So you're hired for a gig - what's the bare minimum?

[Hotspur]

Thanks so much to everyone who chimed in.

It probably looks like the Baggs Para is the cheapest thing that'd give me exactly what I'm looking for (I really like the confidence of having a notch filter in there after my first few experiences with the Loudbox - stuff can start to howl really quickly without it).

But the Behringer might be worth picking up just in case, to have, and from a tonal perspective. At that price, it's hard NOT to get it.

My main concern is being able to show up, look like I know what I'm doing (ha!) and have what I need to manage feedback/stage sound issues. I probably ought to grab a feedback buster just to be on the safe side, even if I never use it.

[Irish Pennant]

The bare minimum I do is to google map the venue and look to see what the parking looks like. Do a street view to see what the neighborhood looks like and then do a web search of the venue to see if there's reviews of the place. The parking, neighborhood and reviews will determine if I just bring my guitar and a small gig bag or if I also bring "What Ifs" and feel safe about leaving them in my car if they're not needed.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by slewis

"So you're hired for a gig - what's the bare minimum? "

Woops. I was going to say shorts and a t-shirt...

I was gonna say a hundred bucks..,

Ha. but Ymmv

If these 300 dollar pre-amps don't interest you.
these guys make a simple to use pre/Di and
with exchange rate it's still cheaper.
I bought their di box and it's stellar.
So this pre is probably decent.
http://orchid-electronics.co.uk/acoustic.htm
Got mine in about 7 days from u.k.
Can you do a reconnoiter on the place before you play.
Go see another band perform before you. scope it out.
That goes a long way to ease your mind on what to expect.

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

I do sing, although the gig in question was supporting a singer-songwriter pianist where I wouldn't have been singing.

I'd love to have something small and inexpensive to use instead of the Loudbox when going into a PA to give me some ability to control the tone and maybe a notch filter for feedback help, but have no idea what fits that bill that's cheap enough that it makes sense to buy it when I don't have gigs lined up where I know I'd use it.

Doesn't the Loudbox have a DI out? Just use your existing setup and feed out from the amp to the PA system. The amp becomes your stage monitor.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by roylor4

Buy it now, thank me later. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...river-di-pedal

Yes, seriously - a Behringer. Acts as a preamp and DI box. 30 bucks. I have been using one for about 3 years now. Excellent tone at a bargain basement price-point. Bring a 1/4" and an XLR - plug and play.

If you don't believe me about it's good tone quality just search the recent thread "Tonedexter vs Behringer ADI21" in the acoustic amplification section.

Not the best preamp out there, but NOTHING even comes close at this price.

Great piece of gear to own

[The Kid!]

If it's possible to swing by the venue before the gig, do that. Try to go on a weekend if you'll be playing on a weekend. You might even catch someone else playing there and hear what the house PA sounds like.

If it's decent, (as already mentioned) bring your Fishman amp and send the XLR out to their PA. Find out if you need a mic (I always bring my own) and mic stand.

That visit will be way more productive than talking to the bartender about what they have for PA. I always have stuff in the car in case their stuff isn't up to par or isn't working properly.

For out of town gigs, I've had an employee take pics of the room, the mixing board, and speakers. I also ask for a shot of the room from the stage and a shot of the stage from the furthest visible spot in the room.

I tell them that it helps me figure out what I need to bring. I've never had anyone give me a hard time about it. If they have a sound guy, I bring my guitar and pedal board.

I'm always super nice and polite to the sound person. Your sound is in their hands!

[Andy Howell]

ALWAYS be super nice to the sound person. Great advice :-)

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by Andy Howell

ALWAYS be super nice to the sound person. Great advice :-)

Ha!!!! like waitresses being un-nice to your sandwich
you don't want tons of reverb on your bluegrass
songs... ha!!

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

You're hired for a gig. You're going into a PA. You know NOTHING ELSE about the venue.

What do you feel you have to show up with, in order to be sure you can deliver an acceptable product? What is minimum acceptable professional standard?

I bring my Emerald X20 guitar with K&K pickup, Boss VE-8 (pre-amp, EQ and notch) and also my Headway EDM-1.

The Boss VE-8 is what I go into in my home rig so the EQ is dialed in and then I've got reverb and chorus if I need it and the ever important notch to dial out any problem frequencies. There is also a mute/tuner feature.

