Anyone gig with just a 1x12?

[Tony p]

Tc bh250 and tc 112 cab, playing flat out folkypunky stuff with a fiddle, electro accoustic and/or electric guitar and a bodhran, good for small rooms and pubs. Always di to pa for festivals or bigger gigs where it makes a handy monitor
To be fair tho I'm not one to worry about the niceties of tone and all that technical stuff, as long as it sounds like a bass it'll do

[Ed_S]

Whilst I wouldn't say that a 1x12 is all that I could [i]ever[/i] need, I've fast come to the conclusion that most situations I play in are generally self-limiting with regards the size of rig I need, and that a 1x12 is good for the vast majority.

If it's a small pub the 1x12 does the whole job on its own, if it's a larger bar/venue then the 1x12 does on-stage monitoring and a bit of FoH along with the PA and if it's an even larger club then the 1x12 does on-stage monitoring and the house PA does its job as intended. If it's something non-standard that needs a PA to be taken along then you either hire one that can handle the room/space and use your 1x12 for monitoring, or you take your own and as soon as you're doing that it's probably fair to assume that you have transport for more than a 1x12 if the PA you own dictates that you need it.

I genuinely don't think that I'm fooling myself into believing that I get a successful mix and a good sound; I play wireless and get out in the room during both soundcheck and sometimes even the gig itself, so I'm happy that what I'm hearing is what I (and my band as a whole) want to put out, and I've also had positive comments from sound engineers and other bands' bassists that go beyond the polite 'good set' etc. and actually make specific reference to the capability and suitability of my rig. Obviously the sound I want to achieve might not be the sound that every punter wants to hear, but that's the game; if we sound how we intend to and you don't like it then sadly you just don't like us - no hard feelings.

[Lo-E]

It really depends upon the style of music, nature of the venue and, of course, which 1x12 is being used.

My Aguilar SL112 is only barely loud enough to use with a rock band, and that's only with one guitarist using a small-ish amp and a moderate drummer in a small club.

My LDS 1x12, on the other hand, has no trouble keeping up with a loud guitarist and a heavy-hitting drummer in a decently sized outdoor courtyard, but it needs a fair amount of power to manage that kind of volume.

There's too much variation in cab design to say difinitively that a single 12 can or cannot handle a certain type of gig, IMO.

[Ed_S]

So if we say that at the point where any 1x12 just can't keep up because physics dictates that it will never do so, you will have suitable PA support and simply use whatever you have for monitoring - be that covering all or just some of the stage, it seems to come down to another classic 'any two of three':

You can have your exact tone at any volume but it won't necessarily be in a convenient format.
You can have your exact tone in a convenient format, but it won't necessarily reach the required volume.
You can have enough volume to cover most bases in a convenient format, but it won't necessarily be your exact tone.

I'm clearly just lucky that the convenient packages I use to produce enough volume give me tones I'm happy enough to call my own, but exact tone is where I'd make the compromise if I had to so it's moot point for me.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1464984162' post='3064487']
What a wonderfully sweeping statement!
[/quote]

To a degree, but no one, and I mean no one has achieved it, that I've seen/heard.
And I see a lot. I'm talking about a loud band here,
Volume is not so much the issue as you can rag cabs to get a sound out... but the quality of that sound/tone
is another issue.

Put it this way... if I was asked by the player if I thought it worked, I'd be my diplomatic best.

And if I do say so myself, people do ask me about bass.,,fwiw.

[bassjim]

EBS neo 112 = good enough in a band situation with EBS head (350 or redimar) for very small rooms, rehearsals ect. Add second 112 for larger rooms, louder bands and is also very very good. Portable and loud .But.......there will always be a situation that calls for more as well as less ,so for me.. I have 2 x 210s and 2 x 112s. For new venues like pubs I take a 2x10 plus a 112 and this will usually work. If we get a call back I know what to bring next time.
I did try in the old days to do this one cab fits all thing but the reality as many have already said in one way or another...there is no one perfect cab solution cause it varies too much..

Edited June 13, 2016 by bassjim

[molan]

I got a chance to test an ex-demo Markbass Alain Caron combo on Saturday.

Full 500w into the 4 ohm 12" driver and another 300w into the compression driver horn.

Sounded huge with a passive Lull P bass - pre on about 12;00 and master at 11:00.

Had to cut volume on my octaver and envelope filter as the low end was overpowering!

Very impressed indeed