jonnythenotes

Good advice,,,,Thanks...

After all the advice I have received over the last couple of days, I set up our pa, and with a friend of mine spent a couple of hours trying various ideas on how too improve the sound. And then the eureka moment...I stuck a shure m57 mike in front of the cab. The difference was instant and absolute (to my ears.) To try and sum up is difficult, as I am not techy in any way, but it seems a mic allows you to 'share' some of the sound with the pa, as opposed to putting the whole signal thru. By this I mean depending on where you place the mic has a huge effect on how the pa sends the sound out front. I found having the mic off centre and 4 to 5 inches away from the speaker mesh delivered a mellow and very warm sound, which for once actually reflected the sound coming from the speaker. Slight adjustments to the mic position changed the sound more than I would have expected.. Central and close produced a very punchy and aggressive sound, while a bit of distance and side shift took the sting out of it. I have been playing bass for 35 years and never once thought about using a mic instead of DI when pa has to be used. I know it is early days yet, but I have hopefully found a potential way of sorting out what has always been a bit of a problem to me. As a bass player you are always the poor relation in a band when it comes to sound...... Now then, any advice on good mics or personal experiences with mics in a gigging environment would be mucho welcome..

P.S This discussion has moved me from being a 'Newbie' to 'No longer a newbie' Wahoo.

Absolutely overwhelmed by all the help and advice...and the time you all have taken to help me on this. So much good 'stuff ' to think about. One thing is for certain, if you are a bass player, and have a problem, or something you are not to sure of...don't be afraid to ask, there is so much help out there. Cheers chaps, and thanks so much. And don't stop yet...The more advice, the easier the resolution should be...

Just checked out the barefaced big twin 2 Graham....Wowzer.... Need more info...and price.

Thanks for all the advice so far fellas. I am beginning to realise that sorting out the root cause of the problem might be better than throwing a untested idea at it.

Great stuff Shockwave...Its all starting to make a bit of sense to me now... Sorry about my ignorance..I am not a bad player, but all the gear stuff is a little bit over my head.....

Hi number 6 and Cheddatom. Going thru the Pa would be ideal, but unfortunately the pa the band owns is a bit of a cheapo, and we have not got a dedicated sound man... The guitar player sets it up, and has to tweek it as the set progresses. Its the same old story.. A good pa would solve all the problems, but the one we have is pretty poor, and as soon as the bass is added, it really cant cope. Trying to get other band members to put money in to by a new pa is like pulling teeth. If we were working a lot more we could probably do this, but not at the moment. I have tried the option of using my gear without going via the pa to carry thru venue, (which it can do,) but the on stage volume climbs as other band members turn up. The Orange cabs I use are both rated at 600 watts each, and are driven by the terror amp rated at 500 watts @ 4ohms. Thanks for the advice...and keep it coming.

Thanks Shockwave.... it was just an idea I had to try and spread the volume of my bass more evenly thru a venue. I am far from being an expert...that's the reason of my request for help. Still on this subject, when and where would you use a powered bass cab? I know that Gallien Krueger make 2 types...a 4x10 and a 2x12,both with xlr inputs, to run from the xlr output at the back of an amp.( This is what gave me the initial idea of running into one set off stage.) Judging by the number of posts you have made, you may have come across em' before. Thanks again..

Thanks for your expert sarcasm, when what I really would like is a bit of help and advice. As I said earlier, my sound,which has nothing to do with volume, is right for what I want, and the two Orange cabs can be very loud if required. I am only asking if any players have used, or are familiar with powered cabs, and can they be used to boost off stage sound quality, while at the same time keeping on stage volumes to a reasonable level. So forgetting what cabs they are, the sound from them, and the volume they can or cannot produce, are powered cabs an alternative to going thru a pa in a medium sized venue. Perhaps the laws of probability will eventually help answer a simple and straightforward question.

