I may have found my EQ solution

[dberch]

I've been trying to find a rig that will let me take multiple acoustics on stage, play them all through one cord (I don't want to mess with a seperate chord and preamp/eq for each guitar), and still get the proper EQ for each guitar.

I've been looking into the boss AD-8 as a possible solution. It lets you save tone settings and dial them up at will.
http://www.bossus.com/index.asp?pg=1&tmp=126

Probem is, the AD-8 has that modeling stuff - you select one of the 6 modeled guitars (martins and gibsons) and it makes your guitar sound like a mic'd martin or gibson. But, I like my guitars and I like my pickups, so I've been trying to find out if I can bypass the modling stuff.

Well, I called Boss and talked to one of their techs. The answer is YES!

So what this means to me is: I can use the AD-8 to store EQ settings for all my acoustics, and when I switch guitars on stage, I just tap the footswitch to dial up the EQ for that guitar, including reverb and feedback surpression. Cool, eh?

Don't know if this interests anyone else, but I thought I'd post it here. I ordered one and I'll post a review after I've had a chance to check it out.

And if you use a Boss TU-2 tuner, it has one of those built right in!

I'd be interested in your thoughts as well - would you do this?  Why or why not?

David

[dberch]

OK, I've had a Boss AD-8 now for a few days. Here are my impressions:

• The COSM modeling is pretty much worthless with K&K pickups. You just don't need it. It sounds like a chorus effect to me.
• I've tried all my gigging guitars (see my signature) through the AD-8 and the AER 60, and through my PA
• It sounds as good as my K&K Pure preamp. The EQ is very effective. Bass, sweepable mid, treble and presence.
• It doesn't have a preamp, so for my Mini K&K's I'll still need to use the Pure. Not a problem.
• Tuner works exactly like my Boss TU2. Great! You can set it to bypass or mute.
• Reverb is OK, but the reverb on both my AER and Yamaha PA is just as good.
• The Anti-feedback is VERY effective. Works like a charm and you can store the setting with the other EQ settings in memory. One draw back with the Anti-feedback: To activate it you must hit two pedals at the same time. If your foot is not level, you'll swith to another stored EQ setting instead of activating the anti-feedback. This could be disastrous!

Conclusion: I like it enough to keep and try at some gigs. I'll report back again after a couple shows. It'll be a while as I generally take Dec/Jan off.

Later,
David

[drathbun]

And if you use a Boss TU-2 tuner, it has one of those built right in!

I don't understand this part. The Boss TU-2 has what built right in?

[jmhyer]

I think he means the AD-8 has a built-in TU-2.

[drathbun]

Got it! :)

[dberch]

I think he means the AD-8 has a built-in TU-2.

Correct. 

[deltoid]

Glad it's working for you so far. 

[SR]

David I don't know if this helps or not Horizon has a Stereo Line Direct Box
here's a pic and a link for ya.




http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/336017/

[dberch]

Thanks for the suggestion, SR.  That looks like a nice DI, but I'm looking for an EQ and Feedback control solution as well.  I'm going to give this AD-8 a try out.  Just booked my first show in '06 - a three hour concert at a local winery on Jan 28..  I'll be taking two or three guitars and giving the AD-8 a real test.

David

[mrrinse]

Hi David,

My other thought is the Beringher Ultracurve (I think it's the ultracurve). Anyway, it's a digital feedback remover, based around 2 x 12 band parametric eq. You can store presets, and use any number of the 12 stereo para eqs as normal eqs and leave any spare as roming to counter feedback. It is Beringher, so it might not be great, but it'd do the job and - in Europe at least - it'd be a lot cheaper than the AD-8. No effects, etc though; is suspect the AD-8 is an overall better solution.

I ended up going for a second hand 31 band stereo graphic eq (one channel for the mic, one for the B-Band A2.2)... but then at the moment I've only go the one gigging acoustic.

Good luck fo the show - Let us know how it - and the AD-8 - turns out.

Dan