Author Topic: Emergency Bass Rig (Read 1178 times)

oddmetersam · « **on:** March 06, 2013, 09:53:17 PM »

Played a last-minute, "First Friday" gig in Oakland last week in a drum 'n' bass duet that was total improv, mainly off spontaneous odd-meter grooves where I get to really dig in and hold the fort while this crazy drummer who's fresh out of high school just does his thing! My main rig was locked away at a friend's house so I played directly through my Radial Bassbone's dual outputs into my two KRK Rokit 8 powered studio monitors. These are the older 1st generation models biamped with a total of 140 watts apiece and this configuration worked like a charm. The gig was at a newly opened coffee shop/art gallery/real estate office (I kid you not) with bare walls and a concrete floor. The drummer used low-volume multi-bundled "rods" for his sticks and the balance between us was perfect. Aside from the rig's tiny footprint and ultra portability, my bass' tone was so true and uncolored it was a revelation in that regard. Just out of curiosity, how many of you have ever played your bass through home studio sized powered monitors at a small gig? Give it a try. And it sure beats moving back-breaking cabs and racks. If you do go this route, post pics of your miniature "rig". The opposite end of the spectrum from some of the monster set-ups I've seen here...

rustyg61 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2013, 01:52:36 AM »

Sounds like a fun gig Sam! At home I play through my Presonus Audiobox USB into my M Audio BX5a powered Studio Monitors. They sound great & as you said, really bring out the pure tone of my Alembic since there is no tone control on the Audiobox. Will you be playing the coffee shop again using this rig?

oddmetersam · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2013, 02:06:46 AM »

Hey, Rusty!
Why don't you set your stuff up as though you were going to play at a small gathering or give a demo for show-and-tell at a school, then photograph the configuration and post it here?

My usual loud rig (Bassbone into a Crest LT15000 and Aguilar GS-112/Peavey Tri-flex PA dual 12 woofer) would be serious overkill for any coffee shop and a real hassle to transport.

I think the rig I'm showing here will be my setup of choice for anything except non-PA outdoor gigs. Besides, I can buy a few more powered Rokits or something comparable and gradually build a totally modular system in every sense of the word.

Am thinking about integrating a laptop with efx and ambience as I mentioned on facebook. Endless possibilities....

terryc · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2013, 02:10:45 AM »

You know I may borrow my son's Alesis studio monitors and give it a try(not that he will let me use them live)
I have a Zoom B3 which I could use as the 'pre amp'. Nice to see minimilism here instead of the usual massive set ups that grace these posts.
My minimal rig is a Roland Bass Cube with an extension speaker I built - both 12 speakers and great for portability

oddmetersam · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2013, 02:16:15 AM »

Cool, Terry
Let us know how that Zoom/Alesis combo works out and like I mentioned to Rusty, set everything up like you'd use it live and post a pic...

Bradley Young · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2013, 05:36:19 AM »

Sam,

I love the sound of a clean Alembic. One thought: you might want to invert the top speaker to put the tweeters closer together (thus reducing interference issues). Probably not a huge deal, depending on where things get crossed over.

Definitely continue vertical stacking, though! That will offer the best horizontal dispersion, and get things closer to your ear.

Bradley

rustyg61 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2013, 08:01:08 AM »

Hey Sam!

Here's a picture of my studio setup that I play through at home. If I have a small venue to play I use my Hartke Kickback with a single 15. For most live gigs I'm spoiled with my Eden WT800 & Eden D410XST/D115XLT speakers with an SF-2 for added sparkle! It's a beast to carry, but the sound is oh so worth the effort!

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2013, 08:12:46 AM »

That's pretty trick.

I always wondered if something like that would be viable in a live situation.

So recently I took the plunge and started using this:

With the three channels programmed for Fat Tube, SVT and Slap. The FX loop is programmed to be activated for each channel and I run a Boss Chorus and a Dunlop Bass Wah in the loop, which I control manually.

The Sans Amp XLR out feeds a mixing board which, in turn, feeds Mackie powered mains and powered monitor wedges. I ask to be set flat at the board and tell the sound person to set me where they want me for the situation and give me enough bass in the monitor mix so I can hear myself.

It's been great to not have to bring a pile of bass gear to gigs. Bass case in one hand, pedal board and guitar stand in the other. Set up time is a fraction of what it used to be, no stage volume / turf issues and more room to move around.

To improve on this, I thought about getting my own powered monitor wedge and feeding it from the Sans Amp 1/4 out. This would complicate things slightly, but would provide me with even more bass in my face.

