Any bassists out there that aren't allowed an amp onstage- what do you do?

LHbassist · #1 02-07-2008, 06:22 PM

Any help here would be appreciated! I will be joining a casino band here in Reno on April 1st. Some of the rooms do not allow amplifiers onstage at all. I have already experienced this a couple of times, mostly having unpleasant experiences. I'd like to know what other bassists are doing to at least get a good personal headphone sound while going direct. What devices or processors do you use? Thanks in advance for your help!

Trevorus · #2 02-07-2008, 06:25 PM

I would probably split my signal and run it through a small headphone amp. I've never been unable to use an amp, but that would be my preferred method, rather than relying on whatever monitors may (or may not) be there.

Drkwdsman@yahoo · #3 02-07-2008, 06:36 PM

Tech21 Sansamp Bass Di so that you can create your sound and have your own mix in the monitor if available

thombo · #4 02-07-2008, 06:37 PM

are there any stage monitors? in-ears? guy to mix?
a basspod will give you an array of sound options, and it has a headphone out... as for yor the rest of the band... headphone preamp ala recording studio?

SteveC · #5 02-07-2008, 06:43 PM

There are a number of options. More info would help. What is the monitor situation? Will you be using IEM's, wedges, sidefill? Will you have your own personal mix or will you have to share?

When I went direct without a stage amp (I loved it) I had a 4 space rack. I used an Avalon U5. I also had a 2 channel EQ. One was for my "band" mix, the other was for my bass. I could then EQ (I had cheap earpieces) and balance each signal to my IEM. The 4th space was for my wireless transmitter and receiver fo rmy IEM and bass. It sounded great - would have been even better with good earpieces. I would go with a "rig" like that in a heartbeat again if the situation allowed.

dannybuoy · #6 02-08-2008, 01:26 AM

Get a compressor and a good DI so you can control the front-of-house sound. Some soundmen will just DI your bass with no compression or EQ and it won't sound great. If you don't need effects, just get a compressor like the EBS Multicomp and a decent DI. MXR M80, Sansamp, plenty of others if you search. The Zoom B2 or Line6 POD are also worth a look for their amp modelling.

Personally, I have the multicomp and use the DI on an Aphex Xciter if I'm in an ampless situation, and i'm thinking about getting the B2 as it's dirt cheap, useuable as a floor tuner or FX box and may be useful when there is no amp at the venue.

pompompom · #7 02-08-2008, 02:01 AM

there is only one solution for this problem:

1954bassman · #8 02-08-2008, 02:22 AM

I actually seldom use an amp. I use an Eden Navigator for our Acoustic Gospel group. At church I use the Sansamp BDDI. I also have the Sansamp RBI. What I like about the Sansamp is it has a very usable tone right out of the box. Also, I most always use IEMs.

When I sub, I always go in with the Sansamp first, with my Eden rig in the car. If the PA is decent, I almost always run direct.

Mark

crapusername · #9 02-08-2008, 03:07 AM

either MXR M80 DI or Hartke VXL with IEM.
I actually also run a DOD meatbox to give some depth to the DI sound as well.
Your choice of headphone is key here too!

LHbassist · #10 02-08-2008, 03:47 AM

to add...the various clubs/casino stages I'll be working will have an 'engineer', in some cases. Some situations are simply going direct, just a di box onstage that a house a/v person will set up and leave after getting a generalized mix.. Other places actually let you bring and use an amp, The Atlantis in Reno is an example. Some places will have a band operated mixing board and a choice of in ears or phones. Usually there are no foldback monitors or sidefills. A terrible experience was going direct with no eq options, and playing through a HALF pair of phones provided by a Carson City casino. That itself was horrible, and almost as annoying as the lousy hateful attitude of the 'sound technician'. I'm just trying to find the best way to go with limited options. By the way, the wall of speakers was pretty funny, I LOVED it! Ah, to be young again..... Thanks, and please, more suggestions!

the low one · #11 02-08-2008, 06:19 AM

I often play without an amp and use the MXR M80. As long as I have a decent monitor it's not a problem.

dancehallclasher · #12 02-08-2008, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pompompom

there is only one solution for this problem:

what band is that? I must know.

pompompom · #13 02-08-2008, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancehallclasher

what band is that? I must know.

