Graham56 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 At a recent bar gig I set up, with my Ashdown 300 on top of the 210 cab. Plugged everything in and switched on. Plucked a string - not a sound. The amp had the power light on, the little Ashdown dial lit up and the fan running. OK there then. Checked the knobs on the bass. All OK. Checked the instrument lead, checked all the controls on the amp. Still nothing. I looked at the back - the speaker cable was in the correct socket and felt as if it was properly plugged in. Checked the cab - the cable jack was properly plugged in there too. Swapped the instrument lead. Nothing. I'm sweating a bit now. Swapped to crappy backup bass. Nada. We've only a few minutes before start time and the stress is definitely kicking in... OK, what are the options? I could use my Korg Pandora as a DI preamp into the PA but I'm not sure it would take it - the PA is a small one with no bass bins and only vox running through it. I shout to the guitarist who goes to dig out HIS backup amp, a tiny Crate head. That might run thorugh my cab OK, assuming the cab's not the problem. I pull my gear forward to begin to disconnect the head. I have a clearer look, this time in better light. Ah. I have the jack from my speaker cable in the amp. I have the jack from my SPARE speaker cable in the cab. Both cables have their free ends lying in amongst the rest of the electric spaghetti behind my gear. That'll be it then. What surprised me was how quickly I dissolved into a panicky ball of cold sweat when I thought my gear wasn't going to work, and how taking a few minutes to calmly and systematically follow the whole signal chain would have saved a lot of heartbreak. Oh, and I now carry an LED "wind-up" torch in by gig bag... Cheers Graham www.talkingstrawberries.com - for rocking' blues, raw and fresh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 You Brits and your torches: http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/frankenstein_villagers488.jpg We call them flashlights on our side of the pond. We've all those moments,Graham. I'm glad yours was resolved so quickly. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Been there. No panic though, I figured it out. Guitarist made fun off me. .... he has done it too.... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Me too. Sometimes you get in a hurry and stuff happens. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbubba Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Reminds me of the time (more than once, mind you), when the countdown ticked down to zero and I reach down to play the first note... nothing. I, panic-stricken, check the cord into the processor, the cord into the amp, check the volume knobs and then play another note. Nothing. More checks of settings on the amp and processor and then I notice it - the cord isn't plugged in my bass. So yeah, I know where you're coming from. A stiffy somewhere in the city sewer system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Oh so many of those moments. Most notable was the showcase we headlined where my amp quit in the middle of the first song. I know the cold sweat factor. Turned out to be a speaker cable. "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I feel for you Graham. Not done it live before but have done that in the comfort of my home. The things that flash through your mind are not "check the signal path and eliminate every possible cause in sequence" it's more like "what will they think, how can we start, will they fire me ... panic". I was in a project get together once when the managers were giving presentations to the project team and client and there were about 200 of us. One manager got up and pressed the remote and voila his first slide came up, click ... blank slide, click another blank slide ... He totally ad libed and remained completely calm. He fired his secretary later though and it was her fault. Not sure I would have remained so calm (understatement). Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham56 Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 He totally ad libed and remained completely calm. He fired his secretary later though and it was her fault. ...which is why, when I deliver training courses, I always carry two backup memory sticks and a CD with my presentation and copies of notes and handouts. One stick in my overnight bag, the other in my jacket pocket. And why I take backup screen shots of web sites I intend to show, in case the connection falls over. And why I have a flipchart, pens and a backup plan if all the technology collapses. As with carrying a backup bass, I've never yet needed it. But you can sure that the first time I don't bring this stuff, that will be the day... Cheers Graham www.talkingstrawberries.com - for rocking' blues, raw and fresh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham56 Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 Hey, Jeremy, How did you get the picture of our audience? You should have come over and said hello... Cheers Graham www.talkingstrawberries.com - for rocking' blues, raw and fresh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 My worst was tuning (silently) before the first number and realising in the first bar that I'd accidentally transposed the tuner from A=440Hz to something bizarre and random. I don't even know why tuners have that function. I still suspect sabotage from my band members. The worst thing I ever did (I still regret it) was many years ago when during a gig a friend of a bandmember came up, plugged in a keyboard and started playing something that didn't fit. Presumably he was invited by the other guy. I just reached up and unplugged him. It took him ages to work out why he had stopped making any sound. I didn't feel good about it and made up with the guy later - this was many years ago. He was a decent player, maybe he was drunk or something. It did save the gig though! http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 The best one i done was playing at a private party (this happened twice in a row), we were playing "My Generation" and when it gets to the bass solo, I didn't play at all....second part of the solo came and I realize i'm suppose to play. my band mates laugh but the singer wasn't too impress, I found it hilarious. www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Graham, I like your style. Phil, I did one better. I retuned the guitarists guitar with my tuner whilst he had his back turned as he's never properly in tune. Anyway sounds like we've got the same tuner. It was set at 444 kHz instead of 440 kHz. Well when the band started to play he and I were in tune but the keyboard was way out. Fortunately the lead adjusted the keys pitch by ear and we soldiered on. When I later found out that my Korg was set at 444 kHz I laughed and I laughed. Did I confess? Sort of, which you should read as no. