It finally happened.

[ian_dissonance]

I think I need some more traditional amplification. I’ve played this venue 3 times with two projects and my monitors (EV ZLX12P) won’t carry the room. I’ve never had this problem before, but my guitar just disappears in this room. Last night I had both of them up on poles, and still just lost in the rest of the noise. The other two bands are rocking little solid state combos and guitars were fine. So now I’m looking at cheap guitar and bass combos to anplify the Helix and a DI bass. Any suggestions? Trying to keep it under $1k total for both.

 

[Sedaxel]

I think I need some more traditional amplification. I’ve played this venue 3 times with two projects and my monitors (EV ZLX12P) won’t carry the room. I’ve never had this problem before, but my guitar just disappears in this room. Last night I had both of them up on poles, and still just lost in the rest of the noise. The other two bands are rocking little solid state combos and guitars were fine. So now I’m looking at cheap guitar and bass combos to anplify the Helix and a DI bass. Any suggestions? Trying to keep it under $1k total for both.

I´m making it with a simple Fender Champion 50XL (used and almost new, costed me just 120€). It works fantastic because the speaker is a nice Celestion Midnight 60 (this alone costs 90€ new). It weighs around 10kg.

The not-so-good thing is that I need to plug into the 3.5mm aux-in socket, not a proper 6.35mm one, and that it has not a master volume. so you need to control the volume from your modeler. Apart from that, it works wonders.

 

[ragingplatypi]

I would consider trying a Roland keyboard amp or similar. The cabinet construction is closer to a guitar amp than an PA speaker and it can handle bass better than a guitar amp.

 

[JiveTurkey]

A vast, slippery slope awaits. If you want it to be so. Playing through cheap solid state combos with a modeler is fine until your ears realize it isn't. I'd second RP's Roland keyboard amp suggestion. I played through one here recently at a casino gig (I know; not the same world as what you need and do) but it WAS pleasing to play through and was certainly PLENTY loud.

 

[norminal]

 

[ian_dissonance]

View attachment 36784

I’d rather carry my whole PA than that thing.

 

[ragingplatypi]

View attachment 36784

Someone’s gotta buy it.

 

[TubeStack]

Fender Mustang on a pole FTW.

 

[ian_dissonance]

A vast, slippery slope awaits. If you want it to be so. Playing through cheap solid state combos with a modeler is fine until your ears realize it isn't. I'd second RP's Roland keyboard amp suggestion. I played through one here recently at a casino gig (I know; not the same world as what you need and do) but it WAS pleasing to play through and was certainly PLENTY loud.

Honestly I don’t care if it sounds great, nothing sounds great in this type of room, but guitar cabs seems to do that limited bandwidth aggressive mid thing that works in a shitty old wooden room with big ass windows everywhere. My current setup sounds great 99.9% of the time, but a few rooms seems to have like, negative midrange.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I’d rather carry my whole PA than that thing.

Honestly I don’t care if it sounds great, nothing sounds great in this type of room, but guitar cabs seems to do that limited bandwidth aggressive mid thing that works in a shitty old wooden room with big ass windows everywhere. My current setup sounds great 99.9% of the time, but a few rooms seems to have like, negative midrange.

Hear me out:

What if the Laney WAS the PA?

 

[ragingplatypi]

Honestly I don’t care if it sounds great, nothing sounds great in this type of room, but guitar cabs seems to do that limited bandwidth aggressive mid thing that works in a shitty old wooden room with big ass windows everywhere. My current setup sounds great 99.9% of the time, but a few rooms seems to have like, negative midrange.

I played a lot of shitty rooms with the Roland keyboard amp and Tonelab SE. It got the job done and kept up with the other guitarist’s 2x12. I was on keyboard duties as well so it managed the trumpets just fine @JiveTurkey

I also used it with a Tech 21 Bass DI, but for that gig I was just monitoring myself so I don’t have experience of how it does filling the room.

 

[ian_dissonance]

I played a lot of shitty rooms with the Roland keyboard amp and Tonelab SE. It got the job done and kept up with the other guitarist’s 2x12. I was on keyboard duties as well so it managed the trumpets just fine @JiveTurkey

I also used it with a Tech 21 Bass DI, but for that gig I was just monitoring myself so I don’t have experience of how it does filling the room.

Those Roland keyboards amps are expensive AF.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Those Roland keyboards amps are expensive AF.

And fairly heavy. But super capable and come with a ton of inputs. Behringer made some ripoffs of them but would not trust them.

 

[ian_dissonance]

And fairly heavy. But super capable and come with a ton of inputs. Behringer made some ripoffs of them but would not trust them.

I’ll buy their digital mixers all day, but no speakers or amps. I watched one of their powered speakers rattle the plate amp out of its spot in a matter of minutes out of the box and one of their bass heads literally start itself on fire.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I’ll buy their digital mixers all day, but no speakers or amps. I watched one of their powered speakers rattle the plate amp out of its spot in a matter of minutes out of the box and one of their bass heads literally start itself on fire.

I had a Bugera once

 

[OneEng]

DXR10 or 12. DSR112 if you can find someone willing to sell it used. Those get silly loud and sound great (I have 2).

 

[ian_dissonance]

DXR10 or 12. DSR112 if you can find someone willing to sell it used. Those get silly loud and sound great (I have 2).

Had some DXR12s before the EVs, like the EVs better. Sound is comparable, feel easier to move. I don’t think volume is the problem in this situation, I think it’s honestly more about the speaker’s crossover and the combination of a bad room and loud drums. We’re a metal-ish band, hitting the shit out of the drums is part of the sound.

 

[laxu]

one of their bass heads literally start itself on fire.

Doesn't surprise me. I remember trying one of those bass heads, it was really cheap for a head and 4x10 cab. It had the loosest, shittiest feeling knobs ever and everything about it was like "ok, now I get the price...they cut every corner possible."

 

[ian_dissonance]

Doesn't surprise me. I remember trying one of those bass heads, it was really cheap for a head and 4x10 cab. It had the loosest, shittiest feeling knobs ever and everything about it was like "ok, now I get the price...they cut every corner possible."

The best part was it didn’t stop making noise until there were literal flames.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I had a Bugera once