joel406

The Mesa Subway D800+ was the cleanest of the line. And if you've never heard of or tried an Epifani... you are missing out.

Enjoy your noise.

Your EQ is set wrong. I use parametric EQ'ing. Much easier than trying to putz with a graphic. I set low at around 80/85hz. Level at about +10/11 Mids are hella scooped. Low mids around 450 with gain at -12. High mids set to 850/875 with gain at -12. Highs at 8.5k with gain at +3/4. Your Q line should be pretty contoured. Gradual rise up and down. Falling slightly below the mids and a gradual rise up to the highs. The level from the desk cannot be too low. If you are turning levels up above 20 on the mixer, the level set to your bus is too low. If your wireless is having dropouts. Try rescanning. If your using a "budget" or cheap POS wireless. Get a Shure PSM300 pro system. Any and every issue you "claim" to have, I have "never had". And I leave the stage and travel upwards of 100 to 150 feet from the stage. IEMs sound clear and sharp. Zero distortion. Also if you're using "budget" or crap IEMs, get some real ones. I've never tried KZ. Mine are custom fit. With "quality" drivers. I own 2 sets. One 5 driver a side (3 lows 1 mid 1 high) with crossovers. My main set is 8 driver a side (4 low 2 mid 2 high) of course crossovers. You are doing it wrong.

Well... If you have IEMs, and your IEMs are wireless, your sound system should have WIFI. Your IEMs should already be plugged into the desk. Use the WIFI to connect either your smart phone (iPhone is best) or tablet (iPad is best) to the WIFI network of your desk. Set the app you're using to the bus your IEMs are connected to. You get a mixer on your device that allows you to mix everything to your taste. Remember! Proper EQ is essential. Once you've worked that out it's done. Once you've set your levels you are done. Vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass and drums (as well as any other instrument) will all be available in your mix. Easy as can be. I've been doing this for 2 years now. It's great because going from venue to venue the sound never changes for me. Just a little level adjustment here and there, takes seconds. Then your good for the rest of the show.

I used to have a GK CX210. 2 of em. Worst cabs on the planet. But I since got some Mesa Subway 212s. The difference is shocking. Amazing low end and just all-around great tone. When I stack both they will put just about anything to shame. Including SVTs. I don't dislike 10s. I have a pair of Mesa Subway 410s. Same thing as the 212s. Rock solid and both stacked will stop a charging T-Rex. But if you still want to live in the amp world you gotta get good cabs. The K212 isn't a bad cab. I had one. They just don't have the best tone.

I owned a TT-800 for a while. In fact I had the TT the WD-800 and the D-800+. After months of comparison, I found my sound was in the D-800+. But the TT was a very close second. The WD just plain didn't work for me. I believe I just don't like hybrid amps. I had an even bigger problem with the current GK line that caused me to abandon them after 30 years of loyalty. That being said... The TT-800 is a very fine amp. And even though it didn't work for me that doesn't mean it won't work for you. It's a metal head IMHO. Easily overdriven. I was partial to the Boogie channel. HPF is strong and will tame the wildest boom. Sounds like you have some quality cabs so you should be able to enjoy all the glory it can provide. I did miss the mid volume controls. They seem to be the secret to the D-800+. Having moved on to IEMs amps aren't really on my radar anymore. But I do have them around should the need arise. You did good though.

While very subjective. You're going to get a lot of opinions. I switched to 5 string 4 years ago. Let all my 4's go. I now have a stable of 6, 5 string passive basses. I used D'Adario strings when I played 4 string. After switching I tried a lot of strings. I went all the way around the dial and ended up back where I started. I like the "Half-Rounds". I use them on all my basses. As far as settings go. Again subjective. Watch the low mids. Besides I don't use amps much anymore. When I do it's my Mesa Subway cabs and my Subway heads or my Epifani. But live shows are always amp-less.

That's adorable.

3 big shows this week. Loving the QC and my IEMS. Both total game changers. Keep humping those rigs guys. It's all downhill from there.

