fEARful part 13: the bad luck's done, son

[Passinwind]

Based on your description, the sound man thought he knew the system. Know-it-all soundmen. Grrrrrr. We'll always be their bitch.

That particular jam is just a huge train wreck in 27 directions at once. Last night I needed earplugs just to hang at the very back of the bar, 85 feet from the stage. It's a really tough room to mix in even given the best circumstances -- been there, done that.

 

[singlemalt]

That room is a problem, no doubt. At least there is a guy and a system in place. The musicians are usually the root of the problem, a problem that begins with excessive stage volume. After that is spirals into a stew of noise. Last night I never took out my earplugs except between sets. Even sitting at the bar at the back of the room.

I've spent some time running sound for bands. It's usually a thankless task, and they rarely see you as an equally vital part of presenting their music. Everybody bitches about the sound guy, and that wasn't my intent. He's got a tough job to do, and a large part of that job comes down to babysitting egos that would make two year olds look like calm, reasonable folks.

He can't turn down what's already too loud. He doesn't have a "suck" compressor that can make wildly sucky into uniformly sucky. Then you get people moving stuff around, switching mikes, asking for more monitor, more guitar, more beer.... Imagine his despair as he watches the guitard stroll back to that obnoxiously loud twin and give it yet another twist.

He can, however, give up the fight, turn up the "suck" and go have a beer with his ear plugs shoved deep. AMFYOYO!

Such is life in the bush leagues.

I'm just saying, 90% of what we are selling comes out of that PA and goes into people's ears. Past the edge of the stage, all of our best efforts are in the sound guy's hands. Help him out if you can.

 

[Queg]

I very seldom post in (or even look at) the amps forum anymore, because since I've been playing through my fEARful 15/6 I haven't had even the tiniest bit of GAS or interest in other cabs any longer. Combined with my Carvin BX1200, it totally killed my enthusiasm for bass gear. Sigh.

Interesting to see that people still drink the kool-aid. Cheers.

That's quite an endorsement of the BX1200.

I'm still GASing around with amps..

And planning a little showdown tonight.
A new challenger, the lithe "King of Class D" Crown XLS 2500 is going up against the currently reigning, "Mighty Master of Mosfet" Aguilar DB750.

(To keep things fair, the pre will be same for both amps - either a Tonehammer or Rusty Box pedal).
Pushing a 15/6tube and/or 12/6.

 

[Sundogue]

That's quite an endorsement of the BX1200.

I'm still GASing around with amps..

And planning a little showdown tonight.
A new challenger, the lithe "King of Class D" Crown XLS 2500 is going up against the currently reigning, "Mighty Master of Mosfet" Aguilar DB750.

(To keep things fair, the pre will be same for both amps - either a Tonehammer or Rusty Box pedal).
Pushing a 15/6tube and/or 12/6.

Well, for me the BX1200 (now the lighter BX1500) is just a tonal option machine with gobs of power. With the fEARful there isn't a tone I long for any more.

 

[geoff_in_nc]

.... I've been playing through my fEARful 15/6 .... Combined with my Carvin BX1200

Are you bi-amping the 15/6 out of the BX1200?

 

[Sundogue]

Are you bi-amping the 15/6 out of the BX1200?

No. I'm using it bridged and the internal fEARful crossover. I used to bi-amp with that head with my other cab designs.

 

[Bardley]

That room is a problem, no doubt. At least there is a guy and a system in place. The musicians are usually the root of the problem, a problem that begins with excessive stage volume. After that is spirals into a stew of noise. Last night I never took out my earplugs except between sets. Even sitting at the bar at the back of the room.

I've spent some time running sound for bands. It's usually a thankless task, and they rarely see you as an equally vital part of presenting their music. Everybody bitches about the sound guy, and that wasn't my intent. He's got a tough job to do, and a large part of that job comes down to babysitting egos that would make two year olds look like calm, reasonable folks.

He can't turn down what's already too loud. He doesn't have a "suck" compressor that can make wildly sucky into uniformly sucky. Then you get people moving stuff around, switching mikes, asking for more monitor, more guitar, more beer.... Imagine his despair as he watches the guitard stroll back to that obnoxiously loud twin and give it yet another twist.

He can, however, give up the fight, turn up the "suck" and go have a beer with his ear plugs shoved deep. AMFYOYO!

Such is life in the bush leagues.

I'm just saying, 90% of what we are selling comes out of that PA and goes into people's ears. Past the edge of the stage, all of our best efforts are in the sound guy's hands. Help him out if you can.

Being a sound man first, bass player second, I can agree that there is a TON of babysitting that comes with most gigs.

As the joke says,
What's the difference between a sound man and a Port-O-John?

A Port-O-John only has to take S--t from one a--hole at a time...

 

[topcat2069]

I posted this in another thread but I thought I'd post it here too.

I just got back from Ron Anchak's shop to audition the fEarful 15/6/1.... My impressions are this: AMAZING full range cabinet !
We added a 12" sub (!) and wow... it added more than I thought it could (quite a little BEAST that one )........
I played my Bass and we listened to some music through it. I used my GK RB 1001 II and my Lakland 55-01... for Bass it showed me just what was wrong with my playing technique.....

The cab really opened up when I turned the Bass master to 12 o'clock it didn't start to "pinch" the tone, like I'm used to, it just got louder and more open (I don't usually play loud so it was ROARING as far as I was concerned...)

