Amplification for Multi Instrumentalist ?

Mel Mandville · Post by **Mel Mandville** » 6 Feb 2004 10:59 am

Howdy forumites,

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions
for a onstage monitoring system.
I play mando, fiddle, acoustic guitar and Beard reso with feather pick up. So far not much luck with the Dobro. We play on the LOUD side.
I have an Fender acousticsonic right now which is a nice amp, but not enough inputs or volume.
I'm thinking of buying a Mackie powered wedge
and a small mixer and an effects unit . that way I could dial in my eq etc and not depend on the stage monitors and just run a DI.to the house.
Also I'm thinking a wedge pointing up might help with the feed back on the Dobro. I play my steel through a Nash 1000. Suggestions....
Man.......Life was easier when I was a bass player!

Joe E · Post by **Joe E** » 6 Feb 2004 12:20 pm

You might try a mackie mixer into an amp. That way you could set the amp on one setting and eq each instrument or mic differently. I don't think you would need a ton of headroom as long as you are not plugging the steel into it.

Joe

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 6 Feb 2004 1:11 pm

The Fender Acoustitronics sucks big time. Get
your self a Peavey Ecoustic 112. Its dual channel with equalization on both. Also has a feedback eliminator on the left channel. You will be pleasantly surprised. I also play all the instruments you mentioned above as well as steel.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 06 February 2004 at 01:12 PM.]</p></FONT>

Niklas Widen · Post by **Niklas Widen** » 6 Feb 2004 2:08 pm

Jerry Douglas uses a Crate amp. I haven't tried one myself, but I'd like to...they seem very nice, and if JD uses one, they ought to be good!

but they're not too powerful, the loudest one is 2x50W I think...

/Nicke W

Mel Mandville · Post by **Mel Mandville** » 6 Feb 2004 3:20 pm

Thanks for the ideas guys.

I went over to Guitar center at lunch....dangerous..
I found a JBL Eon 10GZ powered wedge with a 10 inch woofer . I think it's about 300 watts. Sounds great and Compact.
Also looked at Yamaha MG 12/4 Board. that would give me lots of sends . It has nice EQ, phantom power, etc. I could also ad another wedge and have a nice little PA.

I've got the Acoustisonic sold.. I've heard Crate amps are great.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 6 Feb 2004 3:39 pm

It amazes me no company makes a pro amp with

4 inputs with volume and 3 band eq
and limiter and reverb on each guitar jack input
200w, 2 way speakers, master volume, XLR out to the PA and nicely portable
for acoustic multi-instrumentalists.

The closest you come is these cheezy PA cubes for singer guitarists. Or an external mixer and a pile more wires and wall warts.

The difference is no more than some design time, off the shelf parts for 3 more preamps.
Standard chip sets on a small board with all the controls wired to an existing power amp speaker combo.

This seems like a no brainer.
Hello Mike at Peavey !!

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 6 Feb 2004 8:07 pm

You may want to consider a Baggs or Sansamp acoustic preamp for the Dobro. I think that feather pickup needs a hi-z preamp and a Dobro usually needs some healthy doses of eq to get loud without feedback. Then from there, the little mixer idea seems like a good solution for your rig. Each instrument individually tweaked. Those powered Mackie's sound good too.

Brad Sarno

Dana Duplan · Post by **Dana Duplan** » 7 Feb 2004 6:25 am

I've struggled with this too. There is such an amplifier--the AER Domino--nice photos of details on the Elderly site. It's high quality and pricey though. A nice PA would be more versatile for similar money, a plus for vocals, but you loose the portability. It also erks me that the smaller more compact PA's lack features such as 3 band eq's. If I only cared about amplifying my instruments and no vocals, I might opt for the Domino though.
D

