What do you guys recommend for live audio for bass?

M

MichaelCP

New Member
Hey all, I just put together a board with my fm3 and the Darkglass ADAM pedal. I’m looking for something (preferably FRFR) for live shows that can support really aggressive sounding tones and drive for bass. I tried a single Headrush 1x12 and while it’s good to dial in a tone quietly, playing through it didn’t sound so hot when given more volume. Thanks all for whatever you can provide.
 
Do you have a max budget? What is the context of your gig, and as a reference, what traditional bass rig would deliver enough stage volume for your gig? Do you need to carry the room from the stage, or is it mostly for you and adjacent bandmates to hear/feel the bass onstage, with significant main PA support out front?
 
jimfist said:
Do you have a max budget? What is the context of your gig, and as a reference, what traditional bass rig would deliver enough stage volume for your gig? Do you need to carry the room from the stage, or is it mostly for you and adjacent bandmates to hear/feel the bass onstage, with significant main PA support out front?
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I don’t really have a max budget, just want to sound as good as I can. Most of the time I go direct to PA cause many of the venues I can (NJ) have systems that can handle a lot. But there are certain gigs where it’s in a restaurant type setting and I have to bring everything myself, or the place has a PA but the monitors on stage are crap so having my own would just help. I’m looking for something that can be used in both these scenerios. Can work in loud or quiet settings. Able to support the rumble and power behind the tone.
 
Check out Accugroove bass cabinets, either passive or powered. If you can swing the expense, they have a lot of varieties designed specifically for gigging bassists.
 
MichaelCP said:
I tried a single Headrush 1x12 and while it’s good to dial in a tone quietly, playing through it didn’t sound so hot when given more volume.
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Do your presets themselves work at high volumes? Might be your patches are not dialed in for high volume due to Fletcher Munson and the Headrushes work fine.

For what's it worth, I'm very happy with my pair of EV PXM-12s for bass monitoring.
I did have to accept that my patches dialed-in at home at apartment level never sound right at rehearsal / gig levels.
That's independent of the monitors, though.
Same effect when going via PA and or directly into a Poweramp + Bass Cab.
 
empinchen said:
Do your presets themselves work at high volumes? Might be your patches are not dialed in for high volume due to Fletcher Munson and the Headrushes work fine.

For what's it worth, I'm very happy with my pair of EV PXM-12s for bass monitoring.
I did have to accept that my patches dialed-in at home at apartment level never sound right at rehearsal / gig levels.
That's independent of the monitors, though.
Same effect when going via PA and or directly into a Poweramp + Bass Cab.
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Yup. This is the rub in the process. A Worthy FRFR speaker system that can double as a reliable stage rig can get a little pricey. Thankfully, there are more and more "FRFR" speaker cabinets available to the market for guitarists and bassists. Bass does require a bit more balls in the power amp department vs. what many guitarists need, so that is where the concern mostly lies, especially when using a FRFR speaker for the stage when things can get loud.

I craft my tones at home with an active Atomic CLR aimed at pleasing the FOH mixer. Then I use whatever speaker system I prefer based on the type of gig. Sometimes I use a GK 1001RBII head, set clean, into one or two Passive CLR cabinets, and use amp's EQ to adjust to the stage/room environment.

When I need to step it up, I use a pair of 15" coaxial speakers. These are less "flat response" than the CLRs, and are actually bona fide bass cabinets, but they do kick ass when paired with the GK head. It's usually far more than I need, but sometimes we'll do a decent sized room with little PA support for bass, so the extra headroom is nice to have when needed.
 
You should have delayed the purchase of the ADAM pedal. For live, I strongly believe that the best products right now are the Microtubes 500v2 or the Alpha·Omega 500 amps. These amps will cover every bass sound plus you have all the convenience when recording. You don't need to bring your FM3 but still keep it for your guitar.
 
MichaelCP said:
Hey all, I just put together a board with my fm3 and the Darkglass ADAM pedal. I’m looking for something (preferably FRFR) for live shows that can support really aggressive sounding tones and drive for bass. I tried a single Headrush 1x12 and while it’s good to dial in a tone quietly, playing through it didn’t sound so hot when given more volume. Thanks all for whatever you can provide.
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Why not use a real bass cab? I think it will sound better than FRFR for bass....
 
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