Argh! Amps for beginners. So confusing!

[Nimiety]

I have a Line6 Spider 5 20w amp. You can plug a bass into it. It has a bass setting.

I have an electric guitar, a bass guitar, electric acoustic and acoustic guitars.

I want to try singing with a mic while playing a guitar.

I may never, ever, leave the safety of my music room. And even if I eventually do, it would be to play in other small (and quite likely private) rooms.

I don't want the cheapest of the cheap. I want the best of the next level up. I also want a small unit. Space constraints. Easy to transport.

So...I went to the music store.

I came home with a mic (Apex), stand (K&M) and an adapter thingamajig so I can plug the mic into my existing amp.

...but then discovered that I can't plug in a guitar and a mic.

But! There are vocal amps, that you can plug both into. There are bass amps that can double as vocal amps.

Now I have no idea what to do. I don't want a herd of amps.

Suggestions?

[mjh42]

Roland--one of the cubes---perhaps a street cube.....will give you some versatility at a reasonable cost. Don't really know how they would do with a bass. Others can chime in....

Yes there is a plethora of amps out there....can be hard to choose....

Lay out your budget and be willing to go up or down a bit...perhaps used...for something near your top end if need be...

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by mjh42

Roland--one of the cubes---perhaps a street cube.....will give you some versatility at a reasonable cost. Don't really know how they would do with a bass. Others can chime in....

Yes there is a plethora of amps out there....can be hard to choose....

Lay out your budget and be willing to go up or down a bit...perhaps used...for something near your top end if need be...

If you play bass you need a bass amp, period. Multi-purpose amps just won't cut it. Get yourself a small bass amp for your bass. A Fender Rumble 40 is a great small room amp at a reasonable cost.

A multi-purpose amp for other instruments such as guitar with a seperate vocal channel are fine. Low dollar, Cube Street. More funds avaialable? Cube EX.

Both of these amps have dual drivers and great sounding true stereo reverb and chorus. Both have a seperate channel for a dynamic vocal mic. Behringer makes a excellent SM-57 clone mic (XM-8500) that sells for $20. Buy one and you're done.

[martingitdave]

You might consider one of the ACUS or Schertler products that include an 8" or 10" woofer that can handle some bass playing (40Hz low). Any of those units will handle acoustic and vocals very well. Alternatively, you can get something like a Fishman loudbox mini and a dedicated bass amp.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Nimiety

Now I have no idea what to do. I don't want a herd of amps.

Suggestions?

ha! Good luck with that and.. Welcome to the party...

you'll find that there's no single solution that works 100% for what you want in ALL situations.

For acoustic/vocal, Fishman is hard to beat for something small and moderately priced.

Fender Acoustasonics are there for the taking too, probably comparable to the Fishmans but in a different "package",... I still prefer Fishman.

Plenty of other options too, it's down to what you want to spend in most cases.

[Nimiety]

Thanks everyone!

For the amount of bass I am experimenting with, the Line6 is fine. I was only considering a bass amp for vocals if there was some overall benefit for vocals that I don't fully grasp.

I think I need a vocal amp. That you can plug both a guitar and a mic into.

I was shown acoustic guitar amps (they had nothing that qualified as a vocal amp), but I think those are different as well. I was also shown a PA system. I don't want a PA system.

In the meantime I am struggling with microphone placement. I'm sure this all a non-issue for most, but when you've never used one before...it's probably all comedically frustrating.

[Chriscom]

Tons of acoustic guitar amps have an input for mics. When you say, they had nothing that qualified as a vocal amp well, I've never heard of any amp described as only a vocal amp. But the world is filled with acoustic guitar amps with mic inputs, and the quality of their vocal reproduction is widely discussed and weighed.

The amps talked about the most around here are best for acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars, though sometimes you can get better than a passable electric guitar tone too.

The Fishman Loudbox Mini is very popular around here, and my own Bugera AC60 has its fans, like me. The Roland Street Cube also upvotes. Those are the kind of amps you should be trying, based on what you've said. Those are on the lower end price-wise of what I'm familiar with.

(The Bugera AC60 is priced around $264 most places at the moment. It's allegedly for sale by Sweetwater for $199, but has been out of stock there for at least four months, like a number of other marquee items).

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by Nimiety

Thanks everyone!

In the meantime I am struggling with microphone placement. I'm sure this all a non-issue for most, but when you've never used one before...it probably comedically frustrating.

Mic placement has two components to the question.

How close to and orientation to your mouth or guitar.

How close to and orientation to any speakers in your space.

The more common meaning is the latter and the usual problem to solve is feedback. Common sense is the solution. Point the mic away from the speakers and point the speakers away from the mic. Be cognizant of surfaces that can reflect the speakers' sound back to the mic.

Speaking or singing into the mic, it is usually best to be about an inch or inch and a half away from the mic with your mouth. Breath sounds are reduced without reducing your vocalizations and mics do not get the bass overpowering as they tend to do when you are closer.

Mic placement to an acoustic guitar is something I don't think is in your area of concern. If I am wrong about that, let us know, please.

[Br1ck]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

If you play bass you need a bass amp, period. Multi-purpose amps just won't cut it. Get yourself a small bass amp for your bass. A Fender Rumble 40 is a great small room amp at a reasonable cost.

A multi-purpose amp for other instruments such as guitar with a seperate vocal channel are fine. Low dollar, Cube Street. More funds avaialable? Cube EX.

Both of these amps have dual drivers and great sounding true stereo reverb and chorus. Both have a seperate channel for a dynamic vocal mic. Behringer makes a excellent SM-57 clone mic (XM-8500) that sells for $20. Buy one and you're done.