The band's name is Sunn O))) !!! (Yezzz, is the same name as the amp brand)

bassman1185 · #14 02-08-2008, 09:19 AM

I have never used it, but the Phil Jones Bass Buddy sounds like it would be the perfect solution for this situation. From their website:

It's a bass compressor/limiter.
It's an EQ dedicated for bass instruments.
It's an active DI box.
It's a headphone amplifier with more power than you ever need.
It has a stereo input and volume control for your drum machine/MP3/walkman.
It's a preamplifier with enough oomph to power any amp and even a speaker.
It is battery powered and has an AC adaptor.
It's superbly built with 1/4" thick CNC machined aluminum front panel and stainless steel case.
It comes with a padded carrying case.
It's your BASS BUDDY!

bongomania · #15 02-08-2008, 09:24 AM

There's been lots of love for the Bass Buddy over in the amps forum. If you want a clean sound then it's an excellent option in your situation.

Swift713 · #16 02-08-2008, 10:25 AM

I've been drooling over that thing even though I have essentially no use for it.

Oh, I was checking out a Sansamp Acoustic DI yesterday. It was very nice, super fat sounding, really not transparent at all. It made the J bass I was playing sound like immensely thick and beefy, seemed to roll off quite a bit of treble but that could have just been relative to the fat fat bass. Oh, and this was set "flat." I really liked it but would be afraid that I might not be able to get much else from it.

JKT · #17 02-08-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LHbassist

to add...the various clubs/casino stages I'll be working will have an 'engineer', in some cases. Some situations are simply going direct, just a di box onstage that a house a/v person will set up and leave after getting a generalized mix.. Other places actually let you bring and use an amp, The Atlantis in Reno is an example. Some places will have a band operated mixing board and a choice of in ears or phones. Usually there are no foldback monitors or sidefills. A terrible experience was going direct with no eq options, and playing through a HALF pair of phones provided by a Carson City casino. That itself was horrible, and almost as annoying as the lousy hateful attitude of the 'sound technician'. I'm just trying to find the best way to go with limited options. By the way, the wall of speakers was pretty funny, I LOVED it! Ah, to be young again..... Thanks, and please, more suggestions!

I regularly work both casinos in my area. To date they have provided a limited backline which were identical SWR Black Beauties both of which were "rode hard and put away wet".

I eventually blew the one up and the other casinos rig has been threatening to do the same. So much that the last couple gigs I have schlepped in my GK 1001 combo. We have a pretty good relationship with the main sound guy who is a basically nice guy but knows jack squat about what he is doing. He has ears enough to hear that the SWR is gonna go down so he has no complaint with me using my rig.

These casinos have invested as little as possible on FOH so we are fairly safe from somebody trying to ditch our amps.

+1 to the sansamp idea. If I were going to be doing alot of what you're describing, I would be tempted to put a small mixer of some kind in my rack. The resulting headphone mix would contain: my processed bass signal, whatever I could get from the sound board/monitor mix, and the output of a live mic that I would set onstage myself going to my little mixer. I could then in theory, hear my own sound, hear the monitor mix, and get a "live" sense of the stage that straight IEM, headphones or earbuds often keep from you.

JKT

**DosiYanarchy** · #18 02-08-2008, 12:40 PM

depending on what u want for you tone, the sansamp is great, altho using drive/distortion effects into the sansamp has some undesirable effects IMHO, mainly coz the sansamp can colour your tone alot, and will do likewise with pedals running into it, but there are many remidies to this, including how u set the EQ and the blend function. i can only comment on the sansamp as this is what i use, but basically i run that into my effects return on my amp (bypassing the amps EQ and gain) and use it as my DI, so therefore the sound i hear from my amp should b what everyone else hears through the PA. it does have alot of usable sounds, but i find that it does indeed colour your tone, so try one out if you can, that way you'll know if its for you: also its got a great DI and adds a small amount of compression to ur signal- the manual states that due to this you may not need separate compression. theres countless opinions of the sansamp and the alternatives (hartke, EBS, Seymore Duncan, MXR) on Talkbass, see what you think. ive heard good stuff about the Bass Buddy too.

Esquillama · #19 02-08-2008, 01:25 PM

I've been ampless for about a year now, but I get to use
monitors. I don't have any experience with in ears, but I can
tell you that the Korg Pandora PX4B works very well if you
aren't going to have to change your effects a whole lot.
Just make sure you get an adapter to go from the stereo out
to mono, then you can go to any direct box and you're in!

I'm assuming that any in ears or headphones you would be using
would be connected to the mixer so you could have the whole
band in there, especially if you aren't getting any monitors.

Here's a picture of my "rig" both wide shot and close up.
I'm using a samson wireless with the Pandora. The PX4B is
getting a little harder to find since it's been discontinued, but
the PX4D has both guitar and bass settings and is still easily
available all over the place.

Rig:

Rig close up:

Here's the PX4D:

Good luck, you're new gig situation sounds both challenging
and exciting I wish you well.