Bass rigs-the bigger the better in my experience.

[daveparker123]

[font=comic sans ms,cursive][size=5]Hi all, I played a festival recently where there were two SVT 8x10 cabinets on stage. Playing through both of them was an experience I would like every bass player out there to experience. The power and sound was immense and something you couldn't recreate in any way. I have one 810 but would really like to get another now for big gigs.[/size][/font]

[font=comic sans ms,cursive][size=5]In my experience, bass rigs have to be big. I jammed through a mates 1x15 combo a few weeks ago and it had all the tone and power of my portable television![/size][/font]

[font=comic sans ms,cursive][size=5]I'm intrigued as to what other bass players opinion is of this. I understand that some may prefer combos or smaller amps for many reasons. Perhaps there are other advantages of smaller amps and cabs apart from portability, I just can't think of any![/size][/font]

[discreet]

I agree. Back in the day I toured with a big rig, though I've been going down the portable mini-rig road for some years now, but at a recent audition I played through an Ampeg SVT CL + 8X10 plus I've joined a loud rock band... and as a result I'm seriously thinking about going in exactly the opposite direction... nothing matches that trouser-flapping experience and I've given up deluding myself about it! \m/ \m/

Edited May 13, 2012 by discreet

[EssentialTension]

1x12 Mesa combo - it does everything I want.

[BigRedX]

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/nocomicsans8164.gif[/IMG]

[hamfist]

Dave, Have to agree with you on the general principles.

Higher wattage amps,in general, simply seem to have more punch and authority, even at lower volume (all IME and IMO). The transients will simply be more "instant".
I also love big and, even more importantly, tall cab stacks. Can't abide all my mids and highs being pumped into my knees and naughty bits. THere's a richness than a big cab full of 10" drivers in just has.

[wateroftyne]

[color=#800080][b][size=5][font=comic sans ms,cursive]Did the festival you played at have a big PA? if so, chances are most of the fun was coming from the subs.[/font][/size][/b][/color]

[daveparker123]

Cheers guys. Nice to see some of you agree. I don't want to sound like an arrogant t*t as I know some people may not be able to afford all the big stuff. I'd just like to let them know that it's worth aspiring to that......... if they wanted to!

Comic sans rocks man!!!

[daveparker123]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1336934397' post='1652964']
[color=#800080][b][size=5][font=comic sans ms,cursive]Did the festival you played at have a big PA? if so, chances are most of the fun was coming from the subs.[/font][/size][/b][/color]
[/quote]

No, it was moving my ass about the stage. The PA subs were about 10 metres in front of me.

[Jack]

We'd all love a big rig. I'll take a Millennia Media Origin, Lab Gruppen Power amps and two NV610s please.

In the real world I have a small car, smaller stage and after a long day at work and a longer gig extremely small biceps. Smaller the better.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='daveparker123' timestamp='1336934595' post='1652973']
No, it was moving my ass about the stage. The PA subs were about 10 metres in front of me.
[/quote]

'Ass'.. *shudder*

Anyway, I usually find that it's the really big lows that make the difference for me at big gigs. They just make everything feel a bit more... effortless.

[daveparker123]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1336934648' post='1652974']
We'd all love a big rig. I'll take a Millennia Media Origin, Lab Gruppen Power amps and two NV610s please.

In the real world I have a small car, smaller stage and after a long day at work and a longer gig extremely small biceps. Smaller the better.
[/quote]

haha........... Point taken!!!!!

[chris_b]

I'd love to use 2 SVT/810 rigs. Both my cabs together weigh less than a single SVT210.

I've got to the age where practical wins every time!!!

[Musicman20]

I want an 8x10, or indeed a Berg 610/412, but I don't have the patience or healthy band mates to help move it at the moment.

A big cab, no matter what modern technology brings with high powered 1x15s and 1x12s, still has that edge.

[Mr. Foxen]

SVT 8x10s are 40 year old designs, stuff has moved on and you can do the same as those smaller because other things are part of it. But scale those up to SVT 8x10 size, and there would be even more.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1336934648' post='1652974']
We'd all love a big rig.
[/quote]
No thanks.