I have a Carvin AG 300. Only available used these days, it is by far the most affordable amp that does the most things well. I do play bass in small acoustic trio type situations with it. How? Well, Carvin took it's smallest bass amp and put an acoustic front end in it. Acoustic instruments, mics, keyboards and bass are really in need of full frequency cabinets, much different from electric guitars.

So, I have been disappointed buy the affordable acoustic amps like the Fishman mini in the vocal department. I'd get a powered speaker and a small mixer. I know, it gets complicated. Behringer makes a great little 8" powered cab.

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by Nimiety

I think I need a vocal amp. That you can plug both a guitar and a mic into.

I was shown acoustic guitar amps (they had nothing that qualified as a vocal amp), but I think those are different as well. I was also shown a PA system. I don't want a PA system.

I see from your profile you are in the middle of Canada. I figure you are not close to major music stores that have a lot of gear you can try out in-store.

If you are in a position to go to small venues (coffee shops and bar playing your style of music or open mic performances) and just see what other people are using (even if you are not ready to perform, you can be making contacts and actually seeing equipment in use).

If you are ready to perform, you might be offered the chance to use other performers' equipment. For sure you will get advice and attention in real time. No amount of advice from here can match feedback from people who actually see you perform.

What is your budget?

Equipment list I would suggest (without much hard thought)

Mic and mic stand with boom arm.

Mic cord and a spare. 15feet/5 meters. If the house sound system is further away, they can be chained together. But probably there will be a house mic cord anyway, so you COULD get by with one or none, maybe.

10'/3 meter guitar cord (instrument cords do better if they are shorter - high impedance signals degrade over distance more than low impedance -microphone- signals) and a spare 25'/8 meter instrument cord if the shorter one fails or wont reach. Instrument cords cannot be chained together without a female-female adapter.

Guitar stand to keep your guitar at the ready. Some players just use their case and that is fine, but I have a stand that I can pick up together with the guitar in one hand. I take it up to the stage, set it aside and deal with other gear without having to deal with the guitar and when I am ready to play, it is right there.

Guitar strap (unless you will play sitting down, then it is optional) Quick attach-release strap end is really convenient. You don't want to fumble around on stage or get tangled up.

I keep my lead sheets on a computer which resides on a short table. I have a footswitch to turn pages. I used to have lead sheets in a 3-ring binder I put on a music stand.

I have recently been experimenting with a head-worn microphone and an alternative, a mic attached to the brim of my hat. Each wirelessly transmitting to a receiver plugged into the amp. Not used in public yet. Beware of interference from cell phones, bluetooth, WiFi signals and other players' gear. I gave one to my Brother and it worked fine at home, but when he played with his Church band, he got interference that sent him back to using cables.

The potential for adding gear is endless.

[Shaneh]

Check out the fender acoustasonic 150. It has both acoustic and electric guitar settings and a mic channel

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by Nimiety

I have a Line6 Spider 5 20w amp. You can plug a bass into it. It has a bass setting.

I have an electric guitar, a bass guitar, electric acoustic and acoustic guitars.

I want to try singing with a mic while playing a guitar.

I may never, ever, leave the safety of my music room. And even if I eventually do, it would be to play in other small (and quite likely private) rooms.

I don't want the cheapest of the cheap. I want the best of the next level up. I also want a small unit. Space constraints. Easy to transport.

So...I went to the music store.

I came home with a mic (Apex), stand (K&M) and an adapter thingamajig so I can plug the mic into my existing amp.

...but then discovered that I can't plug in a guitar and a mic.

But! There are vocal amps, that you can plug both into. There are bass amps that can double as vocal amps.

Now I have no idea what to do. I don't want a herd of amps.

Suggestions?

You have a mic and stand. You have an amp but it only has one input. Have you thought of just mixing your guitar and amp signals into the amp you have until you have more information about a combination that will work for you?

Here is an example of something that might tide you over.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...E&gclsrc=aw.ds.

$60 (US) new, you should be able to find one on the used market for half to three-quarters of that.

[DownUpDave]

Fishman Loudbox Mini......done and done. I bought mine 5 years ago to do exactly what you are looking to do, plug in a mic and a guitar. Works great, Long and McQuad carry them, will ship out and have a great return policy

[Nimiety]

Originally Posted by Lost Sheep

Mic placement has two components to the question.

How close to and orientation to your mouth or guitar.

How close to and orientation to any speakers in your space.

The more common meaning is the latter and the usual problem to solve is feedback. Common sense is the solution. Point the mic away from the speakers and point the speakers away from the mic. Be cognizant of surfaces that can reflect the speakers' sound back to the mic.

Speaking or singing into the mic, it is usually best to be about an inch or inch and a half away from the mic with your mouth. Breath sounds are reduced without reducing your vocalizations and mics do not get the bass overpowering as they tend to do when you are closer.

Mic placement to an acoustic guitar is something I don't think is in your area of concern. If I am wrong about that, let us know, please.

That was very helpful! I didn't even think about the orientation of mics and speakers. The way my music room is set up, they were pointing at each other! I was the monkey in the middle...

[Nimiety]

@ Shaneh

I will take a look at that one! Thanks!

@ Lost Sheep

I picked up the mic, stand and adaptor...and am experimenting with those...part of the problem is I don't quite know what I'm doing while experimenting...lol.

Finding used equipment, in our smaller center, is actually hard to do.

@ DownUpDave

Long and McQuade was very helpful (this time), but I still didn't get quite what I wanted/needed? Probably in part because I'm not explaining myself very well.