Solo act gear/set-up questions

[Sichting81]

Hello all, longtime lurker with a few questions.

I'm getting into booking some shows as a solo singer/guitarist, currently have a Fishman Loudbox Artist which I very much like the sound and function of but to date have only used as a practice amp. Most of my gigs have been with bands going through house PA's or a bandmates PA so I don't have a lot of experience using my fishman in any live rooms yet.

Basically I'm trying to figure out the ideal set-up for small to medium sized rooms (generally normal size bars or clubs that would hold less than 100) without going overboard. Do I add something to the Fishman, such as a monitor, use the fish as the monitor and get a smaller pa, get rid of the fishman entirely and look at tower set ups like the bose? also, how necessary is a pre-amp for one guy plugging in a guitar and a microphone?

I'm a vocalist first and have slowly been catching up as a guitarist over the years, I do have a bit of a hair up my butt about being able to hear myself properly which means it's important to me that I have a proper monitor set-up or at the very least am able to position an amp/amps in a place where I can have them function as both amp and monitors sans feedback. If I can kill two birds with one stone there that would be great, Im not counting on it but then I'm not fully in tune with the technology of newer pa systems either.

Hmm and price. Not looking at anything beyond the $1000 range if I were to swap out my amp for a tower, but if I can add a piece or two in conjunction with the fishman for cheaper, thats probably the first thing I'm considering. Thinking I could always sell off what I have and go with a tower if that time comes.

Any tips/ideas or questions are much appreciated. This is basically the last step between me booking a bunch of gigs so I want to make sure I get it right before launching into it, thanks

[jonfields45]

I would put the Fishman on a stool behind me. Why not set it up in your living room or garage and see how loud you can get it to go without feedback.

My duo gigs with a Yamaha MG10XU and a single DBR10 (only 23 lbs) on a pole high and behind us (higher if we need to be louder to keep the volume level comfortable for us). With the woofer roughly head level the tweeter is well above our mics and is not a feedback problem. Depending on your guitar and its pickup, adding a floor monitor can be a major feedback hassle with the guitar (should be OK with a unidirectional mic) and I find not necessary with the mains right behind us. I do think an aluminum speaker stand is worth the extra bucks as they are much lighter.

[Guitaurman]

There are so many options. I've heard guys gig with the Loudbox Artist. My go to inside rig is a Fishman SA330. It's about a grand but I'd recommend getting the Deluxe carrying case which holds the stand and has a provision to strap on a mike stand. It's about the same weight as the amp you have, but is much more powerful, is in the right position with the included stand, and has a built in mixer with a lot of features. The feedback suppression and nice reverb are worth a lot to me. Placed behind me and to the side I hear myself quite well.

There's nothing wrong with the Bose, a lot of folks love them but you pretty much need a mixer to get the sound right in different places and that means more money. The Maui offerings are great too, as are several other options. I'm sure you'll hear about them soon. Good luck!

[J Patrick]

..adding a powered 10 or 12 inch speaker to your setup is a good way to go...doesn't have to be a spendy one but the higher end qsc's and such do provide remarkable sound...

[krisls]

To go with your amp, which is perfectly suitable for smallish areas ie patio, large coffee lounge, small bar area etc.. quality cables, decent mic and stand ( Boom or straight w' gooseneck ) . Put the amp on a stand of some sort around waist height standing. Preamp is probably not nec depending on your guitar. For the rooms you suggest your amp is on the edge of being fine.. to pushing it a little.

A regular here uses 2 Fishman Pros for the sort of thing you suggest. The Fishman stick mentioned is another option that would work better I think.

Monitors can be problematic for solo /duo things. You need to know how and where to place and ensure there's no 'overlap' with your mains which can be a headache in more ways than one. That's where the 'Sticks' come in.

Personally I think a single good powered PA speaker ( Yamaha DBR, the latest Turbosound, Presonus, EV, the Yam DXR, QSC ) w' a small mixer ( Yam, S'Craft, A&H etc w' 4 xlr inputs ) is a better choice and scaleable up with another speaker should money and need decide. Lightweight speaker stand/s. Do not go too cheap, you will see the phrase often, buy once cry once. But don't get too hung up on that stuff either.

Go out and look at what people are using in the places you're looking at and get an idea. Talk to people doing what you are going to do. As the old knight sorta said... choose wisely....

Kris

[dcopper]

The Fishman Artist should be plenty, but I agree- you can supplement it with a powered speaker if needed. I keep a QSC K8 available. I can put that on a speaker stand and the Artist and K8 will cover any medium venue. I would not think you would even need the K8 in most places you describe. I have a LB Artist and LB Performer and either one would cover any of those venues.

Maybe you could add a less expensive IEM system if hearing yourself is a problem. Sitting in front of or just to one side of the Artist placed on an amps stand/table/bar stool should be plenty to hear yourself without any issue.

Try your setup before you begin spending $$.

