Fishman Artist XLR out help needed

[jricc]

My pa mixer/head is in for service and I have a gig in a fairly good sized bar.

I have a Fishman Artist acoustic amp that I can play and sing thru, but it might not be enough power.

I wish it had an extension cab jack but it doesn't. It does have an xlr mix out. Can I run an xlr to 1/4" mic cable to an electric amp's input for a little more sound spread? I know that is not ideal but until my mixer is fixed, it would have to do.

Thanks for any help.

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by jricc

My pa mixer/head is in for service and I have a gig in a fairly good sized bar.

I have a Fishman Artist acoustic amp that I can play and sing thru, but it might not be enough power.

I wish it had an extension cab jack but it doesn't. It does have an xlr mix out. Can I run an xlr to 1/4" mic cable to an electric amp's input for a little more sound spread? I know that is not ideal but until my mixer is fixed, it would have to do.

Thanks for any help.

Not the best idea. You won't necessarily blow anything up, but the signal coming out of your amp is likely to be too hot for the input of an electric amp and you're going to get some distortion even after doing some complicated dancing with your gain staging. And even if you can get a clean signal, it's not going to sound all that good--nor is an electric amp the best thing for trying to spread a sound out into a room.

If the bar has a PA system, go into that from your DI out. If it doesn't, and you need more than your Artist can give you, the best thing you could do is to rent or borrow a powered PA speaker (8", 10", 12" would all be fine). Put it up on a pole, with your amp on a stand behind you so you can hear yourself and you're in business.

FWIW, here in Richmond you can rent a single QSC K12 for about $30 a night. Maybe you know someone who you can just borrow from? If you were here in Richmond, I'd lend you one of my RCFs.

Louis

[jricc]

Originally Posted by lschwart

Not the best idea. You won't necessarily blow anything up, but the signal coming out of your amp is likely to be too hot for the input of an electric amp and you're going to get some distortion even after doing some complicated dancing with your gain staging. And even if you can get a clean signal, it's not going to sound all that good--nor is an electric amp the best thing for trying to spread a sound out into a room.

If the bar has a PA system, go into that from your DI out. If it doesn't, and you need more than your Artist can give you, the best thing you could do is to rent or borrow a powered PA speaker (8", 10", 12" would all be fine). Put it up on a pole, with your amp on a stand behind you so you can hear yourself and you're in business.

FWIW, here in Richmond you can rent a single QSC K12 for about $30 a night. Maybe you know someone who you can just borrow from? If you were here in Richmond, I'd lend you one of my RCFs.


Louis

Thanks Louis for the advice and the offer of your RCF
I really just wanted to know if I'd cause any damage to either amp.
jricc

[jricc]

Originally Posted by lschwart

Not the best idea. You won't necessarily blow anything up, but the signal coming out of your amp is likely to be too hot for the input of an electric amp and you're going to get some distortion even after doing some complicated dancing with your gain staging. And even if you can get a clean signal, it's not going to sound all that good--nor is an electric amp the best thing for trying to spread a sound out into a room.

Louis

Would I get a less hot signal from the headphone out?
and would I I use a 1/4" guitar cable?

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by jricc

Would I get a less hot signal from the headphone out?
and would I I use a 1/4" guitar cable?

The headphone out is designed to send a stereo signal by 1/4 TRS, not TS, like a regular cable and like the input on an electric guitar amp. I don't know how they're wired so I don't if you'll get just one channel or nothing with a regular guitar cable (you could try a TRS to dual mono insert cable, plugging just the send end into the amp). You could try it, but the other problem you'll run into there is that plugging into the headphone out will turn off the Artist's own speakers, so you won't get any sound out of the amp itself. I can't tell from the online manual if the Master Volume on the amp becomes a headphone volume when the speakers are cut off or if you need to control the headphone volume with the channel gains. That should be easy enough for you to figure out on your own, though (just plug in a pair of headphones and see).

If you're sure you want to try the DI out to the electric amp and it does turn out to be too hot (or if you figure out a way to use the headphone out and it's also too hot), you could insert a pad or an attenuator in line between the output and the electric amp input. In any case, you can try all of these possibilities. Start with the channel volume down (and the master volume, too, if it turns out that affects the headphone out--it doesn't affect the DI out) and the gain down on the electric amp and then see how far you can turn up your stages before you hit distortion. Electric amps are designed to be overdriven, so you're not going to harm it. I just looked at the specs for the Fishman and the DI out is mic level, not line level, so you might be OK, even without a pad--but again, that's sound quality and adequate dispersion aside.

As I said, however, your best bet is to borrow or rent a powered PA speaker. Best to use the right tools.....

Louis

[jricc]

Again, thanks for taking the time Louis!
You are correct in that the headphone out does defeat the Fishman speaker/tweeter.
I did try the di mix out to a small solid state amp with the gain down and it didn't sound bad. Again, not great, but ok for use in a pinch.
I appreciate your sound advice.
jricc

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by jricc

Again, thanks for taking the time Louis!
You are correct in that the headphone out does defeat the Fishman speaker/tweeter.
I did try the di mix out to a small solid state amp with the gain down and it didn't sound bad. Again, not great, but ok for use in a pinch.
I appreciate your sound advice.
jricc

No problem. Glad you found it workable. When I saw the line out was mic level, I thought it might be possible to do it without overdriving the amp. Does the master volume on the Artist control the headphone out when the the speakers are cut?

Just curious.

Louis

[jricc]

Yes, the Artist master vol did control the volume when the headphone out was being used.
Thnx again Louis
jricc