Nope, but I've mic'ed enough cabs through the years to know that it always sounds darn good unless the sound tech sucks!
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My rented backline adventures
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
these days, I always bring a VT Deluxe on any date with provided backline. I have used it plugged into the provided amps/cabs with its DI out to the FOH, I have used it direct only, when the backline s**ked but the monitors were decent - bypassing the house amp/cab all together, I have used it as you mentioned, as basically a preamp into the return of the provided stage rig. Not a preamp per se, but it has worked just fine for me in all these situations.
I have an SVT-5 Pro that sounds pretty amazing with a SVP-Pro preamp plugged into the effects loop.
Haven't posted much in this thread for a while because I think it got a little boring now that I end up getting an SVT-CL and 810e on most of my backlined gigs, but I got a good one on Friday in Panama City Beach. We played a big car show with Bowzer, Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon and Peggy March, and at first I got an SVT-CL and 810e from 2005, but halfway through Freddy's first song, it crapped out. Just quit working and wouldn't come back on. Next thing I know, the backline guy and the stage manager bring this out for me:
Whoa! Haven't played one of these in probably 15 years! Had to snap a picture of it after the show. While I can't say that I thought it sounded better than the CL, it darn sure sounded great. After the show, the stage manager said that it belongs to the bassist in his band and he wants to sell it, and asked me what they go for. I told him between $800 and $1000 usually. He said the guy offered to sell it to him for $450 or $500, and I told him, "If you don't want to buy it, tell him I'll give him $525." He said, "Nope, I think I'm going to buy it." Oh well...
Same exact thing happened to me in Florida back in September at 80's in the park (Melbourne, FL) with the same results also.
Stage guys swapped out the SVT CL for the SVT II Pro, into 2 8x10 cabs, and it was AWESOME!!
Unreal backline from mastermind (Home - brought in to Ohm nightclub in hollywood) last night. My sadowsky sounded just as good through a countryman and IEMs as it did through the monster stage amp.
My first IEM gig, sounded great!
My first IEM gig, sounded great!
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As long as the subs give the stage a little shake, IEMs are definitely my go-to. I have some Shure 535s heading my way as an upgrade from my 215s. Can't wait!
Church contemporary worship rehearsal was interesting, as an aside.
I took my IEMs out as I couldn't feel the bass through the floor (usually you can), and the low-end sounded very thin in my ears. Yep, same through the mains, so it wasn't my IEM return. Asked the MD to check the EQ on my channel (sound guy was not at the rehearsal). Sure enough, there was a low cut at 300hz, a notch at 2k (where my highest brightness sits, and also, for some unknown reason, there was a wide Q 4db boost at 8k and 16k 8db boosted high shelf. I've run my bass through a spectrum analyzer and there's really no musical information at 8K, much less at 16k coming from my bass or rig. Only thing we could figure is someone was EQing for one of the guitars on my bass channel. We flattened the EQ and everything was much better.
Moral of the story is, it pays to listen with your ears, and your feet.
Church contemporary worship rehearsal was interesting, as an aside.
I took my IEMs out as I couldn't feel the bass through the floor (usually you can), and the low-end sounded very thin in my ears. Yep, same through the mains, so it wasn't my IEM return. Asked the MD to check the EQ on my channel (sound guy was not at the rehearsal). Sure enough, there was a low cut at 300hz, a notch at 2k (where my highest brightness sits, and also, for some unknown reason, there was a wide Q 4db boost at 8k and 16k 8db boosted high shelf. I've run my bass through a spectrum analyzer and there's really no musical information at 8K, much less at 16k coming from my bass or rig. Only thing we could figure is someone was EQing for one of the guitars on my bass channel. We flattened the EQ and everything was much better.
Moral of the story is, it pays to listen with your ears, and your feet.
Backline from last weekend: mini cab for bass - no p.a support - two huge guitar rigs (the other 100 watt 412 on is not shown in the photo). Makes sense to someone - I guess. Fortunately the guitar player grabbed his 35 watt Fender amp out of his truck. That little GK cab held up fairly well (PF-500 head) - but two would've been sweet.
Backline is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
Sounds like I'm getting an actual SVT backline this weekend, and I haven't used an SVT in sooooo long.
Anybody have any suggestions on getting a nice fat-but-clear, somewhat aggressive, rockin' modern country tone? I never know where to set the mids on an SVT head.
