Live sound help and opinions

[Joseph.Magnum]

Hi guys!
I play club gigs, and go directly to PA (no amp).
This is the setup:
Peavey Millenium BXP 5 -> Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro (rack) -> PA

I tried everything...
Bass directly into the PA. That's a no-no. Bassy sound, no treble.
Bass into a DI. A bit better than the previous one, but still doesent fit my needs.
Bass into a Behringer V-Amp Pro, thru DIout into a PA. This is the current setup, it gives good sound, but i still miss some freq. I think it's the guitar, because Vamp sounded great with some other basses. So I considered replacing the bass, but it sounds SO great on the amp i have at the rehersal studio (Carvin). I thounght to put active PUps on my bass.

Any opinions? Thnx!

 

[Johnny Crab]

We usually run BOSE PAS but when we do have FOH/PA and go "old school", my setup is(substitute your Behringer for my Line 6...I have the Behringer POD at home & love it):

Line 6 Bass PODXT Live-> SansAmp RBI-> dbx 166(comp/limit/noise gate)

Most sound guys pull the XLR from the SansAmp and my bass sounds like it does on stage via the PA.
I use the SansAmp to "match" my Line 6 BOSE "sounds" to a SWR Henry 8x8 or to ACME B2's...as the BOSE is not flat response.

In your case, get a SansAmp RBI and put it in the rack with the V-Amp Pro. Run line level into the SansAmp and use it's VERY ACTIVE tone controls to "fix" your sound taking the XLR out to the PA. If it still sounds too bassy or not like you sound on stage, the soundguy may be the problem(i.e. making you sound like he normally hears bass players sound...NOT like you want to sound).

The RBI/SansAmp stuff is also GREAT in the studio and most all studios will use one to get your DI into their system. Geddy Lee didn't endorse them just to get free stuff.

As a 2nd idea:
Does your CARVIN have an XLR output?
Can you try it before a gig as a test?

 

[Joseph.Magnum]

There is just one problem - I can't find SansAmp anywhere in Serbia! No one is distributing!

I found some similar stuff from MXR, the bass DI+ or what's it's name, heard that there's one store that has MXR equipment. I phoned them:
- Hi, do you have MXR pedals?
- Well, some.
- Do you have Bass DI+?
- No, never had them.
- It says on your website that you have them!
- Don't know...



Anyways, what do you think about puting active EMG into my bass? Should that do the trick?


EDIT: Carvin has a XLR output, I even tried friends Eden Traveler head for a gig, now that's a SOUND.

 

[baba]

If you can't get a good bass sound using a DI, and it happens on all PAs you've tried, you need to spend more time EQing your rig in a band situation or just a new bass. There are only so many elements we're dealing with here, don't over think it.

One more very important point - what you hear on stage is not what people hear out front. Perhaps it sounds great out front..?

 

[Joseph.Magnum]

If you can't get a good bass sound using a DI, and it happens on all PAs you've tried, you need to spend more time EQing your rig in a band situation or just a new bass. There are only so many elements we're dealing with here, don't over think it.

One more very important point - what you hear on stage is not what people hear out front. Perhaps it sounds great out front..?

Sometimes, sometimes not. When we play in the open space, sounds great. If we play in closed area, and if club is having a lot of wooden ornaments on the wall, it all sounds boomy and warm. If we play in the club that's built from artificial and non-natural elements, such as concrete, metal etc. it sounds very raw. I get the same sound that people are getting - in front of me is monitor that's actually part of the PA, with same EQ and stuff, and at one point, one of my friends played 1 song with the band as I wandered around and checked the sound.