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  #1  
Old 01-23-2017, 09:49 AM
redir redir is offline
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Default Help! My Band Wants me to go Ampless!

I took a two year hiatus from the band so I could get my shizz back together. I got it together and now I'm back with the band but things have changed. Everyone now plugs right into the PA including the bass player, no amp. They think I can just plug from my pedal board right to the PA. Apparently that's what the other guitarist did.

I was like... uhhhh no. No no no no no.

I don't have thousands of dollars of equipment to ditch so I can have a sterile, canned, lifeless sound.

They all wear earbuds or headphones when practicing now. It's way too weird for me. I need to hear my amp and frankly I liked it a lot better when I could hear all the amps.

I struggled with this constantly in the past. The best sound we ever had was when everyone would just turn down and have monitors set around so we could hear each other. Inevitably the volume goes up. So I understand why they want to do it but I just....can't.

And there is no way in hell I'm gonna plug my rig right into a PA.

The whole thing just feels inorganic.



Is this the way bands are going now? Death to the amplifier and the rise of the models? Walk around on stage withe headphones or earbuds in a sterile environment and complete disconnect from your audience?
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  #2  
Old 01-23-2017, 10:09 AM
Tahitijack Tahitijack is offline
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I rehearsed with a band using their JamHub device. Like you I just felt uncomfortable wearing headphones and playing without amps and a real drum set. Drummer was playing an electronic kit. I didn't pursue joining that band. BTW JamHub is going out of business.
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  #3  
Old 01-23-2017, 10:13 AM
J Patrick J Patrick is offline
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...yeah...thats crazy talk....an electric guitar without an amp is a sad thing...
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Old 01-23-2017, 10:34 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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What kind of music is this band playing? For some music (show band stuff, for example), individual amps are not really necessary any longer.
I assume the PA has subs and you're not playing small clubs/rooms.

Using in-ear monitors is a good thing for live use - not only reduces ear fatigue and increases protection but also makes it easier to hear everything (assuming you have the ability make multiple monitor mixes). For practice it allows you to skip using the main PA speakers entirely.
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Old 01-23-2017, 11:59 AM
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We are a rock band with bass, keys, guitar, drums, sax, flute, and vocals. Mostly small clubs with the occasional out door venue. I need to catch up on the equipment it's all new to me. I think they have a 12 channel mixer before going to the PA and each band member has a little box that they can control their individual volume or the volume of the rest of the band in their own ears.
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Old 01-23-2017, 12:50 PM
DHillshafer DHillshafer is offline
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I heard a band last month where the guitarist played live with his pedalboard right into the PA. What a horrid, weak, toneless POS sound he got. I would never do that.
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Old 01-23-2017, 12:59 PM
6L6 6L6 is offline
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Our lead guitarist showed up one night with a POD and plugged it into the PA. It sounded TERRIBLE! ICE PICK IN THE EARS!!!!!!

We gave him some serious grief about it and he said he was done lugging an amp to gigs (usually used a Fender Twin Reverb).

We canned him and that solved the problem.
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Old 01-23-2017, 12:59 PM
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I've done that in a couple of bands, and I really like it. You get what you need in the monitors or IEMs, and can use a personal monitor (I used a Rolls) for an individualized mix if you prefer. Less to carry, quicker loading and setup, not to mention a cleaner stage. Unconventional? I suppose so, but what does that matter?
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Old 01-23-2017, 01:16 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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You need a new band...
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Old 01-23-2017, 01:38 PM
jdmulli jdmulli is offline
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Default Give it a try

I play guitar in a few different bands--Some with an amp (DR Z Maz 18) and some without. I've tried several different things for the ampless band (some expensive and some cheaper), but I finally settled on a Tech 21 Fly Rig.

Does it sound as good as my Dr Z pushed to glorious tube distortion? Of course not, but it is convenient and sounds the same regardless of volume level.
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  #11  
Old 01-23-2017, 01:40 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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sounds like your band needs a 2 year hiatus to get THEIR shizz back together
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Old 01-23-2017, 01:50 PM
Fairlight Fairlight is offline
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Oh boy, I hear you. Been there. So do they also demand the drummer use an electronic kit? Ugh.

I believe that IEMs (and modelers) are only best used when you have competent FOH support. I've played some pretty big venues, but have yet to have a positive and musically transparent experience with them. IMO, smaller venues don't require them unless you're using backing tracks and needing to hear cues. A "quiet stage" mentality uniformly and thoroughly sucks the joy of out playing live. I was once told by a sound guy that the purpose of the IEMs are for "monitoring only and NOT for listening". In other words, you get the minimum of what you need in order to contribute, but not enough to personally enjoy the experience. That's no way to live!

If there's any way for you to compromise on this, perhaps you could use an ISO box or shield? This would allow you to run the amp hot, dampen things down for your sensitive bandmates, while also being able to hear some bleed and balance onstage.

I remember one time demanding that I get a wedge with at least the bass included. I can't stand not "feeling" the bass while playing and you can't do that with IEMs. The bass player liked the result so much that he decided he needed one too. Nothing can compete with the actual moving of air on stage.
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Old 01-23-2017, 02:46 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Get a really small amp with a DI out and use it as your monitor? Compromise? Usually bands stay together longer when their members compromise. I don't know too many guitar players successfully rocking out by themselves. :-)
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Old 01-23-2017, 02:49 PM
redir redir is offline
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That's the thing that makes no sense to me. No, the drummer uses his regular drums. So really the drums and the sax player, flute too though that is not as loud, are going to be heard acoustically anyway. The drummer has a plexiglass shield but still. So I should be able to set my Twin up low volume with an SM57 and be as loud or even less then the sax and drums. But that would allow me to at least still use my amp. I had not thought about an actual box for the amp.

This comes at a time BTW where I finally feel like I've totally dialed in my sound. I have not had the desire to buy a pedal in years, if that is any indication

Do they make strictly amp model type things? I see a lot of effect units that have speaker/amp/cab models in them but I have my own effects. So if worse came to worse I'd just want something very stripped down and simple like a Fender Twin model that I could plug my effects pedal board into then off to the PA. I don't really want to do it, and probably won't, but it, would be a slight compromise.
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Old 01-23-2017, 02:59 PM
muscmp muscmp is offline
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as with everything on the agf, it is all subjective. so you either join the crowd or you go elsewhere. i'm open minded and would those methods at least once but i'll make my choices after trying.

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