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 7 Feb 2004 6:42 am

I recommend that you try out either a Peavey KB-5 keyboard amp which has 4 input channels, or the Ecoustic 112EFX amplifiers. Here's a link to the KB-5 from our website at www.peavey.com Even before we began designing and manufacturing our Ecoustic series of electric/acoustic amplifiers, musicians were using the KB series to amplify their electric acoustic guitars, so the Ecoustic Series was introduced. I think that the KB-5 would be the answer for you. Here's a link to it from the Peavey website;
http:
//www.peavey.com/products/shop_online/bro ... e/2/kb.cfm

If you have questions about any of our gear, please call me toll free Monday through Friday at 1-877-732-8391 after 8am and before 5pm and I'll be glad to answer any questions that you may have.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 7 Feb 2004 9:13 am

Mike, ever think of coming out with an Ecoustic amp with more inputs? I think its a GREAT amp. Also maybe put some digital effects in it. I know that it would cost more.

Mel Mandville · Post by **Mel Mandville** » 8 Feb 2004 9:30 am

Thanks for the advice all.

My drummer suggested a keyboard rig also. ( I know , a drummer with a suggestion......) They have full range speakers which would be nice, but I need some thing with al least 3 or 4 inputs.

The Peavey looks like a good rig.
I love my Nash 1000.

The Acoustisonic is a good amp if your doing the Singer songwriter gig.
I would recomend it. Except I can't believe they didn't put a direct out on it, which is lame, lame, lame. I'm still leaning towards the Mixer /powered wedge idea.
The road case for the board has a couple of spaces left that I could ad some more EQ and or Effects unit . I think I'm going to need it to EQ the crap out my dobro.
It seems more flexable although it's going to be more $$$$$

I guess I'm most concerned about the Dobro..from what I've read they're one of the hardest to get right. I'm going to look at Rob Ickes site .. I guess he has a list of his gear .

I also have a Baggs DI to use in the equation...

Maybe I should just take my fiddle and join a bluegrass out fit..

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 13 Feb 2004 7:28 am

I was using the SansAmp acoustic DI with my dobro (McIntyre Feather). The SansAmp was noisy! I don't use it anymore. Luckily, it turns out that my most common dobro use is in church, and there's no trouble with using a mic.

I've been wondering about possible results of using the DobroLace pickup thru a SuperBro. Funny, using the SuperBro to make my dobro sound like a dobro. Anyone tried that yet?

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 13 Feb 2004 7:43 am

Does anybody remember the Peavey Rhythm Master? I think that was the name of it. I had one in the '80's and sold it to Carco. Same size as a big box Session (15" BW) and had four independent channels with concentric volume and tone controls and independent reverb send for each of the four channels.

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<img align=left src="http://home.att.net/~michael.holland.2000/images/littleboogie.jpg" border="0">

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 13 Feb 2004 8:39 am

For dobro (and most of my other acoustic instruments) I plug into my L.R. Baggs Para DI, with a volume pedal in the effects loop, and from there straight into a JBL Eon 10. 150 watts and sounds great. With the feedback adjustments on the Baggs DI you can get things pretty loud.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 13 Feb 2004 8:56 am

Mike B. This is a good unit you have there.
Almost what is needed for this threads concept, but not quite.

A few additions, as noted above, and you might corner a unplumbed market :

a decent global digital reverb (but keep the channel taps)

At least 1 swept mid freq, but a swept bottom also would go a long way.

Multiple instruments typically need very different eqs.
Imagine : guitar, mandolin, dobro, fiddle, lapsteel, and electric guitar with an effects loop. All Eq'ed at recordable quality,but useable live in one unit.

A tweeter would be very good, and stereo XLR DI out

A simple compressor limiter circuit AFTER the EQ.

See what you could do with this basic box and a $1,500 price point.

You guys are very innovative and you listen to players.
PS I love the handle too.

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 13 Feb 2004 9:33 am

I'll submit it to the Product Manager for consideration in future designs.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 13 Feb 2004 9:37 am

Cool !!! good on you.

Mel Mandville · Post by **Mel Mandville** » 14 Feb 2004 11:34 am

Hummmm .......
I didn't even think of running the Para Acoustic right into the EON and using the effects loop.

good idea Michael B

thanks,

Mel