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Would you accept to do this?

Discussion in 'Live Sound [BG]' started by Deacon_Blues, Jan 12, 2009.

  1. Jan 12, 2009 #1
    Deacon_Blues

    Deacon_Blues

    Feb 11, 2007
    Finland
    Hi,

    Would you accept to run your bass like this?

    Bass -> DI -> Mixer -> Aux out (pre) -> Bass amp input

    This way, the soundguy has the possibility to adjust the volume of your amp from the board.

    Reading all the "soundguy from hell" stories here on TB, I have a feeling most of you would be a bit skeptical to do this, but I thought why not ask you directly?

    I actually did run my bass like this back in the days. We never had a soundguy at our gigs though, so I was completely in charge of my sound. (The reason was that the DI/line out on the amp was crap). My own answer to my question above would probably be "yes", but if he lowers the volume so much I don't hear myself anymore, I'd not accept doing it again with the same soundguy at the mixer.
     
  2. Jan 12, 2009 #2
    line6man

    line6man

    Jun 20, 2008
    Close to Los Angeles, CA
    The Aux out is going to be line level into your instrument level amp.
     
  3. Jan 12, 2009 #3
    AlembicPlayer

    AlembicPlayer Im not wearing shorts

    Aug 15, 2004
    Pacific Northwet, USA
    ??
    doesn't make sense to me.
    A DI will take your signal from the bass before the amp anyway.
    I don't get it. Why run your bass signal to the mixer then your amp. Every time the FOH makes an adjustment, your stage sound will change.

    no no a thousand times no!
     
  4. Jan 12, 2009 #4
    Largedon

    Largedon

    Jul 24, 2008
    St. Louis, Missouri
    Yeah, that's just bizarre. What is the reasoning behind this? Conventionally you would just go bass-->DI then one line going to your amp and the other going to the house. I have never even heard of that config.
     
  5. Jan 12, 2009 #5
    AlembicPlayer

    AlembicPlayer Im not wearing shorts

    Aug 15, 2004
    Pacific Northwet, USA
    I just had to come back to this thread to say
    NO
    NO
    NO
    NO

    FOH has control of the house, not the stage volume, let alone tone shaping your sound!

    NO!!!!!!!!!!


    maybe the sound guy should play the bass from FOH and you can go have a smoke!
     
  6. Jan 12, 2009 #6
    baba

    baba

    Jan 22, 2002
    3rd stone from the sun
    Never. Ever. No.
     
  7. Jan 12, 2009 #7
    Deacon_Blues

    Deacon_Blues

    Feb 11, 2007
    Finland
    Wow. I expected some no's, but not this massive resistance. Notice I said PRE out from the mixer, meaning you get the signal back as it is, only the volume might be different. This way you're giving the soundman a chance to lower or raise the volume of your amp if needed, i.e. when the stage volume already is too loud for FOH. The sound from your bass amp don't stay on the stage, and sometimes the PA isn't much more powerful than the amp you're using on stage.

    I run my bass mostly without PA support and my main band has no soundguy. However, doing it as described above would give a potential soundguy an opportunity to adjust the volume to a suitable level. There is of course risks involved with signal levels and such, but if both know what they're doing, there shouldn't be a problem.

    Bassists not using an amp on stage need to rely upon the soundman to get enough bass into his monitor/IEM. Same with singers and keyboardists whose own sound isn't loud enough on its own. I don't see why this would be that different.

    I had almost forgot about this idea already, but today I read about it on another forum. There was a guy who said he used to run his sound this way, and got nothing but positive feedback. It was on a Finnish "general purpose" music forum in a subcategory "Live music" in a thread titled "Bass through PA or not?". That's why I thought of posting it here as well to check your responses...
     
  8. Jan 12, 2009 #8
    IvanMike

    IvanMike TTRPG enthusiast, Happy, Joyous, & Free. Supporting Member

    Nov 10, 2002
    Middletown CT, USA
    NO

    don't do that. bad things man, bad things..............

    and besides, the soundman doesn't want to have to control your amp's volume himself. he wants to use his talkback mike and say to you very sweetly through the monitors......."dude, could you turn down a little?"
     
  9. Jan 12, 2009 #9
    T-Bird

    T-Bird Guest

    Apr 29, 2007
    Finland (Northern Europe)
    Hi.

    A fellow Finn here would probably go with it ;).

    IF the amp in question had a line level input and the aux was at least PF and preferably PEQ too that is. Your amp isn't then really nothing more than an active monitor or a sidefill, but with the actual capability to do the job well.

    All the people who play ampless and all of the band relies on monitors to get a decent stage level, are doing it that way already, why wouldn't it be any different with Your own amp???

    Most of the people here (who don't run sound) don't seem to understand that every venue is different and has all sorts of acoustical problems. If the whole band can rely on monitors and the monitor mix, that would make the FOH sound much more controllable and the result is beneficial to everyone.

    I do understand that we Finns may have the most dedicated non/semi-pro FOH guys there is, so perhaps our view is a bit crocked that way. We do rely on them and 95% of the time they also deliver. A-holes are everywhere and that 5% may just be them ;).

    Regards
    Sam