How do you play live? Microphone, DI or Amp?

[dwasifar]

I play as a solo. My stage rig is simple: A Shure SM-58 mic on a boom stand for vocals, a Taylor 710 with K&K, a little Behringer mixer, and an EV amplified PA speaker on a pole. Mic and guitar into the mixer, mixer into the speaker.

 

[Midnight Toker]

There are mics (quite expensive though) that have an amazingly tight soundfield and are great for capturing acoustic guitar in a louder band setting. Still, your best bet is getting a semi decent pickup. 1/20th the cost of the mic I am talking about. Any decent soundman should have a DI for you to plug a 1/4" unbalanced line in, and give you some back in the monitors...at least enough to hear yourself. Never felt the need for an acoustic amp...unless that's all you play, then by all means, go that route. Many have DI's built in them....post or pre out. You'll want post, the soundman will want pre.

 

[Midnight Toker]

As for my ultimate acoustic guitar mic setup, if a solo setup,. 2 mics on the guitar. Any larger mic diaphragm (like a RE21) about 18" away, pointed directly at the lower fat side of the body, just below the bridge. (Not the soundhole!) The other mic a skinny condenser, about a 18-24" away pointed right at the 7th fret. A good mix between the two and you'll have an amazing pro studio quality acoustic sound!

 

[crank]

K&K into my PA.

 

[fronobulax]

All three ways you've mentioned have advantages and disadvantages.

- MIC: If you're not in a loud band, you should be fine with a mic. Mics get more accurate sounds, but it's hard to keep other sounds out of them, especially in a noisy environment. For an unrambuctious acoustic show, they're good.

- AMP: Going into your own amp is easy for you to control. But it's hard for the person running sound to work with. Worst case: The show will sound bad, and you'll make an enemy of the sound person.

- PA: Going directly into a PA means giving up most of your control of your sound. You can tell the sound person what you want, but you won't always get it. When the person running sound is good: no problem. When the person running sound is bad: big problem!

You didn't mention the fourth option: Going into a PA via a preamp. That's what I usually do.

- PREAMP INTO PA: It gives you a lot more control over your own sound - without taking making life difficult for the sound person. The downsides: Obviously, there's the expense of buying one (and a pickup, if your guitar doesn't have one). And preamps can be tricky, therefore annoying, frustrating, or distracting. I went through a some utterly bewildering contraptions before finding one that (a) is easy to use and (b) sounds good.

In general, if your guitar has an active pickup, you'll want a passive preamp (or passive DI box), and If your guitar has a passive pickup, you'll want an active preamp. Either go active-passive-PA or passive-active-PA.

For completeness, some amps have a direct out that a good soundperson can make use of. The pros and cons are similar to those of going to a preamp and then into the PA. Having the amp may change the requirements for additional monitor speakers.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

For completeness, some amps have a direct out that a good soundperson can make use of. The pros and cons are similar to those of going to a preamp and then into the PA. Having the amp may change the requirements for additional monitor speakers.

Yup! Didn't think of that. Thanks!

 

[portsider]

I'm kind of an outlier here, but I plug my Guild D2612CE into my guitar amp (Reverend Goblin with 6V6 tubes). I've tried an acoustic amp and Baggs Para DI to PA and didn't like the results as much. I've gotten several complements about the way it sounds so it can't be too horrible.
I know it's not concert hall acoustic quality, but it's the best acoustic 12 sound I've gotten in a band (electric) context. It sits in the mix nicely and has the acoustic quality some of songs require.

 

[plaidseason]

For the last maybe seven years, my setup has been a Fishman Rare Earth humbucking soundhole pickup into a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ (for EQ and compression). I also use Zoom MS70 CDR for reverbs and tape echo.

Mics are great if you like not moving around at all on stage.

My entire "live sound" argument is that my goal is not a true/authentic acoustic sound, but rather something true and authentic on its own - a great live acoustic guitar sound.

 

[portsider]

My entire "live sound" argument is that my goal is not a true/authentic acoustic sound, but rather something true and authentic on its own - a great live acoustic guitar sound.

Exactly!

 

[Rocky]

My entire "live sound" argument is that my goal is not a true/authentic acoustic sound, but rather something true and authentic on its own - a great live acoustic guitar sound.

If that's good enough for Richard Thompson, then it's good enough for me as well. I've been know to use tremolo and slapback on my acoustic too.

