• 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.

Pa guy insists on putting me into pa

#26
Here's my reasoning. He is busy playing, singing, mixing vocals and his own tones. His own pa is a basic two speaker system with one used as a monitor. I spent $800 on a speaker that weighs 29lbs and reproduces bass frequencies better than a pa speaker. I am also adjusting my own tone constantly with pedals to match with the acoustic tone of the drummer. Also, when using two bass speakers, you can hear phasing between the two signals, often reducing the low end of the sound. I understand that a crossover can help this, but if the sound man is in the band, how can he be aware if this is properly functioning?

It would be one thing if we were in a large arena with poor sound, we were using a better PA and i were using a bad or heavy amp, or we had a dedicated sound man. I just think a PA should be primarily be used as a vocal amplifier until there are other problems to solve.
 
#33
bass_lord_mutha said:
I would. If a speaker can't handle my bass fortitude and blows up, it didn't deserve to live in the first place :-P Mwahahahahahahha!!!!!!
Click to expand...


I'm sure you're joking, but I feel like I have to point out the fact that most people wouldn't want to sound like dog **** in front of people. Though I find it hard to believe that a guitar player mixing from the stage with that system isn't seriously screwing the whole band, nevertheless, MY tone would not be left in his hands.
 
#35
Floyd Eye said:
I'm sure you're joking, but I feel like I have to point out the fact that most people wouldn't want to sound like dog **** in front of people. Though I find it hard to believe that a guitar player mixing from the stage with that system isn't seriously screwing the whole band, nevertheless, MY tone would not be left in his hands.
Click to expand...

Yes of course I jest, I agree that this isn't an ideal setup for running a bass signal FOH at all.
 
#36
Chaddycakes said:
Here's my reasoning. He is busy playing, singing, mixing vocals and his own tones. His own pa is a basic two speaker system with one used as a monitor. I spent $800 on a speaker that weighs 29lbs and reproduces bass frequencies better than a pa speaker. I am also adjusting my own tone constantly with pedals to match with the acoustic tone of the drummer. Also, when using two bass speakers, you can hear phasing between the two signals, often reducing the low end of the sound. I understand that a crossover can help this, but if the sound man is in the band, how can he be aware if this is properly functioning?

It would be one thing if we were in a large arena with poor sound, we were using a better PA and i were using a bad or heavy amp, or we had a dedicated sound man. I just think a PA should be primarily be used as a vocal amplifier until there are other problems to solve.
Click to expand...

If your guitarist/leader/de-facto-sound-man doesn't know what he's doing, you have my sympathies.

My personal preference is for the audience to hear my bass primarily through FOH, and those of us on stage to hear my bass primarily through my on-stage rig. Adjusting the sound of my on-stage rig so it sounds best out in the audience usually gives me a sound on stage that I don't like very much. With bass through the PA, I can adjust my on-stage sound to suit my preferences, and let the sound person make it sound good for the audience.

On professional stages, monitors are usually high-passed at about 100 Hz, to make it easier for vocalists to hear themselves clearly, to keep on-stage volume from bleeding into FOH, and to keep the stage free of reverberant aural mud. Bleed from FOH subs, and the drummer's monitor-sub, usually provides an undercurrent of deep bass on stage without becoming too intrusive.

I usually use two small bass cabs, stacked vertically, on stage. I aim the top cab at myself so I can hear myself clearly, and aim the bottom cab across the stage for the benefit of my band mates. If I'd learned to do this back in the bad old days, it's doubtful that my hearing loss would be as bad as it is today, and my bass would have sounded much better out in the audience.
 
#37
Chaddycakes said:
Here's my reasoning. He is busy playing, singing, mixing vocals and his own tones. His own pa is a basic two speaker system with one used as a monitor.
Click to expand...
so there really is just one speaker out front for the audience? then yeah, you might have a point here, there shouldn't be anything but vocals in it, and everybody needs to keep the stage volume under control so as not to drown them out.

is the "monitor" speaker at least a separate channel from the "main" speaker? if not, all the more reason to keep everything but vocals out of them.

if you mean "2 speakers out front, with another one for monitor on a separate mix" then there might be room for a little bass and a little kick drum in there, if everybody's levels are low.
 
#38
Chaddycakes said:
We played an open air arena with a lot of wind today without me in the PA, and I got a lot of compliments from my tone.
Click to expand...

This is just so wrong.:confused: Your playing outside with a 12inch combo with no PA support. Hopefully there were only 10 people in attendance. If your guitar player doesn't have enough sense to bring a PA big enough for the job or hire out sound I would look for another band.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back