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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Wondering how everyone sets their preamp for playing live. I'm using my Legend 1867 that has the OP24+C preamp.
I have to admit I'm very new to amplifying and playing live, I've read through the Owner's Manual and read up on amplifying in such books as Acoustic Guitar Players "Performing Acoustic Music" guide.
I seem to have settled on using the EQ Input engaged and the Pre-Shape engaged. The mid-shift I haven't messed with. I tend to add a little more treble to the equalizer.
I know a lot of it is preference and where your playing, but I'm curious as to what setting others use and why.
One thing that I'm not sure about either is where to set the EQ for each device. I mean there's the preamp EQ, then amplifier EQ., then the PA EQ.....
I try to change the preamp settings up during rehearsal to hear the differences, but that is in our drummers living room and we don't have the PA set up, and our time is better spent rehearsing our songs instead of messing around with electronics.
Currently I plug into the second channel on our other guitar players Fender Acoustasonic Jr. amp, working on my own getting amp.....
Thanks |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Unless you play in the same room, at the same volume, through the same equipment, to the same number of people there's really no such thing as a standard setting, it'll vary according to the above. The golden rule is cut rather than boost. If you need to boost frequencies, esspecially bass, keep it to a couple of dB maximum or you'll encourage feedback. Most electro-acoustics sound good with the mids cut by a couple of dB coupled with a boost of 1 or 2 dB on the Lo & Hi. This is basically what the pre-shape on the Op24 does. Engineers call this "smiley-face" EQ, beacause that's the shape it makes on a graphic. Smiley face settings work well at moderate volume, but can get nasty if you need to crank it. Avoid steep mid cuts as they can make the guitar sound thin.
Best bet is to leave the PA set flat & get the guitar to sound as good as you can with the onboard EQ, then fine-tune with the console. This is assuming that the main PA is good quality or you're flogging a dead horse. |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Thanks for the advice. We have Peavy PA speakers and monitors, I'm not sure of the board, it belongs to another band memeber, and he was co-owner with another guy, we started getting some regular gigs so Dale bought it out from him (I think he was happy to be free of it!).
Dale has defaulted to be the sound man as it's his system, we are all learning and our sound is getting better every gig.
I'll have to check the PA EQ settings.
Our next gig is outdoors, we set up on a small platform/stage and play to folks tailgating in the parking lot before our minor league baseball team game. This will be our second time for this setting, our sound last time was OK, I think we can get it better.
So if I engage the pre-shape should I leave the preamp EQ set flat or go ahead and adjust it to the smiley-face with the pre-shape engaged (say for example at our outdoor setting).
I know it's hard to make recomendations without being in the room, etc. and I may ask some naive questions, but I REALLY APPRECIATE the help the OFC members are always willing to give!
Thanks :) |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Paul Wag:
So if I engage the pre-shape should I leave the preamp EQ set flat or go ahead and adjust it to the smiley-face with the pre-shape engaged (say for example at our outdoor setting).
Thanks :)
Do what sounds good to you & doesn't cause feedback. Preshape plus smiley face will sound fine at low volume & gutless if you need to play loud-ish |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | I'll experiment at rehearsal Sunday and at the baseball game Saturday - let you know the results... |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Paul Wag
Make sure you have someone go out and listen to your gig setup, and maybe do it yourself, there is no set way to get a good sound. Get to the gig early, sound check by going out to where you think your audience is and listening. Have everybody play their setup, and make sure everybody is in tune BEFORE the audience arrives, there is nothing more irritating than a band tuning during thre gig time when the paying people want to hear music. A story on this theme came from my fiddle playing brother when they had landed a bluegrass stint on the Wheeling, WV radio station on a night when the Osborne Bros were following them. They, my brothers band, nervously diddled and tuned while the Osborne Bros just sat there and they began to wonder if they, the Osbornes, would be able to play, my brother and his band went on and did their thing and then the Osborne's opened their cases, pulled out their instruments, and blew everybody away. That became a standard for us not quite ready for prime time guys, A PROFESSIONAL HAS GOOD INSTRUMENTS already in tune, KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THEM, and is ready for the job, that's why they get the big money.
Bailey |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Thanks for the advice, y'all. :cool: |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Wanted to update:
I turned off the pre-shape and boosted the bass and treble another db than I have been and cut the mid a db more than I have been.
We also spent extra time on the vocals and instrument mix (got there 1 1/2 hours before start time).
Response from our fan club (spouses and family and a few friends) at our Saturday gig was that it was our best sound to date! This was an outdoor setting....
Thanks for all the information, helping me understand sound settings and what to try!!!
Posted a pic of the band at our gig in the gallery... |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Paul Wag
I'll bet you sounded great, nothing like working at your sound. And when it works, the applause is worth more than the money. Keep digging, and the Carnegie Hall is always possible.
Bailey |
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Preamp settings
