Stage "props" instead of cabs?

[levipeto]

 

[Morbid]

Hahaha, beer filled cabinet fridge...I love that idea. With a close up of the knobs all the way up to 11.

 

[Desmo808]

I do have to admit, though, that I have thought about prominently micing up a Fender Champ or Bronco on a stand and hiding everything else... just to mess with people.

I bought a Fender Frontman 10G specifically to use as a prop like this. I've never actually used it though, because of all the other crap I have to bring.

I think there may be a market for dummy cabs that double as cable/gear cases

LOL my cable/mic/misc storage crate resembles an oversized 1x12 cab. I deliberately built it with that intent, and our sit-in drummer thought it was really a cab the first time he saw it.

 

[The Schwartz]

How about a large projector playing footage of a concert where the band has a giant fake stack back line. That’s what I would do, but I like o perplex my audience, especially since I play mostly jazz gigs.

 

[ChristThePhone]

Interesting. In the case of songs that don't have a lot of (or maybe even any) scene changes, I imagine I could probably opt to just using a normal midi pedalboard instead? Like an FCB1010 or something, since for the most part, midi is midi.

Don't get me wrong, I've got someone who's willing to run lights for me (doesn't even care if they get paid), but the cost of reliable DMX boards that do more than just "on off change color" seems ridiculous (or maybe I just haven't looked in a while)

Absolutely. Any MIDI pedal will do. When I was talking about foot switches I meant the cheap stupid switches that usually come with low-cost sets. Light boards were used before we had laptops to do the job a lot better. They appear to be practical when you have a guy to press knobs and push faders during the show. Next thing you want is to automate some more light effect sequences you just want to trigger in quick succession. And once you have more lights than your light guy has fingers you find yourself in light show programming. That's when you kick out the old light board and instead want a powerful software to do the job.

 

[Morbid]

Absolutely. Any MIDI pedal will do. When I was talking about foot switches I meant the cheap stupid switches that usually come with low-cost sets. Light boards were used before we had laptops to do the job a lot better. They appear to be practical when you have a guy to press knobs and push faders during the show. Next thing you want is to automate some more light effect sequences you just want to trigger in quick succession. And once you have more lights than your light guy has fingers you find yourself in light show programming. That's when you kick out the old light board and instead want a powerful software to do the job.

Sounds like I'll have a lot to learn. Fortunately, I'm at least a year away from starting down that path, but I like having a head start of where I'll have to go. Thanks!

 

[unix-guy]

The AxeFx has a lot more MIDI capabilities than the AX8 so the answer is yes, it would work even better.

Hmmm... I don't think so.

There is no midi block in the Axe Fx II. In that regard, I think the AX-8 has more capability.

You could use the MFC or another midi controller to do this... In conjunction with preset or scene changes, or separately.

 

[REDD]

Just hang a couple blow up dolls in teddys behind you.

 

[Indigo Hammer]

Lights is definitely the ultimate goal at some point. To the average audience member, I think the light show is almost as important as the actual performance it self (to some audience members, even moreso depending on the amount of alcohol consumption).

My intention is to set aside a certain percentage of money from each gig and all it a "band fund", and that fund can go to things like lights eventually, but right now we're still in the process of sorting out songs and looking for a bass player. Even if we pool all of our resources, buy all of our lights from China (cheaper, although maybe not as high quality), and find the best deal on a DMX board we can get (we won't be playing to a click track, so I'll need someone to either run them, or I'll need a foot controller for them...or both), we still wouldn't really have the excess funds to pull it off.

I figure taking my time, finding the best deals, I'd still be looking at about $600 worth of lighting gear, maybe more if I factor in lengthy cables and trusses.

Lights are awesome fun and add so much to the atmosphere.

We started small and added to the rig as funds built up but for most venues we take 3 tripod t bar stands - 2 placed each side of the stage with led par cans and one at the back with 4 lasers and some cool American DJ wild and wonderful spinning effects. On the floor we have 4-8 LED par cans, some led mirrorballs and a couple of scanners.

All the LED par cans are slaved off one unit that has a foot pedal that controls colour and programs - tried a DMX controller (American DJ box plumbed into the laptop) but that was a huge ballache to programme so kept it simple.

Add a haze machine and it looks awesome and, as you said in your post, delivers a brilliant show element to our gigs. We do get some odd looks setting it up in the corner of the bars we play but when it gets dark and we hit the go button people go nuts

 

[Muad'zin]

We musicians like to think that its all about the music, but in the end its all about the performance. Which includes everything, from how good your playing is, to your antics on stage, and how well the light show supported the band. You can do without a light show, but we humans are visual creatures. A good lightshow will always take your performance to the next level. I'd go sofar as saying that investing in good lighting equipment is far more important then investing in good tone. And even if you're going to work with a lighting system that you control yourself via MIDI, it's always good to work that system out with a light tech who knows his game.

 

[TG3K]

How about a picture of a stack on a card board cut out. Could be kinda funny if it was done with a bit of humor

I'm the electric guitarist in an otherwise acoustic band. (Even the bass player uses a Washburn acoustic bass.) I've wanted to get a vinyl banner printed up with a life-sized image of a Marshall stack and tape it to the wall at the back of the stage just for grins. (We don't take ourselves very seriously.) The other guitarist in the band used to own a print shop, but unfortunately he got rid of his large-format banner printer before I came up with the idea.

 

[rrogers]

I looked into realistic looking fake cabs and the costs were too high compared to buying some of the "cheaper" Marshall cabs used (like the ones they sell for solid state heads). Going that route and selling the speakers out of them might further reduce the cost.

I already have a few heads and cabinets, so I just deal with the extra space and take a half-stack along for visuals in situations where looks matter. When a few people have commented they don't see anything plugged into the amp, I explain everything is coming from the Axe, the two monitors in front of me, and the mains.

Silly to go through the trouble? Maybe, but I also sling my Les Paul somewhat lower than optimum playing height. When doing that causes a problem with playing, I put my left foot on a monitor, rest the butt of the Les Paul on my thigh, and play the harder stuff.