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What do bass players need live??

#3
JoshSmith said:
I have a huge question. So me and my band are starting to play bigger venues. When i play live will the venue mic my cab or use a direct box? Will they provide the direct box or mic?
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I haven't played many big big, but in my experience any gig with a sound guy meant they have their own DI.
They may mic you too, in my experience this hasn't happened - I use a grand total of 0 pedals though.

FWIW these days I play a head with a builtin DI just in case.
 
#5
I bring a bass and my case, that's it. However I only go to jams. If I was doing a complete show I would be more anal. Jazz bass plus either my P bass 5 string jazz or stingray. My 200 watt GK to DI or mike and my Zoom B3 and bass driver. If I was going to do a big outdoor gig, I think I would rent a Ampeg fridge, and earplugs :)
 
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#6
cleary said:
I haven't played many big big, but in my experience any gig with a sound guy meant they have their own DI.
They may mic you too, in my experience this hasn't happened - I use a grand total of 0 pedals though.

FWIW these days I play a head with a builtin DI just in case.
Click to expand...
I have a Peavey Tour 700 head and it has a Direct Interface plug in on the back of the head. Does that take place of a DI box?
 
#8
I would invest in a radial jdi or the like if you don't have a di on your amp. Depending on the venue, a lot of times they have a $20 junker that they want to plug you into. I'm a bit picky about my sound so it's worth it to me to know if I blow it playing wise, at least the tone was good!!!!
 
#10
IME, bring whatever you need, don't count on sound folks to have it for you. Most will want to DI your bass so they can EQ at the desk, but will only have the bare minimum of acceptable gear to accomplish this. I have been fortunate the last couple years in that I breing my own mic and have not run into any trouble, but I also play a some what unusual tube amp, so most of the sound guys I have dealt with have been very interested in hearing it mic'd.
 
#14
The good ones will ask you what you want to use and if you have a DI out on your amp as they head over with a DI of their own. Otherwise it's a crapshoot. I usually DI or use the DI out of my amp (depending on what amp I bring). I normally bring my own mics, cords and DI because I never know what Im facing.
 
#15
Most of the venues my band plays are large and have their own sound person with plenty of D.I.s and mics. I prefer that they run direct off the back of my amp post EQ but I always bring a D.I. just in case its needed. It's always a good idea to bring one because there are a lot of small and mid sized venues that will not provide one. The majority of the sound engineers prefer to run a D.I. on bass and keys and mic the guitar amps.
 
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#17
Once my old band started doing larger club gigs (venues with a built-in PA) I brought my rig that had built-in DI out, and my MXR M-80 DI box just in case. Never had an issue. What I'm ALWAYS glad I brought to gigs was a backup bass, strings, and a flashlight.
 
#19
Everyone here is right. Most big gigs that have a professional sound team will have DI's & Mic's for your sound. But as you get slightly less professional/big, it will be a gamble.
What you could do is get something like an effects pedal(sansamp)/unit(GT-10B) that have built in DI's.
That way, you can use them to either give you effects or just extra EQ, and you have a DI if needed.

Nothing worse than showing up for a gig, know all the songs, ready to rock and you are short of something, DI, Mic, Power etc. I always take extra, just in case, my own extension cord, multi power box, DI, etc.......
Good on you for getting bigger gigs!!!!
 
#20
My experience : 85% of the time it's D.I. (plus "please turn down your stage volume")
5% of the time the sound guy has a mic
0% (smaller gigs) no FOH support whatsoever, just vocals are miked.

I have a head with a DI (do they even make heads without any more?) as well as a Sans Amp VT deluxe.
I prefer the amp DI over anything else because why else did I buy the amp if not for the tone? Most sound guys are fine with the head's DI. Rarely I've had one insist on his own DI box , in those cases I choose not to be a prima donna and just let em do their job.

Not yet mentioned: something to get your cab off the floor and nearer you ears, even if it's just a chair.
this is the best cure for "please turn down your stage volume"
 
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