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#1
02-14-2019, 03:11 PM
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EQ basics for live acoustic guitar and vocals
OK, I have just started playing live and running my own sound, so I am looking for some basic tips to help me get a decent live sound and mix between the acoustic guitar and vocals. I am a male and my singing voice is somewhere in the low/mid to mid range. Best comparisons for tone are Billy Idol, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Modern English, Psychedelic Furs, Smithereens. Could you provide some basic tips on EQing the guitar and vocals and how to blend them together in the best way. I currently plug straight into my SA220 with my mic and guitar, but has picked up a Perform VG for effects.
thanks
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Gear: PRS Hollowbody II Piezo, Martin HPL 000, PRS Angelus A60E, Martin 000-15M Last edited by JackB1; 02-15-2019 at 08:57 AM. 
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#2
02-14-2019, 09:34 PM
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Really, your own ears are the best "eq tip" to go by... you did not say what type of amplification you are using (PA, acoustic amp, etc.) for your voice and guitar, but again, what you want to hear is the best litmus...
Rig your amp or PA so that YOU can hear what's coming out of it... start with setting the input gains for your mic and your guitar... google "gain staging" and check it out, as the information will serve you as long as you're amplifying your voice and guitar... Begin with all eq knobs set to "flat" or center detente, with all effects turned OFF. Do the guitar and voice, one at a time and then play and sing with both together and see how it sounds. Only after getting each to sound good should you add in any reverb or delay. If you are going to be playing through a bigger PA and just running your mic and guitar through it, then it's going to be up to the fellow at the sound desk. Every different room in which you play is going to "sound" different and unique, although there will be similarities among them. Once you have a basic understanding of what sounds good through your rig, then it's a matter of tweaking things to fit the room. An empty room is going to sound much different when there are people in it... human bodies tend to suck up the higher frequencies considerably. When I used to use a conventional PA system, I would always go out in the room with a long cord and my guitar, and see how it sounds from the main speakers. Never did like monitor speakers as they never sounded "the same' as the mains; because of that, I tended to set up my main speakers so that I was in their cone of dispersion from the stage position I occupied; at least then I could hear what the audience was hearing. There are many factors involved with live sound, but always, it's going to be your ears and what you want to hear from your guitar and your voice that will be your best guide. Remember: just because you have a bunch of knobs in front of you, you don't HAVE to turn them!
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"Home is where I hang my hat, but home is so much more than that. Home is where the ones and the things I hold dear are near... And I always find my way back home." "Home" (working title) J.S, Sherman
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#3
02-15-2019, 01:17 AM
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Quote:
It's usually better to start by taking out the nasties and only as as much as is required. Lots of folks find it useful to sweep though the spectrum, find the part of the sound that is most annoying/problematic and then cut that frequency band as appropriate. This assumes you have parametric EQ, or at least sweepable mids. More info required really.
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Give a man a fishing rod... and he's got the makings of a rudimentary banjo.
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#4
02-15-2019, 02:48 AM
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I’ve found using a looper to be quite useful. Play some strumming, picking etc and loop it then go and stand out front and listen to it. Then make adjustments whilst it’s looping. I take a basic boss RC-1 with me and that is the only time I use it during the gig (one day I’ll sit down and learn how to loop properly)
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http://www.Facebook.com/NickSpencerMusic Gibson Songwriter Standard EC Lowden WL-22 Maton SRS808 Taylor AD11-SB Taylor 811 GT
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#5
02-15-2019, 09:05 AM
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Thank you. Some good tips there! I am using my SA220 for the mic and guitar. I have been setting the guitar gain level first (just below where it clips) and then set the mic gain so it blends well. The guitar gain is always way lower than the mic gain. The guitar gain is usually around 10 o'clock and the mic gain around 2 o'clock. Should I pad my guitar channel so they are more even? Also, I leave my guitar volume maxed out and leave the 3 band EQ on my guitar flat. Also I am always my own sound guy and will probably never be handing off to a house sound guy or going into another house PA.
Quote:
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Gear: PRS Hollowbody II Piezo, Martin HPL 000, PRS Angelus A60E, Martin 000-15M
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#7
02-15-2019, 06:39 PM
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Quote:
Talk nice. 
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Give a man a fishing rod... and he's got the makings of a rudimentary banjo.
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#8
02-16-2019, 12:52 PM
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I usually start with the eq flat and dial in my vocals. Usually with an SM58 that involves pulling back the mid's a little bit. I set the gain so that I can move from about an inch from the mic for the 'whispered' effect to about 4-6 inches away when I really open up the pipes.
Guitar is in support of my vocal, so it isn't going to be louder, but I keep it right up there and vary my volume by how much I dig in or mute. For guitar eq, I just adjust the treble down if it seems a bit edgy, or dial back the bass if it's a bit boomy. Mostly, I listen to what's coming back to me from the room. It's not that hard, and with a little experience you will get good at it.
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