HarpNinja
1051 posts
Feb 01, 2011
11:38 AM
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This last weekend I ran my Ultimate 57 with a cable into my M13 and then into the board. I then ran a feed to my monitor. All the speakers were QSC K10 powered speakers.
I mixed the channel via the monitor knowing it would be the same in the mains.
I will be doing this on a regular basis. The effects sounded much better through the PA then my HG50 (my VHT tone would be in the middle). I play with the mic cupped and felt it was a very pleasing tone for the most part. The mixer eventually got bumped and I had to turn the treble down at one point. I think I just had a flat eq with the bass bumped a bit to start.
There was no feedback issues at all and I was plenty loud. I am very sure I had volume to spare. The con in this is that there is no amp sound at all...my typical sound was just the PA with some delay. I did notice that the auto-wah patches didn't not work very well and needed quite a bit of tweaking, but everything else sounded really good.
While an overdrive pedal would be ideal, I don't think anyone noticed any issue. When I wanted to sound dirty, I just played with the mic differently and tb'ed more for effect.
I am very lazy about set-up and tear-down. It was great not having to haul an amp and make the extra trip to the car. It was also sweet hearing all the effects as from amp to amp they sometimes are hard to hear.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Updated 1/23/11
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eharp
1134 posts
Feb 01, 2011
12:01 PM
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i've been playing straight into the PA the last few times.
i have the mids and treb turned down and raise the bass. (only because that is what i have read others do.) it sounds pretty good but might have to learn to make different adjustments.
i have been considering using a delay pedal or maybe a digitech just so i can have some options for various songs.
maybe i'll go back to playing thru my 515 hot rodded mic. or set up an A/B and have thejt-30 available, too.
but like you, mike- i am very lazy. the less gear, the better.
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Joe_L
1033 posts
Feb 01, 2011
12:23 PM
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Mic, effects boxes with their power adapters and an assortment of cables. That's not lazy!
If you're really lazy about set up and tear down, you would travel with a vocal mic and cable and ditch the effects boxes.
I was invited down to play at a friend's gig on Saturday night. It was supposed to start raining, so I didn't feel like lugging an amp. I plugged one end of a cable into the PA and the other end into a SM-57. I cut the highs and mids slightly. I didn't bump up the bass.
I played and sang through the same mic. I wasn't sure how it sounded until the son of a local harp player came up to me and said he thought it sounded killer and that the tone reminded him of Big Walter Horton. Unless he was lying to me, that's some positive feedback.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
Last Edited by on Feb 01, 2011 12:24 PM
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hvyj
1201 posts
Feb 01, 2011
12:34 PM
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"The effects sounded much better through the PA then my HG50"
This is why I use a solid state bass amp (with a tube pre) when I use a full pedal board. In general, I think effects mess with the sound of a tube amp and a tube amp messes with the sound of the effects (I don't consider reverb and delay effects--they are part of the basic sound reinforcement). So, I'm not surprised to learn that the effects sound better through the PA.
Of course, some pedals are more tube amp friendly than others.
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HarpNinja
1052 posts
Feb 01, 2011
1:24 PM
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Joe...I had a mic, two cables, and one effect box. Had I brought an amp, I would have needed two more cables and probably my Kinder AFB to get my amp loud enough for the venue. I would have also needed to mic the amp, which would be another piece of gear...and another outlet.
One less trip and half as much gear is definitely down-sizing.
Regarding the effects box, I think the same tone for three hours straight it too much of a good thing.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Updated 1/23/11
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Shredder
230 posts
Feb 01, 2011
4:10 PM
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Ninja, I been playing thru the PA for several years now with decent results. We started with a triditonal PA but that had issues with feed back and a ton of gear.I was micing the dirty amp and using a line out for my clean amp.
We have now switched over to a Bose L1-model-2 with a Bose tone match mixer"T1" and 2 B-1 bass modules.
