Good preamp for Open Mics

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by keith.rogers

I've been to a lot of open mics and hosted a few. The best solution is one the host and you do not have to futz with at all, i.e., the guitar cord they had for the previous performer simply plugs in to your rig and you go. That usually means no additional (external) preamp, but if you have one, I'd get to the stage with it hanging on your belt and already plugged into the guitar with a known, good battery.

Most open mics around here have you plug direct into a board that has plenty of gain. Very little time is spent dialing in the guitar. Show up with a guitar that sounds decent plugged in to anything, a strong set list, and in good voice.

This is one of the reasons why I got away from piezo pickups. Plug a kk into a board and it makes a 5000 dollar guitar sound like a toy. Always at the mercy of whatever Input impedance is
At the Open mic. So I usually bring
My kk pure xlr. And 2 cords. If they dont
Have 48v then I'm in trouble. But I haven't run into that yet.
The ad2 gets lots of love here and can be had for 99 new. No xlr out ..not sure
If the 1/4 in output is balanced or not.
I would assume not. So dont you also need a di to plug it into??

[keith.rogers]

Originally Posted by varmonter

..... So I usually bring
My kk pure xlr. And 2 cords. If they dont
Have 48v then I'm in trouble. But I haven't run into that yet.
The ad2 gets lots of love here and can be had for 99 new. No xlr out .....

One open mic I go to has an ancient Peavey powered mixer. Says 12V phantom power. Honest. And, I probably wouldn't want to trust that any host can lay hands on a spare (or functional) XLR cable at the point you wander up to the stage, either. Bless the hosts, but the vast majority of these are pretty much running on fumes, and even some that leverage the house PA are rarely set up for an instrument XLR input. (Some do have passive DIs, and one even has one Baggs Para, though it is the only one.)

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by keith.rogers

One open mic I go to has an ancient Peavey powered mixer. Says 12V phantom power. Honest. And, I probably wouldn't want to trust that any host can lay hands on a spare (or functional) XLR cable at the point you wander up to the stage, either. Bless the hosts, but the vast majority of these are pretty much running on fumes, and even some that leverage the house PA are rarely set up for an instrument XLR input. (Some do have passive DIs, and one even has one Baggs Para, though it is the only one.)

Like I said I bring my own cords. The preamp is small. I walk on stage and plug in the xlr and am ready. I haven't
Run into the "no phantom power yet."
But if that was to happen I can plug
Direct in as I'm not using a piezo. It wont
Sound as good but it will do in a pinch.
I can put a 9v battery in my pre. But prefer not to.

[JackB1]

So you have your guitar going into a preamp (which one?) and then
you have another XLR cord going from preamp to a XLR input channel on the main mixer?

Originally Posted by varmonter

Like I said I bring my own cords. The preamp is small. I walk on stage and plug in the xlr and am ready. I haven't
Run into the "no phantom power yet."
But if that was to happen I can plug
Direct in as I'm not using a piezo. It wont
Sound as good but it will do in a pinch.
I can put a 9v battery in my pre. But prefer not to.

[JackB1]

What about the Zoom AC2? A little more compact and portable. The AC3
looks great but a little too big and more $$$ than I want to spend for a temporary Open Mic solution.

Originally Posted by Zandit75

Zoom AC-3.
Got plenty of gizmos and effects, but it has preset sound options for your every need.

[JackB1]

Doesn't an EQ like the Para need to be fiddled with for every new room and sound system? I though about an EQ box like the Para or a Boss G7 or the newer Baggs Align EQ, but with Open mics there's no time to fiddle with knobs.

Originally Posted by guitarwebguy

I’ll second the Baggs Para DI, on the belt, you can practice your presets ahead of time at home to dial it in to what you need, certainly will do an adequate job for an open mic!

[Zandit75]

Originally Posted by JackB1

What about the Zoom AC2? A little more compact and portable. The AC3
looks great but a little too big and more $$$ than I want to spend for a temporary Open Mic solution.

Certainly, however I only have experience with the AC-3. You can still pre-select the Piezo input, plus the source guitar, however the FX side of the pedal is drastically reduced. You only have reverb available, and the boost switch. Plus you can't select the output guitar sound to really give you the sound you are chasing.
Horses for courses I guess.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by JackB1

So you have your guitar going into a preamp (which one?) and then
you have another XLR cord going from preamp to a XLR input channel on the main mixer?

Yes I usually use a k and k pure xlr.
https://kksound.com/products/purexlrpreamp.php
My pickup is the baggs m80. 1 mgohm
Impedance .so a good match. It's small
And just before I go on I plug my guitar
And cords into the pre.walk up on stage
And plug in. ( I turn the vol off on the pre
So no pops.) if i have to adjust the mixer
I generally cut the mids at 700. Boost the treble up a hair and run the bass flat.
The preamp then at my feet can make any minor tweaks as i play.

[Brent Hahn]

FWIW, I do tech work and sometimes mix for a venue with one of the most popular open mics in LA. As the weekly event has gotten more popular, efficiency in getting the acts on and off has become a much bigger priority. To that end, they have now banned all backing tracks, all BYO amps, and all floor pedals. Including ToneDexters and Auras and the like. If it hangs off your belt and outputs a 1/4" like a guitar, you're still okay. Maybe something to think about.

[Turp]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

FWIW, I do tech work and sometimes mix for a venue with one of the most popular open mics in LA. As the weekly event has gotten more popular, efficiency in getting the acts on and off has become a much bigger priority. To that end, they have now banned all backing tracks, all BYO amps, and all floor pedals. Including ToneDexters and Auras and the like. If it hangs off your belt and outputs a 1/4" like a guitar, you're still okay. Maybe something to think about.