The EDM-1 is a great, very small high quality preamp and gives me on-the-fly EQ and volume. It also has impedance input selector and ground lift plus a mute.

I'd probably bring my Ernie Ball VP Jr. volume pedal as well.

Those three things would all fit into the front pouch of the X20 gig bag along with a couple short cables and would pretty much cover me any possible needs that might pop up. The headstock tuner and capo live on the guitar and the strap rolls up and sits in the gig bag with the guitar.

I'd probably also have my Bose S1 in the trunk just in case they have no concept of stage monitors, which is probably the single biggest issue I run into with house PAs along with inability to deal with problem frequencies.

A cable bag with spare everything (cables, power cords, strings, etc.) always lives in the trunk.

[lkingston]

My bare minimum for gigs with a House PA is my Martin DX1 with Schertler AG6/S-Mic pickup and my Audix mic (which I find to be a lot clearer than the standard 58 that most clubs have). That’s my minimum.

I use the Martin DX-1 instead of my Martin D15 live because it sounds the same over a PA and the HPL is more resistant to gig abuse.

If they don’t have a good monitor or mixer, I bring in my Elite Acoustics D6-8 and send the house a premixed XLR feed from the D6-8. If the sound guy is decent, I can send separated guitar and vocals from the D6-8.

If there is no house sound system, I can add one or two Bose S1 as my own house PA.

That or I can just use my Mackie Reach with a Samson MD1 active directbox (and the 15db pad switched on) to compensate for the crappy Mackie guitar preamp. The Mackie Reach sounds wonderful so long as you compensate the guitar input, and the side mounted monitors are just so convenient.

That and mic stands, cables, guitar stand, and cases for all that paraphernalia.

[Br1ck]

I'll only pay the venue $50 tops, and it would have to be a weekend, otherwise, I'll only go $20 plus half the tips.

Seriously, no PA take the amp and a mic and stand. Dodgy PA take the amp and mic and stand anyway as a backup and possible monitor.

Decent PA and people that can work it, just feed them the DI or pre of your choice. RedEye or SunnAudio's Stage One DI. There are many that will do.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

…You're hired for a gig. You're going into a PA. You know NOTHING ELSE about the venue.

Hi Hs…
One trip in from the car/vehicle. I can carry it in my hands (and wear the bag)…

This…




Plus Either of the bottom two…if there is any question, the bottom one.



This tray to hook it to the mic stand and set it on…


And cables…(I NEVER trust the venue to have them)

Done many mystery gigs with this gear.

I have a gear bag which fits it all…and has back-pack straps…It is three levels deep and carries the DTAR in the bottom padded pocket (which unzips from the bottom)…

[gfirob]

Boy, the two most useful suggestions I have heard here is the importance of communication and going to the venue for a first-hand visit. Even if they have a great PA system or whatever, it doesn't matter if you get there and are told "Gee, I'm sorry, but Ed has the keys to that (or the cable or knows where the switch is or whatever) and he is out of town".

I try to go to the place (if I don't know it) meet whoever "the guy" is and check the whole thing out if possible, ideally when somebody else is playing so you can hear how the system sounds and what the setup is. If I can't do that I try to have a very thorough conversation with whoever "the guy" is on the phone.

But going in blind means you have to cover every contingency and that is a lot of gear. IMHO you can't have too much information about the venue.

[ManyMartinMan]

Bare minimum would be for an "acoustic only" house party. That means a guitar. Next up would be for a corporate or venue event where you can't bring in speakers because there's a company hired to bring/handle all audio/video equipment. For that there's the guitar & pedal board case. The guitar plugs into the pedal board as does the mic. The pedal board out goes to the house system. In-ear monitors run from the board. Oh, and my stool. Beyond that there's a lot of stuff to bring.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by roylor4

Buy it now, thank me later. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...river-di-pedal

Yes, seriously - a Behringer. Acts as a preamp and DI box. 30 bucks. I have been using one for about 3 years now. Excellent tone at a bargain basement price-point. Bring a 1/4" and an XLR - plug and play.

If you don't believe me about it's good tone quality just search the recent thread "Tonedexter vs Behringer ADI21" in the acoustic amplification section.

Not the best preamp out there, but NOTHING even comes close at this price.

Not the best, but very good. Agree 100%. Based on the Tech21 Acoustic di. it's a good piece of kit. And for only $30