Thanks for the comments so far guys, but changing my speakers will change nothing. I spent a lot of time comparing various12 inch cabs and went for the Orange as they give me exactly the sound I want...plenty of lows and mids. They are also very portable, easy to use, and really loud, ( as and when required.... which is rarely. ) What I am trying to do is improve my off stage sound with a powered bass cab, which means setting the powered cab away from the stage area...next to the pa perhaps. In my question, I was referring to 'fullness' in relation to the sound the audience hears.. normally delivered by a combination of back line and pa. All I want to do is put something in place as an alternative to going thru the pa, providing the venue is not so big that I HAVE to go thru the pa. In my initial post I was asking for help and advice on powered bass cabs (sentence 3 my first post.) Finally, what I did not put in my first post was the type of music I play.... funk. Perhaps this is why Bassman and Bolo have suggested 'binning' my existing gear and getting some 'proper stuff'. As they play heavy rock and thrash metal, they would both find my stuff unsuitable. So, anyone out there know about powered bass cabs?

I use an Orange Terror sp2x12 combo, and link this with another Orange sp2x12 cab...so volume is never an issue, but fullness of sound is. I am looking for a bit of advice on how a powered cab might help, and how they work. I can go thru the bands PA, but that always seems as I am losing control of my sound. ....Question..Can I run an XLR from the output of my amp ( exactly the same as I would to a mixing desk,) but into a powered bass cab. Gallien Krueger do 4x10 and 2x12 powered cabs....Are these suitable, or have I got this completely wrong. In a nutshell, I am trying to create a mini bass PA that only I will use, and in larger venues where my back line is not moving enough air, I could plug the powered cab in. As I said, Volume is not the issue, its just that the 12 inch speakers are obviously not doing the same as 15 or 18 inch speakers would, and turning my volume up on stage to avoid the PA just deafens everybody on the stage. Any help, advice or recommendations would be hugely appreciated..

One final thing to think about.....As with most things in life, it must include all 3 of the following... It must be Challenging..( You learn something from it, and it stretches you.) It must be achievable..( what's the point in starting something if you know you will never complete it.) It must be rewarding.... ( you must see a benefit when you have finished.) C.A.R. Seems to apply pretty well to being in a band eh...

Its a great piece of kit. Nearly everything about it is different to what I am used to.... Shape, neck, sound, feel... but different is good !!!!!! I have been mucking about with it for a few hours now, and it has grown on me so quickly. Really REALLY like this bass, And for the money...An American made Gibson, with case, and complete individuality wherever you play......WHAT..... Just amazing.

[b]You are more than welcome Ken. Keep me posted on your progress. [/b]

[i]The only sure way to do it is for you to take charge of the band by thinking through how YOU want to do it .....Start with song selections, then look at what instruments you need to do these songs,(remember the bigger the band, the more difficult it is to manage.) Organise weekly rehearsals...but not as a place to learn songs... songs should be learnt at home. Its better to cancel a rehearsal if one or two people have not learnt stuff , rather than teach them what you put hours into at home. This will create a 'passenger' environment which is a real cheeser. The worst thing you can do in a band is give 4 or 5 band members 'choice'. All you get is different opinions, song choices, preferences etc. Democracy is ok up to a point.... Imagine if 4 or 5 people tried to write a book, or drive a car at the same time.....control is everything. Put a plan together, and when you are happy with it, ask people to join you in putting YOUR plan into action. Its not about being in charge, or The Boss...Its just a case of putting a structure together before you all get together for the first time. More often than not, you will find people would much sooner work to a plan than aimlessly muck about in the dark. If all band members learnt 3 or four songs before a rehearsal each week, you would have your set in a couple of months. Bands can be one of the most fantastic things to be involved with, but remember, the door swings both ways.... Your job must be too limit this two way swing. Have fun...and remember , this can be done, just think everything thru first.[/i]

I Think I may be the proud new owner of this bass. Having done a bit of a Sherlock Holmes routine, I think its heading in a Lichfield direction....If so.....VERY EXCITED...

Once you take your bass to a gig, run it up to gig volume levels, add a drummer, a guitarist or two, maybe a keyboard player, and stick this through your average pa... (Not forgetting boomy stages, weird shaped venues and a couple of hundred people,) could anyone tell whether it was maple, rosewood or concrete ?