gafbass02 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I've mentioned this before, but last night the result was jaw dropping. On a whim my band once tried putting a bass cab either side of the stage (not DI'd, just backline filling the room) With a guitar combo on top of each bass cab (guitar is in stereo) I should add here that in this band I'm the guitar player, but the bass player uses my rig. Last night was a wedding at Cheltenham football club, pa for vocals only, a bergantino AE210 either side of the kit with guitar on top as usual. Now I'm aware that they should be stacked vertically etc etc but we've simply never had a bad result from doing this. I should also add, those bergantino cabs just sound wonderful and consistent. But last night was something else. No matter where you stood in the room, the bass sound stayed exactly the same, front to back, middle, left to right, in the corners, on the stage, it just stayed the same volume (pretty low, a wedding after all) clarity, punch, definition etc all stayed absolutely consistent at every spot. It ended up with bemused looks from the bar staff as first me, then the drummer, then the bassist, then the sound engineer (a seasoned festival/top level pro) all went wandering round the room with slack jawed expressions and stupid grins on our faces! The stereo image of the guitar sounded wonderful too. Just a good room I guess, but damn, those cabs are great. I had him using my TC BH250 for a change too, as my MoMark 800 is soooo damn loud. Only downside was, I had to play the guitar instead of bass! [URL=http://s34.photobucket.com/user/gafbass02/media/C66B4E71-D9F1-4A7D-84F0-E77C22991098.jpg.html][IMG]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d115/gafbass02/C66B4E71-D9F1-4A7D-84F0-E77C22991098.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Interesting. We've talked about doing this with my cabs but never actually tried it. I shall give it a go next time we get the luxury of a bit of space Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Given that a guitar (or bass) is a single-point source of sound, how can it be stereo unless there is some special-effects processing going on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 22, 2014 Author Share Posted June 22, 2014 Because there was some special effects processing going on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) When you first mentioned this I seem to remember replying - but maybe didn't that a fledgling "Slade" did very similar in the mid-60s - to similar bemused punters and landlords. They used AC30s then and had a speaker of each interwired via long speaker cable with one on the opposite side of the stage. Pseudo-stereo rather than actual. Edited June 22, 2014 by Big_Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 22, 2014 Author Share Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) I think so. the guitar in this case is just two amps run from the left and right outs on the pedal board, with the stereo 'air' effect on in the delay section, but then some effects with big stereo pans/delays/chorus etc, and then the core sound only very subtle stereo processing. The bass is just mono as ever, just one cab on a longer speaker cable and put over the other side Edited June 22, 2014 by gafbass02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I used to do this with 410s then 210s, now I occasionally do it with 112s. Some bands like it, some hate that they are made to hear the bass wherEVER they stand!:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 22, 2014 Author Share Posted June 22, 2014 Yeah, back in the day I was lucky enough to be in a position to have two 4x10's stacked on each side of the stage. Heheh. Not always popular though. When I play with my funk band they just stack behind me, but this one is a bit more rock and with only three of us we try to find ways to make it sound bigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I`ve tried this, it worked well but the guitarist said I was putting him off as he couldn`t hear himself properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 22, 2014 Author Share Posted June 22, 2014 I'd much rather hear bass than guitar anyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 [quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1403435957' post='2482607'] Because there was some special effects processing going on [/quote] Just checking I wasn't missing something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerstodge Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I do this also with 2 1x12s, guitarist isn't keen but.. Hard luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) Did this in the 60s. Leslie cab stage right, T60 stage left, Fender Bassman head. Don't ask how it was wired up but it was pretty psychedelic, man Edited June 22, 2014 by Jazzneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Right - thanks folks i'll try this. Remember mentioning this before on BC and the opinion then was that i'd be a fool to do it so like a good Catholic i didn't try it. Sod the Hail Marys i'll give it a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) That's not Robins Nest, is it?? I've played there! 1975 I think it was... Edited June 22, 2014 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I've had the same result simply by arranging an arc of balloons behind the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 A few things come to mind there. 1) sloping ceiling. 2) distance of speakers from side wall, wall behind band and wall behind audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 22, 2014 Author Share Posted June 22, 2014 Yep, Robins nest. I'm pretty sure those factors, especially the low ceiling are pretty big contributors. But mainly the balloons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julietgreen Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 We always do this same thing with the bass and guitar cabs. I like to stand away from the backline, and this way I have half a chance of being able to hear the bass, wherever I'm forced to be (guitarists take up a lot of bloody room!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 [quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1403472956' post='2483089'] Yep, Robins nest. I'm pretty sure those factors, especially the low ceiling are pretty big contributors. But mainly the balloons. [/quote] Contributors? You haven't broken any rules. No doubt if it had sounded bad you would have moved the speakers. You cannea break the 'rules' of physics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I use a similar balloon array for excellent bass projection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 (edited) Of course it worked well - the balloons were in a 'frowny' face position. Had they been in a scooped 'smiley' face position, you'd have been completely lost in the mix. Edited June 23, 2014 by Roland Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 [quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1403472956' post='2483089'] Yep, Robins nest. I'm pretty sure those factors, especially the low ceiling are pretty big contributors. [/quote] Found a pic confirming the lowness of the ceiling and proving that the past is another country... Though I seem to remember a raised stage when we played there, possibly against a different wall. The mists of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 [quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1403512129' post='2483278'] Of course it worked well - the balloons were in a 'frowny' face position. Had they been in a scooped 'smiley' face position, you'd have been completely lost in the mix. [/quote] Sir, I believe you have just hit the nail on the head!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 If Big Stu's still about he'll probably confirm that Slade , in their early days , used this approach to create a wall of sound. They'd all have cabs either side of the stage. We've done it on occasion. Another approach I used on big stages was to put a table on it's side behind my stack to 'reflect' the rear ported ashdowns I had at the time. Worked very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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