2nd bass rig as powered subwoofer for kick?

[watspan]

I should know better than even asking this, but here goes. 4 piece electric blues band w/ vocals only pa w/ sub out--play at low-moderate volume. New drummer feels we would get more dancers w/ a heavier kick drum volume. we do not own a subwoofer. Can I use a second bass rig ( 1x15, no tweet/x-over; AMP BH-420 head) to add a little muscle to the hustle? Or is this going to sound like ass and potentially ruin my rig?

 

[Duckwater]

It could blow the speaker, I think if you used a Hi-Pass filter and a compressor it could work.

 

[watspan]

sub out xlr has a 3rd order filter removing freq's below 120. can I go xlr sub out --> 1/4" plug at the amp?

 

[Interceptor]

It is worth a try.

Wire up a XLR to 1/4" and give it a whirl. Connect pin one of the XLR to ground and pin 3 to the tip of th 1/4". If your mixer has a sub out, run that to the rig.

If the mixer doesn't have a low pass out, just use up an aux for the kick. Or, if the mixer has a direct out on that mic channel, you could use that and just go straight into the AMP with a 1/4 to 1/4.

I'd still want to have the kick in the mains, the snap that comes from the beater hitting is worth having.

Jim

 

[modulusman]

sub out xlr has a 3rd order filter removing freq's below 120. can I go xlr sub out --> 1/4" plug at the amp?

Well since the thump for a kick drum is around 80hz then removing the frequencies below a 120 pretty much defeats the purpose.

 

[watspan]

Well since the thump for a kick drum is around 80hz then removing the frequencies below a 120 pretty much defeats the purpose.

correction--removes freq's ABOVE 120hz--my bad

 

[Barisaxman]

Yes it will work...might sound ok...but be very careful. I doubt your single 15 is going to do much in the ways of SPL's on a kick drum...the cabinet really isn't designed for it. Use your ears and watch the volume...if you're not hitting rock concert levels you might be ok, but the right solution is to pick up a powered sub for your FOH.

 

[watspan]

I agree that getting a sub is the right way to go. What about running through the mains w/o a sub? mains are 15"/horn (Carvin)? I'm worried it will interfere/mask/muddy the vocals.

 

[fokof]

I may sound heretic but bass amps are not good with low frequencies.

Like they use to say : " Get a haircut and get a real sub"

 

[fokof]

Like they use to say : " Get a haircut and get a real sub"

I may Quote myself !!!!

What wine can do with a little sleep !

 

[Keithwah]

I may Quote myself !!!!

What wine can do with a little sleep !

It's really more a case of there being plenty of affordable PA designed subs.

I say it here all the time.....the right tool for the job. You want to cut down a tree..buy a chain saw. You want to be a rocket scientist, you're going to need a rocket. You want to play the cowbell, better go buy a cowbell and a drumstick....and some BOC records.

Your drummer is right though. I assume you have a rig big enough to fill the room...maybe the drummer needs to lay out the money so his kick can be heard. Take a look at the EV ELX-18P box, a self contained 18" sub with xover network built-in. This is probably the least expensive and most productive box you could purchase. And realistically, playing small places as you guys are, one sub would do you fine.

I couldn't just buy one sub, but I've seen a fair amount of trios playing the taverns with a vocal only PA and they do fine, but adding the snare and the kick into the PA would do wonders for getting the butts moving.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

I may sound heretic but bass amps are not good with low frequencies.

Only to the uninformed .

Bass amps are generally decent low end reproducers compared with guitar amps, but that's about it. Bass cabs in general are also very low-end shy.

Like they use to say : " Get a haircut and get a real sub"

^This.

IME it won't work.

It's only worth a try if You don't value your "spare" cab at all.

Been there, done that, wasn't impressed and all that...


Tell the drummer either to buy a decent kick-drum with enough volume, or invest in a sub. That's what all the "budget" drummers without PA support have always done. IME they're NOT the singers who feel that buying a mic is a waste of THEIR money since someone cough: the bassplayer :cough: ) already owns a mic they can use.

Regards
Sam

 

[lowfreq33]

What do you have for mains? You may not even need a sub.

 

[watspan]

thanks guys--pretty much what I figured. for mains we have 2-way carvin's w/ a 15" and a horn. If a dedicated bass rig isn't going to do much, I can't see these mains doing much either.

 

[Floridabwoy]

http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/

 

[walterw]

well, for a zero-budget, lo-fi solution for a low-volume blues band, a single-15 bass amp as a "kick drum amp" might work, as long as it's kept under control.

it would be adding a little snap and thump, but not much more actual lows than those top boxes.

 

[watspan]

ran the kick into the mains--real low volume--eq'd out the highs and mids--sounded fine and added just a little oomph to the drums.

 

[Ender_rpm]

Just did this with out kick drum too- pulled most of the lows out, and just ran it through the mains for a little snap. Works perfect for our current set up.

 

[watspan]

I took over setting up our sound for the first time on this gig--the rig owner is not too tech saavy and we had problems in the past w/ muddy mix (no sparkle) and vox not loud enough. also had peak lights going off constantly. First thing I did was completely read and understand the manual then, I set everything flat, started by setting the gain on the vocal mics shy of peaking on the loudest vocals, added a bit of echo ( and set the effects level shy of peaking) then brought things up to gig volume. pa had been eq previously w/ a smiley face--wound up cutting the bass freqs and boosting the treble freqs on each individual channel and the main out eq--mission accomplished--clear, loud vox w/ some top end sparkle! added in a wee bit of kick w/ the top and mid eq'd out.