Live setup question???

jamie_jj69

Hi all, I'm not sure if this is the right place for my queery, but its the closest topic I could find on here.

Anyway, I've been playing guitar and singing for about 8 years now (mainly as a hobby). Lately I've decided to get out on the live scene to do some acoustic gigs.

Basically all I wanna know is what gear do you recommend I need?

Currently I have:
Taylor 210 fitted with a Fishman Acoustic Matrix Preamp
Shure Mic (not sure of model)
Carlsbro Eclipse 12 PA
2 x Peavey Hisys1 tops
Boss tuner, chorus etc...

Do I need a DI box for the acoustic or is it ok going straight into the desk? Also should it be active or passive if I need one? I have no monitor either.

Any help at all would be great, I want a nice clear and crisp sound on the acoustic and vocal. I've set up what I got at home and the sound is muffled and poor. Not sure if I'm missing something or if my tops are shagged.

Thanks in advance for the help.
J

ogy

you should DI the guitar so the impedance and level going into the desk are correct, and an active DI is better than a passive one.

DI'd guitar will never sound natural though, since you have a nice taylor acoustic and you don't have to worry about other noise onstage i'd recommend sticking a mic on the guitar, for a crisp sound a dynamic mic like sure sm57 pointing at the 12th fret (experiment a bit) and blend this with the DI'd sound. Plenty of people gig with just DI'd guitar but if you do want a "proper" acoustic sound this would help.

does the desk have a graphic EQ or effects on it? if not i'd recommend getting these too (graphic/reverb/compressor) although as i said above plenty of people do without this stuff, but if you want a really nice sound you shouldnt).

jamie_jj69

thanks for the info, the desk i have has graphic equalizer aswell as effects like reverb and delay. I'm not too bothered about these but might try a touch of reverb to sweeten the sound.

so u think i should blend the sound of a di box and a mic? so i'd be using 2 inputs for my acoustic? there are 12 tracks on the desk so that wont be a problem at all. i have originally thought about micing the guitar instead of a direct in to the desk, was just wondering if it was worth my while spending about 50euro on a di Box? or would it be better to spend more? i'm not sure of the quality thats out there.

Just checked my mic, its a Shure SM58, I think I can get my hands on 3 of these.

ogy

sm58 is the standard live vocal mic, you could use it on guitar but an sm57 would be better.

i would DI the guitar, as usual you get what you pay for with gear but 40-50 quid would get a reasonable DI.

most people who play solo acoustic probably just DI but i've combined mic and DI at a few gigs and it sounded great. DI will give a nice consistent level (in case you move near or far from the mic) but the mic gives it a bit of realism

a little reverb can make things sound a bit more natural too

studiorat

Hi Chaps,
I agree DI is the right way to go.
Considering the quality of the guitar I would seriously think about spending more than €50 on a DI box. The Countryman should sound OK going into the line input, not ideal but it would get you by for the moment.
A good DI box is an real investment and is sure to help your sound, it's a link in the chain often overlooked, but when you start comparing them...

For me? I love these guys http://www.radialeng.com/di-jdi.htm

artvandulet

Correct me if I'm wrong but surely you don't NEED a DI.
You have a Fishman Matrix. I'm assuming its a Natural I or II.
That has a preamp doesn't it?
Why then the importance of the DI??
I'd guess that the cash would be better spent on a Elipse blend to use in conjunction with your Matrix. This will give you onboard blend control between soundhole mic that comes with it and your existing piezo undersaddle. Won't cost that much more then a decent DI either.

That is, if I'm right about the DI though!;)

TelePaul

artvandulet wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong but surely you don't NEED a DI.
You have a Fishman Matrix. I'm assuming its a Natural I or II.
That has a preamp doesn't it?
Why then the importance of the DI??
I'd guess that the cash would be better spent on a Elipse blend to use in conjunction with your Matrix. This will give you onboard blend control between soundhole mic that comes with it and your existing piezo undersaddle. Won't cost that much more then a decent DI either.

That is, if I'm right about the DI though!;)

I believe you are correct. I'm also assuming the PA mixer has a line level input for high impedence instruments. You may be prone to feedback - the piezo picks up the sound bouncing off the guitar, it's sent through the pre-amp and projected outwards before being picked up again by your piezo...does the Fishman have a notch filter? I'd also skip the whole DI route and mic the guitar with the sm58....the difference between the 57 and the 58 is practically nothing, the 58 has an in-built pop filter and slightly larger low-end response.

studiorat

Running into the line input would be fine. However, a DI box would go into the Mic pre of the console, usually a cleaner way in.
Matching the impedances of the output and the input will give you a better frequency response too. Acoustic guitars plugged into line inputs often have an impedance mis-match, this will 'choke' the sound of the instrument.
Also, for longer cable runs you would be better off with the DI box since it's output will be balanced.