How much do the audience hear your rig?

[BassyBill]

Thanks for the responses fellas.

My own solution has led me to use my combo (Markbass) for all but the biggest gigs. It can angle back 45 degrees which makes it a great little stage monitor. I set up so it's behind me and the drummer, pointing at both of us. Then I turn up to the level where I can hear it fine and he can hear it fine but it's not so loud that it blasts out the rest of the band (our horn section are usually very thankful for this!). In other words, the combo provides the onstage bass sound; no bass through the monitors, generally speaking.

In most rooms we play, except for the very smallest, this means the bass needs PA support out front and I send a line to the desk for this rather than miking up. If I had the rig turned up enough to get the bass out FOH, it would be way too loud on stage - unless it's a really small venue, as I said.

So I voted "it depends", but nearly all of the time I do go through the PA with the rig just used for onstage sound.

 

[ogrossman]

I usually run the bass through the PA so in theory the audience doesn't hear my rig. On occasion the sound man tells me he has me dialed back all the way because my stage volume is too high. That's great to know and I don't have any problems with turning down. The only problem is the sound man doesn't volunteer the information, for some reason I have to ask him before he'll say something... *shrug*

 

[fretless Bob]

i would guess that they dont volunteer much information about that sort of thing because most guy will argue with them about it.

at some gigs you will see guys going mad at soundmen if they even mention someone being too loud, i always make it my job to be "extra" nice to the soundguy and make sure that we know what we can do for each other, theres no point treating anyone with that much control over your sound like s**t, even if they are complete w***ers!


Dave

 

[jokerjkny]

lounge gigs, all me

big gigs, all PA

 

[Joe Beets]

What happens to your bass signal after it leaves your $2500 bass head? Well, let's track it through the sound system at a typical show venue. First, we'll asume that you don't run a bunch of stomp pedals, effects, limiters, compressors, etc. between your bass and your amp head. If so, add this stuff into the signal chain as well.

1. First your amp output goes into the soundman's DI (he doesn't like the one from your amp head).

2. Then it goes into the Digital Feedback Suppression Processor. Usually, only the vocal mics go through this, but some soundmen run everything through here because it's easier.

3. Now your signal has arrived at the mixer. Here the soundman adjusts the EQ on your individual channel for the "best bass sound".

4. Now your signal goes out the mixer "send" line to the outboard Compressor/Limiter. After being processed here it goes back to the mixer where it is tweaked some more.

5. Now your bass signal leaves the mixer and goes through the Digital Stereo Maximizer. I'm not sure what it does, but after spending $3000 for it you can bet the soundman will be fiddling with it all night.

6. Now the mixed signal is just about ready to be used. But first it has to go through the outboard Digital Parametric Equalizer to get the overall sound just right.

7. Now the signal goes through the three-way crossover network.

8. Next the divided signal from the crossovers goes to the bank of power amps.

9. Now "your" bass sound, the one you worked years to find and spent tens of thousands of dollars on gear to achieve, finally comes out of the house speakers and arrives at the audience.

Whew!!! What a journey. Something to think about the next time you're getting ready to spend $5000 on a new bass rig.

 

[Marcus Willett]

Totally depends. With Andy, there are no amps. I get a wedge with whatever mix I want, and the audience will hear none of it; just the PA. Smaller gigs, there might only be vocals through the PA, or maybe like a smaller jazz gig, no PA at all, so my sound is completely my rig.

Personal rule: If the bass drum has a mic... I'm doing the same.

Well said, and a damn good rule.

 

[smperry]

I voted it varies. Most of the gigs though, I've had PA support. My rig's sound is important though, because I can never hear myself through monitors (nor can the drummer usually).

When practicing, I've never gone through the band PA...and that matters a great deal to me too.

Marshall

 

[fretless Bob]

What happens to your bass signal after it leaves your $2500 bass head? Well, let's track it through the sound system at a typical show venue. First, we'll asume that you don't run a bunch of stomp pedals, effects, limiters, compressors, etc. between your bass and your amp head. If so, add this stuff into the signal chain as well.

1. First your amp output goes into the soundman's DI (he doesn't like the one from your amp head).

2. Then it goes into the Digital Feedback Suppression Processor. Usually, only the vocal mics go through this, but some soundmen run everything through here because it's easier.

