, and take most of the super-lows out until I got an audible, non-distorting sound out of it. My stage sounds was nothing too enjoyable but not unusable, and it provided bass reference for everyone. He and others said the sound out front was just fine. Whatever works...

LiamPodmore · #5 10-23-2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleDouble

Not too long ago a rig that was supplied as backline for a multi-band show blew up right before my band's set. The sound man was on his game, so I had him solo the bass in my stage monitor, and take most of the super-lows out until I got an audible, non-distorting sound out of it. My stage sounds was nothing too enjoyable but not unusable, and it provided bass reference for everyone. He and others said the sound out front was just fine. Whatever works...

I had something like that happen. The guys who were supposed to supply backline blew up his head and cab the night before, so was borrowing a friends rig and wasnt too comfortable with me using it. Ended up DI through the monitors, it wasnt the best, but i could just about hear myself.

Liam

Russell L · #6 10-24-2011, 05:48 AM

I probably coulda gotten away with something like that, except I didn't have my own personal monitor. Probably would've heard it, though.

rtslinger · #7 10-24-2011, 07:27 AM

Yeah got one we played a gig that was supposed to have a backline so I brought no amp ( was using a Fender Combo at the time) Got there and they had everything but a bass amp! We have an old crate 60 watt 4 channel pa as a back up mixer in case something goes bad I grabbed that the drummer had a 12" Woofer in a homemade box he was using as a kick drum monitor I grabbed that put the speaker in front of the drum kit set the mixer on top and ran a line out to the front of the house wasn't thunder but I could hear myself and we got through the show here is a picture because I know how stories aren't real unless you have a picture ha ha ha

Russell L · #8 10-24-2011, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtslinger

Yeah got one we played a gig that was supposed to have a backline so I brought no amp ( was using a Fender Combo at the time) Got there and they had everything but a bass amp! We have an old crate 60 watt 4 channel pa as a back up mixer in case something goes bad I grabbed that the drummer had a 12" Woofer in a homemade box he was using as a kick drum monitor I grabbed that put the speaker in front of the drum kit set the mixer on top and ran a line out to the front of the house wasn't thunder but I could hear myself and we got through the show here is a picture because I know how stories aren't real unless you have a picture ha ha ha

Heh, heh, yeah, that Behringer head was tall like that on top of my 151P cab.

rtslinger · #9 10-24-2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell L

Heh, heh, yeah, that Behringer head was tall like that on top of my 151P cab.

Yeah you got to be ready for anything Russell, I have never used a behringer amp or board before but I do use their Bass Driver BDI21 now for all my shows no stage amp direct to a Bose Tower with 2 bass woofers works great.

kcole4001 · #10 10-24-2011, 09:00 AM

You could have also run through a DI and used your cab as a PA monitor, either with the bass solo'd if possible or run full monitor mix.
Might not sound ideal as a full monitor mix, but would still work well enough.

I always carry a spare DI along with my regular kit of goodies.

Russell L · #11 10-24-2011, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcole4001

You could have also run through a DI and used your cab as a PA monitor, either with the bass solo'd if possible or run full monitor mix.
Might not sound ideal as a full monitor mix, but would still work well enough.

I always carry a spare DI along with my regular kit of goodies.

Didn't think, nope.

bound'n'blocked · #12 10-24-2011, 12:54 PM

The GK RB800 died just before we started one time, so I just went thru my Sansamp and used the monitors. I actually liked it but the guitar player really wants a bass amp on stage and he's the boss so....

The first band I was in, the guitar player used a Peavey 4 channel PA head as a guitar head and (I think) the cabinet was a 6x10 or something. I know it was 10s and was about as tall as an Ampeg 8x10.

BnB

Russell L · #13 10-24-2011, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bound'n'blocked

The GK RB800 died just before we started one time, so I just went thru my Sansamp and used the monitors. I actually liked it but the guitar player really wants a bass amp on stage and he's the boss so....

The first band I was in, the guitar player used a Peavey 4 channel PA head as a guitar head and (I think) the cabinet was a 6x10 or something. I know it was 10s and was about as tall as an Ampeg 8x10.

BnB

I might have to get me one of those Sansamp thingies. Is that the one by Tech 21?

onosson · #14 10-24-2011, 01:28 PM

I showed up at a "backlined" showcase-type gig once where the bass rig was ... an acoustic guitar amp with two 8" speakers in it. I'm sure I probably nearly blew the thing up, but got through the set.

bound'n'blocked · #15 10-27-2011, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell L

I might have to get me one of those Sansamp thingies. Is that the one by Tech 21?

Yep!

BnB

pbagley · #16 10-27-2011, 12:03 PM

I'm a bit surprised at how many of you gig without a backup. Last time I went to a gig without a backup amp the wall plug began arcing and then fell off the cord. I got directions to a mythical local hardware store - much like unicorns and pots of gold I could not find it. After an hour of driving around I had a new plug from a far away big box lumber yard and the show started barely on time.

For last Friday's gig I had two bass heads, two 1-12" cabs, and a Cube 100 along just in case something died. I had only two basses, a spare of every cord I may need, tools, and of course a spare power plug (bought two that fateful day long ago). Things happen just when you don't expect it.

onosson · #17 10-27-2011, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbagley

I'm a bit surprised at how many of you gig without a backup.

In 20+ years of playing live music, I don't think I've ever brought a backup amp. Backup bass, yes - especially for bigger tours and venues. But never a backup rig. Worst case scenario, I just run through any DI into the house system - might sound like crap to me, but will probably sound fine to everyone else in the room.

walterw · #18 10-27-2011, 08:34 PM

why do you think we learn bass in the first place? 'cause we're too lazy to play six strings!

a PA head bouncing around in the back of the van is a good idea for just this reason. it can serve as a decent bass head, as an acoustic amp, rigged up as another shoestring monitor mix, or in the worst of worst cases, plugged into a couple of cabs as a vocal PA along with stage volume to limp through a show when the real PA dies or doesn't show up.

Russell L · #19 10-28-2011, 08:28 AM

Yeah, I've never carried a back-up amp either. I oughta get something cheap, put it in the truck and leave it there.

pbagley · #20 10-28-2011, 09:51 AM

I generally take along a small bass combo. Lately this has been a Cube 100, but in years past I've brought a WM-10 as a backup. It has saved the guitar player's bacon more than once.