The low B was all there, everything the Bass put out came through load and clear. (amp settings: gain 12 o'clock, treble, low mid and high mid 12 o'clock, bass 1.5 o'clock. no contour or presence. 5 string switch in 11db boost @20hz. Boost at 9 o'clock....these are the settings I use when I play live with my cabs. I didn't goof with the tone controls as much as maybe I should have but what I was hearing sounded just like I thought it should sound like when I play the Bass. It was all there and very "musical" without "tainting" the input from my amp.

for music we listened to some work I'm doing, rough mixes and I was very impressed how it sounded, mostly the kick and Bass... but I just finished the mixes before I left and made the CD to listen to in my truck. The mixes translated very well and all the flaws I heard on the drive over were there just as balanced through the fEarful (though the bass kicked WAY beyond the bass in the truck LOL !!!!

I'm going back after NAMM to hear the 15 sub.... I'm really looking forward to hearing whether or not (as I believe it will) it will bring the authority to my live sound..... if in fact you are looking for an AMAZING full range Bass Cab you really need look no further than the fEarful line.... mix and match your way to Bass Bliss.





A 5 Bassist rating... The highest that can be given.

P.S. Ron is a stellar guy and fun to chat with... Straight up and real and he knows his sh*t !!!!

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

HaHa, another victim of the awesomeness of fEARful. More people need to hear them to know that us fEARful freaks are not just kool-aid drinkers.

Ron is one of the best builders around and his work is outstanding. Super nice guy too.

 

[singlemalt]

That's about the same eq I run my GK with. Like a whole new amp with the fEarful, right?

That's what a B string is supposed to sound like.

 

[canadian*eh]

HaHa, another victim of the awesomeness of fEARful. More people need to hear them to know that us fEARful freaks are not just kool-aid drinkers..

Oh But I still Like the Kool-aid More People Should Drink it!!

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

Yup, this Kool-aid is GOOOOOD!

 

[gregbackstrom]

Ron is one of the best builders around and his work is outstanding. Super nice guy too.

+1! I couldn't agree more. Ron built me a fabulous "custom" 1212/6/1. I'm waiting for my StudioSlips cover to come in before moving it around too much. Once it's here, I'll start playing it regularly and I'll post a review.

Even with the little playing I've done on it, I can tell it's a world-class cabinet. Ron's cabinetry is second-to-none!


- Greg

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

I have a StudioSlips cover for my 15/6. They are very good quality and the measurements were perfect on mine.

 

[ale29]

Is there any european builder for fEARful around? Or even a way to get all the required material/kit without buying from the USA?

 

[BurningSkies]

Is there any european builder for fEARful around? Or even a way to get all the required material/kit without buying from the USA?

That's a question best asked on the fEARful forum. GreenBoy can give you the best way to proceed.

 

[fivestringgecko]

I know this is a little random... I've been following the threads and have been debating about a fEARful build for a while, but I kinda wish there was a 1x10 model. I need a new smaller cab for my church choir gig.

5sg.

 

[canadian*eh]

I know this is a little random... I've been following the threads and have been debating about a fEARful build for a while, but I kinda wish there was a 1x10 model. I need a new smaller cab for my church choir gig.

5sg.

I do know greenboy is working on a lil 1X8 fEARless cab but not sure when that is going to be out. If you are wanting small a lil 12/6 or 12/6/ cube does not have much of a foot print at all....i would look into one of those i mean for there size they will kill....i mean if you dont room for one of them then you really must have a small practice space

 

[fivestringgecko]

I do know greenboy is working on a lil 1X8 fEARless cab but not sure when that is going to be out. If you are wanting small a lil 12/6 or 12/6/ cube does not have much of a foot print at all....i would look into one of those i mean for there size they will kill....i mean if you dont room for one of them then you really must have a small practice space

A 1x8, huh? Innnnttteeerrrrrrrrrreeessssssssttinnnnnnngggggg! That might be just the ticket!

It's not the space I'm worried about, we've got plenty of room. It's the volume. The smallest amp I've got is a 120 watt 1x12 combo. The director and sound guy keep telling me I'm too loud, and we play for 200-250 people on any given Sunday. Makes me wonder sometimes if they really want me there at all... A 1x8 may be just the ticket.

5sg.

 

[canadian*eh]

A 1x8, huh? Innnnttteeerrrrrrrrrreeessssssssttinnnnnnngggggg! That might be just the ticket!

It's not the space I'm worried about, we've got plenty of room. It's the volume. The smallest amp I've got is a 120 watt 1x12 combo. The director and sound guy keep telling me I'm too loud, and we play for 200-250 people on any given Sunday. Makes me wonder sometimes if they really want me there at all... A 1x8 may be just the ticket.

5sg.

If thats the cause it will not matter how small of cab you use they will still think it is too loud!! Trust me I know how you feel about being told you are to loud....i get that alot esp at More Conservative churches....it is a fact of life.Funny thing is they can have the organ blaring out bass and not even flinch but once you start playing it on the bass....then oh it is Too Loud??? try this next time when they say you are to loud....just turn your volume off but still keep playing....did that once....they said it was just right and i told them i was not even playing.....it shut them up they did not know what to say then....i think they felt silly.