Nice. Very subjective and not what everyone else experiences. The QC is definitely the future. Safer. More adaptive. As a bass player this is even more so. And having to move your amps into another part of the venue shows how toxic onstage noise truly is. But thanks for proving my point even if you weren't trying. After the last 3 days of gigs, we are all just a little bit more in love with our QCs and IEMs. And after seeing this I'm so glad we ditched our amps. Maybe the guys in the video will learn to use their QCs one day and get the sound they are after. It certainly does for us.

7 gigs in 14 days. Some small. Some not so small. IEMs for everyone. Sound tech happy. Crowd happy. My back is happy. My tone has never been better. The Quadcortex is a proven amp killer. Are amps dead. No. They have their place. Just not on a stage.

Eh... What?

Yeah! There are.

You seem to have missed, a long time ago.

Had a gig a couple of months ago on a big stage. Old mix board. No wifi. I brought an amp so's not to have to futz with it. 810 Mesa stack with Mesa 800 watt head. Sounded great for about 3 songs. Missed my IEMS the rest of the show. The 2000 people in the audience didn't care.

Sounds like most 4 year olds I've seen.

You're welcome. Now try to learn from your mistake.

Lots of great replies. Lots of "opinions". But! One fact remains. I have been a professional Bassist for a long time. Toured for a lot of people. Used so many amps for so many years. Making the comparison between using amps vs in-ears is a comparison I can make from an educated point of view. In-ears are the future. They make your sound viable. On stage amplification is detrimental to the sound you "want" the audience to hear. Stage monitors(wedges) are no different. The quiet stage is the stage that sounds the best. Amps are only used for on stage monitors. And are inefficient. If you move anywhere on stage your mix changes. Things become either overbearing or disappear altogether. In-ears eliminate all of this. From the smallest POS pub to the biggest stadiums. In-ears are the only viable solution. I get what people are saying above this post. If you don't like em, or if you feel they are unnecessary. Or if you just don't believe they aren't all they are cracked up to be. You're wrong. And no venue anywhere will ever offer them. In-ears are user specific. Molded and fit to the user's own ears. They will not properly fit anyone else's ears. Time to come fully into the 21st century people. In-ears, amp modeling, are the better option. And yes. The amp sims are superior to the actual amps. Like I said. Both our guitar players and myself. Use the Quadcortex. It "IS" the amp killer. And if ya got an amp you just love more than your own children. The QC is "the" kit that can capture it perfectly. And allow you to take that amp with you wherever you go. All in a small pedal. But straight outa the box. The QC runs circles around any amp out there. Yeah! it's that good.

I've been playing and gigging for a long, long time. And I'm as old-school as it gets. I've spent years and thousands of dollars on amps. But a year ago I decided to make the switch to in-ear monitors. I started out using a pre-amp pedal. Running straight to the board. Then of course to my in-ears. I finally found a EQ setting that was perfect. Then I moved to an amp modeler. Wow. The mix I have is perfect. Venue to venue I only need to adjust a few volumes and It's just the same great sound every show. Now as I said I'm "old-school". Love my amps. Mesa Boogie. Epifani. What's not to like. Well the amp sim has quit the selection. I'm currently running Aguilar DB751 with a Darkglass 212 neo cab. Compressor, parametric EQ, noise gates and high pass, low pass filters and chorus. That's output one. Output two is clean. Dry signal. Sound from FOH is amazing. I use either my 5 driver ears, or my 8 driver ears. Both get the job done. So why are/is anyone still doing this? Using ANY amps. The only thing I use amps for these days is rehearsal. Simply because there's usually no wifi setup so I can mix myself. But it's rehearsal. WE need to communicate. In-ears are isolating. So, with them in it's hard to talk. But on stage they can't be beat. Amps are obsolete. And even the best of em can't beat the sound of in-ear monitoring. Of you are considering in-ears. Nobody needs more than a nice 5 driver set. Companies out there are advertising up to 21 drivers per side. At a cost of over $3000.00 USD. Mine were made by the company that does the band YES. And Kansas. As well as a host of other international acts. And mine are the top of their line. Less than $1000.00 USD. Alien Ears | Alien Ears custom in ear monitors Custom fitted. Incredible sound. An amp less stage is so awesome. Why would anyone still use an amp? As far as which amp sim is best? That is 100% subjective. And that world is getting bigger everyday. My band is comprised of a lead singer, drummer, myself(bass) and 2 guitar players. Both guitar players and myself use the Quadcortex. the tone is the best of all amp sims available. Again. Subjective. Do yourselves a favor. Ditch the amps.

