E-Cello - Versatile equipment for rehearsal & gigs

[ComingCurse]

Hi!

As I am still quite new to playing in a band (bass part with my e-cello) I am searching for a setup that is as long lasting and versatile as possible and I'm hoping for your help.
In our rehearsal room we will soon lose access to some PA equipment so I will probably need to get my own equipment. Here I hope to get some stuff that I can also use for Gigs and don't need to replace anything soon (better to spend a little more money now than having to buy again next year because of bad sound or whatever ...).
Last gig we played my signal went into a DI from the location but they didn't have enough monitors so I want to be prepared to bring my own monitor if necessary.

So what is the equipment I need to be able to
- play rehearsals
- play gigs (possibly using my equipment as monitor)
- possibly record

At the moment I own the following:
- Instrument (electric cello)
- GT-100 Multieffect board (+cables)

What is the stuff I definitely need?
- Bass combo? / Top piece + speaker?
- DI box?

I'm trying to read into the matter but missing experience some parts are quite tough to grasp - so if there is any resource that could help I would be glad about a link ...
Also keywords I should be looking out for would be perfect.

Thanks

 

[dreamadream99]

All you really need is an amplifier. If you record in a studio, they will provide a DI.

Whether you choose a combo amp, or separate amplifier and speaker is your personal choice.

 

[EastCoastThump]

What you'll need depends on your budget, your gigs, and your stage volume needs.

IME, it's wise to carry your own DI. Your effects unit's output looks like it can be set at either instrument or at line level, so that could factor in your DI choice.

If your bandmates need to hear your "bass" parts on stage and you can't rely on the venues' monitoring, then some sort of stage amplification. If your band's not super loud on stage, then in your shoes I'd be looking at a powered monitor like a QSC K12. (A lower-budget option is the Electro-Voice ELX115.)

If your band runs LOUD stages, then I'd consider (1) a robust bass stage rig, (2) a stage rig that's essentially a mini-PA, or (3) an in-ear monitor system. With options 1 & 2, you build a stage rig that'll hold its own against the rest of the band's volume. At the risk of over-simplifying, use a bass rig if you want amp head and cabinet to color your tone after the Boss FX, or go with a clean PA-style rig if you want your stage tone to be closer to what you're sending to FOH. Especially if you sing, go with option #3 if you need isolation—to better hear your instrument or vocal pitch, to greatly reduce the odds of feedback, or just to protect your ears from the toll of working on loud stages.

 

[ComingCurse]

okay, thanks.
Looking around on the internet I got the chance to get the following equipment quite cheap:
Gallien Krueger MB 500
Warwick 410pro 4x10" 300W 8Ω

Do you think this will be applicable for my situation (and will not need to be replaced for at least a couple of years)? The part about how loud the band is going to be makes me think though - it is a death metal band ...

Edit:
... okay ... something I must get wrong here ... you write about the band not being so loud and suggest a K12 with 1000W ...?!?

 

[EastCoastThump]

The part about how loud the band is going to be makes me think though - it is a death metal band ... okay ... something I must get wrong here ... you write about the band not being so loud and suggest a K12 with 1000W ...?!?

Apples and oranges.

Active speakers like these almost always simply (and misleadingly) rated by the size of the built-in amplifiers. For example, Mackie's DLMseries (the 12" and the 8") are both rated at 2000 watts, because they feature a pair of built-in 500-watt RMS (1000-watt peak) class D amps, one for the woofer and one for the high-frequency compression driver. But an honest 1000 watts (or even 500 watts) would quickly trash the woofer and instantly blow the compression driver. The woofer and compression driver are protected so they don't get the amp's full power.

A K12 is among the best in class (that is, musician-grade active PA cabs), but it isn't immune to the laws of physics. It does not replace a 1000-watt power amp run into bass cabinets that can make use of that much muscle. Instead, think of it more like a 250-watt cab, or half of a 500-watt PA. Some similar offerings operate close to that same ballpark, but some of the cheaper ones feel more like 150-200 watt wedges. That's pretty loud for vocals, but not enough for loud bass guitar.