[jricc]

You can definitely do small bar/restaurants with no problem. My Artist handles a bar about 100 feet long and 50 feet wide and I've never approached 12 0 clock on the Master. That's for voice/harmonica and guitar.

I do have it up on a stool or speaker stand with this...
https://on-stage.com/products/view/12582/201364 Costs $6-7

i took a 8 x10" piece of wood painted it black, screwed this attachment on and it fits on any speaker stand.

[fitness1]

Yes - I'd use the direct out XLR (assuming it has one) and run it into a 10" or 12" powered speaker of reasonable quality. I think the sound might surprise you.

[Hurricane Ramon]

If your happy with you Fishman get a powered speaker - issue solved .

I use a Mackie FreePlay and have another amp system ( Polytone Mini Brute 3 channel ) to back it up .

I also have guitar amps ( tube ) to add to this when I need more power . Anything that requires a substantial P.A.
I let the venue handle it . I'm not setting up big P.A.'s anymore . This FRFR P.A. is a serious piece of gear .
It's looks throw some people off , but , I'm into performance , the cosmetics don't mean much to me .

EZ :

HR

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by jricc

You can definitely do small bar/restaurants with no problem. My Artist handles a bar about 100 feet long and 50 feet wide and I've never approached 12 0 clock on the Master. That's for voice/harmonica and guitar.

I do have it up on a stool or speaker stand with this...
https://on-stage.com/products/view/12582/201364 Costs $6-7

i took a 8 x10" piece of wood painted it black, screwed this attachment on and it fits on any speaker stand.

Good point to get better projection .



The battery compartment is swapped with this to allow pole mounting and/or an angled pitch support - really cool .

EZ :

HR

[MusicJohn]

Great title, as everyone knows it. Keep It Simple Stupid.

I have a Fender Acoustasonic 90. That's 90 watts; two channels: Mic and Instrument. Works Fantastic. I put it on a stand (see link) and place it slightly behind and to my left ear. I place it here because it is easier for me to load/unload guitar during breaks. It is close to me to allow adjustments. I tilt the amp slightly upwards and go at it.

I can hear it perfectly and get no feedback. Of Course, this part is going to depend on your microphone. If you have a uni-directional (directly out in front of you pattern) then it is good. If you have another pattern then you could have problems.

On-Stage Stands RS7705 Pro Tiltback Amp Stand

Good Luck MusicJohn

[rmp]

I find noisy bars real hard to deal with. So my setup is a bit different.

while I have a loudbox Artist that I do use for some applications, and a Bose S1 for the times when power is not nearby, or smaller more intimate settings (like being hired for music during a wedding service, I have one in a few weeks that is out in a meadow, nearest power is hundreds of feet away)

On the larger gigs, I will go with a small 8 channel mixer and 2 powered PA speakers on poles, and I stand just behind them. For monitoring, I use ear buds from the phones feed off the board.

Once I get the mix balanced out for where ever I'm at, I then just use the ear buds so I can hear myself.

[The Kid!]

You might be good with what you already have. An XLR out of the Fishman to a decent powered speaker would be a good idea if you need more coverage or firepower. QSC K10 or K8, Yamaha DBR or DXR 10, etc.

Column array and tower systems are more limited than a scalable modular PA, IMO. They have their uses and shine in certain situations, and are less than ideal in others.

Your Fishman can be used as your mixer and your monitor. You can get the powered speaker out front with less chance of feeding back.

If a tower is what you prefer, there are a lot of great options. I really liked the RCF Evox when I played through one. Used a mixer into it though.

There are so many options out there and stores that have great return policies. It's a great time to be alive.

[The Kid!]

Originally Posted by rmp

I find noisy bars real hard to deal with.

That's why I insist on having a small format mixer with mid sweeps, and a decent set of powered mains. The ability to cut out problem frequencies is paramount.

Originally Posted by rmp

Bose S1 for the times when power is not nearby, or smaller more intimate settings (like being hired for music during a wedding service, I have one in a few weeks that is out in a meadow, nearest power is hundreds of feet away)

I want to get a Bose S1 for wedding ceremony work alone. You never need to be crazy loud, and they're often far enough away from a power source.

Originally Posted by rmp

On the larger gigs, I will go with a small 8 channel mixer and 2 powered PA speakers on poles, and I stand just behind them. For monitoring, I use ear buds from the phones feed off the board.

Just regular iPod style headphones with a 1/8" to 1/4" adaptor? I have such a miserable experience with in ears. I can't imagine that iPod earbuds would sound good.

If you have any tricks or know of a specific kind that sounds great, let me know please! I'm all ears.

[varmonter]

It won't take but one or two noisey bar gigs
to make you realize the Artist wont cut it.
A small board and a qsc k10 will work
just about anywhere. If you can keep the
artist it would make a good monitor or
pa for smaller quieter rooms..
I've seen a lot of performers underpower
their rigs. I usually come away saying something
like " Gee i think that person was pretty good
wish i could have heard them better.".