What do you think of this acoustic live set up?

seachto7 · 29-07-2009 10:18PM #1

Ok, I'm hoping to try and do some solo acoustic support slots over the next few months. Original stuff, so I'm trying to sort out a live set up, if it's just me initially.

I'll use a foot stomp box for percussion.

Semi-acoustic > morley A/B box, one output to a D.I. and P.A. the other output to a volume pedal > Boss e.q. > (maybe) wah > Boss blues driver > Boss delay > Boss RC20 Loop pedal > Fender Blues Deluxe.

Should I put the volume pedal after the loop pedal, at the end of the chain?

I would either (or the soundman!) mic the amp or line it out back through the P.A. so I could blend the overdriven/effected line with the natural/clean line through the P.A.

I know it may not be the best live set up. I've heard mixed reports about the morley A/B. I could also put a second jack input in the guitar, then line one out through the P.A. and the other as described above..

Any tips or glaring flaws here?

Sofaspud · 29-07-2009 10:43PM

The amp would have to go through the PA anyway, unless it's a tiny pub gig or something.

The best thing to do to blend the clean / driven sounds would be to get an ABY box instead of a regular AB, then mic up the amp through the PA.

And the volume pedal, I prefer to put it before any effects, but in the case of using the Loop pedal, I'd put it after that in case you want to mute the loops. But that wouldn't sound as good for volume swells since it's after the delay, IMO

Fingers Mcginty · 29-07-2009 10:51PM

haxe you used a loop pedal live before?:)

seachto7 · 29-07-2009 10:56PM

yup,i have used a loop pedal live. not easy things to use!! I would only be using it sparingly, not relying on it at all...

yeah, I was also thinking of volume pedal first, loop pedal last in the chain, or could I go guitar > loop pedal > A/B/Y box > one line to PA, other to amp...

It's the A/B/Y box I have actually...

seachto7 · 30-07-2009 08:13AM

or, I could take the distortion pedal out of the chain, leave the amp on overdrive, and just use the volume pedal to bring it in and out.

i could just have guitar > loop pedal > A/B/Y box > output1 to PA > output2 > e.q. > delay > amp (with overdrive channel on, slightly dirty)

volume pedal???? before A/B/Y or after?

Eoin Madsen · 31-07-2009 03:53PM

I'd probably put the volume pedal between the Blues Driver and the delay.

Dunno if the Morley box is any good, but you probably don't want to be sticking an extra jack in the guitar; it might mess with the output inpedence.

Definitely mic an amp - line out from an amp generally sounds awful.

I would perhaps question whether using the mixed amp/DI thing is worth your while. Even if you're using a PA that's worth it's salt, phase problems would be hard to avoid when mixing the signals. Assuming that most of the gigs are going to be a stuggle to hear anything (welcome to live music in Ireland), you'd be best just running the pedals through the DI and forgetting about the amp entirely. End result on stage is vastly different to home or studio, and generally the simpler the signal path, the better you'll sound.

seachto7 · 31-07-2009 06:06PM

hmmm, interesting yeah, no amp. hadnt thought of that, but no reason why it wouldnt sound good. I suppose I was thinking you could tame the overdrive a bit with the eq on an amp, but then again, an acoustic always sounds tinny through a guitar amp...

Eoin Madsen · 31-07-2009 06:36PM

An amp just jumps up the number of variables a whole lot. Bad room acoustics make for unpredictable gigs. If the amp and the DI wind up out of phase and the engineer can't fix it, you'll basically nuke all of the bottom end, leaving you with a predominant middle from the already excessive middle from the amp. And then weak sounding fundamental frequencies. A guitar amp speaker has a very sharp fall off above 5khz, which is why an acoustic sounds so trashy/tinny in the first place. The clarity in an acoustic comes from higher frequencies.

Though a part of me dies for suggesting it, you might be better off getting a Pod or some other digital modeller in place of the amp.

Or... break the mold, ditch the DI part, and just play an electric guitar with the amp.

seachto7 · 31-07-2009 10:40PM

Eoin Madsen wrote: »

Or... break the mold, ditch the DI part, and just play an electric guitar with the amp.

lol...the easy way.

dunno if you ever heard Jeff Lang, the way he brings the overdrive in and out while he's playing so it comes in "behind" the acoustic for certain parts, then he drops it out, that's what I was trying to get at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM2hrlBVusM&feature=related

he does it at about 2 mins 20 for the solo...

Fingers Mcginty · 01-08-2009 02:34PM

He's using a sunrise PUP though. No feedback issues at all with them babies...I know I have one

seachto7 · 01-08-2009 03:10PM

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

He's using a sunrise PUP though. No feedback issues at all with them babies...I know I have one

cool pup for sure. I'm hoping I'd get close enough with my idea above, though i have to get a good volume pedal, old one is broken....

alipackers · 01-08-2009 03:17PM

sounds like an interesting setup your going for!! Where are you playing? would love to see it!!!

Eoin Madsen · 02-08-2009 01:42AM

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

He's using a sunrise PUP though. No feedback issues at all with them babies...I know I have one

Hmm, what does feedback have to do with this though?

seachto7 wrote: »

dunno if you ever heard Jeff Lang, the way he brings the overdrive in and out while he's playing so it comes in "behind" the acoustic for certain parts, then he drops it out, that's what I was trying to get at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM2hrlBVusM&feature=related

he does it at about 2 mins 20 for the solo...

I see what you're talking about. I think you could get that sound easier just by putting a distortion pedal in parallel with your signal before the DI box. The distortion on a Pod would probably be nicer than a straight transistor pedal, but it's the same general idea in any case. You have to consider it in terms of what the person in front of the PA is going to hear, not what works at home or in studio. If you were recording that kind of sound, using a real amp would be the way to go by all means, but for a practical live show there's not a lot to recommend it.

seachto7 · 02-08-2009 12:03PM

alipackers wrote: »

sounds like an interesting setup your going for!! Where are you playing? would love to see it!!!

at the moment, nowhere lol..It would initially be me and a guitar, so I'm trying to think of someway I could play around with sounds and layers, as I tend to layer recordings...

rcaz · 02-08-2009 03:24PM

Volume pedal after distortion. That way, you'll be controlling the volume, but if you put it before the Blues Driver, you're effectively controlling the gain on the BD.

What do you think of this acoustic live set up?

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