100 watt amp is why you can't hear yourself. You'd have to crank that up just to hear it a little and it would probably be very distorted
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Cannot hear bass at large venue
- Thread starter schmig
- Start date
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
^^^^^^^^^
Buy yourself an amp. Not sure why anyone here would respond with anything else. Only other reasonable options IMO are to make sure the sound guy gives you enough of yourself in the monitors, or put the amp on a step ladder right next to your head. But you still need an amp. 100 watts is NOT enough power to play a large club. 100 watts is not really enough power to even play a small club (with a band) although it can done. It's time to invest... and in ear monitors are a hassle and can get expensive. If you're a bass player you need to get your bass gear in order first, and it's pretty clear that you need an amp.
Also, not sure what that phase advice is all about, and while I'm sure it's accurate information, if you start bugging a sound guy with that kind of information while trying to get a 100 watt amp to cut me thinks you're going to be setting yourself up for some serious abuse.
According to the original post, the bass is fine in the house and inaudible on stage. This doesn't sound like a situation where miking the bass amp would resolve the problem.
To the original poster: If you're using an underpowered amp, try dialing in more mids and less bass on the amp. Since your sound guy is using a DI to get the bass to the house, any changes you make in your EQ will change your stage sound only and will not affect your sound in the house.
Or try to not go over the monitors and only use the amp? I never go over monitors personally, although I can imagine that with a 100w amp you might want to.
My thinking is moreso for the monitor mix. Having 2 channels of bass that are sent to the board differently can sometimes overcome the sterility of just one. It can allow a soundguy to eq the signals differently to help with phasing.
It was just an idea...
I agree that 100W is probably way underpowered to play a large venue, but honestly, if you have a pro level stage monitoring system and a knowledgeable crew, there are ways to make it work.
1. Encourage everyone in the band to TURN DOWN ONSTAGE. Let the monitors do the work. You guys will sound a million times better if you let a natural stage mix come together rather than have every amp on eleven.
2. Consider ditching an onstage rig completely. On many large festival stages, I all but gave up schlepping my big rig on and offstage. My solution was simply to bring my rack, set it up on the side of the stage facing out, and take a DI off my preamp. Then I'd discuss my setup with the crew, and 100 percent of the time, they'd be eternally grateful that they wouldn't have to do battle with a big bass rig all night. Better yet, this would give them an incentive to be EVEN more willing to spend a good amount of time dialling in a perfect bass mix in the monitor. Nothing like a nice, relaxed, thorough sound check to get things exactly right. No it might not be "rockstar" to not have a stack of fridges behind you, and yes, the sound out of monitors isn't going to sound like your bass rig, but who cares? In the end it is what is out front that really matters.
Lonnybass
1. Encourage everyone in the band to TURN DOWN ONSTAGE. Let the monitors do the work. You guys will sound a million times better if you let a natural stage mix come together rather than have every amp on eleven.
2. Consider ditching an onstage rig completely. On many large festival stages, I all but gave up schlepping my big rig on and offstage. My solution was simply to bring my rack, set it up on the side of the stage facing out, and take a DI off my preamp. Then I'd discuss my setup with the crew, and 100 percent of the time, they'd be eternally grateful that they wouldn't have to do battle with a big bass rig all night. Better yet, this would give them an incentive to be EVEN more willing to spend a good amount of time dialling in a perfect bass mix in the monitor. Nothing like a nice, relaxed, thorough sound check to get things exactly right. No it might not be "rockstar" to not have a stack of fridges behind you, and yes, the sound out of monitors isn't going to sound like your bass rig, but who cares? In the end it is what is out front that really matters.
Lonnybass
I carry an a/b box and a small amp for monitoring my bass to any big gig where i'm using someone else's gear. This has always been agreable to the sound people, and I can always hear myself.
If your playing in a large venue, packed full of people a 100 watt amp will not do the trick. Your amp is your personal monitor, not the house system or house monitors. It's hard enough for 100 watt amp to be heard with a drummer and a guitarist anywhere. Regarding the monitors to the P.A., unless they are equipped with professional speakers and large enough, you will not get a good bass mix from them either.
Without seeing or knowing the exact set-up, it will be hard for any of use to express an expert opinion on the unknown. I will conclude by saying use a bigger bass rig with at least 200+ watts and then you can be heard on stage. Also bass waves have to develop. If your too close to the amp, you will not hears as well as if you were 4 + feet away from it. Closer doesn't make it louder, just makes your head hurt.
Good Luck at the next gig there. I'm 6'5" and I feel your pain.
