dream setup?

[hotwired]

I'm 54 years old and about to embark on a second act, so to speak, and start solo gigging...I have NEVER setup a stage myself. I just bought the older model QSC K8 with soundcraft notepad mixer. I have a Taylor 314CE, SM58 & a nice Tele and Strat to mix it up maybe.

What else would you suggest? I've heard of this pedalboard called the Trace Elliot Transit and I like the idea. I don't want to get too complex, in fact just the opposite.

Also, do you have any preferences on tablets? I have a KINDLE HDX which is a powerhouse but it's old, not Android OR iPad and it's hard to get good apps. I have always been Android / PC person but am leaning toward iPad a little...they seem to be the choice of musicians by quite a majority.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[steve_mac]

A lot of people, myself included use the TC Helicon Voicelive Play acoustic to improve both guitar and vocal effects. It also has a very useful looper function especially if combine with an external switch.
Depending on the size of venue the speaker you already have should be excellent.
Unless you are going to be willing to add some sort of amp sim or carry an electric amp I would stick to just the acoustic. I use a hybrid and a Atomic Amps Firebox which makes switching easy but I wouldn't attempt it as a solo having to physically change guitars.
Re tablets all apps are available to iPad whilst only some for both, so if you are investing I would go the iPad route so as not to limit yourself. There are some excellent lyric/tab/set list apps out there I use Onsong and don't have a bad word to say about it.
Hope this helps
SteveMac@The_WaveWatcher

[hotwired]

Thank you! I should';ve added that I want to buy a second K8 for both backup AND a second speaker if ever needed. Expensive backup but I'm a big believer in having two of everything within reason.

I do have an amp, so I'd be able to just hit the switch and sling the tele on and be done with it. Maybe start a set so I only have to switch once, vs. twice.

I'll check out the things you mention!

What do you think of hybrid acoustic electric guitars? I tried out my friends on stage and it's great, like a ESP something or other...semi hollow, but I found it hard to "dig into it" (over responsive), yet it didn't quite have the full feel of electric. I almost think I'm going to stay with my stiff stringed Taylor and go do Eb tuning and tweak or eliminate "solos"

[RockerDuck]

I won't say one size fits all, so experience is the best predictor of your needs. You have what you need to start and go from there. The type of music and the venue is most important to establish your needs. For instance, you can have 12 effects pedals to start playing, only to find yourself only using 3. Start using the K8 and find you really need a K12. But you won't know yet.

[necrome]

As much as I dislike Apple, the iPad's music and songsheet apps are miles ahead of what you can get on Android. Don't even bother with the latter!

[hotwired]

I've been looking for an excuse to jump ship!! My daughter has an iPhone and Macbook AIR and all during high schoole never had a problem with anything. They strike me as the "toyota" of the electronics world. Not luxury, but a cult following, more reliable, hold their value better, etc. I just HATE the "no external storage" thing but I suppose that's what dropbox is for ...

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by hotwired

I'm 54 years old and about to embark on a second act, so to speak, and start solo gigging...I have NEVER setup a stage myself. I just bought the older model QSC K8 with soundcraft notepad mixer. I have a Taylor 314CE, SM58 & a nice Tele and Strat to mix it up maybe.

What else would you suggest? I've heard of this pedalboard called the Trace Elliot Transit and I like the idea. I don't want to get too complex, in fact just the opposite.

Also, do you have any preferences on tablets? I have a KINDLE HDX which is a powerhouse but it's old, not Android OR iPad and it's hard to get good apps. I have always been Android / PC person but am leaning toward iPad a little...they seem to be the choice of musicians by quite a majority.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Though I've never used the Trace Elliot Transit A pedal, looking at it, I see all the effects I make regular use of with my acoustics, and they're all on the same board. A delay pedal with tap tempo would run at least $130, and a good reverb would be about $100 or more, as would a chorus, let alone a tuner. So for the price and layout, that seems like a good pedal. If you want something that does both vocals and guitar, as mentioned the Play Acoustic does that, but be warned, it requires a lot of pre-planning with making your patches, but you can get different guitar effects (delay, reverb, chorus, and body rez), for each patch. The only other things I'd point out is to get the best quality cables and stands you can. Mogami/Neutrik cables. DR Pro (or better) mic stand, and a sturdy speaker and guitar stand. Also, put together a nice rugged gig bag with spare things, i.e. cables, flashlight, batteries, 2 to 3 prong adapter, extension cords, etc.

