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Mesa subway without cabinet?

#25
agedhorse said:
Since I have no idea what area you are in, no I don't know this.

I know that there are some players who always use an amp, there are some players that sometimes use an amp, and there are some players that rarely or never use an amp. Since the OP is starting playing out, I don't see how he (or any of us) could determine if he will, will not, or even sometimes needs an amp.

I haven't been in an area where MOST players don't use an amp, and when I retired from (touring) live audio about 7-8 years ago, I found that about 95% of the acts that came through our venues were still using amps. My friends that are still doing this say this has only changed a little bit... maybe 90% now.
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Agreed. I 've been playing "Live" for over 45 Years and I would say a bit more than 90% up here in the province of Ontario, Canada still use amps and cabs.
 
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#26
InkCow said:
You would seriously struggle to find a venue to play where I live if you were completely ampless, outside of the places that have a backline. I don't actually know any bands here that use iems, at least not when they play locally.
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I will add that I wouldn't be surprised if the church scene here was mostly ampless/IEMs, there's a lot more money in those operations than the bar/club/brewpub scene.

eta: also a very different set of expectations regarding volume.
 
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#28
Super Bass said:
Well I guess I am wrong, everyone still uses amps/cabs!
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Man, you are struggling with comprehension here... while sarcastically disrespecting those who have a different experience than you do.

Review what we have all been saying rather than going off all snarky. I have condensed it for you:
There are some players who always use an amp, there are some players that sometimes use an amp, and there are some players that rarely or never use an amp.
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#31
Nebadon2000 said:
In my area Hamton Roads and NE North Carolina (OBX) using word 'Most' would be do use Amps for Clubs/Bars: so depends where he lives and Band he is playing with Andy also know this already hence his post🙂
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i'm in that same area and yeah, most of us do use amps even with in-ears (that's what i do)
 
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#33
Super Bass said:
Well I guess most people still use amps and cabs on talkbass but not just about everywhere else I go....
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Lots of amps in use. It's a big, big, big, big world. Don't let it wreck yer day.....🤨

I am 99% IEMs and don't need an amp, but the country music artist writing my check prefers that I have an amp onstage. And it's a nice check.

And my amp is a Mesa Subway rig.....
 
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#35
I haven't played my amps live for a long time be it bass or guitar, but I always have my own monitor usually a QSC K12 for stage volume. I have also played with IEM's. That being said have a gig where we are going all amped out and I am excited. First cab I have brought in quite a while!!
 
#36
Geri O said:
...but the country music artist writing my check prefers that I have an amp onstage.
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Just curious, were your cabs connected and being used or disconnected and just for show?

I ask, 'cause I was in a similar (but non-IEM) situation with the leader's desire to have cabs onstage. First gig I did with the band at that time (pre-Covid), I brought and connected head and cabs. FOH and stage monitoring was excellent, my cabs didn't really add anything onstage. Next gig, I left the cabs in the car, just used the head (D800+). Again, a fine gig and my cabs weren't needed.

But the bandleader wanted the cabs onstage, said he could tell the difference. So, third gig at the location, I stacked two 1X12's vertically, set the head on top, and never connected the cabs. He didn't know but was happy anyway LOL.

Kind of a "Producer Switch" dynamic LOL. I think we did two more gigs at that venue before Covid forced us to break.
 
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#40
fig said:
I left the cabs in the car, just used the head (D800+). Again, a fine gig and my cabs weren't needed.

But the bandleader wanted the cabs onstage, said he could tell the difference. So, third gig at the location, I stacked two 1X12's vertically, set the head on top, and never connected the cabs. He didn't know but was happy anyway LOL.
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so dumb

yes there is an argument for actual amps when you have actual drums on stage in smaller rooms where the crowd is close enough to hear stage volume, they avoid getting that weird empty sound of drums and nothing else up there

otherwise (and i've said this many times now) ain't nobody in the audience cares what your amps look like! what you look like sure, your instrument and how you dress and present yourself, but the amps? to the audience that's all "sound equipment", as far as they know that's where the setbreak DJ music is coming from
 
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