I don't see myself playing a stadium or arena any time soon, however, if I do get called to play one, I'll take my Shuttle 9 rig and they can DI or mic it just like any other amp used in that situation.
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.
Class D and Neo cabs are the future!
- Thread starter Axtman
- Start date
I don't see myself playing a stadium or arena any time soon, however, if I do get called to play one, I'll take my Shuttle 9 rig and they can DI or mic it just like any other amp used in that situation.
I don't get your point here. In those types of gigs, backline is relatively unimportant, since you have not only massive front of house support, but also individual monitor mixes, in ears if you want them, and a monitor system that would totally kill.
+1 to most of the points above though. I again agree... in the future, there will be a relatively small but constant niche for tube amps and 'old school cabs' (hard to emulate that without a tube power section if that's the tone one is trying to achieve), and then mostly SMPS amps (with various classes of power amps... D, A/B, H, etc., with hybrid designs, etc.) and neo speakers.
It's the old school, heavy solid state designs and ceramic driver cabs that will continue to fade away IMO.
Paul McCartney is using a 50 watt Fender Bassman on the rooftop performance at Abby Road. He is definitely overdriving the amp but I think it's part of the sound. Back in the day I was using an 85 watt Fender Showman when there was PA support in a band with three guitarists using 85 watt Fender Twin Reverb amps. If there wasn't PA support, I felt I needed my 300 watt SVT with two Sunn 200S cabinets with four 15" JBLs to keep up.
Now I play in a blues/rock trio and use a 200 watt all-tube Sadowsky SA200 and one JBL Cabaret cabinet with a K145 speaker. Without PA support it's very easy for me to overdrive this amp to levels that are unpleasingly distorted if I'm not careful. Fortunately, in a trio there's lots of space and I don't get drowned out. But I can imagine other situations where it would not be enough power.
Gale
Back in the day circa 1971:
Now I play in a blues/rock trio and use a 200 watt all-tube Sadowsky SA200 and one JBL Cabaret cabinet with a K145 speaker. Without PA support it's very easy for me to overdrive this amp to levels that are unpleasingly distorted if I'm not careful. Fortunately, in a trio there's lots of space and I don't get drowned out. But I can imagine other situations where it would not be enough power.
Gale
Back in the day circa 1971:
i think monitors, even in an arena where everything is top notch, still suck for bass
but you are absolutely right that it can be done easily without amps at all. and i've done arena shows with a b-15 or a markbass 12" micro combo and it ruled, even though i ultimately felt embarrassed about the micro combo.
