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What do bass players need live??

#41
lamarjones said:
Honestly, I think we are all saying you should have a DI of some sort.....
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In about 35 years of doing gigs where sound was provided, I can't recall a single gig where the sound company didn't have a DI for bass. But most of the time they're crap, so yeah, carrying your own DI, especially if you don't like plain vanilla SS DI's, is a good idea.
 
#42
JoshSmith said:
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?
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Yes, both of my amps (Mesa/Boogie Bass 400+ for big shows, Gallien-Krueger MB115-II for smaller shows) have DI plugs on the back, and the sound guy just runs those to the board. I've never had a sound guy mic my cab before, and I can't think of any reason you'd ever want to do that with bass in a non-recording setting.
 
#43
I play thru a Genz Benz Streamlier 900 and it has an amazing built in DI. I also carry in my gig bag a SansAmp Paradriver just in case the head craps out for some reason, that way I can put that in the signal chain and run the sound thru the floor monitors or IEM's. Always have a backup.
 
#44
JimmyM said:
In about 35 years of doing gigs where sound was provided, I can't recall a single gig where the sound company didn't have a DI for bass. But most of the time they're crap, so yeah, carrying your own DI, especially if you don't like plain vanilla SS DI's, is a good idea.
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Mine is just part of my head, so never worry about it. but yeah more than half the time they use THAT DI so a head that covers both pretty much provides me with a stress free environment.
 
#45
JimmyM said:
In about 35 years of doing gigs where sound was provided, I can't recall a single gig where the sound company didn't have a DI for bass. But most of the time they're crap, so yeah, carrying your own DI, especially if you don't like plain vanilla SS DI's, is a good idea.
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Happened to me this weekend. Big festival, gig included hotel and transportation, we were told the PA was being handled by a large, well know sound reinforcement company. Get there and there's no soundman, just a 16 channel board for us to run from the stage. Sub-par Samson mics, no DI boxes, monitors were two underpowered wedges and there was no one there to even explain how it was set up. We made the best of it and had a good show, but it was definitely a night where being prepared paid off.
 
#46
Sheesh! This is where our drummer comes in very handy. I've never seen anyone better at advancing gigs with sound/light companies. He sends them a full stage plot and input list with every single thing needed onstage (except guitar stands...for some reason he always forgets them), and he has a whole list of questions he asks, including if they have enough staff to run the stuff. You've really got to contact the companies themselves and ask that kind of stuff of them. Sometimes it happens anyway, but if it does, you'll know that the sound company are liars and can't be trusted.
 
#48
JimmyM said:
Sheesh! This is where our drummer comes in very handy. I've never seen anyone better at advancing gigs with sound/light companies. He sends them a full stage plot and input list with every single thing needed onstage (except guitar stands...for some reason he always forgets them), and he has a whole list of questions he asks, including if they have enough staff to run the stuff. You've really got to contact the companies themselves and ask that kind of stuff of them. Sometimes it happens anyway, but if it does, you'll know that the sound company are liars and can't be trusted.
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I was subbing. My job was to show up, shut up, play the set and smile at the fans.
 
#50
I use my DI out from my amp (all of my heads have DI's);
I try to never use more amp/cab than the venue calls for;
Always bring an extra cord, battery & strings
Try to remember to bring a clean hand-towel (many venues are rather hot) and a bottle of water.
Oh yeah - and a bass. That would be good.
 
#51
I just picked up an Eden wtdi that I'll be using with an ARTtubeMP into my littleMark III... All have DIs I'll send whichever is last to the FOH. Someday I'll be ampless and have a small pedalboard (less effects more EQs and DIs).

What I feel a bass player needs live is everything up to the xlr line going to the board (or two if there's a stereo rig involved). This means either having a DI you like (including from your amp head) and/or a Mic you insist on putting on your cab. If you go the Mic route make sure you figure out your own sweet spot for Mic placement as all cabs and mics are unique.

