is it better to have a small amp on the floor or up off the floor a foot or 2.I ask because ive heard that if your not on the floor it will hurt your bass from the amp,Ive tried it in a chair and it sounds louder at the same volume,But when its on the floor it seems to have a little bit of fatter tone but not as loud,But im not sure if im amagining the difference or if it in fact matters.If so whats you opion of placing a amp with a 8" speaker to get the best but most effecient sound thanks
Hobo i put my amp on a 6 inch frame i made i read about it on Rick Davis Blog,,it got me thinking some was i imagining things it was doing my head in so i did this Little experiment,,Put the amp on the floor carpeted floor wood or cement Knock on the top or sides of the amp like you would a door,,Hear the tone of the cabinet it is a Dull thud type sound,,now raise the amp of the floor Knock again now hear the knocking sound now it is much Higher no Dull thud,,this is the resonance of the wood or Partical Board being allowed to say ring or vibrate up of the floor as you can see this plays a major part on the amps true tone when played,,so it is resonace of the amp cab comeing into play makeing your amp Duller on the Floor up of the Floor Bright..partical Board robs all amps of there true tone and should realy never be used for cabs or amps but chuck em together churn them out is what it's all about so thats why all mass produced amps are Partical Board not solid wood,,
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2010 11:40 PM
i wonder if you used a all wood box that would lift the amp up around 6 inches to a foot,and if it would help with the tone,and if so would it need to be closed or open?
Yo Hobo i used 2 phone books first up to do my experiment the platform form i use now is sort of like a old fruit box turned upside down 6 inch sides with 3 x 2 inch slates on the top for the amp to sit on..it helped with the Tone dramaticly.. i made the Platform Half inch wider than the base of my amp.. you can experiment with Hight but i found 6 inches was enough for my Purpose..
Hobo - Yes to my ear it sounds better. It also seems to eliminate feedback problems more easily in my experience. One trick I use quite often when playing with a small amp in a full band line up, is to point the amp across the stage rather than have it behind me. This I find makes it easier to hear for myself and the band onstage. Then I just mic it up or line out to the PA.
I play regularly at Silverhorse Garage with my boys. We recently acquired a very good drummer to round us out, and as you know you cant play the drums but in one volume... and as far as the rest of the boys, well, every one of their amps are big, gig worthy monsters, mine is a lil Frontman 15G practice amp. Not only do I put mine closer to the crowd... I also elevate it 12 inches or so, off the ground.
I recently found out that by getting it up off the ground, well, the crowd agreed that it sounded bigger...I set it on the floor right next to it a few songs later, and even I could tell a difference. So, for me and mine, lifting her off the floor is the way to go... ---------- Kyzer's Travels
you know Kyzer Sosa i was running a fender 15r and a Kustom 12A together off a y cable with a bullet mic, it had a decent stereo type sound some overdrive with the green bullet,and some reverb with the 15r,but it also has a kinda crispy sound not to bad but ,I have been playing around with just the Kustom 12A with a egg static mic basically a homade ceramic mic they sell on ebay for 20$ running into a distortion peddal turned allmost off except the level and tone but ditortion on 1,into the kustom,Because my egg mic is basically clean and dosnt have alot of gain i can now turn up my kustom to allmost twice the volume i run the kustom on the clean channel because i heard that was the ony channel that has the tube preamp,but get some dirt with my peddal turned on but on just 1,The sound seems allmost as loud as when using both amps,but dosnt have the large field of noise coverage so to speak and now i dont have my reverb,My Fender 15r is setting by itself i allmost took it in to the music store for a trade in but didnt want to take the loss,Im hoping to firgure out a good way to use both and get a good loud tone,Any tips as to how to run a frontman for harp
i just ran another test with both amps and also with just the Kustom,With them both off the ground about a foot,if i run the distortion peddal on but on 1 with both amps and level everything out right the 2 together are alot louder,than the kustom alone although i like the kustoms tone by itself when i add the fender it does give it a bit more bite that i feel like might cut through more and it also gives me the reverb,but its a lot more tricky getting everything set up,so i dont get feedback compared to running just the Kustom,Funny thing i got my second amp the kustom 4 days after i got cut from the band so i havent got to try any of the set ups with live musicians its been griving me crazy,need to get out more,ive got a couple different ways to set it all up and dont know which way will work the best,sometimes i think mic the Kustom and be done with it
I like my amp on the floor. Better bass. I tilt it back by resting the front on a hohner harp box. If you have a smaller amp that's hard to hear on stage, by all means get it up higher. It will NOT make a big difference to the audience, which would hear your amp as well if it were on the floor (provided the fat guitar playing isn't standing right in front of it.) ---------- /Greg
We run all the amps through the PA all the time and do our own sound 90% of the time. I use a Double Trouble off the floor on a stand aimed at my head.
Unless we're on a huge stage, I hear everything really well. If I can't, I use a monitor. The coupling effect is hard to create front of house.
I lose the bass coupling effect, sometimes, but the sound is more consistent this way for me and the rest of the band. The miked amp through 4x15 or whatever out mains are is way bigger sounding than bigger amp.
If you can get a reflective surface behind your amp, like a wall, you can still get the bass effect. The only time I've longed for a larger amp is on a huge stage where the amp can be 7-10ft behind me, which is almost never as I am the lead singer and usually the drums are right behind me. Otherwise, a Bassman pointed at me knees sounds and feels no better than my DT up on a stand. ---------- Mike Fugazzi http://www.myspace.com/niterailband http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail http://www.facebook.com/mike.fugazzi
Last Edited by on Feb 23, 2010 12:53 PM
I use mine on the floor and off the floor. It depends on the venue. I have a small keyboard stool that sets it at what I consider to be a good height. I usually use the stool at jams. One particular jam which is in a very smalll space, I keep it on the floor so as not to be too loud. When on the floor there is less chance of blasting some other musician. I find the sound works well either way.
I run a twin 12 cabinet with the speakers vertical. The bottom one is on the floor and mic'd into the PA. The top one is just under the valve junior and plenty high to act as a monitor..best of both worlds..bass reinforced on the bottom speaker, mids and highs closer to ear level for monitoring, full reinforced sound mic'd to PA.
I have either a Blues jr or a Crate V18 on a milk crate. I helps me hear what I'm doing. The Bass player has a double stacked Hartke 4X10 and the lead player has a double stacked Retro King ....so I need all the help I can get LOL !! ---------- Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art. - Charlie Parker
i have heard making a box, with the back closed, but having an open area below the amp helps give more bass. the sound is suppose to bounce off the back covering and leave in the space that is left below the amp.
If you're playing on a hollow stage then, with the amp directly onto the floor, the whole stage becomes a sounding board emphasising bass frequencies which will get picked up in every open mic on the stage. Not good for the mix.
If you tilt the amp, or take it off the floor, check the sound is not aiming at any of the vocal mics. It'll be a ballache for the soundman and increase the chance of feedback.
