Are bass amps obsolete?

[burk48237]

Well, there are actually two issues effecting the long time feasibility of conventional bass amps.

1) IEM's and major tours, the reality is the big pop tours rarely use bass or guitar amps on stage anymore. Everything is synced up (tones, effects, levels) with a modeling amplifier of some sort, to be synced to the dancers, lights and auto tune vocals. This is filtering down to some corporate acts, and also quite common in church worship bands.

2) The modeling amps themselves work great with powered speakers and for some make a regular bass amp obsolete. I have a good friend who sold his standard bass rig and is now running a Helix and a QSC self powered PA speaker. Especially with the active self powered PA speakers available this does open up a lot of possibilities.

Personally I love the built in tone I get with my Subway and Sadowsky set up. And I'm off the strong belief that you find a basic tone that works, and use effects, etc to get a special tone as needed for one or two tunes. I like my basic tone to be with the amp set close (for itself) to flat so I can use the amps EQ to deal with room issues. In Sean Fairchilds excellent review of the Helix and the Fractal A8 Sean asks the question that I think is the biggest stumbling block to the obsolescence of bass amps. He asked how many bass players wish they could switch amps on gigs? Most of us don't wish we had an SVT for one tune and a Mark bass for another, we settle on a tone we like and go with it.

 

[lostpoet2]

I see the issue as being paradoxical:

A lot of full range and neutral sounding modern bass amps can be redundant with a good PA.

Obsolete bass amps, on the other hand, that provide color and harmonic distortion to bass tones, are definitely not redundant with a good PA.

 

[gregunit]

In every situation I have played in the last several years FOH has controlled the bass, volume and tone. My stage amp, when I have occasion to use one, serves as my personal monitor. This is not only on big stages but also in small clubs when band leader provides sound and mix. FOH always wants the stage volume down so they can control the mix. And yet, it seems almost every day, a new bass amp is out.
Thoughts?

I gig ampless; I practice ampless. My wife uses my bass amp for her keyboard. However, once i a while I jam with an amp, and that makes is worth while.

 

[Greyvagabond]

99% of our shows I run my Avalon U5 di to FOH. Once a year or so we play a gig which for whatever reason (knowingly for a small acoustic set or just a poorly booked gig) bass doesn’t go through the pa at all.

An Avalon U5 makes a GREAT bass preamp. So warm and fat and punchy. Ever though about just buying a power amp and running the line-out from the U5 right into it? Any EQ'ing you could do from a pedal.

 

[Hambone70]

For those precious about their tone, why not mic a small cab with your pedals and amp of choice? You can then keep the bass from polluting the stage and other mics, thus improving FOH.

 

[Relsom]

... and a decade or two later, there won't be any "bars" at all...

Cue the tumbleweeds.....

 

[pht2356]

Bass amps are not simply about convenience and/or practicality (or the lack thereof) for many of us.

I simply enjoy hearing myself through speakers. When I can, I will bring an amp. If I can get away with it, I'll bring an Ampeg SVT. The sound of that heavy beast makes me smile.

They absolutely will be less common in a decade or so. We'll probably all have wireless basses with transmitters you can't see that send a signal directly to the computer used to run sound (that is the size of a pack of gum). Every audience member will be wearing headphones (tiny earbuds) that allow them to control the volume of their live band. Take out your earbuds and all you will hear are people talking and the sound of sticks hitting electronic drums pads. Your average bar will sound like a library until you put in earbuds.

So, not yet... but it's coming.

How do i find the triple like button

 

[Pocket4]

We play out in many venues without FOH support so I haven't much thought about separating me from my amp choices. I very much "get" the diminishing prospect for live rock music in general though.

 

[Spectrum]

No.

 

[JimmyM]

As a practical matter, mic'ing and getting a good mix off of a bass amp is harder, so if 99.9% of what the audience is hearing is you DI'd through a PA, then a monitor would give you the most accurate reproduction of what you sound like to the audience. Ideally, I like getting mic'd and running a DI, but that isn't always in the cards. I'm also OK knowing that what I "hear" onstage is just for me; if I sound like my tone, then I'll play like I normally do. The rest is in the hands of god/soundperson; gotta learn to let go!