 

[plaidseason]

If that's good enough for Richard Thompson, then it's good enough for me as well. I've been know to use tremolo and slapback on my acoustic too.

Richard Thompson is great example of that. And I'm a big fan of Sunrise pickups too.

 

[Nuuska]

I got a short-notice on my phone - open-mic jam tonight - so I went and took my MIC OM-240CE - 2018 and a cable w idea that if they invite me there has to be some amplification - or not. Turned out there was a small decent-quality house pa and vocal mic - so I plugged in and palyed and sung three songs. There was nothing to write home about my performance - I have to start seriously working at opening my voice again. On the other hand - some people were quite interested about my selected songs. . .

 

[MLBob]

- PREAMP INTO PA: It gives you a lot more control over your own sound - without taking making life difficult for the sound person. The downsides: Obviously, there's the expense of buying one (and a pickup, if your guitar doesn't have one). And preamps can be tricky, therefore annoying, frustrating, or distracting. I went through a some utterly bewildering contraptions before finding one that (a) is easy to use and (b) sounds good.

I always bring my own acoustic pedalboard containing a pre-amp. However, I never have found a pre-amp to be "tricky, annoying, etc."

Depending on the venue, it may be my large board (pictured) or a smaller, battery powered board, but either way the pre-amp on both boards has been dialed in to EQ my guitar just the way I want it. Merely need to hand the sound guy my mic-out & guitar-out cables, or just plug the house cables already going to his mixer into my pedalboard - whichever is easier for whoever is running sound. Usually they already have the vocal mic channel dialed in, and I just tell him to set his instrument channel flat as my pre amp is already EQ-ed. All he has to set is volume.

Since venues have opened back up post-Covid, I always bring my own mic setup as well. Nobody has had any problem with my doing that.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm kind of an outlier here, but I plug my Guild D2612CE into my guitar amp (Reverend Goblin with 6V6 tubes). I've tried an acoustic amp and Baggs Para DI to PA and didn't like the results as much. I've gotten several complements about the way it sounds so it can't be too horrible.
I know it's not concert hall acoustic quality, but it's the best acoustic 12 sound I've gotten in a band (electric) context. It sits in the mix nicely and has the acoustic quality some of songs require.

Yup, I plugged a single-coil soundhole pickup into Fender tube amps for years.

Finally got a K&K just to make PA-toting bandmates happy. I now have less control but more friends.

 

[mcarter]

All three ways you've mentioned have advantages and disadvantages.

- MIC: If you're not in a loud band, you should be fine with a mic. Mics get more accurate sounds, but it's hard to keep other sounds out of them, especially in a noisy environment. For an unrambuctious acoustic show, they're good.

- AMP: Going into your own amp is easy for you to control. But it's hard for the person running sound to work with. Worst case: The show will sound bad, and you'll make an enemy of the sound person.

- PA: Going directly into a PA means giving up most of your control of your sound. You can tell the sound person what you want, but you won't always get it. When the person running sound is good: no problem. When the person running sound is bad: big problem!

You didn't mention the fourth option: Going into a PA via a preamp. That's what I usually do.

- PREAMP INTO PA: It gives you a lot more control over your own sound - without taking making life difficult for the sound person. The downsides: Obviously, there's the expense of buying one (and a pickup, if your guitar doesn't have one). And preamps can be tricky, therefore annoying, frustrating, or distracting. I went through a some utterly bewildering contraptions before finding one that (a) is easy to use and (b) sounds good.

In general, if your guitar has an active pickup, you'll want a passive preamp (or passive DI box), and If your guitar has a passive pickup, you'll want an active preamp. Either go active-passive-PA or passive-active-PA.

Thanks

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I use 2 different systems, depending on the situation.
With my band, we all use Shure Beta-57 mics for our instruments.
There are 5 of them. The mics are directly plugged into the PA Mixer.

For my Solo shows, I use a Martin GPC-16 guitar with a built in pickup.
I plug it directly into my JBL Line Array PA.

I am very happy with both systems.

 

[Nuuska]

JBL Line Array PA.

Really? - those are big systems.

Maybe one of those sub + stick systems ?

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Nuuska. That is what I have.

 

[crank]

I think those sub and sticks are considered to be line array.

 

[Nuuska]

THIS is a line array



And a bigger one