[rmsstrider]

Originally Posted by lschwart

You do need a DI (it doesn't have to be an expensive one). Your mixer does not have a high-z input, which means that if someone shows up with a guitar with a passive piezo pickup, you won't be able to connect them to the mixer in a way that will sound good. Maybe they'll be OK with the mic, but if they like their pickup, and that's what they're used to, you will want to be accommodating.

The DI box will turn the signal into a balanced, low-z signal that can go into one of the mic inputs. This has the added advantage of letting you put the box next to the performer, but putting the mixer wherever it is easier for you to control it while the performer is performing. Even with active pickups, you will need to keep the cable fairly short to avoid the possibilities of noise and signal loss, and that will constrain you in terms of where you put the mixer.

The Meridian mic does have the advantage you mention in terms of playing to a mic on a stand, but it's also more complicated to set up, so you want to be sure you're up for fitting it on and then taking it off of guitars as the performers take their turns on stage--you don't want there to be a lot of time between performers.

Louis

I do have a red eye preamp for my K&k pickups in my other guitars i can offer, But then it starts to get complicated doesn't it.