I'm in a gigging covers band, and I'm using a Blackstar HT5 head into a Line 6 Flextone III open-backed extension cab with the speaker swapped out for a Celestion Hot 100.
The drummer plays an e-kit, so stage levels are good, and the cab is miked up through the PA. The channel volume rarely reaches halfway, but I find that the sound quickly becomes fairly harsh and middly, with no perceptible bass from my position on stage, about 6 feet in front of the cab, which is on a stand projecting towards head height. At home at low volumes there's no problem at all and the bass response is good, potentially because it's positioned against a wall.
I'm not sure where to go to improve the situation. Is it amp headroom, the cab (maybe closed back would be better), or the speaker? I've got my eye on the Harley Benton V30 2x12, but not sure that this might be overkill.
All suggestions welcome.
Comments
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Before you start looking at expensive speaker upgrades that may not significantly resolve the problem, I strongly recommend two things to try - and they can even be used together.
1. A simple 7-band EQ - likely to be best in the FX loop ratherv than direct. The EQ will allow you to shape your tone much better than just the amps onboard EQ. You don't need to spend a fortune - a £25 Behringer EQ700 works just as well as a Boss GE7 costing three times as much.
2. A BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser (again, likely to be best in the FX loop) - see my post 25/9/14 inc explanation/video demos here:
http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/24080/
Both can be used together (when the BBESSM should be after the EQ) - the effect of either unit is like taking off a blanket covering your amp you never knew you had. The EQ allows massive EQ control so that you can tighten up the bottom end whilst still retaining good mids and top end or you can cut/raise mids etc.
I use both in the FX loop of my Vox Valvetronix rig and I always use an EQ and/or BBESSM with my valve rig and conventional pedal board - wouldn't gig without them!
I'd start off with the EQ because its effect is the most dramatic, it's inexpensive and it gives you huge tone shaping options. A 'W' shape is a good starting point - the 800Hz in the middle is particularly dramatic on the mids allowing you to boost or scoop them, with bottom & highs emphasised too. Also, in the FX loop the EQ level can (typically) give you up to a 15dB boost too. Outside the FX loop ie direct, you might find the EQ acts like a gain boost adding distortion when you raise the level setting. In the FX loop this should stay clean throughout.
The best stomp EQ IMHO is the NXR-M108 which is a ten-band unit and has both level & gain controls - but these are typically £110 - too much for an experiment I think, but a good choice if you love the EQ and want to 'move up' at some time.
Let me know how you get on?
Agreed.
Try a better amp. You need one that can supply the right sound at gig volume on it's own, if you're expecting your backline to provide your stage sound.
If you can get a good sound out of the HT5 at home levels, then you need to leave it there and use monitoring to get a good sound live.
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al
I don't agree!
That you need a "better" amp! I DO think you need a bigger one! It is just basic physics that if you push an amp too hard the first things that go are cleans and low frequencies.
So, change the HT-5 over to a 50watter or slave it to a 100watt solid state PA. If you want to stay with the Brand (and why would you not??) there are plenty of gut busters in the range.
Dave.
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al
Hah! Well, if the OP has the basic sound he wants but just more of it, best way is to "stay in house!
Dave.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Someone reading that in isolation might think you had closed off the cab of an HT-5 combo?
Don't of course! It was however interesting when we sealed up as well as we could an HT-60 Stage and found that the internal temperature stabilized at only few degrees hotter than the open case.
It seems the radiation from the cab and external convection is pretty much enough to keep things safe?
Dave.
Record it and see if it ACTUALLY changes