SIZE!!!! Does it matter?

[attackbass]

This is mainly aimed at guys in rock or metal bands i guess.. but do you feel like you need that big stack behind you when your playing live-- either a 8x10 or a 4x10 and 1x15 stack?

It's a weird thing but when i play for a solo artist where i only need one cab i find it odd.. almost slightly uncomfortable knowing i dont have that big bad rock stack behind me!

I hearda a demo of a bergantino 6x10 i loved the sound of but im jsut worried i'd miss the height that m used to for onstage sound.

 

[anderbass]

I'm 6'-6" tall and have absolutely no trouble hearing my Berg NV610.
At least with my amps, my Berg somehow radiates its sound in nearly every direction. I can always hear myself perfectly over loud densely-distorted guitars whether I'm standing anywhere out in front of it or even the other side of the stage. (without playing to loudly) I've owned quite a few nice cabs but have honestly never experienced anything that worked like this before. The NV610 is definitely a big-rig caliber cab. When my bands playing a lower volume-level gig and everyone's using smaller low profile amps, I just flop it over on its side and call it my mini rig.

 

[remigioremigio]

i think that this is an issue you can´t solve. it is between your ears.
i think a lot of soundmen don´t like you.

 

[Rob Mancini]

Yeah, soundmen don't like you, pal!



Anywho, if I were playing metal, I would want a big cab behind me. But a 610 is considered big in most circles.

 

[3toes]

Do I NEED my 410+115? Probably not. But my band and the crowd sure appreciate it

It's an ego thing man, just like muscle cars. Do you NEED a 454ci engine? Do you NEED ear-splitting chrome exhaust?

 

[Fretlessboy]

I really don't know... but I have yet to hear an acceptable definition of "over kill"

 

[Jack]

The less stuff I have to carry the better.

Also, if there is bass in the FOH mix, the less I interfere with that the better.

 

[Lon86]

I either use a 1x18 with a 4x10, or a custom Big Bertha 2x15 at shows.

The 18-4x10 booms more, but the Bertha growls and is plenty loud.

 

[Williamsburgjim]

..in a word, yes. I would think the rule of thumb is the bigger the venue; the bigger the rig. Even for Country!!!!

Jimbob

 

[notenslaved]

The less stuff I have to carry the better.

Also, if there is bass in the FOH mix, the less I interfere with that the better.

+1

The dives we play, setup time is often a factor so the quicker I can get my rig set up and playing the more time we have to play. Since the bass often goes into a DI, the crowd hears bass through the PA and my rig is just there for my personal enjoyment. I gave up on lugging that extra cab for no reason a couple years ago.

It's nice to be able to travel light with 1 cab, 1 rack, 1-2 basses and a bag of cords/strings/tools/etc.

 

[Ric5]

Do like Geddy does and get some big appliances or food dispencing machines to put behind you ...

 

[SteveC]

The crowd almost always hears me through FOH. Lower stage volume = better FOH mix. I now carry an 18 lb. combo. I've yet to need more for stage monitoring or for small stand alone gigs.

 

[3toes]

On Mike Gordon's "Rising Low" documentary, Bootsy mentions what he runs through and it's insane... something like 4x18s, 6x15s, 6x10s, and 8x8s.

Ok apparently from an interview w/ GC he mentions he uses two 4x18 cabinets, and four 8x10 cabinets.

 

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Do like Geddy does and get some big appliances or food dispencing machines to put behind you ...

Geddy's live tone is garbage. Maybe if he had an amp onstage it wouldn't be.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

i think it depends on how big the venue is
if its completely big then i would go small because you should have in ears and in that instance less stage volume is better.

Most of the time for the average venues i say go bigger and let the pa reinforce the sound. I think there are two schools of thought for sound men. One is that they need to be in control of everything and require low stage volume to do so. and the other, which i subscribe to, is to have the pa only reinforce the sound as needed. If you bring a big bass rig it might not need much from the house. too many sound guys make things sound the way they think it should and not how the band thinks it should.


and a much simpler way to say it is. if you cant turn your monster rig up loud what is the point of having it anyways.

 

[The Golden Boy]

I'm a rock guy.

The guy that's been playing drums with me for the better part of 12 years is a loud drummer. I appreciate that. I don't think I could get by with a 2x10 cab because I do need to hear myself, and playing is for my pleasure too. I like having my old 2 cab setup- but it is overkill, and I'm far too lazy to drag that all out these days- so if I decide on the 4x10 or the Triad, I'll only bring one. I prefer having my 2x15- it's easier for me to load in and out of my car- the only bear is stairs.

 

[pedro]

Funny I'd feel self conscientious in front of a big rig.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I rarely get PA support, so I use four to six tens to fill the house (or yard as the case may be).

 

[sublime0bass]

i run 1400 W into a ampeg 1832 and could go bigger

im spec-ing 20" drivers as we speak

 

[Fretlessboy]

OK, mine is a bit overkill in that picture. For the most part My main daily rig is the Shuttle 6.0 head (600 watts @ 4 ohms ) in to a neoX212 4 ohm. It's relatively small (fits in the trunk of a Mitsubishi Eclipse with the seats up). If I know I need loud I take the GBE1200 and Uber410 which gives me a 1000 watt 410 rig. I never have problems hearing myself. For as many gigs as I can get away with it on I carry a single neoX112 and the 6.0.
I am 46 and size matters, just not in the direction it used to matter.