[Methos1979]

I did the same as you, around the same time. Second act in my mid-fifties and started an acoustic duo with my wife. Went through all the gear and at first just had way too much. Kept boiling it further and further down as we wanted to have only exactly what we needed to perform our music and we wanted the smallest, lightest, simplest, fastest setup there is. We ended up going with the Bose S1 route with an EAE StompMix X6 mixer. Like you, we like backups so we eventually added a second Bose S1.

The gear you've selected so far is perfect for a solo acoustic act. That QSC K8 will serve you well. We actually initially had a k8.2 as a backup but it was just way too much power for our needs so we sold that and added the second S1 instead which gets much more use. I'm an Android phone guy so I just use my phone with the wonderful Ultimate Guitar app subscription which gives me access to guitar chords for songs as I learn them. We memorize everything but I have my android on my mic stand for a cheat sheet for new songs so we can perform them quicker.

Sounds like you have all you need except maybe the tablet. Either an Android or Apple will serve you well. The iPad mini's are great and build quality is fantastic. I'm just not a big fan of the Apple proprietary world when it comes to their phones but I do use their laptops because they are so well built and much less susceptible to all the crap out there.

[Chipotle]

I'm in a similar situation. I've played solo/duos with acoustic and electric; get an amp modeler pedal and no physical amp needed. Right into the mixer next to the acoustic, and off you go. I like the idea of having a different sound on some songs to mix it up.

I was of the single multi-effects pedal school, and right now use an ancient Digitech RP-50 for electric tones. Acoustic doesn't need as much; my acoustic pedalboard is a Grace Alix preamp with a Mooer Yellow Comp (always on at a low setting) and TC Hall of Fame 2 reverb in the effects loop. A couple different reverb settings and some on-the-fly variation with the HOF2 "mash" switch, along with the Alix boost, give me a little tone tweaking between soft fingerstyle and hard strumming.

Haven't got PA yet, but prob going with QSC speakers--K8 or K10. Thought about a small Soundcraft mixer, but now leaning towards a QSC Touchmix 8 or maybe even a Behringer X32 rack--more expensive, but future expandability, plus the ability to record live multitrack to a SSD drive or SD card. I also realized that if I invite a couple people to play with me, channels on a small mixer would quickly get used up! The more the better. But if you know it's just you, the K8s and the Notepad will do fine.

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by hotwired

I'm 54 years old and about to embark on a second act, so to speak, and start solo gigging...I have NEVER setup a stage myself. I just bought the older model QSC K8 with soundcraft notepad mixer. I have a Taylor 314CE, SM58 & a nice Tele and Strat to mix it up maybe.

What else would you suggest? I've heard of this pedalboard called the Trace Elliot Transit and I like the idea. I don't want to get too complex, in fact just the opposite.

Also, do you have any preferences on tablets? I have a KINDLE HDX which is a powerhouse but it's old, not Android OR iPad and it's hard to get good apps. I have always been Android / PC person but am leaning toward iPad a little...they seem to be the choice of musicians by quite a majority.

Thanks for your thoughts!

The Onsong app for lyrics and sheet music is the best that I have tried. I pair it with the Airturn bluetooth sytem (I use Boss switches) and that's been the biggest improvement I have made on stage.

You already have a pretty nice set up. If I can be honest, try to keep it simple at first. Too many players jump into gigging/performing and think that they need numerous effects and pedals. I know this because I have been there. What I have discovered is that in many cases I don't even use the delays or reverbs on my board.

If I were you, I would get a second K8 so that you have a full PA or even a CP8 and use it as a monitor. The Taylor can be run right to the board since the mixer and guitar itself will have eq controls. If you find down the road you want a boost or compression etc, you could always get something like the Fishman Platinum Pro.