3. Now your signal has arrived at the mixer. Here the soundman adjusts the EQ on your individual channel for the "best bass sound".

4. Now your signal goes out the mixer "send" line to the outboard Compressor/Limiter. After being processed here it goes back to the mixer where it is tweaked some more.

5. Now your bass signal leaves the mixer and goes through the Digital Stereo Maximizer. I'm not sure what it does, but after spending $3000 for it you can bet the soundman will be fiddling with it all night.

6. Now the mixed signal is just about ready to be used. But first it has to go through the outboard Digital Parametric Equalizer to get the overall sound just right.

7. Now the signal goes through the three-way crossover network.

8. Next the divided signal from the crossovers goes to the bank of power amps.

9. Now "your" bass sound, the one you worked years to find and spent tens of thousands of dollars on gear to achieve, finally comes out of the house speakers and arrives at the audience.

Whew!!! What a journey. Something to think about the next time you're getting ready to spend $5000 on a new bass rig.

i was thinking after reading your post, i still think that all the money we spend on our rigs is so worth it,

i dont know about you guys, but if i dont hear what i want to tone wise then i dont play as well, so on gigs when ive had to play through less than adequate gear even if no one out front hears it, i still play badly because of it.


Dave

 

[Marcus Willett]

What happens to your bass signal after it leaves your $2500 bass head?...[snip]...Now "your" bass sound, the one you worked years to find and spent tens of thousands of dollars on gear to achieve, finally comes out of the house speakers and arrives at the audience.

This is totally true, insofar as what the audience will hear might be (and probably is) very different than what you are hearing from your rig.

However, what must also be considered (at least in my case, and I'm sure many others) I need a sound that inspires me to want to play.

To an extent, you've gotta be a pro (or more literally in my case); I've done gigs where i can't hear myself at all...just a wash from the PA. This completely sucks but when you're a pro you need to be able to at least play on a competent level pretty much no matter what. I can do this, but it sucks, and it's work...like getting beat up for a few hours.


But if I want to be inspired, and to play inspired, I need a sound that moves me, and that's where my rig becomes more than simply a more-or-less monitor and becomes a (hopefully) source of an inspiring sound.

 

[will33]

I put depends. Small bar-amp and one cab, Medium size venue-amp and two cabs, Large venue-PA support.

Smaller outdoor private party etc. using our own PA, the pa gets vocals and 2 or 3 mikes around the drum kit and adjust the amps to match that. Large outdoor show-full PA support.

 

[popinfresh]

They'll allways hear some of my rig (but not allways through PA).. I take the DI from my amp, post EQ, so they at least get my Trace + Sterling sound.

If I can mic my cab, even better.

 

[todd 4ta]

It depends....

on which band and size of the venue (and preference of the soundman)

At church, we have about a 500 seat sanctuary. I go from my bass to the DI which splits to the board and my amp. My amp is just for stage volume, both for me and the band members. Even though we have good monitors, they also prefer hearing & feeling the bass through my stage rig. But my FOH sound is all through the DI and main sound system. The soundman doesn't want to hear my stage volume, he'll ask me to turn down if it's bleeding through. I have my amp on the side of the stage pointing sideways right at me and the drummer (acoustic drums). That way, I can get a little more stage volume and "feel" before I get too loud.

In my surf band, I play through a vintage Fender Dual Showman. In most smaller shows, I don't usually have any sound reinforcement other than my amp. Sometimes, they will mike all the amps. My amp doesn't have a DI, it's a little too old. The one time I ran through a DI, I don't think it sounded too good.

 

[fullrangebass]

I mainly gig with my Dingwall and i love the sound of it (hence my username: FULLRANGEBASS). I go through the Avalon U5 Aand i send this signal to the PA (no F/Xs maybe very little tweaking if the acoustics are very very bad). No bells, whistles, compressors or effects. this gives the audience MY sound.
On the stage i use either
1) iAmp800 w/ 4x10 Goliath III & 1x16 EBS 615 (uncoloured;large venues)
2) EBS Gorm 1x15" + tweeter (Classic Rock growl; Mainly as monitor; mid sized venues)
3)MarkBass 2x10" + tweeter (Rock growl; mainly as monitor as well; small sized gigs)
I mainly rely on a good PA to give the audience my sound (the iAmp is handy when the soundman is un-cooperative and/or useless AND uncooperative). Normally soundmen are on our side