I've been plugging direct from my electric to my PA and realized I'm making a mistake

[Robbyplobby]

Hey everyone. Busker here.

Pretty embarrassed because I should have known clipping could be an issue.

My setup that I have used until now is bare bones: it's the following chain.

Guitar directly to Bose S1 Pro. Set to about 60 percent volume. Issue:Clipping unless I pick super lightly, I'll still clip at even forty percent of I pick hard enough. I want to eliminate clipping.

Goal: To be able to still play pretty loud and pick harder without clipping.

Some people have told me I will need the following in my chain in order to eliminate clipping:
1: A compresser pedal
2. A DI/direct input box
3. A high Impedance pedal
4. Worst case lower the max volume to so low it can't clip , which isnt an option because I need to be loud enough to busk

Now before I add those things here is my now current chain:
Guitar, Donner reverb pedal, Ed Sheeran plus looper, Bose S1 Pro.

This chain is fine, but again, doesn't have the needed things to disable or reduce the clipping when picking too hard at a moderate volume

Can somebody help let me know what I would need in order to stop the clipping? Would I need just a DI box? Just a compresser pedal, just a high Impedance pedal? All three? Something else?

If I add more to the chain will I also need an external mixer on top of it all?



Thanks for the help

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Robbyplobby

...Would I need just a DI box?...

I'd start with a basic passive DI box with both ground lift and attenuator, and go from there if necessary - something like this:



https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-...ttenuation-pad

[phcorrigan]

If the PA has an instrument-level input you should be good to go. If it has line-level or mic-level inputs only, or you're using a cable longer than about 25 ft., then you'll need a DI box.

I've never seen going directly from an electric guitar to a PA with an instrument-level input to be a problem, other than the rather bland sound.

When plugging into a PA, I use the same pedalboard I use when plugging into my Bugera V22 Infinium (tuner, noise reducer, delay, tremolo, EQ) with the addition of a reverb pedal and tube amp modeler. This saves me from carrying a 42-pound amp for a three-song open mic, while still getting a reasonably good sound.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Robbyplobby

Hey everyone. Busker here.

Pretty embarrassed because I should have known clipping could be an issue.

My setup that I have used until now is bare bones: it's the following chain.

Guitar directly to Bose S1 Pro. Set to about 60 percent volume. Issue:Clipping unless I pick super lightly, I'll still clip at even forty percent of I pick hard enough. I want to eliminate clipping.

Goal: To be able to still play pretty loud and pick harder without clipping.

Some people have told me I will need the following in my chain in order to eliminate clipping:
1: A compresser pedal
2. A DI/direct input box
3. A high Impedance pedal
4. Worst case lower the max volume to so low it can't clip , which isnt an option because I need to be loud enough to busk

Now before I add those things here is my now current chain:
Guitar, Donner reverb pedal, Ed Sheeran plus looper, Bose S1 Pro.

This chain is fine, but again, doesn't have the needed things to disable or reduce the clipping when picking too hard at a moderate volume

Can somebody help let me know what I would need in order to stop the clipping? Would I need just a DI box? Just a compresser pedal, just a high Impedance pedal? All three? Something else?

If I add more to the chain will I also need an external mixer on top of it all?



Thanks for the help

I’ve plugged my Tele directly into my S1 and it sounded pretty good…indoors and at lower volume levels. I would probably never busk outdoors that way where more volume would be needed. I assume your singing as well.
I’m not much for busking with an electric anyway.

[Dirk Hofman]

What is clipping?

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Robbyplobby

Hey everyone. Busker here.

Pretty embarrassed because I should have known clipping could be an issue.

My setup that I have used until now is bare bones: it's the following chain.

Guitar directly to Bose S1 Pro. Set to about 60 percent volume. Issue:Clipping unless I pick super lightly, I'll still clip at even forty percent of I pick hard enough. I want to eliminate clipping.

Goal: To be able to still play pretty loud and pick harder without clipping.

Some people have told me I will need the following in my chain in order to eliminate clipping:
1: A compresser pedal
2. A DI/direct input box
3. A high Impedance pedal
4. Worst case lower the max volume to so low it can't clip , which isnt an option because I need to be loud enough to busk

Hm. Interesting. Not what I'd do.

Originally Posted by Robbyplobby

Now before I add those things here is my now current chain:
Guitar, Donner reverb pedal, Ed Sheeran plus looper, Bose S1 Pro.

This chain is fine, but again, doesn't have the needed things to disable or reduce the clipping when picking too hard at a moderate volume

Can somebody help let me know what I would need in order to stop the clipping?

Tech 21's line of Sansamp boxes are specifically designed to go between an electric guitar and PA to emulate a guitar amp. Without something like one of their boxes (or a clone, like the Joyo American), your electric guitar won't sound like much.

I have their Blonde because I like the venerable Fender tube sound. But they offer a whole lot more than that. They're bound to have something that's right for you.

Originally Posted by Robbyplobby

Would I need just a DI box? Just a compresser pedal, just a high Impedance pedal? All three? Something else?

Something else. See the Tech 21 link above.

