What is your acouatic live sound rig?

[SpruceTop]

My acoustic live rig will now include a Grace Design FELiX 2 Instrument Preamp Pedal that I just ordered from the stock that just arrived yesterday at my favorite online dealer, More to come ...

[CarlE]

A Taylor 214ce with ES2 pickup, through a Fishman SA220. The only pedals are a Boss TU-2 tuner (which I prefer over a clip on tuner because it mutes the guitar while I tune), and a boost pedal. I am part of an acoustic duo, and the boost helps when I take a lead. For a mic I use a Shure SM58. Haven't had a problem yet with any of it and people tell us we sound great (my duo partner has essentially the same rig except for the guitar).

[alohachris]

Aloha,

Pretty much the same gear for last 15 years - My Dream Live Rig. Don't need anything new, except working hands.

Guitar: Self-made, Deeper OO/OOO-size, 12-fret, All-Koa guitar - 46 years old - & others I've made - all smaller bodies for best sound & control, less feedback potential. Important: Pickups love smaller guitars for Live.

Dual-Source Guitar Amplification System: K&K Mini Pickup/AKG 416 hyper internal mic dual-source combo.

External Guitar Mic: In quiet settings, in the best rooms - an AKG 535 SDC or Heil PR 35 dynamic mic (choice depends on the room). Or, I add an external supercardioid mic to my basic K&K P/U-AKG internal mic combo & watch mic placement. DR Pro low profile stand. Very natural sound.

Preamp: Pendulum SPS-1. Connects through its plug-in, dual-source, pickup/mic preamp module. 1 rack space. I EQ the sources separately to maximize frequencies of mic & pick-up, then blend. Still THE standard Live preamp with best EQ, IMO, even being discontinued!

FX: TC Electronics M-2000 Dual Engine Stereo FX Processor. 1 rack space. Usually just a touch of quality reverb or slap-back delay.

Power amp: Parasound 2125. 2 rack spaces.

Speakers(2): Custom Koa, three-way Daedalus W803 monitors on Proel stands & heavy protective covers. I used one for smaller gigs.

Portable Rack: Odyssey BR-418 4-space portable rack bag, with built-in HD handle and wheels. The preamp, FX unit & power amp are easily transported & controlled in this rack.

Cables: Canare/Neutrik, Mogami, Planet Waves.

Vocal Mics: AKG 535 SDC (often). Heil PR 35 dynamic live vocal mic (often). Choice depends on room quality. K&H stands.

Loud/Band Gig Pickup: I add a Duncan Magmic SA-6 magnetic soundhole pickup & either use alone or blend w/ the K&K. No mic's. Can handle any SPL level, tight stages or close loud electric instruments. Great for slide solo work. No Feedback.

Accessories:[/B] Shubb Capos, self-made glass slides, Kelly thumbpicks, large Fender medium flatpicks, medium D'Addario's, acrylic nails. CMC music stand w/ Mighty Bright flexible stand lights.

alohachris

[SpruceTop]

Thanks, Chris, it's always good to have you commenting!

[Marty C]

Originally Posted by alohachris

Aloha,

Pretty much the same gear for last 15 years - My Dream Live Rig. Don't need anything new, except working hands.

Guitar: Self-made, Deeper OO/OOO-size, 12-fret, All-Koa guitar - 46 years old.

Dual-Source Guitar Amplification System: K&K Mini Pickup/AKG 416 hyper internal mic dual-source combo.

External Guitar Mic: In quiet settings, in the best rooms - an AKG 535 condenser or Heil PR 35 dynamic mic (choice depends on the room). Or, I add an external mic to my basic K&K P/U-AKG internal mic combo. DR Pro low profile stand. Very natural sound.

Preamp: Pendulum SPS-1. 1 rack space.

FX: TC Electronics M-2000 Dual Engine Stereo FX Processor. 1 rack space.

Power amp: Parasound 2125. 2 rack spaces.

Speakers: Custom Koa Daedalus W803's. Proel stands & heavy covers.

Portable Rack: Odyssey BR-418 4-space portable rack with built-in HD handle and wheels. The preamp, FX unit & power amp are easily transported & controlled in this rack.

Cables: Canare/Neutrik, Mogami, Planet Waves.

