7

enter image description here

Is this from the past times, when lot stages didn´t have PA? Or whyy

Community
  • 1
Sadloslav
  • 81
  • 5
  • On your amp they are. On all my amps they are the correct way round - either upright (when the controls are on the front or back) or facing forward (when on top.) It's nothing to do with history, and far more to do with which way round the amp module is fitted into the cabinet. – Doktor Mayhem Jan 04 '17 at 12:07
  • @DrMayhem - although the manufactures should have thought about that when deciding which way the amp fitted into the cab... – Tim Jan 04 '17 at 12:18
  • It´s not just the only one.. Some Fender amps and other have it too, but nobody can´t answer me why is that.. – Sadloslav Jan 04 '17 at 12:23

2 Answers2

14

I think (for what it's worth) that in the late 50s/early60s, amps were placed at the front of the stage. At least that's what we did! With open back cabs like the pictured one, it wasn't a problem, as the sound came out of the back.Also, it was slightly better for on-stage noise, as there wasn't too much of it. So, we could see and operate the controls.But soon after, everything was turned up to 11, so looking wasn't a problem either. Things changed with closed backed cabs, and, let's face it (or not) a wall of 4x12s in front of the players wouldn't look that good!

Tim
  • 183,051
  • 16
  • 181
  • 444
  • great answer as always Tim, really glad to see this question go from being downvoted to being answered well. Unfortunately though the original asker seems to have been scared off. I hope he comes back to give you your well earned tick! – Some_Guy Jan 06 '17 at 10:24
1

Some amps are intended to be heard by performers; others are intended to be heard by the audience. If a performer is using an amp along with a PA system, then it should generally be placed for the performer's benefit. If the performer is using the amp as the PA system, however, it may be more helpful to have the amp between the performer and the audience, facing the latter.

supercat
  • 3,951
  • 1
  • 16
  • 17
  • This works with open backs. Not so good with closed backs. – Tim Jan 04 '17 at 15:59
  • @Tim: Unless a performer is wearing hearing protection, sound that is quiet enough not to blast the performer will be too quiet for even a moderate-sized audience to hear. – supercat Jan 04 '17 at 16:02
  • 1
    Often, with the amp behind, the sound goes past the performer's legs, and hits the audience hard. The guitarist is often unaware of his volume being too loud. I'm saying that if the amp is the only sound system, and it's between audience and guitarist, using an open back works far better than using a closed back, when the sound heard by the performer is often that reflected from somewhere in the autitorium. – Tim Jan 04 '17 at 16:07
  • @Tim: A closed-back system would need some form of volume monitoring, but if the performer's instrument provides some sound itself (e.g. an acoustic guitar with a pickup), the volume monitoring could be as simple as someone sitting with the audience who can signal the performer to turn the volume up or down. For something like an amplified acoustic guitar, the performer may want headphones or a monitor speaker directed at his ears, but sound directed toward the guitar would cause feedback. – supercat Jan 04 '17 at 16:57
  • Yes, that works, but for an electric player, probably not. So players tend to use their body as a foil when the amp's behind, and basically it's found that a backline amp is preferrable. Although it *shouldn't* be on the floor, but up, playing into the players back of neck. No feedback like there would be with a mic. – Tim Jan 04 '17 at 17:00
  • @Tim: For a hardbody electric, headphones or a monitor speaker would likely be needed if there's anything else competing with the sound of the guitar; I've noticed some guitar amps have electronic-signal outputs, though I haven't noticed whether such things are more or less common on open-back versus solid-back designs. – supercat Jan 04 '17 at 17:06
  • Having played for 50+ yrs on guitar in bands with two, three a dozen instruments, the more unsatisfactory sounding gigs were using monitors, so I have eschewed their use generally; as mentioned in several question/answers here, I'm not a great foldback fan. – Tim Jan 04 '17 at 17:11
  • Just for a different view, I far prefer monitors than amps at the back of the stage. Both for consistency and control of on-stage volume, but also because amps behind me always sound bad. They need to be at head height or tilted up, and any time I turn my head the sound change, especially when I wear head gear or masks. – Doktor Mayhem Jan 04 '17 at 21:19
  • @DrMayhem - so do you use amp simulators to go through the p.a. and foldback with them? Or use 'proper' amps somewhere? – Tim Jan 06 '17 at 11:02
  • A bit of both - for the majority of our gigs, we only have a bass amp and cab on stage, with wedge monitors at the front, and run everything through amp sims to the PA. Even my new setup, with a lovely EVH amp, which I love listening to through a 4x12 cab gives me most benefit when mic'ed up and played through the wedges, rather than listening to it from behind me. – Doktor Mayhem Jan 06 '17 at 11:17