Wow. I understand as some open mic performers setup like trying to audition for a recording contract, but a battery powered floor pedal literally takes less than a minute.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

FWIW, I do tech work and sometimes mix for a venue with one of the most popular open mics in LA. As the weekly event has gotten more popular, efficiency in getting the acts on and off has become a much bigger priority. To that end, they have now banned all backing tracks, all BYO amps, and all floor pedals. Including ToneDexters and Auras and the like. If it hangs off your belt and outputs a 1/4" like a guitar, you're still okay. Maybe something to think about.

I agree that's a bit harsh. But I suspect one bad apple has spoiled this bunch.
I know what it's like to have a busy open
Mic and have to wait for someone to
Fix a pedalboard or set up a key board.
Some folks think it's an audition for a possible gig. I've seen bands haul their
Amps and a drum kit. It all takes time to set up and tear down. Usually the allotted 15min is
Eaten up in set up teardown and now
Their playing In someone else's time slot. So I get it. But my open mic rig is
No slower than sitting down and plugging in. I'm sure this LA venue is
Just laying down the restriction because
They have to draw that line ..albeit a harsh line.

[Puerto Player]

Before I went with a QSC Touchmix, I used a RNP 2 channel pre-amp; one for my acoustic and the other for my mic. Amazing difference in tonal quality for both. Makes my voice almost good, which is pretty amazing! You do have to plug it in, but I've yet to use any any good pre amp you don't have to plug into power.

Now I use a QSC Touchmix which allows me to tailor the eq of each of my guitars and save that eq as well as save the eq to each place I play at. It's the most adjustable eq and pre I've ever used and it sounds great. So, now I've kind of moved to that.

[Slothead56]

Originally Posted by Turp

Fishman ToneDeq It has a great preamp DI section but also essential effects delay, reverb. chorus. compressor. and boost. The preamp is one of the cleanest and transparent I've heard. It is very easy to use and flexible to meet a variety of playing situations.

I’ll second the Fishman ToneDeq. I am a technological nincompoop...I don’t understand (nor do I really want to) any of the sound jargon so many love to discuss. I’m a play and go kind of guy.

I have K&K Minis in all my guitars. Bought the ToneDeq based on reviews and have been very happy. The best compliment I’ve gotten recently is a good friend-who knows sound-came to a gig and said my guitar sounded outstanding. I was really happy to hear that and have to give most of the credit tot he ToneDeq.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by varmonter

I agree that's a bit harsh. But I suspect one bad apple has spoiled this bunch.
I know what it's like to have a busy open
Mic and have to wait for someone to
Fix a pedalboard or set up a key board.
Some folks think it's an audition for a possible gig. I've seen bands haul their
Amps and a drum kit. It all takes time to set up and tear down. Usually the allotted 15min is
Eaten up in set up teardown and now
Their playing In someone else's time slot. So I get it. But my open mic rig is
No slower than sitting down and plugging in. I'm sure this LA venue is
Just laying down the restriction because
They have to draw that line ..albeit a harsh line.

It's a bushel of apples, or at least a peck. Of several varieties.

And the owner did sit down with the crew and hosts to talk about it before the hammer came down. And we did explain things like, well, some of those guitar "pedals," especially for acoustics, aren't really in the same category as, say, an Ibanez Tube Screamer. And his question was something along the lines of, "Can a person outfit their acoustic guitar so it will sound up-to-open-mic-standards without a ToneDexter or whatever?" Answer was yes. "And if it doesn't sound good you can stick a mic on it?" Also yes. "Then here we are. No pedals." Hard to argue, really.

[BluesKing777]

Well I guess if I had to play at the ‘no pedals’ night, the only choice would be to take my Maton EBG808. Even though I prefer to have some ‘comfort’ gadgets, I might be able to get by without...maybe. The Maton AP5-Pro pickup system is superb on its own, but I like to have a nice Pro EQ or such... Usually the biggest problem plugging the Maton direct to a PA is the endless questions from the other poor people of Paris who played straight piezo quackers for their allotted tunes....you know: “Wow man, how did you get THAT sound?” That much is too much sometimes and ALMOST enough to leave the Maton at home and quietly plug in one of my guitars with the...gulp...Element quacker.

So what am I saying? Guitars like my Maton EBG808 are ‘ready for battle’ and while I mention this one, there are plenty of other pickup systems that don’t need help at the coalface. Something with an Anthem in it will do it nicely, thanks. The Martins with built in Aura.... The Taylor ES2 is very nice. I am sure there are others.

The other alternative would be to bypass the piezo by buying a Baggs M1A or M80 and hanging it out the soundhole for the 3 songs. They have the inbuilt preamp to help in plugging direct. While I would prefer my Pro EQ, it could be done without and there will be no piezo quack, guaranteed! (but you guitar may sound ‘electric’ a little bit.)

Which brings us back to your first question. Using your Epi with a piezo. I would try the Boss AD2. I have never tried one but I have the Boss VE8 and that has some of the same functions, probably the same electronics???, with the biggie of interest to you being the ‘acoustic resonance’ knob. I have not played anywhere using it but experimented with it at home ‘to see what it does’ and let me tell you, a 1/4 turn is some help to a piezo. Battery operated, hmm, tick, resonance knob, tick....try it! (Don’t let the fellas above see you - put it your coat pocket!)


BluesKing777.