Vocal Mics: AKG 535 condenser (often). Heil PR 35 dynamic (often). K&H stands.

Loud/Band Gig Pickup: I add a Duncan Magmic SA-6 magnetic soundhole pickup & either use alone or blend w/ the K&K. No mic's.

Accessories: Shubb Capos, self-made glass slides, Kelly thumbpicks, large Fender medium flatpicks, medium D'Addario's, acrylic nails. CMC music stand w/ Mighty Bright flexible stand lights.

alohachris

Wow Chris. I bet that sounds fantastic. Thanks for sharing. If I ever get to Hawaii I would love to hear you play through it.

[buzzardwhiskey]

Guitar: Martin CEO7

Pickup: K&K Mini

External Guitar Mic: Shure Beta 56a

Preamp: Grace Felix v1...about 50/50 blend of the pickup/mic

FX: LR Baggs Align reverb pedal

Speakers/amp/mixers: I try to play places where I don't need to bring amps and speakers, but occasionally I bring a Yamaha DX10 and a Soundcraft mixer

Vocal Mic: DPA 2028

Accessories: D'Addario capo, Blue Chip pick, Snark tuner, Martin Retro strings, a cup holder

[jamison162]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

My acoustic live rig will now include a Grace Design FELiX 2 Instrument Preamp Pedal that I just ordered from the stock that just arrived yesterday at my favorite online dealer, More to come ...

And I bet it's the silver variety...

[alohachris]

Aloha Marty,

Thank you.

Yes, after playing through or owning more than 100 different mediocre live rigs as a long, long-time nightly gigger, I was very lucky to be able to finally put together that last Dream Live Rig. It was an inspiration for a long time!

I was also immeasurably blessed to have learned how to maximize those signal chains with help from several key players here at AGF.

Of all the help I received here, none was more valuable than the advice of sdelsolray. When he writes here guys? You MUST pay attention! Stephen was never wrong about anything 'audio' in over 20 years of asking him questions at many sites. Great guy too!

In that vein, when I see so many weird, incongruous gear choices bandied about here at AGF, even by guys who have been around awhile, I wonder why?!?

I mean with guys like Doug Young, Kevwind, Bob Womack, Jim 1960, LG Guitar, Ric-slo & sdelsolray, etc. sharing their gear lists & techniques for maximizing it so freely? Guys, just copy their gear! Don't get stuck in "Behringer or "Scarlett" land for very long. That's what I did on my way to my Dream Live Rig AND my Dream Recording Signal Chain (all digital). Except for mic's which I really knew a lot about.

sdelsolray helped me put together the best live & recording signal chains I could have ever dreamed of. Thanks Stephen!

But Marty, I stopped playing & gigging about eight years ago. I'm now 75 with advancing diabetic neuropathy. My feet are almost dead & my hands only work without extreme pain sporadically. I'm about 'done.'

I still have my live rig to play maybe one song on for fun - it still sounds amazing to me. But I really don't play out or in anymore. Retired from gigging. No regrets. I played in over 60 countries, sang/played wives & children to sleep, & was able to live & gig out here in the Islands under the palm trees, next to the ocean for some 45 years. And they paid me???

"I call that a bargain, the best I ever had!"

Today? I'd show up to gigs with a new Apple M-1 MacBook Pro & a guitar. No need to schlepp all that heavy analog stuff anymore to & from gigs - for its quality! Ha! I was getting ready to make that big change when my extremities started to blink out. I would put my money into video now, which is MUCH more important to today's youngsters than audio recordings, even more than LIVE, Ha! So I was forced to retire as "analog guy," Marty. No video for me, luckily. But, "my feets still be tappin'! Barely.

It's time for yet another digitized generation to figure out the mysteries of the latest live & recording signal chains - & how to make a buck from it. Good Luck!

A Hui Hou!
alohachris

PS: I hate to say it, but I would NOT want to be a gigger today - no matter the gear. The audiences today are not very present with all their digital distractions. My generation was blessed to have had VERY PRESENT audiences who were REALLY into the feeling of acoustic music, the social messages shared in the troubador tradition, MUCH better musicianship, & the magic that happened collectively on the right LIVE night! I'm so glad I was there for many of them. -alohachris-

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by alohachris

Yes, after playing through or owning more than 100 different mediocre live rigs as a long, long-time nightly gigger, I was very lucky to be able to finally put together that last Dream Live Rig. It was an inspiration for a long time!...

