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The Pros seem to favor mixed cabs

#61
jeff7bass said:
If you're talking about big concert performers, they mix cabs all the time but avoid the pratfalls by using multiple power amps to drive them as well as all sorts of electronics that most will never need.
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the real point is that often in these big concerts, whether the bass cabs are mixed or not, neither the audience nor the player even hears them!

they end up affecting the bass tone people hear about as much as geddy's washing machines.
 
#66
Feelindingwall5 said:
If you want to check out the peak of bass amplification.... I mean some of the newest highest tech on it check out this YouTube video of Mike Gordon. He explains the problem with his old 4x18 n some 15s n some 4x10s, and what he has moved to and why. Omits really cool.

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Check it out.

Rob
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Damn! That rig puts to shame many PA systems in terms of attention to construction. But man, does it ever sound good.
 
#67
sure, except for right at the end there where mike says it makes him feel like a "fish out of water" and he's "hoping to grow into it"; to me that means he doesn't even like the way it sounds!
 
#68
KJung said:
One should also remember that many top notch 'famous' bassists are totally, utterly clueless about gear. They either don't care, or just haven't focused on it. Nothing wrong with that!

Zero correlation among 'skill on the instrument', 'popularity/success of the player (in general)' and 'knowledge about the technical issues involving sound reinforcement' IMO and many years of IME.

Also, as posted above, the larger/higher end the venue, the less important backline becomes. Most are going direct into front of house, and have massive, high quality monitor support with their own mix (or in ears).
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I was going to say that.
 
#69
If that's what you want to do I'd suggest getting separate heads to push the 10s and 15s. That's what most of the pros do. When you run a 410 and a 15 off the same amp ussually the situation Ive found is the 15 is being pushed hard while the 410 is still wanting more power to reach optimal sound.

Plus a lot of bass players that do solo wok and a on the pro level have more complicated biamp/stereo rigs. Unfortunately at the local level you'll rarely work with a soundguy that'll let you run a rig like that live.
 
#72
Nephilymbass said:
Plus a lot of bass players that do solo wok and a on the pro level have more complicated biamp/stereo rigs. Unfortunately at the local level you'll rarely work with a soundguy that'll let you run a rig like that live.
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You can run any rig you want, but you just will want to be prepared to be DI'd.


I truly had a simple setup. And there is a huge advantage to that if you want to be a pro. If you show up and can play through anything, you will be respected. "He can get his tone through anything" is what you hear about great players on the road.

Techs will love you because they will be able to set your rig up in 2 seconds.

Also you will have fly dates where you can not use your rig. So you need to be able to play through anything anyway.

You wont see too many guys with complex rigs on tour unless they are either gear nerds who do the work themselves, solo players who have a crew or a successful bands with a good crew.

With the advent of in ear monitors becoming more and more utilized, a speaker cab on tour is simply an Ad for the amp company.
 
#73
AngelCrusher said:
With the advent of in ear monitors becoming more and more utilized, a speaker cab on tour is simply an Ad for the amp company.
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I dont know about that...

IMHO IEM can work for some, but they do not work for me at all. You can play with them in, but you will never rock with them. For me you have taken some of the feeling out of the preformance and that reduces my experiance and is un-acceptable.

YMMV
 
#74
CL400Peavey said:
I dont know about that...

IMHO IEM can work for some, but they do not work for me at all. You can play with them in, but you will never rock with them. For me you have taken some of the feeling out of the preformance and that reduces my experiance and is un-acceptable.

YMMV
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I rocked just fine in them. There is no feeling lost or anything else. It is just something that is new that you have to get used to. Once you get used to that sound, it is better than getting your ears blown out by cabs.

I have no ringing in my ears, and can hear my bass incredibly clear anywhere I am on stage.

Of course, it is my job to show up and play and not be a gear snob. This is why most guys on the road are not snobs like I said in my prior post. If a manager calls and offers me a gig in Germany for 2 months that pays 4-5k a month plus per diem, I am there..probably using in ears since I can't bring my own rig, and ill probably rock that show harder than any guy worrying about what speakers he needs for the "experience".
 
#75
AngelCrusher said:
I rocked just fine in them. There is no feeling lost or anything else. It is just something that is new that you have to get used to. Once you get used to that sound, it is better than getting your ears blown out by cabs.
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This is subjective, they may work for you, they dont for me. Thats ok. With that said I never get my ears blown out by cabs.

AngelCrusher said:
I have no ringing in my ears, and can hear my bass incredibly clear anywhere I am on stage.
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I dont suffer from either of these problems either.

AngelCrusher said:
Of course, it is my job to show up and play and not be a gear snob. This is why most guys on the road are not snobs like I said in my prior post. If a manager calls and offers me a gig in Germany for 2 months that pays 4-5k a month plus per diem, I am there..probably using in ears since I can't bring my own rig, and ill probably rock that show harder than any guy worrying about what speakers he needs for the "experience".
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You are splitting the line between the average player/weekend giger and someone who has the oppertunity to be flown internationally to play gigs. If I was facing such a gig, I would use what was provided. But if I had a similar gig that was close enough to me that I could bring/use my own rig I would do so with out hesitation.

That would be my preference, if its not yours, thats ok. They make different color t shirts for a reason.
 
#77
What combination you use does make a huge difference I think. With ampeg classic cabs (which is what I use now) I like the tens pushed hard which brings out the mids so the cab doesn't sound so scooped. With most brands a 410 actually sounds deeper and people like 15s specifically for that mid range 15s have. Other brands its not such a big deal. If I went back to swr cabs Id probably get an 8x8 and an 18 so I'm not totally against it.

I really do think people often see a bass Player play. They like the tone so they buy the amp they see not knowing the FOH sound is something else. A lot of the bigger signed nationals Ive got to open for example had heads and cabs but the FOH sound was actually a Rackmount sans amp or Demeter pre or something not the svt rig or whatever you see from the audience. I've even seen marcus miller admit in a video on YouTube that his FOH sound is a DI before his swr rig. Some people actually just use a 15 to elevate a 410 also.
 
#78
"You can play with them in, but you will never rock with them."

That was my main disagreement. It is not true in any way in my experience.


Especially since I have buddies who are rather succesful right now going overseas about to play with no cabs through fractals. They put on a hell of a live show that I doubt many local players with boutique gear would touch.

I agree with everything else you are saying.
 

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