Acoustic Amps With Microphone Inputs

Taylor Daly · #1 08-07-2003, 03:37 PM

Do they exist?

Or do I need to go with a P.A. system to work both in one system.

thanks!

Stupid question because I have played over 25 live gigs but I used someone elses PA most of the time because I didnt know any better.

MichaelM · #2 08-07-2003, 03:40 PM

My Fender Acoustisonic Junior has a guitar and a mic input. Perfect for playing and singing at the same time and really frightening the neighbors!

If you need battery operation, the Crate Taxi line has two inputs; one intended for a microphone (though it's not a three pin plug)

jam · #3 08-07-2003, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Taylor Daly
Do they exist?

Most acoustic guitar amps have two channels - one for guitar, one for mic (with xlr or 1/4" plug).

--jam

gardner · #4 08-07-2003, 04:17 PM

First...I'm new to electronics for acoustic guitars and I'm not an expert on sound...that said...
I bought a PA system for use with the ES system. Is it true the electronics for the XLR balanced mic input on a PA system (like the Yamaha EMX66M powered mixer) are better quality than what you find on a mic input for a regular amp?
Most of the posts I see here recommend a PA for the best ES sound...I'm sure some amp companies will develop XLR input specifically designed (or recommended) for the ES system sooner or later....

Fatred · #5 08-07-2003, 09:47 PM

SWR California Blonde is one of the best sounding acoustic amps and it has a mic input as well as a guitar in plus much more.

Fatred

gardner · #6 08-07-2003, 10:30 PM

In my earlier post I was asking if the XLR mic input design on (for example) the SWR California amp are the equivalent to the XLR mic input on a PA system (for example) the Yamaha EMX66M. I ask this because many here seem to prefer ES with a PA system. Do PA's offer higher quality XLR input than amps? Is there more technology involved with a PA mixer? I noticed tonight at GC that the Mackie mixers also have a Mic input Gain dial that I don't have on the Yamaha...is that important for quality ES sound? Thanks...

Taylor Daly · #7 08-07-2003, 10:53 PM

so......Im gonna follow up my own stupid question with another one....

you can use both the mic input and the guitar input at the same time right? so you can sing-play on top of each other in just the amp? and does it sound good?

thanks again!

gardner · #8 08-07-2003, 11:02 PM

Hmmm....the SWR California Blonde I saw has the XLR input and a (guitar) line input. So if you plug the ES into the XLR where do you plug a Mic for voice... I guess you could just use 1/4 to 1/4 for the ES but then you lose the balanced XLR input feature of ES..(Are there some new amps on the drawing board somewhere?) Or is this why a PA is the current way to go?...Thanks (sorry Taylor Daly for so many additional questions on your thread, I hope the replies to these questions help)

phuufme · #9 08-08-2003, 06:17 AM

Genz Benz Shenandoah 100 has two dual inputs. Both inputs have a regular "guitar" input AND an XLR "mic" input. So, you can have your ES Taylor in one channel and your mic in the other, both using XLR.

jam · #10 08-08-2003, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Taylor Daly
so......
you can use both the mic input and the guitar input at the same time right? so you can sing-play on top of each other in just the amp? and does it sound good?

Yes, yes, and yes.

Gardner, let me try to answer your question about the ES and PAs vs. amps. I'm no electronics guru, so this will be in layman's terms.

First, you should know that just about every amp, including acoustic amps, "color" the sound a bit. They do this because a pure amplified signal from a guitar doesn't sound very good. Don't believe me - plug an electric guitar straight into a PA without any effects and just listen to how dry it sounds.

So, the amps tweak the sound a bit to give it some depth and tone (and overdrive, reverb, etc). Electric guitar amps assume the signal coming in is from standard coil-type pickups, so they know what to do with it to make it sound good. Even acoustic amps do this. They base everything off the premise that the signal coming in is most likely going to come from a piezo-type pickup (Fishman, LR Baggs, etc).

If you think about what it takes to get a good electric guitar sound vs. an acoustic guitar sound, you immediately realize why you don't want to use and electric guitar amp for your acoustic guitar.

So, it's all about how the amp colors the signal coming in. Well, the ES is designed to give you as true to the original acoustic sound as you can get. It already has the sound you want - you don't need to do anything except amplify the signal for volume. That's where PAs come in. Their job is all about volume (with some EQ to work out feeback issues, etc).

Make sense?
Most pickups - gotta do something with the signal to make it sound good.
ES - already sounds the way you want it, just need to make it louder.

I hope that makes sense. (and I think it's correct!)

--jam

phuufme · #11 08-08-2003, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by phuufme
Genz Benz Shenandoah 100 has two dual inputs. Both inputs have a regular "guitar" input AND an XLR "mic" input. So, you can have your ES Taylor in one channel and your mic in the other, both using XLR.

So, I played my 814 through one this morning and it sounded pretty muddy. I'm not yet sold on these amps.

gardner · #12 08-08-2003, 10:52 AM

Thanks Jam...I really appreciate the answer...

I'm trying a Yamaha EMX66M PA but I notice it doesn't have an input mic gain dial for the XLR/mic channels...I do see this on the Mackies and some others...will the input mic gain adjustment be a better thing for the ES sound?...(I think this is the channel trim mentioned in the new ES Guide, section 3.3).