Now I use an A/B switch and one mic.with the Bose system.I use the delay in the mixer along with some EQ for each channel.I have the A/B"Morley" switch that I run a clean signal right into one channel of the Tone match for clean acoustic sound. I then have the B side of the switch ran to my HG2 then I use the line out from the amp to another channel of the tone match mixer and get that nice tube break up. No more monitors or guessing how you sound to the crowd. What you hear is what they hear. Feed back is gone totally unless you stick your mic in the amp or the Bose tower! I do use the HG2 kind of like a monitor but with 5 watts it just kind of fills in my Left side ear some what but not really loud.
We have a 4 piece band and all play thru the Bose. It takes about 10 min. to set up the Bose system. We do use another 6 channel mixer for the rest of our needs and run it into a line in of the L-1 tower. We will never go back to the old set up. Less gear and a cleaner stage. Our set up is good for a room of 200 people. We are thinking of adding another L1 tower just to make sure we have enough power for bigger gigs or outdoors. If your looking for less gear to haul around give the L1 model2 a look.
Just my 2 cents,
Mike:)
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thunderchicken
6 posts
Feb 01, 2011
4:45 PM
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Still old school, with my little Vibo Champ and delay box, playing through an 1946 private label shure bullett mic,with a CR Element replacement. we mic the amp through the pa no problem toting it all in to a gig... Been doin it for years and am 63 years old and still kikin it with the young guys in the band... If it get too tough will get my grandkids and their little red wagon to tote in in for me lol.... Just like my sound... later all Jon
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shbamac
91 posts
Feb 01, 2011
8:16 PM
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Less is more... sometimes. I hate set up/tear down. Every time I'm asked to sit I bring two to three harps. I play with whatever mic they give me straight through the PA. I'll give a few test blows, let them adj volume and I'll adj my playing to fit the gear/settings. Never leaves anyone wanting more and all ways have people (that I don't know) come up and tell me they loved it.
Last Edited by on Feb 01, 2011 8:19 PM
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HarpNinja
1054 posts
Feb 02, 2011
7:25 AM
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I've thought about using my VHT, but the set-up is the same as with any other amp. In the future, I'd like to try the Lone Wolf pedals. More gear to schelp, but if I put everything on a pedal board, I can just set it down and be good to go.
Currently, the bag I use for my harp/vocal gear is on wheels with a handle. It has doubled as my stand during gigs. I am still experimenting with a neater system.
I guess I am just anal about clutter, especially on smaller stages, which is the norm for me currently.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Updated 1/23/11
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KingBiscuit
10 posts
Feb 02, 2011
8:37 AM
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I put everything on a Gator Powered Pedal Tote. Set up couldn't be much easier for me. I put the pedal board on the floor, plug an XLR cable from the PA into my own DI Box. Plug my mic into the Kinder AFB+, Plug in 1 power cord and I'm done. The Pedal Tote supplies power to all the pedals except the AFB+...and I'm going to change that. Great Tone, Great Crunch/Break up, Great volume...NO FEEDBACK.
Dan
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hvyj
1207 posts
Feb 02, 2011
11:18 AM
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@KingBiscuit: I'm surprised that you need/use the Kinder AFB going through the PA board.
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KingBiscuit
11 posts
Feb 02, 2011
12:09 PM
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I only play at local jams so depending on who the sound guy is, it can go either way. If they crank the gain way up on the sound board, it's easy to feedback. Since I already had the Kinder AFB+ when I started putting this pedal board together, I thought it wouldn't hurt to put it in the mix. I am, at least partially, to blame for my feedback problems. My cupping technique is not the best in the world so every advantage I can take, I take it. I'm working on the cupping, but like I said, I already own the AFB+...I'll keep using it.
Dan
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MP
1356 posts
Feb 02, 2011
2:18 PM
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thunder chicken,
i've owned 3 vibro-champs and miced them through the PA. i was never defeated. helps if you know what you're doing.
lately it's a kalamazoo model one miced. no complaints. it's a holy terror.
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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