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I'm slightly confused...

Shlogo

Shlogo

Dec 16, 2011
200
0
Chicago, Illinois
#1
Or a little more than slightly

If you saw about a week ago (I think) I posted about me having my first band audition.
I only had (have) a Fender Rumble 30 and at the time I was afraid I was going to be smothered by their (the band's) amps.
When I showed up I saw they both had a 100w Marshall head hooked up to a 412 cab (2 amps 2 cabs total).

Now, from all I have learned (or thought I have) here on TB, I would have thought they would have destroyed me!
However, to my delight, I could hear myself clear as day!
We were playing some Trivium-esk songs, which in our case meant distorted guitars and a clean bass (only brought my amp), and our amps were set at equal volume (meaning if mine was at 2, theirs was at 2) <-2, not 2o'clock. (this was a quiet practice)
And my bass is not more than a $200 Ibanez.

I have thought that more speakers=more volume (and speaker # has a larger impact than watts).
But by that logic shouldn't I have been drowned out?

This made me happy knowing I dont have to worry about a larger amp right away (no drummer=no live playing :()
But it also has me wondering what amp I should get in the future and how large of a cab...

Can someone explain this situation (why I could clearly hear myself)?
Has my train of thought been off this whole time?

-Tyler

Ps. I am now part of said band :D
 
#2
Probably a number of factors. Reasonable volume, scooped guitars letting your midrange cut through, that sort of thing. Still, excellent news that you got by. I wish I could pull that off.
 
#3
You have tasteful guitarists. Their amps could definitely obliterate your combo, there's no question. The key environmental factor was the lack of drummer. In a metal band the drummer sets the volume and it's usually going to be loud-town because the rest of the kit needs to match the intensity of the double bass pedal. This would force your guitarists to turn up to compete and you would get left behind immediately. Your first practice with any prospective drummer will probably be a far different story. You simply can't match the headroom of a 100w Marshall with a 30w combo. It can't be done.

It was just a quiet practice dude. I've played practice rehearsals with a Pignose 7-100 and been the loudest guy in the room.
 
#6
Congrats on your successful audition. Yea! :hyper:

It sounds like the folk you are now playing with know how to control their volume. That's a good thing. Now you know that your current amp will suffice for rehearsals. This will allow you time to figure out what direction to go in with regards to upgrading your amplifier. Playing a gig will likely require that.

With regard to your bass, there have been many, many advances in manufacture that even a cheap entry level bass can play and sound good.

Good luck with your new project.
 
#7
Happy to see that you don't have to make such a rapid decision about a new rig. Off the top of my head I would about 500 watts and a couple of 2x10's or 2x12's. But when you have the time, check out what others are using to play the type of music and venues that you may play. Also go to music stores and try different combinations of bass and amp/cabs. Lastly, when it comes to a bass, an inexpensive bass can sound pretty good if it is set up properly. Keep rockin.
 
#8
You should also clarify if we're dealing with Tube or SS Marshall amps. Massive difference.

I always recommend shooting the moon when it comes to being in a metal band. I've lost a lot of money on amps and cabs because it took me 3 separate rigs to get close to where I needed to be in volume and headroom. These days I always say that metal bassists really need a minimum of 500 watts of head and a minimum of 4 10" speakers.

While this is a good starting point for a working metal musician I'm still the quietest guy in the room with my 700 watts and single 410. Speaker area is king.
 
#9
Congrats. As for the sound, I think you might be comparing apples to antelopes.And your experience will be a little different with a full band when you are fighting a drummer, vocals, guitars turned up louder as a result of drums and vocals, etc. But definitely ride the rumble until you actually need something more.
 
#10
Reading all your comments has put a huge smile on my face :D <- almost like that

christw said:
Probably a number of factors. Reasonable volume, scooped guitars letting your midrange cut through, that sort of thing. Still, excellent news that you got by. I wish I could pull that off.
Click to expand...

I thought of that...about half way through them showing one of their song and playing along I glanced at their amps.
The lead had all freqs boosted and mainly mids, and the rhythm guitar cut bass and boosted the rest mainly treb.....

And as far as having "smart guitarist"--I agree, they seem like they want everybody to be represented in the band's sound.
But despite that, I would have thought physics would have made their amp louder than is was, and thought I would of had to turn up. Simply boggled my mind...
 

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