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

[Taylor Martin Guild]

All line array means is that the speakers are positioned so that they go in different directions.
My JBL EON ONE does just that.
It weighs less that 40 pounds and sets up in a minute, ready to play.
I got the cover with a base that has wheels which makes transporting my PA very easy.
The 3 sections of the tower all store inside the main body when stored.

 

[fronobulax]

So I am on a words and definition kick.

"line array" and "linear array" seem to be synonymous.

When I worked with radar systems a phased array antenna was multiple antennas aligned so that the signal from all of the antennas arrived in phase at the same time at a point in space. Add a computer to the mix and you can dynamically adjust the input signal at each antenna so that you can dynamically change that point or "steer the beam". The frequencies are different but you can do the same thing with speakers and sound waves. The Grateful Dead's "Wall of Sound" is perhaps the most famous example of this in audio practice.

In the PA (Public Address, not Phased Array) application you have an array of speakers and the physical arrangement and possibly manipulation of the transmitted signal will determine how and where things sound best.

The "stick" contains a straight array of speakers. The "curved" line array also contains an array of speakers.

In English a line does not always have to be straight, but we usually qualify it with "curved" if we don't mean a straight line. "linear" however almost never includes "curved" especially in mathematics when real world problems are often solved by making linear approximations to curves.

 

[dreadnut]

i like to play and sing into a mic. Somebody else can twist the knobs.

 

[crank]

Bose calls the small ones line array. Not sure about JBL, but seems like a very similar product..

https://pro.bose.com/en_us/products/portable/l1.html

I've used there for acoustic. Actually picked up a pair used for a friend to use at an old livery stable venue for acoustic acts and had them set up in my music room for a month. Certainly a lot lighter than my Mackie SRM's... Not as loud though.

 

[mcarter]

The mic into the PA seems to be working OK. I make sure to bring a mic and a stand for the guitar when I play. The sound people are really not into it though. I could see it being more complicated in a full band situation. I read an article about Dave Rawlings. He and Gillian Welch both mic their guitars.

 

[yongfentables]

Hello folks. Thank you for sharing your opinions and suggestions about how to play live with the acoustic guitar. If anybody knows what microphones I can use for recording? Right now, I'm searching for a good microphone to record my music and stream. Also, I would like to use this microphone to record youtube videos. Can someone suggest me a good model? If the ASMR microphone is good for these purposes, I have been told that ASMR microphones have a good quality of music recording but require setting specific settings. I will appreciate any help and thoughts.

 

[Balderdash]

Hello folks. Thank you for sharing your opinions and suggestions about how to play live with the acoustic guitar.

Good morning.
I see you’ve been with LTG for many minutes now…
Welcome !

 

[richardp69]

I prefer to mic my guitar thru my Bose L1 system to get the purest acoustic tone. That being said, I seldom do because it's pretty tricky (at least for me) to get the right settings maintain the correct mic distance/positioning etc. so I just typically take the easy way out and plug my guitar directly into the Bose using whatever pickup I happen to have on that particular guitar at the time.

 

[Midnight Toker]

Hello folks. Thank you for sharing your opinions and suggestions about how to play live with the acoustic guitar. If anybody knows what microphones I can use for recording? Right now, I'm searching for a good microphone to record my music and stream. Also, I would like to use this microphone to record youtube videos. Can someone suggest me a good model? If the ASMR microphone is good for these purposes, I have been told that ASMR microphones have a good quality of music recording but require setting specific settings. I will appreciate any help and thoughts.

For recording acoustic, I'm a big proponent of using two mics in separate channels. A condensor aimed at the middle of the neck from 18-24" away, and a larger diaphragm full range mic set a little closer, aimed at the fattest part of the body just below the soundhole. This way you'll get all the brightness from the strings and fingerboard...and the deep woody richness of the guitar body itself....and then mix the two to your liking. This way you'll also be able to get some serious breadth out of it by means of slightly panning the two channels. It can make any old guitar sound really huge while still being delicate in the mix, if so desired.

 

[Nuuska]

For recording acoustic, I'm a big proponent of using two mics in separate channels.

We used almost same technique in 70:s - condencer pointing to fingerboard 12-16th fret from 12-24 inch distance.
But the second mic was positioned behind the player - pointing the lower bout at about same distance.

As always w multiple mics - the relative distance can make big difference - so experimenting is neede to find the sweet spot.

 

[Br1ck]

People are just lazy. Our open mic has three mics set up and ready to go. When I play both mandolin and guitar, I mic so the switch is seamless. You can mic an acoustic combo if you are in a listening environment. Bars are different entirely. A loud band with a drummer is the one place a UST is useful. The Baggs Anthem is popular for this.

 

[Bmack59F30]

People are just lazy. Our open mic has three mics set up and ready to go. When I play both mandolin and guitar, I mic so the switch is seamless. You can mic an acoustic combo if you are in a listening environment. Bars are different entirely. A loud band with a drummer is the one place a UST is useful. The Baggs Anthem is popular for this.

I don't know much about what is best. Ease of use and setup are really important. But I love the way this set up sounds. From the first strum of that Gibson B24-12, I just melt. Just so warm. But, it has to be the right setting.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

There is a lot more to what is happening with the sound that Gordon Lightfoot is putting out.
The mic is just one part of the equation. You can spend a lot of time and money trying to get a great acoustic sound from a mic.

My band mics all our instruments with the exception of the upright bass.
It took a lot of time dialing in the sound that we wanted.
When it's right, it's worth the effort.

 

[Boneman]

Hello folks. Thank you for sharing your opinions and suggestions about how to play live with the acoustic guitar. If anybody knows what microphones I can use for recording? Right now, I'm searching for a good microphone to record my music and stream. Also, I would like to use this microphone to record youtube videos. Can someone suggest me a good model? If the ASMR microphone is good for these purposes, I have been told that ASMR microphones have a good quality of music recording but require setting specific settings. I will appreciate any help and thoughts.

Probably many, but for tried and true microphones, you can’t really go wrong with a Shure SM57 to record your guitar, and their SM58 for your vocals.

 

[Midnight Toker]

^ for live... ok, but for recording, the world of microphones that can really make HUGE differences.... miles beyond what any "club mics" can provide, you're talking about at least 1/2 the cost of the guitar if you're really serious about recording. Mics are key. It's where the signal starts. $70 mic into a $20k desk is a $70 sound. Just a $450 mic into a $20k desk is a 20k sound. There's a big difference between touring mics and recording mics.

 

[D30Man]

My gig rig:
Fishman SA220 powered PA speaker on a tripod - super loud / great tone
Small Mixer ( optional - only if I need more channels )
TC Electronics BODY REZ pedal
Fishman EQ
Shure SM58

Busking rig:
Roland Cube street EX 50 watt amp w/ mic and guitar inputs - set guitar to A-guitar setting and a dash of reverb ( battery powered )
Fishman EQ ( battery powered )
Shure SM58 Mic

All of my acoustics save for my F-130 are equipped with pickups.
I used to have a two speaker, mixer , monitor rig and it is just a pain most of the time. The fishman SA220 is so simple and loud. It sounds really good. I play downtown Rockwall four times a year with it outdoors to a crowd of 200 - 450 ppl and it delivers every time.
K&K's are also really good and simple. You'll want a good pre-amp like the body res or the eq pedal to give some color.