• 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.

How powerful a rig would I need?

Y

yehongxiang

Dec 15, 2009
181
3
Singapore
#1
I'll be playing in front of about 300 (not many, I know, but I just picked up the bass 3 months ago! :P). Since it's my first ever performance, I have no clue how powerful a rig I'd need so that I'll be audible by everyone in the audience.

Would appreciate any help please!
 
#5
If you can play Killing Me Softly well after only three months (esp. in front of 300 people, and bonus points for playing it on a fretless like the original), then more power to you!

As for how much rig you need for that gig: You need to go through the PA, and a decent combo (with a direct-out) for on-stage monitoring will do. A bigger head/cab rig will get you through future rigs with no PA support, but a ballroom for your first gig? Go through the PA and have someone "out there" take care of your sound.

Good luck,

-jb
 
#6
You need to know watts and speaker sensitivity to figure out how loud it'll be, so telling someone 500 watts or 1000 watts is pretty meaningless.

The important thing is: Will the drums have PA support?

If you're not expected to be any louder than acoustic drums, a 2x12 or 4x10 and 300-500w would be more than sufficient.

If the drums are mic'd and you are not sending to the PA, you will need a bigger rig. However, if the drums are mic'd you should be in FOH also, especially considering all that other stuff.

I'd suggest a quality 1x15 combo with 200w or so minimum for stage volume and getting a good quality PA.
 
#7
I'm playing Killing Me Softly as The Fugees did it, much simpler. :D

What's stressing me out is having to play Cake's I Will Survive, but that's another story...

Anyway, it seems like asking for PA support is the best option. A 1000W head is definitely out of my budget.
 
#8
It really depends on the amp, what tone you're going for, and whether you're one of those losers that gets freaked out by clipping lights.

Wattage isn't very directly related to loudness. If there are no other variables, a 100 watt amp is all of half the volume of a 1,000 watt amp. Tube amp wattage provides a much louder apparent volume than solid state wattage because of the compression a tube amp provides and because of the fact that tube amps sound good cranked up where solid state amps, lots of them don't.

Personally I gig in a power trio with a 20 watt tube amp and 2 1x12" cabs. I have no problem getting enough volume. Keep in mind John Entwistle and Pete Townshend of the Who were both legendarily loud and infamous for volume wars between them, and they both played identical rigs, which lots of times consisted of 2 8x12" 100 or 200 watt Marshall stacks, or 100 watt Hiwatt stacks (Leeds). Obviously most of us don't need to be nearly that loud. So if you're not some hi-fi jazzer you can easily compete with a guitar player using the same amount of tube wattage and speakerage. I'm living proof, too.
 
#10
rpsands said:
You need to know watts and speaker sensitivity to figure out how loud it'll be, so telling someone 500 watts or 1000 watts is pretty meaningless.

The important thing is: Will the drums have PA support?

If you're not expected to be any louder than acoustic drums, a 2x12 or 4x10 and 300-500w would be more than sufficient.

If the drums are mic'd and you are not sending to the PA, you will need a bigger rig. However, if the drums are mic'd you should be in FOH also, especially considering all that other stuff.

I'd suggest a quality 1x15 combo with 200w or so minimum for stage volume and getting a good quality PA.
Click to expand...

A 200-watt 115 combo will not cut it in a hotel ballroom with 300 people even with PA support, unless there are some good monitors. That's barely a decent practice rig.

For speakers, I'd go with at least a good 410. It's not meaningless to say 500 or 1,000 watts if you assume there will be sufficient speakers to handle the power.
 
#14
Munjibunga said:
A 200-watt 115 combo will not cut it in a hotel ballroom with 300 people even with PA support, unless there are some good monitors. That's barely a decent practice rig.

For speakers, I'd go with at least a good 410. It's not meaningless to say 500 or 1,000 watts if you assume there will be sufficient speakers to handle the power.
Click to expand...

If you've got good PA support, a 200w 1x15 of respectable quality (e.g. Markbass, GK) will absolutely get over almost any drummer for stage volume. Been there, done that.

As long as you've got PA subwoofers to fill in the low end and you're in the mains, you'd be fine. Absolutely.
 
#15
Munjibunga said:
A 200-watt 115 combo will not cut it in a hotel ballroom with 300 people even with PA support, unless there are some good monitors. That's barely a decent practice rig.

For speakers, I'd go with at least a good 410. It's not meaningless to say 500 or 1,000 watts if you assume there will be sufficient speakers to handle the power.
Click to expand...

It absolutely is. 100w and an 8x10 would be plenty for this situation.
 
#17
i did a gig tonight in front of about 3000 people outside playing oldies rock and roll using a 25w amp into a 115. had pa, of course. i am a professional musician of over 30 years, though, and that's not to be attempted by newbs without pa ;)

if you're just now buying a rig, there's no reason not to have at least 300w and a 410. you can find good used 410's all day long for $200-300, and you can find good used 300w amps for that or even less. and i'm talking pro quality stuff, too. a used 300w amp and 410 has become the pro bass starter pack, as it were. if you plan on performing more often, you will need it.

now you can also do a 300 seat ballroom with less, depending on the band's stage volume, and you can also do it without an amp at all if they have pa. but until you've done it a few years, it's hard to know what you can get away with and what you can't.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back