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenstrum Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I can't recall how many times, I've started to play and had no notes coming from the speaker. And then realized that I forgot to either plug in the power for my pedal board or plug in the cable going from the pedal board to the amp.... And then there was the time about 10 years ago that my amp did a back flip off the top of my speaker...That was most definitely not cool. I had it just sitting on top of the speaker cab. I built a rack for it the next week. Tenstrum "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Harry Dresden, Storm Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I'm the one carrying the torch for my PA (that has two different meanings depending on what side of the pond you're on) - er... I have a flashlight for my singer's PA head. It's made things so easy for the PA, my set-up, and other's equipment as well. My best "doh" moment came some years back. We were playing something where we let the drums continue while we got the crowd to sing along and clap hands (for some reason I seem to remember it was McCartney's "Smile Away"). I was playing my EB3 back then, and swung the bass over my shoulder so it laid against my back so I could clap more easily. The body-side of the strap came off, and the bass went straight down on it's head (which wasn't too far considering how I was wearing it) , then down flat on the face on the instrument. :eek: The knobs shattered, I added to an already-impressive display of dents, and may have cracked the body (it's cracked now, but I don't know when it happened). I was horrified, but picked it up and tried it. It still played, so I put my heart back in my chest and played the rest of the night. I don't throw it over my shoulder any more, and use a Planet Waves strap with the ratchet-locks on that bass. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham56 Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 Phil said: I'd accidentally transposed the tuner from A=440Hz to something bizarre and random. I don't even know why tuners have that function. My understanding is that it allows you to tune to a piano that's sharp or flat. Could be wrong of course... Cheers Graham www.talkingstrawberries.com - for rocking' blues, raw and fresh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Brown Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 I hauled my rig up 2 flights of stairs, so a 1x15 and a 4x10, got to the top all sweaty and tired, plugged everything in. Noticed I had to turn up way past where I normally do. I still sounded fine, but found out in the end I hadn't plugged in the 4x10...my back was none to pleased to realize there was really no good reason to carry the cab all the way up and now back down when the 15 really had it under control. Live and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 The secret is to have a set up routine so you don't miss anything. I put all the hardware in place then starting at the speakers plug from speaker to amp then get out a lead for amp to bass. Generally I'll get my bass out later so I'll leave the jack end lying over the top of my amp ready to plug in later. I've never had a lead fail during a gig, all spares are kept in a bag by the side of the stage. I try to do the same with the PA, leaving the ends of XLR leds on mic stands ready for singers/sax to plug in themselves. BUT sometimes you get people 'helping' which usually ends up a hinderence. Amplifiers with no mains leads plugged in is a common one. Another is when you tun the power on and nothing happens, usually that's due to the venue not livening the on stage sockets yet! Last week I spent a while trying to figure why the monitors weren't working, everything seemed to be plugged in correctly and powered up. I even had the led's on the feedback destoyer lighting up so the signal was getting that far, just not going to the stage monitor amps. We use the left channel for fold back and the right is connected up but kept as a spare in case we use two monitor systems. In the end it turned out that someone had helpfully plugged the stage monitors into the right output of the feedback destroyer. Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 While those "special" moments are always a possibility, I couldn't champion TimR's advice about a routine more. I used a checklist for a while, but now it's second nature. Fortunately the PA doesn't require much complex hooking up. I use the same cables and equipment each time, so I know what I'm doing. I usually throw my rig into place (back wall between the drummers) and leave it unconnected until the PA, monitors, and mics are in place (there are three of us in the band working on this, and it goes quite well). I connect my head/cab/pedalboard/bass last. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 I've just remembered another one. Pugged my bass into the line-out on the front panel of my Trace Elliot. Never done it before, or since. I was depping in a completely unfamiliar environment. All I had to do was turn up and play the flippin' Bass Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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