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Amp on stand?
- Thread starter aprod
- Start date
I tilt back whenever possible. If I can aim the speaker towards my ears and the ears of my bandmates, then that helps everyone out. I've muddled through gigs and rehearsals with amps pointed at shins and knees, and it sucked. In a pinch, if I can't find something, anything to tilt the amp back with, I'll throw it on a crate or chair (something sturdy, definitely not a bar stool).
Playing with an overly loud guitarist? Convince him you can make him sound even better (note: play into his ego). Now tilt his amp back and aim it at his ears. He'll blow up his eardrums with the first power chord, then realize his tone sucked and his volume was too high. You'll have another tilt-back convert. Why do you think guitar cabs come in angled varieties?
Playing with an overly loud guitarist? Convince him you can make him sound even better (note: play into his ego). Now tilt his amp back and aim it at his ears. He'll blow up his eardrums with the first power chord, then realize his tone sucked and his volume was too high. You'll have another tilt-back convert. Why do you think guitar cabs come in angled varieties?
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In my experience, the workbench has been very stable. It's been bumped into a few times and has never tipped.
I set up the table in the middle of an isle on the level concrete floor. I grabbed it by the sides, standing over it, to get a sense of stability. The table provided no sense of stability, but instead was easily swayed by applying minimal pressure. Put a 30-50 pound, 30" tall speaker cabinet on top of that instability and it's a classic top-heavy recipe for disaster. Aside from equipment damage, this table could easily cause someone to be seriously hurt. Two thumbs down on this one.
Lately I have been tilting back my cabinet, by removing the rear casters only. I have rubber stops as well as casters to prevent the cabinet from moving. I have the same cabinet as the OP, so it is pretty light. I usually have it against a wall as well.
Someone mentioned Ampwedge. I've used one for years. It's a rubber wedge. Works great. If the main problem is needing to hear the cab, this is a simple, effective solution.
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Product information:
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If I'm using a smaller cab like a 115 by itself, I'll usually tilt back also, and I feel I get better results that way as opposed to using a stand... I'm really not concerned with my off stage sound, as I have a PA for that... Your guitarist's situation is different than a bass rig, since guitars aren't carrying lows like a bass rig, and are also pretty beamy - apples and oranges, Jim...
I can hear and feel the difference in low end response between a cab on the ground, and one on a stand - there is no question in my mind about that... It's also probably more significant *to me* than you because I like more low end than you do, and play at significantly higher stage volumes than you do...
Speaking of "counterpoints" - you completely avoided the subject of acoustic coupling and boundary effect - both of which support what I say I'm experiencing... By all means, comment on that aspect of the discussion instead of avoiding it again...
- georgestrings
My band plays on some smaller stages sometimes, and when my cab was on the floor aimed at the back of my knees, I couldn't hear myself too well. My sound guy was not too fond of it either.
My Pops and I built a stand for my 4-10 that is about 16" high, about 1" wider, and just about the same depth as my cab.
Works great, IMO. Sound guy doesn't give me the stinkeye any more on little stages, I can control my volume better, and can definitely hear myself better during gigs.
As an added feature, I put amp handles in the sides....that way I can flip it over and use it as a box to carry my stuff in. Can fit a crapload of stuff in there.
My Pops and I built a stand for my 4-10 that is about 16" high, about 1" wider, and just about the same depth as my cab.
Works great, IMO. Sound guy doesn't give me the stinkeye any more on little stages, I can control my volume better, and can definitely hear myself better during gigs.
As an added feature, I put amp handles in the sides....that way I can flip it over and use it as a box to carry my stuff in. Can fit a crapload of stuff in there.
I told you I did it with a bass cab, too. Tilting back is the same thing as putting it in a stand till it gets approx. 2 1/2 ft. high, give or take a smidge depending on the freq response of the cabs.
So physics stops applying to you because you're louder and deeper than me? And who says you're deeper? I've taken to cranking some pretty significant low end lately. There are even times when I throw out the Talkbass rulebook and turn the bass knob up all the way. Yeah, that's right. And I may play too loud for the room tomorrow, too, although that'll be tough on an outdoor gig with thousands there
Coupling and boundary effect are very real. But until it's up a good couple feet (it varies by lowest freq used but is generally in that area for bass) you don't lose acoustic coupling with the floor...you only gain the ability to hear highs and lows, which make you think you're losing the coupling. If you were actually losing the coupling, your rig would sound completely different in the crowd by being placed directly on the stage floor vs. on casters or with a tilt back. I have never heard a difference with any of my cabs in the crowd by slightly elevating them, only onstage. If it was losing coupling instead of gaining highs and mids, I should be able to hear that in the audience, too.
They say you get an extra 1,000 years in purgatory for each degree the bass knob is turned to the right of center.
I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to completely disagree with you. After well over a year of actual usage, I've never had an issue with it. It's never come close to tipping over.
It's cool. Maybe the one I tried was a bad batch. Just seemed to flimsy to me to carry a heavy cab so high off the ground. Good luck.
I told you I did it with a bass cab, too. Tilting back is the same thing as putting it in a stand till it gets approx. 2 1/2 ft. high, give or take a smidge depending on the freq response of the cabs.
So physics stops applying to you because you're louder and deeper than me? And who says you're deeper? I've taken to cranking some pretty significant low end lately. There are even times when I throw out the Talkbass rulebook and turn the bass knob up all the way. Yeah, that's right. And I may play too loud for the room tomorrow, too, although that'll be tough on an outdoor gig with thousands there
Coupling and boundary effect are very real. But until it's up a good couple feet (it varies by lowest freq used but is generally in that area for bass) you don't lose acoustic coupling with the floor...you only gain the ability to hear highs and lows, which make you think you're losing the coupling. If you were actually losing the coupling, your rig would sound completely different in the crowd by being placed directly on the stage floor vs. on casters or with a tilt back. I have never heard a difference with any of my cabs in the crowd by slightly elevating them, only onstage. If it was losing coupling instead of gaining highs and mids, I should be able to hear that in the audience, too.
Yeah, I'm talking about the effect on stage - and IME, it's quite real - "in the crowd" is a function of the PA, for the most part at my gigs... The differences I'm hearing on stage between elevated cabs and those on the ground are quite real, and that's all I ever said... I know what I hear and feel, and the differences are more than just increased mids and highs - and yeah, I definitely do push more low end than you do(big ported cabs, 5 string), which probably magnifies the differences... I play loud hard rock at fairly high volumes - not geezer rock at TV volumes, like you do - again, apples and oranges...
- georgestrings
Great discussion! I have tried the amp wedge to tilt back and it helps a little but I have not tried it with this band. I picked up one of those Home Depot workbenches, have not tried it yet at a gig. At rehearsal I hear the loss of lows when the cab is elevated. Its OK at rehearsal but I don't know about a gig. More experimentation...
Do advocates of acoustic coupling find those Gramma platforms useless?
Do advocates of acoustic coupling find those Gramma platforms useless?