No I don't

 

[chuck3]

I understand the original post's question but as a practical matter I find I have to do all three - play ampless through the FOH; play small to mid size amp with PA support; and bring a big bass amp because there's no PA support and I have to supply the bass sound in a big space. Here's the rig for the last scenario:

 

[maturanesa]

Dont get it why you say is obsolete.
The idea is to go through the amp to the console. Not directly.

 

[Krakmann]

I'm with the OP. Except in my last concert, I almost exclusively use the bass amp as stage monitor, with no influence on tone. In that scenario, I just need watts (and a modicum of tone) to hear myself and the lowliest Behringer amp would suffice. In fact, I usually just go with a stage monitor and listen to the general mix.

BUT... you need an amp. Sometimes there is no backline, or you have the rare gig where bass is not on FOH (like my last one).

I think it's more useful to have a small pedalboard with a preamp/DI so bass tone remains in part in your hands.

This said, I love amps like everybody else. I use a crystal clear EBS Reidmar 500 + TC Electronics RS210 combo. Would love to go with a 410 but it's much ligther this way. Anyway, more than not it remains at home and I play with whatever backline there is at the bar. At home, I love to play through my Fender Junior III tube guitar amp. Great, lovely tone. Makes me think about getting a tube Portaflex 20.

 

[Blaze Barlow]

In every situation I have played in the last several years FOH has controlled the bass, volume and tone. My stage amp, when I have occasion to use one, serves as my personal monitor. This is not only on big stages but also in small clubs when band leader provides sound and mix. FOH always wants the stage volume down so they can control the mix. And yet, it seems almost every day, a new bass amp is out.
Thoughts?

not sure whether its something unique to your area or what..but here FOH works with what they are presented..there is never any conversation as to whether an amp is on stage or not..the musicians do as they please..personally myself..I always bring 2 to 3 speaker cabs..and there is not going to be any question about it..the musical presentation is always determined by the musicians playing the songs..its their show..its their call..also..most better groups have their own sound person and they have their own presentation in mind..although I realize a lot of people are not on this level..

 

[byacey]

But if they keep them in, I can at least convince myself they're jamming among to my band.

I know of one guitarist that listens to the hockey game on earbuds while he's playing.

 

[4001]

Yeah.. I go to see everyone that influenced me all of these years getting their sound at every single show and I'm going to be in some band and let some soundguy create my sound ?? Not a chance in hell.
Another reason I don't care if I'd ever play on a stage again. I have a killer tone and it would be a huge part of any band's sound that I'd be involved in and either the soundguy gets that or he's a moron.
Tone isn't all with the fingers...

 

[Revolver]

I think amps are like vinyl records and paper books; you could make a case for their obsolescence, but a lot of people still just plain like them. So long as enough people like them to keep manufacturers in business, whether they’re obsolete will remain strictly a matter of personal opinion.

It would be strictly a matter of personal opinion if we lived in a perfect world where every gig you played had a more than capable PA system (and a soundguy/gal who knew what they were doing), but that's is not reality for most gigging musicians. In a lot of instances you either have to deal with under-powered/crappy systems that can't handle a whole band or have no system at all. What do you do then?

 

[Hounddog409]

In every situation I have played in the last several years FOH has controlled the bass, volume and tone. My stage amp, when I have occasion to use one, serves as my personal monitor. This is not only on big stages but also in small clubs when band leader provides sound and mix. FOH always wants the stage volume down so they can control the mix. And yet, it seems almost every day, a new bass amp is out.
Thoughts?

My experience is the complete opposite.

Always use my amp, never "FOH".

 

[CRich0205]

I think they’re obsolete if you want them
To be. I play at church and it’s DI only. I bought a tech 21 VTDI to give a more amp sounding tone to my in ears. In my originals project I use an SVT/810 or a 212. The preamp is convenient to carry and easier for sound guys but it’s not the same. That tube tone is glorious and I wish I could use it everywhere.

 

[Hambone70]

It would be strictly a matter of personal opinion if we lived in a perfect world where every gig you played had a more than capable PA system (and a soundguy/gal who knew what they were doing), but that's is not reality for most gigging musicians. In a lot of instances you either have to deal with under-powered/crappy systems that can't handle a whole band or have no system at all. What do you do then?

Bring your own PA. It’s never been cheaper, better, and easier to run it yourself. Get your sound every time, under your control.