Rig-less bar band players?

[kanonfodr]

I'm a big fan of keeping my gear small, light, and easy to set up. In Cassandra Syndrome we find ourselves running through the FOH, and a few times I've gotten more of me in the monitor mix than what I get out of my cabinet .

BTW, my current rig fits into a large pedal board, bass case, and then I have my cabinet - a Kustom 15 with a Neo speaker (about 40 lbs, maybe). Amp head (GK MB200), wireless, cables, and my pedals are all in the board case; got a fold-up stand, the bass, and some other save a gig items in my bass case. Easy money

Peace,
Greg

 

[jaywa]

Easy money

There you have it. My band came to the realization we were probably about at the top of what our market would bear in terms of what we could charge. So once you're topped out on income, the only way to improve on that is to make that amount of money with less work. Taking two guitar rigs, a bass stack and several wedge monitors out of the equation has improved our pay-to-labor ratio considerably... and allowed us to downsize our trailer which means more of the gig money going into our pockets and less into the gas tank.

 

[klokker]

I wouldn't play without my amp. In the places we play the house PA is too unreliable, when its working well I want to hear my amp anyway.

I just never know what the heck will happen in terms of house PA on the night of the show. I usually end up going DI anyway, but I need my amp and cab.

 

[rimbaud]

My bass, my preamp, a DI... what else ! even on big venues :
- one car less = one gas bill less to pay (in Europe, it's a problem...)
- one stack less = backs preserved + time gain
- one stack less = no more sound check problems on stage (turn off your cabs !! don't you have a high pass filter ?? ... and many others like those you probably heard once in your life)

And money, yes... off course !

 

[Mr. Sound]

I'm sorry I am still trying to come to terms with a guitarist who ..... plays really quiet.....
Get DNA samples so you can clone him immediately!!

 

[Stev187]

I'm sorry I am still trying to come to terms with a guitarist who ..... plays really quiet.....
Get DNA samples so you can clone him immediately!!

LOL. I know! This is not what I expected when I started playing out again. I literally laughed when I asked him to turn up the first time!!!! Since I got drafted to run sound I turn him up myself.

This thead has been helpful to me. Tell me more about the IEM solution. Can you do this without doing the whole band monitors with IEMs? The other guys don't want to do this, but could I do it for my signal alone? Maybe my bass signal in one ear? How do you guys do it?

--Steve

 

[kellyrojo]

LOL. I know! This is not what I expected when I started playing out again. I literally laughed when I asked him to turn up the first time!!!! Since I got drafted to run sound I turn him up myself.

This thead has been helpful to me. Tell me more about the IEM solution. Can you do this without doing the whole band monitors with IEMs? The other guys don't want to do this, but could I do it for my signal alone? Maybe my bass signal in one ear? How do you guys do it?

--Steve

I want to know more too. . , especially can you have iem s just for bass. How complicated is it?

 

[jaywa]

I wouldn't play without my amp. In the places we play the house PA is too unreliable, when its working well I want to hear my amp anyway.

I just never know what the heck will happen in terms of house PA on the night of the show. I usually end up going DI anyway, but I need my amp and cab.

We use our own P.A. and IEMs on 90+% of our jobs and we have control of everything from the stage, so that's why I'm comfortable going ampless. If it was a house P.A. and sound guy with wedge monitors I'd be there with an amp every time, no question.

 

[jaywa]

This thead has been helpful to me. Tell me more about the IEM solution. Can you do this without doing the whole band monitors with IEMs? The other guys don't want to do this, but could I do it for my signal alone? Maybe my bass signal in one ear? How do you guys do it?

--Steve

It's generally best if the whole band goes on IEMs at once... but I know of many bands that make a "hybrid" solution work for them too.

There are dozens if not hundreds of threads archived on TalkBass relating to IEMs so settle in with a big mug of your favorite beverage and the "Search" feature and you'll probably find everything you want to know.