Kick back amps as a monitor / better ways of hearing on stage?

[Phil Starr]

[quote name='JPS' timestamp='1360918885' post='1978233']
I have used a Hartke Kickback 15" for a few years. Great amp when it's not being pushed, however, I've found that anywhere above about halfway and it struggles and the sound becomes overly harsh (perhaps it's the nature of the aluminium cone). I'm now back to lugging my Trace Elliott amp and Warwick cab/s around I'm afraid
[/quote]

If you are going through the PA this shouldn't be a problem, just roll off the bass on the Hartke. You can see how hard the speaker is working through the grille and I imagine the amp is using all it's power to do that. I find turning the bass back to two o'clock cuts the excursion dramatically and the distortion goes with it. Then I use a little bass boost on the PA to compensate if necessary. Since the bass from the PA is clearly audible on stage it doesn't sound unnatural for me either.

[JPS]

Thanks Phil, I'll try that. Do you engage the shape button and if so how do you tend to set it? I don't dial in a lot of bass, however, I do always use the shape button. My back may be really thankful!

[Phil Starr]

Sorry I posted thick with cold, I should have said I set the bass to 10 o'clock. Because I'm lazy about tone and because I'm a nervy performer I use the shape button quite a lot. I find I can change tone quickly and accurately with it. I tend to use it about 10 o'clock but roll it right round to get something like a Jamerson sound if the song needs it, That and switching it out gives me three tones I can find quickly in the gaps between songs.

I quite like my little Hartke, which sounds awesome at rehearsal especially the 10 o'clock setting but I'm saving up for an AER amp one as the ultimate little solution.

[pete.young]

I've been using my Tecamp Puma 110 as a monitor for me and the drummer for some time now. Front of House is DI'd off my V-Bass unit.

We started out with the Puma in front of us, between me and the kit, pointing at the back wall. In some venues we had a lot of issues with reflected sound hitting the vocal mikes and causing weird things to happen.

What I do now is put the Puma on an amp stand, behind me and pointing at the drummer across the stage like a side-fill. Still very audible and the issues with reflected sound off the back wall are gone.

[funkle]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1360707449' post='1975298']
Now that is interesting! Thanks! Last time I looked on their site there weren't any angled cabs. But that was probably a year ago. Making it active wouldn't be difficult with the right modules and cooling.
[/quote]

Resurrecting this thread...Kiwi, what modules and cooling were you thinking of implementing for a fEARless wedge monitor?

[Kiwi]

There used to be some by BK Electronics which weren't available for a while due to a manufacturer no longer offering one of the components. But I did a search last month and discovered many more suppliers have cropped up in the last few years.

I also had a look at the bracing in fEARful cabs and it seems to be done using a couple of posts rather than a grid of ply stiffeners...?

[funkle]

Thanks, just had a look at BK's website.

I'm really interested in doing something like a Berg IP, but lighter. No clue about DSP, measuring cab SPL/freq responses, etc, so probably a non starter for now. I'll have to do more research, I think.

The QSC K12 etc are a great idea - we just need a bass-specific version one of these days!

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1386275738' post='2298226']
Thanks, just had a look at BK's website.

I'm really interested in doing something like a Berg IP, but lighter. No clue about DSP, measuring cab SPL/freq responses, etc, so probably a non starter for now. I'll have to do more research, I think.

The QSC K12 etc are a great idea - we just need a bass-specific version one of these days!
[/quote] I like this idea

[JTUK]

I really don't understand the bit about not hearing ..and the ways people dance through hoops getting the cabs up to the ear, angled, etc etc ..
A good cab, with a good bass and a sorted band mix... and these are just non issues, IME.

I would say we are a pretty loud band and we rarely have any issues hearing all instruments.
There is a danger we blow the mix towards the end of the second set...but that is about the only thing we need to contend with...

[Owen]

ACME make a nice wedge now. http://www.acmebass.com/#/products

[Delberthot]

[quote name='rOB' timestamp='1360710317' post='1975371']
Can I suggest an amp stand? Lift your amp nearer to your ears and angle it up like a wedge. No need for a new cab.

I use my mini rig on an amp stand as a monitor and di into the pa.

Just a suggestion ;-)
[/quote]

I used this setup for years and am about to again for larger gigs with PA support although with different amp and cab than the picture to keep the stage volume down

[url="http://s927.photobucket.com/user/Delberthot/media/DSC02041Medium.jpg.html"][/url]

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1386621970' post='2302382']
I used this setup for years and am about to again for larger gigs with PA support although with different amp and cab than the picture to keep the stage volume down

[url="http://s927.photobucket.com/user/Delberthot/media/DSC02041Medium.jpg.html"][/url]
[/quote]

MY only comment on that set up as shown is that, whatever it sound like, it must look pretty awful from the audience's view point if that is directly in front of you.