Combo Amp or Preamp w/ DI??

[chubby biscuit]

I am trying to build an acoustic rig and I cannot decide between an acoustic amp with XLR out or preamp with DI? Nearly every venue I play at has a PA, but I play at multiple venues and trying to hone in a consistent sound is very important to me. My main guitar has a piezo with an onboard preamp and my other guitar has a newly installed K&K Pure Mini without a preamp. Anyone have any advice?

[ricdoug]

What is your budget? Off hand my answer is both. Always have backup when playing a venue. Not all house P.A. systems are the same. My Carvin S400D and Carvin 810 extension speaker can be mounted on speaker stands and be used as a 4 channel P.A. system. With it's 2 internal batteries it can be run at full power for about 3.5 hours. Carvin'AG series acoustic are winners, especially the newer AG200 and AG300. Activ D.I. boxes are available from $30 bucks up. Tic

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by chubby biscuit

I am trying to build an acoustic rig and I cannot decide between an acoustic amp with XLR out or preamp with DI? Nearly every venue I play at has a PA, but I play at multiple venues and trying to hone in a consistent sound is very important to me. My main guitar has a piezo with an onboard preamp and my other guitar has a newly installed K&K Pure Mini without a preamp. Anyone have any advice?

There is no one set up that will work in all situations, so it's generally best to get yourself a few pieces of equipment that will allow you to adapt to different setups. So I'd advise getting an amp you like--one that will serve you well for both small gigs and as a stage monitor at venues that have PAs. If the amp has a DI out (or more than one), and it's a good one (quiet, well shielded, transparent, and independent from the amp's master volume control) and if it's flexible, letting you send either a pre or a post EQ/FX signal, and even separate signals for each of the amp's channels, that's a bonus--remember that what sounds good to you coming out of the amp will not always sound good coming out of the PA in the room, so you want some choices.

But it also pays to have a good preamp/DI in your gig bag, or at least a simple DI box, for situations where you don't need to lug your amp at all (places with good PA's with good monitoring, places that also have good sound people to run sound for you, etc.). And you'll certainly find one useful if the DI out on your amp is limited or doesn't sound as good as you'd like--true about even some very good amps. In those cases, you can use the preamp/DI to split your signal between the amp and the PA (and some like the Radial PZ-Pre give you considerable flexibility about what your send where).

You may also find, depending on the amp you buy, that one or another preamp/DI might give you some sound shaping possibilities that your amp does not. This might be an advantage even going into the amp.

Louis

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by chubby biscuit

I am trying to build an acoustic rig and I cannot decide between an acoustic amp with XLR out or preamp with DI?

Hi cb…
I have both.

I prefer to ALWAYS use a DI before the amp and PA which I feed simultaneously from either my preamp which has direct box capability, or a passive direct box. That way I can adjust the amp without affecting the house PA (which keeps the sound techs happier).

I've carefully set my stage monitor/amp, and they have set the house properly, so if I want to tweak mine, it's better that I don't throw their sound off in the house.

It's only an extra $30 for a decent passive Direct Box.

[RockerDuck]

I like a DI before my amp. I use a Zoom A3 which feeds my amp and dI's out to PA. I have small to large amps and have 3 different PA's from small to large. The Zoom allows me to keep my sound consistent. I carry a powered speaker with me ,just in case I bring too small of an amp(Fishman mini) to a venue that I under estimate. The Fishman mini has a DI out I can feed to the powered speaker or venue PA. Short answer: you need both.

[Br1ck]

I've found that everything sounds better through my RedEye, so I have that weather playing through an amp or not. It's nice to be able to have the flexibility. Is the sound guy good? Send him the feed from the pre. Not so good? Send him the feed from your amp and tell him to run the board flat.

So another vote for both.

A full featured pre with a powered PA speaker is a popular option too.

There are some pretty full featured powered speakers from Line 6 and Carvin that might work sans pre amp.

[chubby biscuit]

Originally Posted by RockerDuck

I like a DI before my amp. I use a Zoom A3 which feeds my amp and dI's out to PA. I have small to large amps and have 3 different PA's from small to large. The Zoom allows me to keep my sound consistent. I carry a powered speaker with me ,just in case I bring too small of an amp(Fishman mini) to a venue that I under estimate. The Fishman mini has a DI out I can feed to the powered speaker or venue PA. Short answer: you need both.

I was just reading about the Zoom A3. Sounds very interesting and it's working good for you?

[RockerDuck]

Originally Posted by chubby biscuit

I was just reading about the Zoom A3. Sounds very interesting and it's working good for you?

It works very well for me whether thru my PA or amp.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

I've found that everything sounds better through my RedEye, so I have that weather playing through an amp or not. It's nice to be able to have the flexibility. Is the sound guy good? Send him the feed from the pre. Not so good? Send him the feed from your amp and tell him to run the board flat.

I'm imagining a problem occurring with sound men who think they are better than they actually are- I've encountered that problem a few times and I'm not even a gigging musician. Consider yourself lucky to have a sound man that does what you tell him if you tell him to run the board flat. There are to different nob turners- those who know what they are doing to adjust audio in real time, and those who just shouldn't touch the nobs.