Originally Posted by Robbyplobby

If I add more to the chain will I also need an external mixer on top of it all?

A mixer will help with vocals. With a preamp (a Tech 21 or anything else), your guitar won't need a mixer boost, though you could still plug into one.

Thanks for the help[/QUOTE]

You're welcome.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

What is clipping?

Distortion. In this case, not the good kind.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

If the PA has an instrument-level input you should be good to go. If it has line-level or mic-level inputs only, or you're using a cable longer than about 25 ft., then you'll need a DI box.

That's a good acoustic guitar solution, but an electric needs more.

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

I've never seen going directly from an electric guitar to a PA with an instrument-level input to be a problem, other than the rather bland sound.

Yup.

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

When plugging into a PA, I use the same pedalboard I use when plugging into my Bugera V22 Infinium (tuner, noise reducer, delay, tremolo, EQ) with the addition of a reverb pedal and tube amp modeler.

Exactly. Robby wants a modeler.

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

This saves me from carrying a 42-pound amp for a three-song open mic, while still getting a reasonably good sound.

Yup. That's what it's good for. They don't sound as good as a tube amp, but they don't sound bad.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

. . . I’m not much for busking with an electric anyway.

Same here. And I don't like amplifying when I busk. But it's Robby's show, and we're gonna make him shine.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

Exactly. Robby wants a modeler.

They don't sound as good as a tube amp, but they don't sound bad.

For $29 including shipping from Sweetwater, the Behringer TM300 is pretty decent. Yes, it doesn't sound as good as my tube amp, but, as you said, it doesn't sound bad. Also, it has enough gain to compensate for a weak electric guitar signal.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

Distortion. In this case, not the good kind.

Thanks Charlie.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Robbyplobby

…Some people have told me I will need the following in my chain in order to eliminate clipping:
1: A compresser pedal
2. A DI/direct input box
3. A high Impedance pedal
4. Worst case lower the max volume to so low it can't clip , which isnt an option because I need to be loud enough to busk

Hi Robby…EDIT-edit-EDIT-edit EDIT edit EDIT edit

ROBBy so sorry - I made a huge mistake. I thought this was posted in the part of the forum about Acoustic Amplification, and was assuming you were bussing with an acoustic guitar.

I want/need to amend some things I assumed/addressed in the original post…I believe they are corrected as of this edit.

What guitar do you buss with (specific style, make), and does it have active or passive pickups? (I'm guessing passive) Please let us know…

If the guitar takes a battery, it's active. If not, it's passive.

Either way you are going to need to design your chain to improve output of the guitar, match your impedance to the mixer, and add equipment/pedals/other gear from there.

Either you have your electric guitar pickups turned up too loud, or the channel you are plugged into is turned up too loud (in order to boost the signal coming into the mixer)…or the output of the Bose is too loud to produce adequate volume. Any or all could be true. You need to sort it out.

All are suspects, and participants.

Given you can overdrive/clip pushing hard at 40% output on the PA narrows the options…and it's likely related to how hard you are driving (overdriving) the pickups. The general rule for DI boxes is if you are playing an active guitar you need a passive DI, and if a passive guitar, and active DI.

Both my basses both have built in preamps which take batteries (called 'active') so if I'm plugging directly into a board, I need a passive DI to match impedance and reduce the output signal (by 15-20 db). My Strat and Tele on the other hand are passive, so if I'm going to plug them straight into a mixer, I use my Radial Stagebug 1 which is an active DI (and driven by 48V phantom) to increase the signal. That is something you need to know and explore.

It's likely either your guitar signal is turned up too loud, or the input channel gain is too loud (maybe inadequate to pass on enough volume), or the mixer's output volume is set too loud (not likely at 40%-60%) or a mix of all three.

If I turn my Strat or Tele volume all the way up and plug straight into a modeler, or an amp, it's going to distort at room volume. That's the way (before amps had input gain and output volume separate) we original produced distortion (back in the primitive days). Sounds like you may be doing that to your chain.

Anyway that's the low-down, and sorry for making the mistake of not realizing you play electric live into the PA. Hope others here help you sort it all out.

You need to solve the basic 'connect and electric to the mixer without distorting' before adding more pedals.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

It's likely either your guitar signal is turned up too loud, low battery voltage, or the input channel gain is too loud, or the mixer's output volume is set too loud (not likely at 40%-60%) or a mix of all three.

You need to solve it before adding more pedals.

Best advice so far.

[Telejonz]

Are you using the Bose App for the Bose S1 Pro+? In settings select the Tone Match icon at the bottom of the screen. You can select eq options for various Taylor, Martin & Gibson acoustics as well as electrics. They work for me. As others have suggested don't overdrive the pa with your pedals.

[67goat]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

For $29 including shipping from Sweetwater, the Behringer TM300 is pretty decent. Yes, it doesn't sound as good as my tube amp, but, as you said, it doesn't sound bad. Also, it has enough gain to compensate for a weak electric guitar signal.

It, and some of Behringer's DI boxes, actually use the Tech21 circuitry Charlie was mentioning.