Bass Cabinet Help!

[keefeology]

Hi fellow Muse-ers, I was wondering whether do we still need to get an Amp head for our cabinet if I already have a Multi EFX such as the Line 6 Bass Pod Xt Live or Gt 6b.

 

Thanks and regards.

[cheddatom]

A pre-amp amplifies the signal from your bass up to line level. A power amp amplifies a line level signal to speaker level.

 

To drive speakers, you need a power amp.

 

Amp heads have both a pre amp, and a power amp.

 

Your multi-effects pedal is a kind of pre-amp. What is your cab? Some people would buy a proper bass head, and plug the multi-effects into there. Others would just buy a power amp.

[matthijs]

You can send to a line with something like the bass pod xt live, or to an amp, but you still need the poweramp to amplify to your speaker.

With the X3 you also have a direct out which you could use to put your signal through to the PA, and just get your bass sound back on monitor (or in-ear). Loads of cover bands use that method because they have loads of different pre-sets on their FX pedals and don't really need the bass on stage, just an in-ear sound.

[cheddatom]

yeh but if you want your balls tickled by your bass, you will need a rig on stage.

[matthijs]

I wouldn't ever go for the in-ear only solution.

 

I'm going for in-ear in a while though, need a click in my ear because of backing tracks

[cheddatom]

don't you have a drummer to keep time for you?

[matthijs]

of course, and a pretty good one too. Still, I prefer to hear the click too if he has it.

[cheddatom]

really? I'd rather leave it up to the drummer, otherwise you might be playing ahead and he might be behind, if you know what I mean.

[matthijs]

Yeah I get you We would have to practice with the clicks anyway.

[cheddatom]

I've been playing drums to a click recently, and it's made me realise how weird tempo is. There's one creepjoint song i'm working on, and it's like for the choruses, the click is bang on, then for the start and end sections of the verses, the click is dragging, but for the middle section of the verses the click is really pushing.

 

Obviously this is all in my head because the click is constant, but it does mean that I accent these sections differently, which might influence the bassist.

 

If you then go through the same exercise with the bassist, and he decides that the click is pushing him for the verses except the middle where it's dragging him, then the bass and drums aren't going to lock in.

 

Does that make sense?

[matthijs]

Yes, it does! And I think you have a good point there because some of the natural chemistry between the bass and drums might get lost.

[cheddatom]

it's deffinitely something to think about. If you're rehearsing together, and your click is only in one ear and you can hear plenty of drums, then you're probably OK anyway.