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All purpose rig suggestions

H

harley_ou812

Sep 30, 2001
486
44
46
Lebanon, PA
#1
Hey guys,

I am looking to get a new rig now going. my first thing is i would like something fairly light wieght. I am a big dude so if it ends up being a little larger and heavier then what is ideal so be it. Now here is the kicker. I play bass thats my love. I am also playing some keys and want to pick up a good keyboard weather it be a triton or motif or whatever seems to suit my needs best a little down the road. ALSO I play some guitar. I have found myself in a situation where i could possibly be playing some of each in a band situation. Same band just different instruments at different times.

So I was hoping to come up itwith a rig that can work with guitar, Bass and Keyboard through the same amp setup with maybe different effects setup maybe even a different preamp in front. Just seeing what all my options are.

Thank you
Jared
 
#2
Man, I tried to get a rig like that going pretty recently. I just gave up on it. The main problem was live sound, wherein every time I'd grab another instrument, the sound guy would freak out (even though I had levels matched and such, as you can imagine, a bass sits differently in the spectrum than keys or mandolin, etc.). Now I just have a dedicated bass rig, run the keys direct into the PA, and use a little acoustic Ashdown combo for my other instruments.

That said, your best bets, as far as I can say are either (a) A keyboard amp. Most of those have multiple inputs already and essentially the same speakers as a full-range bass system. Or (b) just build yourself your own mini PA, running a bunch of preamps into a mixer, into a power amp, into some speakers (again, full-range).

As you're trying to put this together, know that I feel your pain.
 
#3
I have to agree that a keyboard amp would be your best bet. It will sound good for keys, and if you put a modeler/preamp of some kind in front of it (like a Pod or BDDI) you can tweek things for a bass or guitar a little.

The live sound thing is the issue. Keys, bass and guitar really need to be eq'ed and mixed differently. If you aren't going through a PA, problem solved. If you are, 3 DI's will solve the problem and your amp is just a stage monitor for you anyway.
 
#4
SteveC said:
I have to agree that a keyboard amp would be your best bet. It will sound good for keys, and if you put a modeler/preamp of some kind in front of it (like a Pod or BDDI) you can tweek things for a bass or guitar a little.
Click to expand...

+1

plus, multiple channels with EQ would be nice. that way you could match everything up so switching instruments is seamless.
 
#5
harley_ou812 said:
So I was hoping to come up itwith a rig that can work with guitar, Bass and Keyboard through the same amp setup with maybe different effects setup maybe even a different preamp in front. Just seeing what all my options are.
Click to expand...

I play bass, guitar, and guitar synth w/ a sampler in one of my bands. I also like to use processed vocals sometimes, which I control with an expression pedal. I've used a Mackie 1202VLZ in the past to submix, and sent a stereo feed to the front of house. My current rig uses an EA CxL-112 and an AccuGroove Tri112L, both of which sound great for any of the above uses IMHO. My power amp of choice for the moment is the PLX 1804. I do use different preamps and EFX for guitar and bass, and I'm planning on using my Crest XR-20 instead of the little Mackie for more EFX mixing options when I can justify hauling all that stuff. I expect to add EUB and keys to the mess eventually too.:bassist:

I am lucky enough to have a few sound men who enjoy dealing with all this. But I've had my share of misadventures mixing multi-instrumentalist guys who don't have a handle on giving me a send that works for the various instruments.
 
#6
Peavey made a Tube Preamp a while back called the TB Raxx (and its Guitar Counterpart the TG Raxx)... however from what I understand they are both indentical in circuitry, and the only difference is the G or B on the front. I think something like that combined with a POD XT Live (for guitar effects and distortion... and for an extra $100 you can all all the bass models if you want) and a power amp would be a good start to a multipurpose rig.
 
#7
If you are looking for a bass/keyboard rig, I think EA would be the way to go. Perhaps an Iamp 800 with a pair of NL210, or an NL210 and a Cxl112.

Put a Radial bassbone in the front, and you can switch between instruments seemlessly.
 
#8
cheezewiz said:
If you are looking for a bass/keyboard rig, I think EA would be the way to go. Perhaps an Iamp 800 with a pair of NL210, or an NL210 and a Cxl112.

Put a Radial bassbone in the front, and you can switch between instruments seemlessly.
Click to expand...
This, plus two to five pedals (or POD XT Live) for the quitar -- depending on the type of tone you're after for quitar.
 

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