Addendum::

A solid DI can also save you if an amp goes out.. first hand experience talking. You end up with a floor wedge as your stage volume but it's better than nothing.
 
#53
socialleper said:
My head has a DI out on it, so I'm always covered. Anything larger than a small bar with no real "sound guy" will try to hook you up to the PA, usually through a DI. A lot of the time our rig is a monitor.
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I make a point to give the "soundman" (see bartender) in some of these situations a post EQ signal so I can shape my FOH tone without taking over the board and pissing everyone off.
 
#54
Dogbertday said:
I make a point to give the "soundman" (see bartender) in some of these situations a post EQ signal so I can shape my FOH tone without taking over the board and pissing everyone off.
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On local gigs, my tactic is to show up early and chat with the sound guy. 100% of the time, they have been cool with using my mic.

Last Friday, I played a "fly date" for the first time (total vanity/reunion show) and they took a DI off the back of my LM2 while I used the house cab. Muddy sound on stage, but friends out front said it sounded great.
 
#55
Ender_rpm said:
On local gigs, my tactic is to show up early and chat with the sound guy. 100% of the time, they have been cool with using my mic.

Last Friday, I played a "fly date" for the first time (total vanity/reunion show) and they took a DI off the back of my LM2 while I used the house cab. Muddy sound on stage, but friends out front said it sounded great.
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If I felt like my cab added a lot to my tone I would Mic it too. And I've never heard of a sound man turning down a Mic if the player brings one. They're usually reasonable. My bartender comment was gear more towards the places they buy a PA but don't hire anyone who knows how to mix. It's those cases that I mix my tone from stage. Usually works well as the guitar has a Mic that's usually set flat and the drums MAY be miced in these cases.

Whatever works for the working!
 
#56
Dogbertday said:
I make a point to give the "soundman" (see bartender) in some of these situations a post EQ signal so I can shape my FOH tone without taking over the board and pissing everyone off.
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I gave up trying to talk tone with non-bass players a long time ago. The guy is going to do what he wants to do no matter what I say. He can't make my bass sound like a completely different instrument, make me play the wrong notes, or make me rock out any harder.
Plus 60% of fans at a gig can't tell "good tone" from "bad tone" anyway. They are there for the experience. Recording is a whole different thing.
 
#57
Dogbertday said:
If I felt like my cab added a lot to my tone I would Mic it too. And I've never heard of a sound man turning down a Mic if the player brings one. They're usually reasonable.
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One out of every 5 gigs with an unfamiliar soundman ended in an argument about me using the mic I brought. Darn good mic, too.
 
#58
I'm with the "be prepared" camp. I own a nice dynamic, even-response mic, a Z-bar mic holder and an additional DI just in case. Since I purchased the mic (my preference for signal to FOH) - I've been able to get 95% of the gigs to use it enthusiastically. I make sure to ask nicely beforehand what the sound guy has prepared or if he/she has a preference, and I mention that I have a mic that works well with my rig if they are open to it. The majority of sound guys I encounter seem to enjoy what they do, are very enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with me or get experience with my rig/mic combination, and seem to appreciate that I am even slightly knowledgeable about gear and/or sound. Some guys prefer my setup because it's one less thing they have to take care of in changeovers. I've encountered a couple that prefer their gear or prefer a specific mic or DI that the house owns (though I have encountered this less), and at least one of the guys we've worked with was just lazy and really didn't know what he was doing. Not all sound engineers are created equal.
 
#59
I travel with a good DI. I also make it a point to talk to the sound tech, and typically end up buying him a beer. They know their system, so I offer the out from my amp. Usually, they're game to use it. If not, there's my DI or theirs, whatever works for them. The only time I've been miked recently was at a charity gig with supplied - crappy - backline. The amp hummed like crazy when they connected the DI, so they gave up and went with a mic. Sounded like mud on stage, but apparently I sounded great out front!
 

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