Whats your live set up- PA, DI, Acoustic amp?

[obe-wan]

Hi there folks, just wanted to get the opinions of the gigging members here, whats the general consensus about getting a great live sound?

Im currently running my LR Baggs iBeam equipped OM-03R straight into a Kustom Sienna 30, mic'd into the house PA. I find this allows me to get "my" sound, then have it amplified through the house PA, rather than using just my guitar and relying on the sound guy to EQ me.

I have however thought of getting a Baggs Para DI or a Fishman Pre and then go direct to the PA to eliminate the Amp/mic set up.

What do you guys use?

Cheers, Scott.

[ronmac]

Scott, your setup will give you some control over your sound and offers a personal monitor. Sound folks don't generally like picking up a signal that you have complete control over as it means any time you make a change on stage, to satisfy your needs, they will have to redo their settings to satisfy the house needs. Inserting a DI between your guitar and the amp will allow you to send an unprocessed signal to the sound tech for independent processing. However, this approach doesn't work too well if "your sound" is heavily dependent on processing/looping.

I subscribe to the thought that "The man who has only a hammer in his toolbox approaches every problem as if it were a nail". I am fortunate to have quite a well equipped toolbox, stocked with tools from my studio and PA business.

I go to every acoustic guitar gig with a minimum of:

Qty 1 Acoustic guitar equipped with pickup system

Qty 1 Acoustic guitar preamp/di (Tech21 Acoustic DI or K&K Pure XLR Pre)

Qty 1 Passive DI (Radial PRODI)

Qty 1 Active DI (Radial J48)

Qty 1 Dynamic microphone (Beta57A)

Qty 1 Condenser microphone (AT4041)

Qty 1 Traynor K1 Keyboard amp (Great in/out feature set with tilt back and stand mount options)

All of the associated cables (with a few spares) to hook up everything and a couple of mic stands. This sounds like a lot, but it (other than the amp and stands) easily fits in a guitar case and one small shoulder bag. With a small folding 2 wheeler I can get everything from curb to gig in one trip.

For a Bass gig I take the bass, DIs, amp and a MD421 mic.

If needed I can supplement the above with a mini sized or festival sized PA system.

One thing that I have been wood shedding lately is a laptop computer based on-stage system consisting of:

Qty 1 Sony Vaio Laptop with Adobe Audition 3.01 (complete with several VST plugins, Waves Guitar Solo3 modeler)

Qty 1 RME Fireface 800 AD/DA with 4 mic preamps, 1 instrument input and 8 additional line inputs (plus 16 channels ADAT Optical Ins, MIDI and SPDIF)

The above fits in a 2 rack space hard case and gives me true studio quality sound options with endless routing/monitoring possibilities.



Or you could do like most and show up and say "Where do I plug in, Dude?". 

[gluve1]

You never know what will work best live. Never ha a acoustic live set up. But for several years I played electric in a really progressive worship style service for collage students so it required a lot of sounds for a long time I ran my Strat. into a load of custom done Robert Keeley effects then to a Fender Blues Deville all tube amp with a quality mic. to the P.A. Other guitar players loved it and so did I . But get this I tried some thing completely  different, reluctantly though to make it easier on the sound people. Used a Digitec GNX4 multiefects preamp floor unit direct to the P.A. and used an in ear monitor. I started getting lots of complements on my guitar sound and about how well they could hear me compared to before. Never would have believed it. Should state this was a big place usually had about 600-700 people there an could have held even more. If you can try different things and ask your audience how they liked your sound If they don't like it nothing else matters.

[wilblee]

For solo acoustic/vocal gigs I hook up to a Fishman SoloAmp and use the direct outs to go to the house PA, if needed.  When I'm with the band I use my Bose rig and run it's direct outs to the PA.

[unclrob]

Right now I'm playing in 2 bands.With the semi electric band I'm using an Evans peddle steel amp rated at 200 watt's which I play both my Tele and my acoustic thru.Depending on were I'm playing with them I either use my Stagg E/A with some import stock under the saddle with barn door controls or if indoors I use my Larrivee OM03PA with a simple under the saddle Martin Thinline into a Fishman pre amp.When I play in the acoustic duo I use a GHS mic that velcro's to the side of my guitar thru an Ultra Sound AC30 this is lined out to the PA.
In both case's we run the PA from the stage ourself.
Vocal mic's are 60's era Shure SM 58's.

[sdelsolray]

I play solo fingerstyle.  I use a mini-PA, configured as follows:

Guitar 1 pickups:  PUTW #54 SBT and Joe Mills internal mic
Guitar 2 pickups:  K&K mini SBT and AKG 416L internal mic.

I use an external small diaphragm condenser mic instead of the internal ones whenever possible, usually an Oktava MC-012 with hypercardioid capsule.

Preamp:  Pendulum Audio SPS-1
Effects unit:  TC Electronic M2000
Power Amp: Hafler P3000
Mains:  Pair Daedalus W803
Monitor (if needed):  Ultrasound 50E powered speaker.

I have yet to experience a venue where this rig doesn't work, behave or sound great.

[Dale_I]

I'm lucky. Guitar (LR Baggs iBeam) to a TU-2 Tuner, out of tuner to a DI box and out to a digital board. We use Aviom in ear monitors so I can adjust my in ears and my volume of my acoustic individually against the rest of the band without changing the clean signal sent to the board.  We used a wireless to play and walk around the room so the sound guy can EQ me to his and my liking, then he saves the setting as Dale Acoustic.

[Michael T]

I run a simple K&K PWM in both the 6 string and 12er to a K&K XLR pre and send it dry to the board. Sounds like my guitar only louder. Whatever the sound guy does with it from there is usually out of my control anyway. Then again I play solo casually.

[obe-wan]

Ive just put my Fishman Matrix Natural back in and Ive just ordered a Fishman Pro EQ. Im gonna run straight into the PA and see how I sound. Stay tuned........


Cheers, Scott.

[rxblitzrx]

This topic is a little old but I just wanted to jump in here.

@op:  I'm a sound guy but I also play on stage.  When I'm on stage, it's the most annoying thing in the world to rely on a noob sound tech. For that very reason, I went out and bought an Avalon U5.  It's been worth every penny as I can just set the EQ flat on the board, then walk on stage and just have the sound guy control the volume.  The U5 produces the cleanest, most transparent and dynamic sound I've ever heard.  It has several preset EQ curves and they're all actually useful.  I have my favorite for general use, but if a room calls for it, I can flip it to another setting and still get great sound.   One thing I haven't figured out yet is how to get a sound guy to control volume levels the right way.  Sometimes they just sit back there and feel that if the power is on, they're doing a good job.  Sometimes on songs that are acoustic guitar driven, they forget to turn me up and then it looks like I'm faking it on stage because nobody can hear me.  Anyways, point being, I highly recommend you get a U5 if you want to "cheat the soundguy". 

My setup is pretty much like Dale's (above):  Guitar (Baggs Dual Source) --> TU-2 tuner --> Avalon U5 (mic level) --> House PA. 

We use Aviom IEM's, too.  The other great thing about the U5 is that my guitar sounds like a warm acoustic in the IEM's, as well as the house, instead of like an electronically reproduced interpretation of an acoustic guitar.

[Ruhkukah]

I don't play live at the moment but I have a couple of options. I can use my Yamaha DG-Stomp floor pedal with amp and speaker models along with effects, if needed.  I also have an older Fender Acoustonic Jr amp (no effects, 80 watts).  I am contemplating adding a Fishman Rare Earth Blend to my newly acquired vintage Larrivee C-28 (although I'm nervous about modifying it since it appears Mr. Cockburn was the original owner).