Are bass amps obsolete?

[-Asdfgh-]

A little compression or limiting would help with those transients too. Also make the band's sound a little smoother too.

I'm about to try running inputs through some compression where required, then the mix through compression, EQ (crossover as an HPF) , and feedback suppression. I'll need to test ordering and noise, though.

 

[andykeating]

Obsolete? No. Completely necessary? No.

 

[bottomzone]

As long as basses are not obsolete, bass amps aren't either in my book.

 

[dan rathbun]

Never had that kind of money then (or now, for that matter). Main axe was an Electra Phoenix X-630 (oddball P clone) on which I routed in a J by the bridge. Killer top and bottom and sustain for days (one of the early Matsumoku versions).
Search of that tone also took me into biamping with full rackmount gear culminating in in a Gauss 18 bottom and 2X10 top, after I tired of hauling around 2-2X15 cabs and a small one for the top (think it was an Altec coaxial 12 cab)
Needless to say, I have more than a little hearing damage today (tinnitus and high end loss). That makes this whole amp Vs Monitors Vs ITE all the more relevant now.

Haa! i've still got the 4001 and the Gauss 18"

 

[fretlessguy]

I see more and more folks playing directly into systems with in ear monitors. Some will still use a small rig on stage to feel the vibrations. Others will use a preamp to have more control of their sound. It could be the end of big stack amps and cabs in large venues. But....there will always be a need for smaller rigs and combos.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I'd be happy to be able to leave the amps at home, or at least be able to go with the 60W combo at ear level as a back up for on stage. Although it's no lighter than a cab, it's just one thing to take. It's not full range, though, and finding something with a coaxial tweeter would be tricky, but other amps are available. In reality if you are relying on house PAs it's a game of aural roulette whether monitors are up to the job and I haven't even used my IEMs in anger let alone persuaded anyone else. If I'm taking my PA and monitors I know I need a bass amp too.

Maybe one day I can leave the amp at home, but it would still require at least a bass, spare bass, effects, spare effects, IEMs, cables, spare cables, spare underwear, toothbrush, inhalers, glasses, other glasses, contact lenses, spare contact lenses, laptop and DMX interface, spare laptop, spare DMX interface, third laptop if using tracks, waterproof keyboard, tablet for remote access to lighting PCs, button controller for lighting laptop, spare power supplies, possibly Proteus, spare Proteus, keyboard, spare keyboard, and a kitchen sink.

 

[fokof]

Are bass amp obsolete ?

For me , yes , I've been playing with active PA box for the last 20 years , or IEM.
Always fed the FOH direct.


FWIW :
Invalid Link Removed

 

[lpxerodin]

You guys must be playing bigger places than I — about 50% of my gigs don't have a reliable sound system or a sound person. If it weren't for our amps, we couldn't hear ourselves at all. And some of the gigs don't have a sound system at all. I'm quite fond of my Orange BT500c to handle anything up to rooms that are large enough to require adequate PA gear.

I hadn’t thought about this. I am a purely multi-fx direct to board with IEMs and wireless. We always bring our rig which is why I don’t think twice about it. We get there and they have a good sound system? Great, plug me in and get us going. They don’t? Hold my bass, I gotta go get our sound board and set up. Our guitar play even occasionally multi-fx outs to the board depending on his mood. I’ll go out with my wireless and set the sound. Then guitar player and I switch and he goes out with his wireless and checks it. Wive’s with good ears will do a final check to make sure both our vocals are appropriate over the music that we had set. Then I double check and we’re set for FOH. While I’m out there I set the IEM mixes that the guys want, then set mine and we’re good to go.

My biggest worry at a show is the room temperature.

 

[Scottkarch]

I don't like playing without speakers behind me either but it seems it's going that way more often. Sometimes just earbuds and sometimes bass through the stage monitors. You can't "feel" the bass through earbuds so unless the audience will have BackBeat devices or rumble seats it will be a vibe killer.

With great earbuds, It seems, IMO you can feel the bass. If you get a good seal it vibrates right into your skull and I swear I feeel it through my whole body, even though I know it's just my earbuds. Good earbuds make a huge huge difference. It's not the same, but it can be really good. And, IMO, keeping stage volume down helps anywhere that has enough FOH to carry the whole band.