Tomorrow is our fifth gig since Wednesday. We played two Friday. A blend of Bars and Festivals. Exhausted. Next week is a little better. I think there's just three. Taylor Swift is playing the last of three shows tonight so traffic sucked. Had to pass the stadium area yesterday and today. But home for now. Last festival tomorrow. Out at 6am for another 100-mile drive. One way. The whole year is booked like this. Estimating that the band should clear 300K usd this year.

No thanks.

Last gig tonight till next Thursday. Then we run 3 gigs next week and 4 gigs the next week after that, and that looks like the trend for a while. We're booked to the gills, and more are pouring in, and new venues are calling daily. The smell of money really brings out the club owners. Showing that your most important piece of equipment is a following.

This was taken while it was still wearing Delanos. It since been switched to a Quarter Pounder.

Keely Compressor pro. This thing is a miracle. I've done MXR, Empress. When I got to have an amp, Keely is it.

Well. I'll try to give you a little something to think about. I'll start at the begging of your post. Mesa gear. I've been a GK guy since the 400B. Had a couple of em. As well as the GK 4412H cabs. As I recall I had 4 of em. Went all through the 400rb. 800rb into the MB series. Which I loved. Then GK rolled out it's current line. Don't judge me. I owned all of it. Well, the 800s and the 1200s. I skipped the 500s. But yes, both the Legacy and the fusions. Did not like em. So, I tried the Mesa D-800+. Me likely through my old, with new driver's cabs. Switched to Mesa Subway cabs. Got a pair of 410s. Loved em!! Got a pair of 212s. OMG LOVE EM!!! So naturally. Me thinks. Well, if this works, the WD800 and the TT800 must be even better. The WD and the TT are as different from each other as they are different from the D-800+. 3 different great sounds. But the WD and the TT did not sit well. With me. I let em go the way of the GKs. So, I was left with 2 D-800+ Subway heads and 2 410 and 2 212 Subway cabs. I stumble on some new Epifani heads at a local shop. LOVE EM!. The UL901. Oh my. My favorite flavor by far but still not a D-800+ killer. Now the band has gone primarily amp less. I'm using "Alien ears". I mostly use my 5-driver set. But I have an 8-driver set I keep as backup. What's he using instead of amps? The Quad Cortex. Now the band. We are 2 years old as a group. We are about to release our 4th song. Once we have 6 fully released, we have an appointment with Atlantic records. Talk is a national (possibly) tour, opening for an established act. Who? We don't know yet. We will need to finish at least 15 songs to be able to perform a complete opening set. Maybe 17/18 songs. We (I) would love to cross the pond. London, Manchester and a host of other areas are on my to see list. As well as many areas of the EU. But my best guess (if all goes as planned) this could be 3/4 years out. I would hope for sooner. For now, we are writing and gigging. Our schedule is full, with more shows being crammed between shows we already have. 2023 is technically, 100% booked. And 2024 already has booked dates. I just realized... I forgot the most important part. My basses. 3 American made Fender 5 string Jazz. 2 American 5 string Precisions. And one custom built PJ. All have Seymore Duncan pickups. Except for one of the Precisions, which will remain stock. Long winded. Could have been laid out in paragraphs. Would have read better. I apologize for that. But... internet. If there are questions please feel free to ask. I don't take a lot of pictures personally. But we have a photographer that follows us. So I can put up one with my PJ.