So - if anyone has a recommendation for a decent powered wedge monitor that can handle a 5-string low B - I'm listening.

xlrogue6 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2013, 08:54:32 AM »

Thanks for posting this, Sam. Suddenly I know what to do with a couple of orphan powered monitors that have been languishing in my shop!

bigredbass · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2013, 09:55:50 AM »

Sam, funny you should talk about yur usual rig: I've always wondered why no has tried a 'Bass 2.1' rig:

http://www.peavey.com/products/index.cfm/item/865/117536/TriFlex%20II

Put an F2B or Dememter, etc., in line between you and that, I wonder . . . .

J o e y

bigredbass · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2013, 10:00:12 AM »

Sam, funny you should mention your big rig: I often wonder why there are no 'Bass 2.1' rigs:

http://www.peavey.com/products/index.cfm/item/865/117536/TriFlex%20II

Put an F2B, a UA mic pre, a Demeter, etc., in line between you and this, or something like it, I wonder . . . .

J o e y

oddmetersam · « **Reply #11 on:** March 07, 2013, 11:20:25 AM »

Bradley, thanks for the tip. I was planning on comparing different stacking configurations to get the best sound. I'm not a fan of tweets in my bass cabs (#samsbasscabs -- just kidding) and I normally have them differentially set, volume wise, since it's my experience the bottom cab always couples to the floor for more bass and I tend to turn that tweeter up a little more. On these guys I start with them full up, then back off since I figure they may be the first to blow up. Still experimenting with all the gain staging options associated with the level/eq/boost/contour switch on the Bassbone.

Nice setup, Rusty. I'm sure your main rig sounds killer. I'm 58 and my back sometimes feels like I'm 158.

David, I checked out your earlier thread re: bass DI's. Yeah, your configuration looks to be awesome in sound and flexibility, especially with 3 channels.

Kent, please don't forget to post pics once you get something cool going with those!

Joey, I just have the subwoofer from the original Peavey Tri-Flex model, not the current version. A heavy metal band at my former rehearsal studio had to leave in the dead of night(!) and had two of just the subwoofers and gave them to me for free cuz' they weigh a ton. I gave the most road-worn cab to another friend. Don't know about the current versions, but this setup has a built-in crossover in the woofer cab set at 250Hz. In my big rig I run a full range dry signal from one channel of a Crest LT1500 to that cab and another signal that incorporates a Roland efx unit through the other channel of the Crest and into an Aguilar GS-112. A heavy rig, literally and figuratively. Here's the first page of a reprint of the owners' manual for the original Peavey Tri-Flex.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2013, 11:40:46 AM »

Sam,

I've found that most folks that don't like tweets in bass cabs actually just don't like the bad designs of bass cabs. You have a woofer that can't reach super high (and has some nasty effects in that region), coupled to a tweeter that isn't really designed to go that low, tied together with the cheapest possible generic first order crossover.

It's a disaster. The fEarful/fEarless designs and the Thunderchild get this way, way better: properly sized boxes and ports, decent crossovers (amazing, in the case of the Thunderchild) with good components and killer speakers.

The Thunderchild would be a good replacement for monitors if space and weight are at a premium. It gets defy the laws of physics loud for such a small/light cab.

David: The f110/112/115 will handle that bill nicely, other than not being powered. They are basically kickback bass cabs, will handle low B like nobody's business. http://www.bnaaudio.com/products/products.htm Use a small Class-D amp and done.

Bradley

oddmetersam · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2013, 12:12:18 PM »

Bradley, agree 100% on the Thunderchild. Got to experience one of those at the last Alembic Nor. Cal. gathering. Defying the laws of physics, indeed. If I could afford it I'd get one in a heartbeat.

I don't consider myself a Luddite, but I remember the day when bass cabs didn't have tweeters, at least not from the mainstream manufacturers. I don't slap or pop and I remember playing through 4 single 15 Alembic cabs in the 70's powered by one side of a MacIntosh 2300 with a maple neck jazz bass and new Rotosounds and I got PLENTY of high end snarl and crack on top of a huge blossoming bottom.

But also, just to fudge a little, I remember a long-ago interview with Les Claypool who mentioned he liked 15's because he had a lot of sonic junk in his high end that comes through loud and clear with smaller speakers but 15's seemed to mask it. Don't know if he still feels that way, but that explanation stuck with me....

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2013, 12:36:39 PM »

Bradley -

Thanks for the advice, I'll check out Thunderchild.

In the meantime, I did some quick research on Mackie and QSC powered monitors and found the Mackie HD1221 and the QSC KW122 - both 12 2 way wedge-style designs that weigh about 50 lbs.

These are similar to what I have provided to me in my current project, only they are better quality.