To sub or not to sub...
Hey, so I play bass in a covers band in the UK, playing a mix of bars and pubs, and the occasional outdoor gig at pub beer gardens and such. We consist of acoustic guitar, a small drumkit where we sometimes mic the kick drum in larger venues for some support, and me on bass who also plays some lead lines with octave up. We lean an indie sort of style but play all sorts and are fairly energetic.
PA wise we have 2x Yamaha DBR12's. In the really small venues with very little space we just use one of them, but will use both for standard venues. I mix the sound myself and reckon I do a decent job of it using our Behringer XR16
I've been debating getting a sub, but unsure how much impact one would be for us. On one hand I think we sound decent as we are, but on the other I feel we'd benefit from a little air movement, especially as a bassist.
They're quite pricey units though.. especially if we got a Yamaha to match our tops, the cost of one is basically worth our whole current PA setup! We'd probably lean a 12" sub for our venue sizes and to be conscious of car boot space, but might also consider a 15"
What are people's general thoughts? Are subs a requirement? Would a cheap budget one do or not worth it? Or have people found they have little impact in smaller venues?
I imagine I'll get a mix of answers but worth putting in here and seeing what I get, thanks in advance!