• 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.

Do I need an amp? Does anyone need an amp anymore?

#101
I only play in one rock band and have a few options. If we play our own gig supplying the pa, I use a 4 x 10 and amp and di out to the sub. If I know the venue and they have a decent pa and monitoring set up, I will just bring along a pedal board with a MXR DI.

The third option is a RCF 15" powered speaker and the MXR. This is for those occasions when you play somewhere you don`t know, they have a pa set up and they tell you they have a bass amp that "is really loud and will do the gig easily", you turn up and it`s a crappy 75 watt amp. This has happened to me so if in doubt I bring the RCF as I know it will get me by for the gig. So yeah you always need some way of making a noise but it all depends on the gig.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zbysek
#104
I don't know know about other players.

But since the information was solicited.

As for myself,

Current gear is a pedalboard consisting of this in order of signal chain.

Source Audio-Atlas-Comp =>
Source Audio-C4+DMC.Micro =>
Zoom-B6 =>
Zoom B6-Effects-Loop = Broughton-HPF+LPF

HPF+LPF works better for me than cab sims or IRs

That goes into a Yamaha DXR15 powered PA speaker, via a TRS cable split stereo. That is linked to a second DXR15 only if needed, also with the stereo switch engaged. I typically use only 1 as a floor monitor if the venue is full FOH PA support. If using 2 it's fun to stack them behind me like a traditional bass cab setup.

I'm able to play live with a digital/analog pedalboard going into 1 or 2 good mid range priced 15", PORTED PA speakers. (Yamaha DXR15) - RCF is also a great company to look at for a a single speaker with decent to good low end response.

Practicing and setting up my sound using a digital amp modeler/effects board directly into a good powered PA speaker is very indicative of what it will sound like live. I plan to eventually get a 12" subwoofer and take the rig outside to really dial it in.
The Zoom B6 is very clear and natural sounding through live PA gear. I'm really liking it!!!

As a floor monitor it's better if you can stay right on top of it for that low end feel. But, I prefer it this way so I can maintain a proper stage volume.
For outdoors, 2 Stacked or side by side can work well.

My next step is to place an iPad on a tripod and edit settings on the fly via touch screen. (Requires Bluetooth adapter) At that point I might as well attach a drink holder and tray to said tripod.

BTW, there is also an expression pedal attached for pitch shifting, volume control, and digital wah wah. I use the Boss Dual output Expression pedal. One output to Zoom. The other out can control the C4 via DMC.Micro Red multijack.

Another benefit of investing in quality PA speakers instead of traditional bass gear, is you can utilize the PA speakers for other applications other than just bass guitar.

This setup allowed me to sell most of my bass cabinets and amplifiers. Mesa - Barefaced - Ampeg no longer needed.

In ear monitors will be one of my final investments once I sell off the other gear I no longer need. Which is a lot!!
 
Last edited:
#106
Imagine in the future we only need to eat pills to be well nourished. Would you still want to eat food? I don’t care what music technology does, I will always want to hear my fretless bass through a bigass amp. My GK 800 Legacy through 2 x GK Neo 212’s is total overkill for what I actually need but I’ll never part with it coz it makes me happy .
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6thplanet and thebandcircle
#108
I've played through house PAs and my own powered speakers from time to time. It's pretty handy and usually sounds fine.
OTOH venues around here don't seem to be trending towards accommodating bands - more like the opposite. And for my part, I want to own less & less PA gear as I get older.
I don't foresee stage amps ever going completely away for my gigs - YMMV.
 
#109
I don't think I need an amp anymore, but I really like the sound of my GK RB amps into BagEnd Cabs as well as my GK MB150S and my GK MB200 mini amp.

I'm actually using the MB200 into a SWR WM10 cab for home practice right now with a tilt back stand. It sounds great!

But even back in the 80s, most of our rock gigs had a large PA and my amp was basically a stage monitor. I needed it at the time because our drummer was particularly heavy handed.

For smaller jazz gigs, a small combo or small amp does fine. These smaller gigs/jams are pretty much the only time that I really need an amp.

I still really like having amps around though. There's no logic to it. I just like moving air now and then.
 
#113
MrUsefulAlien said:
Even with PA support you would need either an amp or a Backbeat type haptic amp to feel the bass. Monitors are fine if you control the mix.
The only time I’ve been asked not to use an amp is on a big musical theater production, but the setup was basically studio-like.
Click to expand...
I just played a gig with in ears and a Rolls PM351. The Rolls provides separate volume controls for the mix, your bass, and your mic.

My spouse said the FOH mix was excellent and it was quiet enough to be able to hear each other speak, albeit loudly.

I heard myself perfectly. My sound man said he could have used another aux send to give me a separate mix in my headphones, but when he saw that I had the Rolls, he said it was great to have.

I got an Ernie Ball cord with an integrated 1/8” stereo phone cord for IEM built in so I don’t have to have separate cords or fiddle with wireless unless I want it.

I guess I don’t need to feel the bass as much as I used to since we’ve been rehearsing with headphones for 18 years now. I do miss feeling a lot of air moving though.
 
#114
At present I got hired as a "ringer" guitarist for a college musical production. It's an 11 piece orchestra and there is no PA system for rehearsals. The bass player uses one of the bigger Fender Rumble amps and will do so for the performances. I use an amp for lead guitar as does the college student playing the second guitar chair. All three keyboards are using Roland amps. You can't assume there will always be a PA system. The brass section is unamplified.

Sometimes I jam with a couple of my neighbor's in one of our basements. No PA. We just use amps for guitar and bass. The horn player doesn't need an amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hennessybass, agedhorse, shoot-r and 2 others
#115
Using stage amps is making a big comeback around here...

This is what's happening in the area I play mostly in.

A couple of years back, there were many bars, pubs, casinos, animal clubs that had furnished FOH of some kind. All the county fairs, festivals, outdoor bike events had furnished FOH, lights, soundman, and usually a stagehand or three.

Not anymore.

Every bar, pub, and all the outdoor events are currently cutting expenses or opting to just not having live music at all. There are no longer "any" bar or pub in our area that still has a FOH system of any kind for live band use.

We played a unusually high number of outdoor fairs, festivals and bike events this year, (April to early October, 55 outdoor events.) In the past they all would have had furnished FOH, lights, sound crew...this year there's only been two of those jobs that did.

Event organizers, bar owners, ect. are now writing into the contract that it's now the bands responsibility to have a FOH system capable of covering the room or outside area.

Most bands are reacting to this by going to small, easy to transport, 112 or 115 cabinets on stands with, (sometimes), a small sub or two and going back to the old school way of running pretty much vocals only in the system and going back to stage amps to carry everything else.

I look for this to become the norm everywhere.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: fdeck and agedhorse
#117
Very much depends on the application as other have said. In my case, it depends on the situation

My band has a full PA system all QSC, 2 Subs, and 3 Tops.
We are on IEM
2 guitar players (one goes direct, the other one has a cab/FRFR on stage)

We play covers, so we do small bars, Weddings, Outdoor gigs, etc.

For the smaller gigs, I use my QuadCortex (Fender Super Bassman Capture) direct to PA. If the room needs it, then I pull a QSC K12.2
When for medium and outdoor gigs, I bring my Fender Super Bassman, with 1 or 2 4x10 cabs depending on the venue. I use the Fender DI out of the amp when I bring it.

So all of that to say, there is some situations that I want and amp and some where it is not needed. I do enjoy rattling all of the bottles of the bar, when I go pass 3 on my amp :laugh:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6thplanet

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back