Sir, I don't believe we've crossed paths here (or anywhere come to think of it), but allow me a tip of the hat in your general direction, for the path you followed--and some good advice! All my best wishes to you.

P.S. You are so right about distracted audiences. I am but a open mic guy and occasional gigger, but my audiences back in college days were there in the same room with me, in a way that you just can't count on now.

Cheers!

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

My acoustic live rig will now include a Grace Design FELiX 2 Instrument Preamp Pedal that I just ordered from the stock that just arrived yesterday at my favorite online dealer, More to come ...

can't wait to hear the review!

[Strat80hm]

Guitar=> DI box => Venue s PA

Guitar: acoustic Nylon with Yamaha system

DI Box: LRBaggs Para EQ w FX Loop

FX Loop:
Tuner - POG - Preamp/multi FX Acoustic SoulMate (Para EQ, Delay, Chorus, Reverb, Compression, Boost) => Distortion => Octaver OC3 => Wah => Looper 1 Digitech JamMan XT => Looper 2 => Volume pedal

Personal monitor: SoloVoice FX 150 TC Helicon

Venue: NYC Clubs with pretty decent mic, PA and floor monitors

Soon (this month) will replace all the pedals with an FX Modeler pedalboard (not sure which one yet: Line6, Mooer, Hotone, Fractal, Headrush...

[Murphy Slaw]

Gibson J-45 into an SM57 into either

1; Yamaha MG10XU > Bose L1 Compact

or

2; Bose S1 Pro

or (Great for solo or groups with separate rigs)

3; Bose S1 Pro lined out to the L1 Compact. (this is a simple force of nature)

[Rudy4]

If I'm doing things like park district gigs or a club there's almost always PA and a sound person provided. I do have my own small format PA to use solo of in small band situations. My main playing partner has a similar rig, so that's all that's necessary for live sound.

I can carry everything from the car in one load, it's all lightweight, quick to set up, and is reasonably loud. It's pretty much my dream "PA" after gigging for 30 years in bar bands with much larger and heavier PAs to carry around and set up.

K&K Pure Mini equipped guitar into Cube Street EX amp (50 watts into dual high efficiency 8" drivers with 2" tweeters). A dynamic mic completes the package, and the whole thing can run for hours on a set of AA batteries if needed.

[lkingston]

If I am supplying my own amplification, it is pretty simple. My EV30M or 50M sounds great on guitar with no added processing. The same if I am using my Elite Acoustics D6-58 amp.

If I am going through someone else’s PA, I bring my Yamaha THR30iiA, both for processing and as my own extra personal monitor.

My signal chain is a little high passing, gentle EQ as the room requires, reverb, delay, and enough gain so that I can play softly as I’m singing and have enough headroom to bring up fills and leads with just my fingers.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Cole Clark Angel 2 into... well... anything. Nothing else needed except an amp or PA.

For our gigs we use a Bose S1 Pro. 2 of them if we need more power/coverage (rare).

If we need more inputs (like dual mics) then we go into an EAE StompMix X6 mixer, then into the Bose.

These days the Cole Clark has just been sold, replaced by two RainSong CF guitars (Black Ice dread with Element StagePro and Nashville OM Shorty with Anthem StagePro) usually into an EAE D6-58 plus two mics. The D6-58 has all the EQ and effects needed so nothing else. Just added an EV30M which will be used for larger rooms or outside where more power and throw are needed. It also has an excellent on-board mixer so again all the EQ and effects needed are covered.

We still have two Bose S1's that are used alone with just guitar and one mic for the ultimate in lightweight transport for small gatherings like bonfires or busking. They are also great if we need a monitor for the larger rigs. Guitar and mics connect via wireless and the D6-58 (and S1s) run on battery power so there are literally no cords when those amps are used. Setup is fast and super easy and stage area is clean. I'm very happy I ditched my massive pedal board with all those cables and wall warts.

Photo of all gear packed up for a recent show:



Photo of everything setup and ready to go:



Once the EV30M begins going into the rotation we'll have a power cord and maybe an extension cord for that but we'll lose the need for the pole stand so that will be a nice trade off.