Using a Taller Amp Stand for Gigs (Pros & Cons)

wguitar · #1 10-08-2021, 12:14 PM

Hi folks,

I play small gigs at restaurants, wineries, and the like -- and use my Fishman Loudbox Artist as my PA. It sit on an amp stand and I've seen where they have "high" (taller) amp stands (most are adjustable to different heights). I was wondering about your experience, your thoughts, and the pros / cons of using a taller amp stand. Would the sound in the room be improved (or whatever)? What do you use ? FYI - with the stand I current use the bottom of my amp is about 19" from the floor.

Appreciate your thoughts!

Cheers!

shufflebeat · #2 10-08-2021, 12:44 PM

Usually the main consideration is getting sound, higher frequencies mainly, to the folks at the back without it being absorbed by the lumps of meat at the front.

Keeping speakers above head height is normally tip#1, in your case as high as is practically possible as circumstances demand.

Methos1979 · #3 10-08-2021, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shufflebeat

Usually the main consideration is getting sound, higher frequencies mainly, to the folks at the back without it being absorbed by the lumps of meat at the front.

Keeping speakers above head height is normally tip#1, in your case as high as is practically possible as circumstances demand.

Yup, what he said. If we're playing in a venue where people are seated or standing around in front of us and we're not elevated (like on a stage) and there are people in the back then we put our amp on a pole stand up around head height. Especially if it's a noisy room and people expect to hear it. Obviously, you need to have an amp with a pole mount on it to do this.

If it's a smaller, quieter room then on the floor angled up slightly. The problem with head height is if it's behind you and off to the side then you have to be careful with feedback and blowing out your ears. On the floor is better in that regard. It's why those line array systems are so popular. They throw music farther at lower volumes. You hear what they hear.

But we still do the single amp thing. We're probably 50/50 on pole or floor placement.

Goat Mick · #4 10-08-2021, 02:01 PM

My Loudbox Mini and Loudbox Artist both work better sitting directly on the floor. Much fuller sound and better bass response. My Loudbox Performer works well on the floor or on a low stand. The speakers are angled up in the entire Loudbox line so even on the floor they do a good job of sending the sound through the room.

lkingston · #5 10-08-2021, 02:02 PM

My general rule of thumb is that if people can see your speaker, they can hear the highs from it. If that line of site is gone, there’s a good chance the high frequencies are as well from their perspective. With this in mind, sometimes a low stand works quite well, like on a raised stage with a seated audience. There are other times that raising it up really helps.

In those situations, plugging in an external powered speaker on a high stand can be another solution.

Jinder · #6 10-09-2021, 05:08 AM

I play seated, and generally like to have my AER amps at shoulder/head height relative to my sitting position. I’m very tall (6’6”) so if the amp is at head height for me, it’s likely just above head height for most seated audience members, so high end and upper mids aren’t eaten up by the front row and projection isn’t an issue.

I have an AER “Tilt System” wedge doodad for when the amp is on the floor, but I don’t like the woolly bass envelope effect that floor coupling causes. Everything sounds much more balanced and natural with the amp elevated.

wguitar · #7 10-11-2021, 01:28 PM

THANKS everyone! I appreciate your input!

Cheers!

lkingston · #8 10-11-2021, 08:08 PM

Acoustic guitar combo amps tend to produce more bass at louder volumes. There is a bass frequency coupling effect that really enhances the bass frequencies of any speaker that is sitting on the floor (including acoustic amps).

Commonly, what this means is that a lower volumes, an acoustic amp will tend to sound better on the floor angled up a little so that the floor coupling can augment the weaker lows, but as the volume goes up and the lows get stronger as the amp is driven harder, the coupling effect can be too bass heavy and the amp will sound better raised up away from the floor.

Subwoofer systems are designed to sit on the floor and be used at high volumes there.

EZYPIKINS · #9 10-12-2021, 04:48 AM

I looked at multiple amps, Speakers, Pole systems, to find what sounded good to me.
I settled on powered PA speaker through small mixer.
For a small room I set speaker on the floor behind me. Larger room or outside. Two more on polls downstage L&R wedge downstage center facing me.
May be a bit much for allot of people.
But I have been using PA my whole life. And I like the fullness of a good system.

ljguitar · #10 10-12-2021, 12:19 PM

Hi wguitar…
I've elevated my acoustic amps (and electric) for nearly 20 years.

I run my acoustic amps either on a slanted stand tilted up at my head either from the side or behind and within 3 feet of me, or on a waist high stand aimed the same way.

Advantages from my viewpoint:

Less bass boominess (and accompanying feedback) than resting it on the floor.
Less total volume from onstage amps.
Very focused sound for me when playing acoustic in a band.
I play better and lighter when I hear myself well.
When I do not hear myself easily, I tend to think I'm not loud enough and play harder (which inhibits playing relaxed and freely).

Frustrations on stage…(not that related to elevated amps).

Players who just crank their amp rig up and nobody on stage hears themselves well (except the cranker).
Being able to hear my amp louder than the mains (when it means the house is not pushing acoustic guitar in the mix).
Players onstage who try to fill every hole in a song & don't leave room for others.

Hope this adds to the discussion…

leew3 · #11 10-12-2021, 07:54 PM

"Players who just crank their amp rig up and nobody on stage hears themselves well [I](except the cranker)."

This ^^^^ I played bass in a worship group and standing in front of a 600 watt SVT amp couldn't hear my bass due to the stage volume of the lead guitar player. Yikes!

sdelsolray · #12 10-12-2021, 09:52 PM

If I elevate an acoustic amp off the floor, the bass response is diminished a bit all other settings being equal.

Pnewsom · #13 10-13-2021, 08:43 AM

I like to keep my amp on the floor, but tilted back so that it is aimed at the ceiling above the audience. This spreads the sound well, and allows me to hear it too. If it gets too boomy, onto a chair it goes.

Leo Fender understood the need when he added tilt back legs to his larger combo amps. Wish they had put them on my Vibrolux Reverb too.