 

[sanwin17]

I hadn’t thought about this. I am a purely multi-fx direct to board with IEMs and wireless. We always bring our rig which is why I don’t think twice about it. We get there and they have a good sound system? Great, plug me in and get us going. They don’t? Hold my bass, I gotta go get our sound board and set up. Our guitar play even occasionally multi-fx outs to the board depending on his mood. I’ll go out with my wireless and set the sound. Then guitar player and I switch and he goes out with his wireless and checks it. Wive’s with good ears will do a final check to make sure both our vocals are appropriate over the music that we had set. Then I double check and we’re set for FOH. While I’m out there I set the IEM mixes that the guys want, then set mine and we’re good to go.

My biggest worry at a show is the room temperature.

Room temperature? Sound or comfort?

 

[sanwin17]

With great earbuds, It seems, IMO you can feel the bass. If you get a good seal it vibrates right into your skull and I swear I feeel it through my whole body, even though I know it's just my earbuds. Good earbuds make a huge huge difference. It's not the same, but it can be really good. And, IMO, keeping stage volume down helps anywhere that has enough FOH to carry the whole band.

I've spent $hundreds on buying "good" earbuds from Shure and Westone. Somebody recently raved to me about KZ multi driver earbuds. I checked the website. They're made in China and the most expensive pair $77 but start around $10. Any body try these?

 

[Scottkarch]

K

I've spent $hundreds on buying "good" earbuds from Shure and Westone. Somebody recently raved to me about KZ multi driver earbuds. I checked the website. They're made in China and the most expensive pair $77 but start around $10. Any body try these?

KZ AS10 I started the long KZ thread. I found the AS10's to be fantastic. My drummer replaced his Shure s with these and he things they are much better. If you can get them to fit with the right tips, I think they are the absolute best value you can buy. These are the IEMs I was talking about in my post. I think the AS10 is better than the ZS10. More sensitive and better balance.

 

[chadds]

Could this be the end of people saying it’s the end of something?

 

[sanwin17]

Could this be the end of people saying it’s the end of something?

Is it the end or just the beginning?

 

[lpxerodin]

I've spent $hundreds on buying "good" earbuds from Shure and Westone. Somebody recently raved to me about KZ multi driver earbuds. I checked the website. They're made in China and the most expensive pair $77 but start around $10. Any body try these?

Took my a long time to get there, but this is what I use after several years of shure and other well known brands.

Jerry Harvey Audio Home

Very happy with these.

 

[sanwin17]

Took my a long time to get there, but this is what I use after several years of shure and other well known brands.

Jerry Harvey Audio Home

Very happy with these.

Which model. Expensive!

 

[lpxerodin]

Which model. Expensive!

JH16s

 

[Loring]

I've spent $hundreds on buying "good" earbuds from Shure and Westone. Somebody recently raved to me about KZ multi driver earbuds. I checked the website. They're made in China and the most expensive pair $77 but start around $10. Any body try these?

Yep

Rocking the kz6 punches way way above its price class. There is a whole thread on here about them. A lot of guys are preferring the AS10’s and some guys are just getting the kz7s. Typically they are sounding better than westones or shures costing 5x as much.

Definitely worth trying but do get better earpieces. I use the comply ones but some prefer the 3 ridge jobbies and a few have made custom fiited ones with earplug epoxy

 

[sanwin17]

Yep

Rocking the kz6 punches way way above its price class. There is a whole thread on here about them. A lot of guys are preferring the AS10’s and some guys are just getting the kz7s. Typically they are sounding better than westones or shures costing 5x as much.

Definitely worth trying but do get Breyer earpieces. I use the comply ones but some prefer the 3 ridge jobbies and a few have made custom fiited ones with earplug epoxy

Do you mean Beyer? Breyer makes ice cream.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

With great earbuds, It seems, IMO you can feel the bass. If you get a good seal it vibrates right into your skull and I swear I feeel it through my whole body, even though I know it's just my earbuds. Good earbuds make a huge huge difference. It's not the same, but it can be really good. And, IMO, keeping stage volume down helps anywhere that has enough FOH to carry the whole band.

Good seal? I'm not sure I could afford all that fish.