[EssentialTension]

You'll need a bigger car.

[daveparker123]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1336936629' post='1653011']
You'll need a bigger car.


[/quote] I bet that would sound awesome though!

[daveparker123]

F*ck knows what ohmage the head would run at though?

[karlfer]

Last night was my first gig with my new (well, all new to me but all bits 6 years old) rig.
2 EBS NEO 212's and an EBS TD650 head. All much bigger than the mini power rigs I've gigged for the last couple of years.
What a sound, what a difference. Absolutely adored it, great punch, clarity and much idiotic grinning.
It's a compromise of course. I would love the 8 x 10's, as much as I would love the roadie and pantechnicon to go with them .
Karl.

[ratking]

As bass player, I'd absolutely agree with you But as audio engineer doing the occassional live job, my eternal wrath goes to those dragging their 810 fridge and 300W tube head on stage and so making it COMPLETELY impossible to achieve anything even close to a decent monitor mix

Unless you're plaing the REALLY big stages, a rig like that won't make the audio engineer your friend Keeping that in mind, I myself have settled for a (in my opinion rather good) compromise and use two 1x12"/1x8" cabs. That's more than enough for medium to bigger sized stages (for small gigs, I usually only take one of the cabs), still lets me feel my bass, and I can turn the amp up enough to sound decent without crosstalking to every mic on stage

Edited May 13, 2012 by ratking

[Phil Starr]

[quote name='ratking' timestamp='1336937169' post='1653023']
As bass player, I'd absolutely agree with you But as audio engineer doing the occassional live job, my eternal wrath goes to those dragging their 810 fridge and 300W tube head on stage and so making it COMPLETELY impossible to achieve anything even close to a decent monitor mix


[/quote]
That's the point, only a totally selfish ************* would go onto anything smaller than a stadium gig with anything like this. I've mixed with 2x100W marshall full stacks for guitar and you simply couldn't hear the vocals as the guitar sound was louder at the mic than the singers voice even when they were touching the thing with their lips. Two 8x10s flat out create exactly the same problem. It is almost impossible to get a band sounding good when their on stage sound is much over 100dB and you are talking about pushing it up to maybe 110dB with peaks of 130dB+! You simply won't stop everything bleeding through the mic's.

Your audiologist won't thank you either, these sort of sound levels will create permanent hearing loss instantly and the hearing loss will be progressive with continued exposure.

I'm sure it is a wonderful, adrenaline filled experience and it will sound good as long as your ears hold out but you are buying it at the expense of your audience, the rest of the band and your own long term health.

[EssentialTension]

Anyway, it's not the size, it's what you do with it that counts.

[daveparker123]

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1336939650' post='1653066']
That's the point, only a totally selfish ************* would go onto anything smaller than a stadium gig with anything like this. I've mixed with 2x100W marshall full stacks for guitar and you simply couldn't hear the vocals as the guitar sound was louder at the mic than the singers voice even when they were touching the thing with their lips. Two 8x10s flat out create exactly the same problem. It is almost impossible to get a band sounding good when their on stage sound is much over 100dB and you are talking about pushing it up to maybe 110dB with peaks of 130dB+! You simply won't stop everything bleeding through the mic's.

Your audiologist won't thank you either, these sort of sound levels will create permanent hearing loss instantly and the hearing loss will be progressive with continued exposure.

I'm sure it is a wonderful, adrenaline filled experience and it will sound good as long as your ears hold out but you are buying it at the expense of your audience, the rest of the band and your own long term health.
[/quote]
I wasn't talking about having them 'flat out' though was I. It was about moving air, not turning them all up to 11.

[Lozz196]

Yep, the depth of sound in a multiple speaker rig is great. It doesn`t have to be turned up any louder than the kit is acoustically, but the fullness of the sound just hits the spot. A single speaker, at the same volume, never does it for me.

Unfortunately, both the wallet, and the practicality means I`m never gonna have a rig like this. But, have used one, so it`s not all bad

[neepheid]

As long as I can hear myself, I'm happy. Don't need anything bigger than a 4x10 for that for the size of venues/stages/gigs I'm doing and am likely to ever be doing.