Without seeing or knowing the exact set-up, it will be hard for any of use to express an expert opinion on the unknown. I will conclude by saying use a bigger bass rig with at least 200+ watts and then you can be heard on stage. Also bass waves have to develop. If your too close to the amp, you will not hears as well as if you were 4 + feet away from it. Closer doesn't make it louder, just makes your head hurt.
Good Luck at the next gig there. I'm 6'5" and I feel your pain.
This is why I love kickback combos. Let the front of the house carry your tone to the audience. Angle the kickback amp on stage so the necessary people can hear you. Works real well.
KatCreek Guitars
Commercial User
Has anyone ever tried to use a cable splitter that has a volume control on each cable? I've seen 1/8 inch splitters for things like an iphone (see web site), but nothing for 1/4 inch connections. I'd like to find a simple solution to being able to hear my bass using one earbud.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Hate to rain on the parade here, but the "bass waves have to develop" statement is a myth that has been perpetuated and debunked time and time again. If bass waves "have to develop" there would be no such thing as mic'ing cabs. Your ears hear frequency, not wavelength. I think you're confusing the directionality factor of the amplifier with standing waves and room modes that develop the further out you get from the source.
Lonnybass
butchblack
Life is short. Do good. Find and do what you love.
Sounds like a combination of things. 100W isn't enough. I play small clubs and I just went from 180W 112 rig to a 350W combo that'll put out 500W with an extension cab (headroom is your friend). Buy an amp or monitor stand and set it as high as it will go and be solid. I play at a local jam and I never can get a good sense of what I sound like because the house combo is on the floor. I agree with the posters suggesting turning down the stage volume. If you have full PA support your amps don't need to be loud and the outside mix will probably sound better.
^^^^^^^^^
Buy yourself an amp. Not sure why anyone here would respond with anything else. Only other reasonable options IMO are to make sure the sound guy gives you enough of yourself in the monitors, or put the amp on a step ladder right next to your head. But you still need an amp. 100 watts is NOT enough power to play a large club. 100 watts is not really enough power to even play a small club (with a band) although it can done. It's time to invest... and in ear monitors are a hassle and can get expensive. If you're a bass player you need to get your bass gear in order first, and it's pretty clear that you need an amp.
Also, not sure what that phase advice is all about, and while I'm sure it's accurate information, if you start bugging a sound guy with that kind of information while trying to get a 100 watt amp to cut me thinks you're going to be setting yourself up for some serious abuse.
+ a million
Phase issues with that vocal wedge that isn't even putting anything out under 100hz? Probably not the issue. Not blending DI signal with a mic line? Probably not the issue. IEM IEM IEM IEM. Could fix the issue for sure. Probably not an option for the OP.
Lets get back to basics, Joe is absolutely right. Get the bass gear squared away first. Get a Big enough rig for the shows you're playing, keep the guitar's volume in check and balance the stage volume.
Derek
I do this all the time..
Good DI setup
Get the amp right near your head (if you really need it an not 100% DI)
Have everyone turn down
Mute the drums.
Your blend should start with vocals.. not instruments competing for space.
Good DI setup
Get the amp right near your head (if you really need it an not 100% DI)
Have everyone turn down
Mute the drums.
Your blend should start with vocals.. not instruments competing for space.
I'm all for reasonable stage volumes, but IMO a 100 watt bass amp is inadequate for most gigs - and it's unfair to force the rest of the band to drop their volumes way down because the bass player is ill equipped... Furthermore, "muted" drums sound like crap - most good drummers wouldn't tolerate that, just because the bassist is too cheap to buy a decent amp...
For the size gigs the OP is playing, having a decent amp *should* be a no-brainer, IMO...
OH, and acoustic drums typically set the stage volume - not vocals...
- georgestrings
Experiment with turning down the volume on the bridge pickup a bit (or all the way). Years ago, I was using a Fender Jazz in a fairly loud band. I had both pickups up all the way, as well as the tone. I could never hear myself. As I found out, this produces a beautifully smooth tone in your bedroom, but backing off a bit on either pickup (your style of music suggests backing off on the bridge pickup, I think) gives you more midrange honk, which cuts through better. After the first gig when I did this, my friends in the audience were coming up and saying, "Is that the same bass?? It sounds great! I can hear it!"
Give it a try.
(I know it sounds like ridiculously basic advice, but I'd been playing for, let's see... 15 years before figuring it out.)
Give it a try.
(I know it sounds like ridiculously basic advice, but I'd been playing for, let's see... 15 years before figuring it out.)
Also try putting your amp on the floor in front of you and angling it up like a monitor. This is the best way to listen to a combo amp on stage (in many situations). Just make sure the rest of the band can hear you through their monitors.
