fermfs Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 So it´s a shame how an acoustic guitar loses its warmth when you plug it in for a live show? What are your tricks and equipment to get the best possible sound/tone? I have a Hummingbird with L.R Baggs Element. I add a little reverb with the Electro Harmonix Holy Grail pedal and it makes a big difference for me. I have heard great stuff about the Aura which I´m gonna look into this weekend. I have also read that a good quality DI box is super important. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneS Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 So it´s a shame how an acoustic guitar loses its warmth when you plug it in for a live show? What are your tricks and equipment to get the best possible sound/tone? I have a Hummingbird with L.R Baggs Element. I add a little reverb with the Electro Harmonix Holy Grail pedal and it makes a big difference for me. I have heard great stuff about the Aura which I´m gonna look into this weekend. I have also read that a good quality DI box is super important. What do you guys think? I have the Baggs Paracoustic DI box, which is handy for playing live when you don't have/can't bring an acoustic amp and which is practically a requirement when you have an active PU without any EQ/vol controls. With the DI box, you can go straight into the PA (and there's an effects in/out jack for your pedal). Between you working the box and someone working your channel on the PA, you can get a very nice output. The main thing is, though, to do a thorough sound check. Good luck! Oh, and one more thing...don't let anyone talk you into plugging into an electric guitar amp. Better just to mic your git. Having said that, if you don't have an acoustic amp or a DI box, you might get by using a bass amp...not ideal, but it you can't mic the guitar, it's a way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 My secret weapon is the Fishman Aura Spectrum DI. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AuraSpectDI/ The images which are available take away quite a bit of the piezo quack and with the added EQ allow for quite a warm natural tone. Here's a couple clips where where we used the Spectrum and I think the tone is warm and solid. We both also use Fishman UST pups. (although our lead guitarist uses the Aura image setting less than i do, and i think he gets a bit more quack) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2kP0oHqVN0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 This is my "secret weapon" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Larry, i was thinking of gettting a mixer, but at the big shows we have a soundguy doing this and for small gigs I can basically mixthrough the marshall as100d. (keeping in mind we only need 4 channels for 2 guitars and 2 mikes) How do you use it, and why do you consider this to be your secret weapon ? cheers. This is my "secret weapon" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Morton Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 You can use the mixer as a DI of sorts. Pan One way or the other for what ever the sound guy needs. On all of my guitars I will use two sources, A sunrise magnetic soundhole pickup and the under saddle. they are wired into a stereo jack, then I plug in with a Stereo to Y cable. This allows for the two different pickups to be blended together. Makes for alt of flexibility. You can either go into a mixer or 2 DI's but the stereo pickup configuration offers alot of possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I'm with, Jeremy. The possibilities and the blend are up to the ear's preference in such a stereo set up. Hall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Larry, i was thinking of gettting a mixer, but at the big shows we have a soundguy doing this and for small gigs I can basically mixthrough the marshall as100d. (keeping in mind we only need 4 channels for 2 guitars and 2 mikes) How do you use it, and why do you consider this to be your secret weapon ? cheers. I love this little mixer because I can tweak the sound that I want to send out. It's pretty much set before it even gets to somebody running sound. A small mixer offers many possibilities for an acoustic guitar, as mentioned in the previous posts. And if needed, I can adjust my sound as I'm playing. No need to interupt a performance by conversing with a soundguy over the mics! (I consider that to be very rude to an audience!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 But, assuming a soundguy is involved how can you hear FOH sound and then 'tweak it' when you in reality hear mainly the monitor tone, which is very different to the FOH sound ? I love this little mixer because I can tweak the sound that I want to send out. It's pretty much set before it even gets to somebody running sound. A small mixer offers many possibilities for an acoustic guitar, as mentioned in the previous posts. And if needed, I can adjust my sound as I'm playing. No need to interupt a performance by conversing with a soundguy over the mics! (I consider that to be very rude to an audience!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 But, assuming a soundguy is involved how can you hear FOH sound and then 'tweak it' when you in reality hear mainly the monitor tone, which is very different to the FOH sound ? Hey EA! I'm taking for granted that a sound guy is competant enough to know that whatever is coming out of the monitors SHOULD be the same as what's going out to the house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I run this with my SJ200 that has a Fishman Infinity to this board then to a Fishman SA220 solo, I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 But Larry what you hear in the monitors is rarely what you hear FOH. It can be 'representative' of FOH but usually there is a signifcant difference. This is understandable as the sound projects aross the room and spread through it, while the monitors are right in front of you, not to mention its different speakers / cabinets FOH and their monitor equivalent. For this reason like in the venue where we shot the vids I would take a long lead and stand in front of the stage, near the sweet spot and listen to the FOH tone while playing some track / sample and work with sound guy to get the tone I want, this lets me relax then more. Hey EA! I'm taking for granted that a sound guy is competant enough to know that whatever is coming out of the monitors SHOULD be the same as what's going out to the house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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