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Amp/gear advice for musicals

#21
Ramsey Harvard said:
Hello everyone!

I am classical player getting back into electric after many, many years and need some help and advice on what amp/gear would best suit my needs. I will be playing mostly musical theater type gigs as well as outdoor pops concerts where I play electric simultaneously with the orchestra. I have a Yamaha BB400S p bass from ‘83 and am basically looking for a small setup with a clean yet versatile sound that can easily be fed into a PA system. Any and all suggestions are very appreciated :)
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This comes to mind as a space saver with DI out and capacity to add external driver if ever needed. It is a 2x8" with tweeter.
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#22
as a fellow pit musician it also depends on your pit setup. i have played where there are no amps in the pits and electronic drums so everything comes through your headphone monitors. then all you need is your (minimal) pedalboard with DI. other pits with horns and such and amps and drums i use my tiny pedalboard and send DI to house and 1/4” to my trusty old SWR workingman’s 1x10 combo for pit/stage sound. i agree smaller is better. many good suggestions already. i have also used a GK MB500 with a 1-12 cab. also very small and portable with great sound. i always have my small pedalboard with preamp/DI, tuner and any effects that would be needed for a particular show.
 
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#23
Space can sometimes be super limited. So small may be essential. Portability can be doubly important because you may wind up having to cart your gear for a few blocks, because loading/unloading at the venue may not be allowed.

In my experience, the requirement to play at a low volume can be extreme. I find it useful to get the speaker up to ear level. This allows me to hear the full range response of the cab/instrument and puts the speaker right next to my ear so I can hear at a very low volume.

Another factor is whether you will be doubling. If yes, ideally you want separate gain and tone controls for each instrument as well as channel mutes. I prefer a more full-range response (especially with upright bass), so a quality compact powered PA cab driven by some sort of preamp pedal would work for me. If you double, something like a Headway EDB 2 H.E. might be ideal. EDB 2 H.E. – Headway Music Audio

If you don't double and only play BG, a compact bass amp would probably be a better choice overall.

I have an old GK 700RB/112 combo that works really well for this sort of gig, although it's still a big large for some pit orchestras. It's not just about the amount space it takes up. People see a big amp and they think you're going to blast them.
 
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#24
nightchef said:
Climbing aboard the thread because I'm in a similar situation, looking for a compact, versatile, and loud-enough rig for pit work. I've got a line on a used Phil Jones Cub Pro BG-120. Would that plus an extension cab (240 watts into 4 ohms) be enough for most pit gigs? If so, would it be better to use a second PJ cab with similar drivers like the Compact 2 or Compact 4, or would a 1x15 be an acceptable alternative?

EDIT: If this is too much of a hijack, let me know and I'll delete the post & start a new thread.
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I have recently acquired a Bass Cub Pro and a C2 as well. I think it depends on how big the room is, (i.e. how much coverage you need, seats/capacity), how loud the music is and whether/not you have PA support.

If it’s a 250 seater, and you need to carry the room, the amp and an additional 15” cab should suffice. If you just need to monitor yourself the C2 should do it fine. Some others may rec’d. at least 500w and 2 cabs but I feel that’s overkill for theater work. Unless it’s Blue Man Group.
 
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#26
Musical theater has been my primary gig for the last 40 years or so. I currently use a Genz Benz Shuttle. 6.0 or NeoPak 3.5 into a single Bergantino 12
inch speaker, either an HT112 or EX 112. Prior to that, I used a Hartke KB12, an Ampeg SB12, B15S, B15N, or a Yamaha B100 III and whatever 12’ or 15” cab that I had on hand.

Basically, any good quality 10” -15” cab paired with a clean head capable of producing 50 - 300 watts RMS should be fine.

When I play in the pit, my volume requirements are on par with what other acoustic instruments are producing. It is more important that i have a good sound that can blend well in the mix. A good D.I. is handy. My Genz D.I.s are top notch, as are my Genzler preamp/D.I., Fishman Platinum Pro ( for upright), Sansamp BDDI, etc.

More and more, theaters are going to IEMs. I use my Genz amps, Genzler or Fishman preamps depending on need, with either Shure single driver SE215, or Westone UM30 Pro triple driver IEMs. Frankly, I prefer the less expensive Shures.

Good luck on your journey.
 
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#27
Ramsey Harvard said:
Hello everyone!

I am classical player getting back into electric after many, many years and need some help and advice on what amp/gear would best suit my needs. I will be playing mostly musical theater type gigs as well as outdoor pops concerts where I play electric simultaneously with the orchestra. I have a Yamaha BB400S p bass from ‘83 and am basically looking for a small setup with a clean yet versatile sound that can easily be fed into a PA system. Any and all suggestions are very appreciated :)
Click to expand...
Most shows are going all direct. The days of an open pit with the orchestra hearing themselves (and blending) live are almost over.
This took a LOT of getting used to for me, mainly when playing upright. It is unsettling to hear your pickup sound right in your ear, especially when playing arco.