In terms of your electric, you could either run it right to the mixer or just get a small amp. A used Vox Pathfinder 15 would be perfect. If you run to the mixer, you would just want to get some type of preamp pedal and run it into a cab simulator. I think I would stick with the amp though.

[lschwart]

As others have suggested, you've already got a great little set up. If your Notepad is one of the models with onboard effects, I say, put that K8 up on a tripod stand behind you and up over head-height, take a little time to get the EQ right for your guitar and vocals, add a little reverb, and go for it. Cables, a decent mic stand, a chair or small table or stand to put the mixer on, and you're good. iPad is a good choice if you want something electronic for your music, but a good old music stand and a ring binder is still a perfectly good technology.

I also agree with those who say that for now you should just bring your electric guitar rig along if you want to switch between. Maybe at some point, a unit like a Helix Stomp will let you plug both guitars into the same rig, but I wouldn't worry about that now.

Louis

[steve_mac]

Originally Posted by hotwired

I do have an amp, so I'd be able to just hit the switch and sling the tele on and be done with it. Maybe start a set so I only have to switch once, vs. twice.

I'll check out the things you mention!

What do you think of hybrid acoustic electric guitars? I tried out my friends on stage and it's great, like a ESP something or other...semi hollow, but I found it hard to "dig into it" (over responsive), yet it didn't quite have the full feel of electric. I almost think I'm going to stay with my stiff stringed Taylor and go do Eb tuning and tweak or eliminate "solos"

I am roughly the same age as you and the thought of loading in an extra guitar and an amp makes my back twinge ��. But I do like the idea of looping an acoustic chord sequence and the soloing over it with electric tones. That's why I went for what I consider the easiest option.
I use a PRS Hollowbody 2 which as both a piezo out and humbuckers out. Piezo goes into the VoicelivePlay Acoustic where the sound receives some compression, eq, reverb, plus a tad of detune. This makes the tone whilst not the same as a mic'd up acoustic, an excellent substitute. This signal also provides auto key for the vocal harmonies. It is also available for looping.
A turn of a guitar knob and the humbuckers come into play with the signal going into the Atomic Amps Firebox, which is the size of an average pedal and fits on the board. This provides not only up to 9 amp simulations but also, reverb, delay, eq, compression etc.
Both signals then go direct to the mixer if I am playing a venue that provides a PA or in a venue that doesn't (usually smaller) straight into the back of a Yamaha 10inch speaker, set high and behind me.
I have tried other hybrid guitars live such as Tom Anderson Crowdster plus and the less expensive Godin and both were excellent.
I will always have GAS but this has been my set up for the last couple of years and can't see it changing much in the near future.
All the best Steve
(If you want to see my set up and other thoughts on gigging you can find me on Twitter @The_WaveWatcher)
If you want to see a master of using a hybrid guitar as a solo act check out John Monnecka on YouTube or his live feeds on Facebook

[hotwired]

Quick follow up: If I can find a QSC but it's a differnt size is that OK? I have a QSC K8.1 ... would it be horrible to have a K10 or should I match? Along the same lines if I can't find a version 1, would it be ok to have a K8.2 to go with the K8.1?

Thanks all!

[hotwired]

I use a PRS Hollowbody 2 which as both a piezo out and humbuckers out.

I just looked up the PRS HB II Piezos...5K give or take! Phew...but they look amazing, and I'm sure they sound the same. I would like to get there eventually. I can afford it but it wouldn't be sensible yet, not having played even one gig. I've heard of a Yamaha that has a similar setup that I've heard people on the forum talk about. I can get one 600-750 range used. Do you know of any others that have that "blend" of Piezo / Humbuckers? Love the idea!

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by hotwired

Quick follow up: If I can find a QSC but it's a differnt size is that OK? I have a QSC K8.1 ... would it be horrible to have a K10 or should I match? Along the same lines if I can't find a version 1, would it be ok to have a K8.2 to go with the K8.1?

Thanks all!

I worried about this but once went in and tested a K12 beside a K12.2. Yes they were different but together they sounded fine. I still suggest the CP8. Super affordable and from what I have heard, they are based around the same design as the original K's.