I'll be using my Lakland 55-02 for this gig, which I find pretty fat / borderline muddy to begin with.
@JimmyM , I'm lookin at you.
Anybody have any suggestions on getting a nice fat-but-clear, somewhat aggressive, rockin' modern country tone? I never know where to set the mids on an SVT head.
I'll be using my Lakland 55-02 for this gig, which I find pretty fat / borderline muddy to begin with.
@JimmyM , I'm lookin at you.
I figured as muchSounds like I'm getting an actual SVT backline this weekend, and I haven't used an SVT in sooooo long.
Anybody have any suggestions on getting a nice fat-but-clear, somewhat aggressive, rockin' modern country tone? I never know where to set the mids on an SVT head.
I'll be using my Lakland 55-02 for this gig, which I find pretty fat / borderline muddy to begin with.
@JimmyM , I'm lookin at you.
Here's what I arrived at for a near-flat setting using my ears and comparing my SVT to my V4B, which is dead flat with knobs at noon and ultra-switches off:
Bass 11:00
Treble 2:00
Mids 3:00 @ 800 hz
Ultra switches off
I don't think it's perfectly flat, but it's pretty darn close, the closest I ever got. That said, I hardly ever run them like that. I almost always have the bass at 12:00 or more, and I back off the mids slightly. YMMV depending on your bass and tastes.
I figured as much
Here's what I arrived at for a near-flat setting using my ears and comparing my SVT to my V4B, which is dead flat with knobs at noon and ultra-switches off:
Bass 11:00
Treble 2:00
Mids 3:00 @ 800 hz
Ultra switches off
I don't think it's perfectly flat, but it's pretty darn close, the closest I ever got. That said, I hardly ever run them like that. I almost always have the bass at 12:00 or more, and I back off the mids slightly. YMMV depending on your bass and tastes.
Thanks Jimmy! I'll start with that and tweak from there, depending on what we get for sound check. I usually lean towards "fatter" over "flatter", so the bass may come up a bit.
It's a small town festival with presumably fairly quick changeovers between bands. Since I know I'm getting a decent head and we're only playing one set I don't think I'll be bringing my pedal board or anything that needs extra setup or tear-down time. As usual I'll probably throw my Aguilar TH500 in the car... just in case.
I use one of those for a practice amp. Mine is one the older ones with a 10"Decided to start taking pics of the rented amps I get supplied on fly gigs as an ongoing thread, and we're starting with a real doozy! Today I'm at Queens College in Queens, NY playing a show with Bowzer. This is the amp they supplied:
Now look, I like Hartke amps and Larry is an awesome friend, but even though I'll be the last person to call myself a bigshot, at least make it a 3500 and a 410!
Does it have crackly knobs like that one did?
This kind of poopie is why I've set up my pedalboard in such a way as to deliver a nice solid tone into the effects return of any amp.
No, my knobs are pretty quiet. It has been pretty well cared for.Does it have crackly knobs like that one did?
Sounds like I'm getting an actual SVT backline this weekend, and I haven't used an SVT in sooooo long.
Anybody have any suggestions on getting a nice fat-but-clear, somewhat aggressive, rockin' modern country tone? I never know where to set the mids on an SVT head.
I'll be using my Lakland 55-02 for this gig, which I find pretty fat / borderline muddy to begin with.
@JimmyM , I'm lookin at you.
If you boost bass to 3 o clock and hit the bright switch on a db751, that sounds close to the SVT with everything flat. But then there is the sealed cab ...
I'm doing a fair gig in a couple of weeks and the guy organizing it said they're providing a Fender 2x10 combo. 
I'm thinking it has to be either an old or new version of the Rumble series. Those are rated at 350W, right? We have FOH support but I'm obviously concerned about stage volume and competing with drums, keys, guitar and sax. I'm planning to use my T21 Bass Fly Rig to go direct and through the effects return (if the amp has one) so I can dial in my tone.
I'm thinking it has to be either an old or new version of the Rumble series. Those are rated at 350W, right? We have FOH support but I'm obviously concerned about stage volume and competing with drums, keys, guitar and sax. I'm planning to use my T21 Bass Fly Rig to go direct and through the effects return (if the amp has one) so I can dial in my tone.
