Connecting electric guitar to mixer

jamieh

Hi all,

Please excuse the ignorance - this is probably a stupid question but can't seem to get a definite answer online.

Is it possible to connect an electric guitar directly to a powered mixer, without using an amp?

Do you need to use a DI box or something or can you just plug straight into the mixer?

Gaspode

The usual practise is to mike up a guitar amp or take a DI feed from it to the PA.
You certainly could go direct I suppose, and the DI box would certainly be a better idea. however the sound is just not the same as using a guitar amp.
Are you going through an effects pedal or anything first?

CianRyan

Completely doable yes but it sounds like utter ****e, even with a top end guitar.
Much better to mic up an amp.

jamieh

Gaspode wrote: »

The usual practise is to mike up a guitar amp or take a DI feed from it to the PA.
You certainly could go direct I suppose, and the DI box would certainly be a better idea. however the sound is just not the same as using a guitar amp.
Are you going through an effects pedal or anything first?

Hey - thanks for getting back to me.

It's basically just a temporary thing - I'm an acoustic player but want to branch into the electric. Have been offered a good deal on a Strat and very tempted to buy it.

I have a Marshall acoustic amp, but that's not suitable for the electric.

I actually have a Vox Tonelab LE effects board. Could that be used to connect directly to the PA?

I'll get a proper amp down the road...but at the moment i'd love to be able to just connect directly into the deck. I know it's not going to sound as good as using an amp, but I just don't want it to sound chronic!

zafo

I'd give the acoustic amp a shot.

Gaspode

Well you've some options there if you want to give the electric a try.
Try using the acoustic amp alone if it's loud enough to gig with, or alternatively plonk a mike in front of it for the PA.
Since the tonelab has stereo output you could also try running one through the amp and the other through the pa. In fact I often use that setup myself if I haven't got a spare mike and it works OK.

Grolschevik

Something like a Pocket Pod? Cheap enough, basic amp emulation, and can connect direct to desk.

http://www.thomann.de/ie/line6_pocket_pod.htm?sid=259fa9b8a649a16119492276b7b073aa

Squidgy Black

The tonelab should be perfect, it's exactly like one of the pods. Just hook up the outputs to the line inputs of the mixer and you're good to go.

Many bands do that nowadays with stuff like pod's or axefx's.

goblin59

check into the second hand shop out opposite the luas entrance to the jervis centre, i occasionally see the odd pod and other guitar stuff pop up in there.
Im fairly sure he still has a dunlop wah going for €40 there

jamieh

Thanks for all the replies lads.

I pulled the trigger on the guitar lastnight - should have it next week.

This is the guitar: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59893963@N03/6856314559/in/set-72157629270166769/

I'm going to use my Vox Tonelab/deck or Marshall acoustic amp for the time being and hopefully get an AC30 or Blues Deluxe in the coming weeks/months!