Oh, and you'll need a 5 string EB. Most shows written in the past 20 -25 years want those low notes.
 
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#28
As much as I love my WD and SW 115, that's too much for pit work.

A 1x10 or a 1x12, or a very small 1x15 lightweight combo, 100 watts or better, DI out, from any of the major dudes will work. Pick your sound and format from what's available in your part of the planet. If you find one that sounds good, in your budget, get it. Don't over think it.

:)

 
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#29
Carl Hillman said:
Most shows are going all direct. The days of an open pit with the orchestra hearing themselves (and blending) live are almost over.
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I get the sense that this is somewhat contingent on the “food chain level” of the production. I am just getting back into MT the past couple of years after a long hiatus. The gigs available to me are mostly on the high school/community theater level, as opposed to what I’d called “downtown” productions in permanent dedicated spaces. As a result, the tech resources/requirements seem hard to predict.

The last show I did, on guitar, was a high school production of Tommy staged in a rented performance space—no pit, band at the back of the stage. I brought a Helix and a small PA cab to the dress rehearsal and was told “no need for the cab, we’re using headphones.” Except whoever was running sound apparently couldn’t get the house mixer’s aux sends to work, so the headphone mix was DOA, and I ended up being very glad I had brought the cab—I had to keep it lower than I would have liked, but at least I could more or less hear myself. If I’d been told ahead of time that the show was using IEMs, I might have left the cab home and been stuck.

My takeaway from that was to always bring a rig that has both a DI and the ability to make sound in the room. I may only end up needing one or the other, but if I have both, my bases are covered.
 
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#31
I got to play through a Genzler Magellan 350 combo today and was enormously impressed with both the quality and quantity of sound coming from that almost comically tiny package.

As far as low end extension, I could hear a slight loss of fullness on the very lowest notes, but it was a subtle thing; it was definitely not a thin sound. The mids were gorgeous, rich without being overbearing, without any boxy or nasal qualities. The transients seemed good; I was playing some pretty busy/funky lines from the show I'm working on and it was keeping right up with great clarity.

I'm very close to buying it, even though it's about twice the $ I was hoping to spend. Anyone have any thoughts on this combo for pit work? Would I need an extension cab? I had the gain and master both up at about noon and it sounded loud enough that I would expect a MD to tell me to turn it down if I went much higher than that. But it's always hard to tell in a music store.
 
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#32
For musical theater a small combo amp is usually all that is needed. On all of the NYC Broadway musical productions and tours that I've done over the last 25 years, the bass usually goes direct. Gear choices are generally dictated by the sound designer. In musical theater you need to "compartmentalize" your sound. They just want you to play the parts correctly and fit in. I played a couple of shows in NYC over this past weekend. The band is on stage. I looked at the bass players "rig" and it seemed to be no more than a Boss tuner and DI box. if effects are needed they are indicated in the score. Usually for bass you will play electric and upright or fretless if called for.
 
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#33
nightchef said:
I got to play through a Genzler Magellan 350 combo today and was enormously impressed with both the quality and quantity of sound coming from that almost comically tiny package.

As far as low end extension, I could hear a slight loss of fullness on the very lowest notes, but it was a subtle thing; it was definitely not a thin sound. The mids were gorgeous, rich without being overbearing, without any boxy or nasal qualities. The transients seemed good; I was playing some pretty busy/funky lines from the show I'm working on and it was keeping right up with great clarity.

I'm very close to buying it, even though it's about twice the $ I was hoping to spend. Anyone have any thoughts on this combo for pit work? Would I need an extension cab? I had the gain and master both up at about noon and it sounded loud enough that I would expect a MD to tell me to turn it down if I went much higher than that. But it's always hard to tell in a music store.
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I think an MG350 with a single BA10-2 would be more than enough for most pit gigs.

One of the cool things about this rig is the expandability. If you want to use it for other gigs that require more SPL, you can add one or two more cabs since it's rated 2.67 ohms minimum.

Another possibility for pit work would be the Genzler Bass Acoustic Array Pro, which AFAIK is only sold through Gollihur.
Gollihur Series Bass Acoustic Array Pro Amplification (Exclusive) (gollihurmusic.com)
 
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#40
JC Nelson said:
We are doing The Adams Family
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awesome! there is a chance i may be playing that one next summer. haven’t played it before. when i saw the grates and cobwebs i wondered if that might be the show. i don’t see mics or triggers on the drums. does it sound like it is coming out of a box out in the house? i am often in a front of stage orchestra pit (community theater or high school- have never played a touring show) so we usually use e-drums through the house but can do well with gently played acoustic drums as well. fortunately for me and the other sound guys our drummers are usually really happy to use e-drums which just makes mixing/monitoring in the theaters we play in so much easier. hoping you are having a great production run!
 
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