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Phil O'Keefe

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Just how big of an issue is it for you when you play live? Do you struggle to keep your acoustic guitar from howling? What tools and methods work best for you in terms of keeping your acoustic under control live?

 

In my experience, it is generally easier with lower-volume, all-acoustic sets... it's when you try to play acoustic with a full rock band that the potential for problems starts getting really bad.

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I have a Rane PE-17 parametric equalizer in my acoustic rack that not only let's me notch out up to five problem frequencies, but also has a low and a high cut filter. When I'm on larger stages that low cut filter is a life saver.

 

Aside from looking for the magic box to band aid issues, using higher quality speakers that can control their dispersion pattern better has made the biggest difference. When your boxes aren't throwing so much sound out the sides and back, this becomes a lot less of an issue. I moved to JBL's SRX line on all of my personal systems and noticed a huge improvement and tend to need to eq the acoustic a lot less

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I have a blend slider between the piezo pup and the internal mic. If I can get away with it I blend in lots of mic, but in a loud context I usually have to be 100% piezo. If I know it's going to be harsh I usually install the Fishman Rare Earth humbucker, which gives a zero feedback option.

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Sound checks. They never fail. Knowing your rig and how it performs in given venues requires experience/repetition. Aside from a good amp, mic, cables, I switched to classical guitar. It provides a better acoustic sound plugged than any steel string I've ever experienced regardless of the system used. Had I spent more time listening I'd have learned what to listen for. Water under that bridge, nylon gives me the best sound I can ask for from an acoustic, or near-acoustic rig. If I had advise to give there, I'd prompt people to look at the nylon cross-over guitars for decent sound for plugged venues. That's fingerpicking, which is what I do. They don't strum like a steel string does so I can't hawk them for that.

 

 

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Sound Checks. Good people at the FoH. Communication.

Usually, I have all pots on neutral and leave the sound to the FoH. But then, I usually use Ovations when playing in a bigger venue. Why? Because the people at the FoH know that kind of stuff and they know, how to treat it. If I do not use Ovations (like for fingerpicking), I have a screeching halt. Works like a charm, but do not add the mic/blender while using the plug. Will sound fugly. Stay with the piezo.

 

Face it. You know {censored} about how you sound. Stage sound and the sound down in the audience are incomparable and you can not judge how you sound down there from up there. So I have trust in the ppl at the FoH.

 

In church, there is almost nothing I can do to modify the sound. "Yo can't touch dis!"-Sticker on the mixer and we only have one channel (which we feed from a slave) as all the other channels are used by the various mics at altar, choir, desk. Touch the mixer and everything goes down in a microphone feedback. .... So we play LOUD as in acoustically LOUD and just fatten up our sound with a little bit of help from the PA.

 

When I do not have trustworthy ppl there - like Pubs or the likes - I use a different guitar. I use an all lam Washburn D46SP guitar with aftermarket Fishman piezo and I have an auto feedback notch filter in the Zoom A2.1u. The Washburn is all lam and hence acoustically a bit less active than any massive acoustic wonder. It's just about dead right dead, so to say.

 

I usually do not play with a full rock band, so YMMV....

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Never experienced feedback, except for one time standing too close to my amp. Other than that, neither through an amp or PA. I did test one of those "feedback buster" rubber gadgets once and they do work and work well. These days I'm fortunate to have a good sound guy at church. My main issue is feedback from vocals since I don't sing very loud.

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Just how big of an issue is it for you when you play live? Do you struggle to keep your acoustic guitar from howling? What tools and methods work best for you in terms of keeping your acoustic under control live?

 

In my experience, it is generally easier with lower-volume, all-acoustic sets... it's when you try to play acoustic with a full rock band that the potential for problems starts getting really bad.

 

 

 

I used to have a Taylor that I played out with, and I used one of those bass buster sound hole covers. They work. I sold the taylor and went back to a Martin for my bar gigging acoustic. The sound hole cover does not fit on the 00016

 

Here's the deal FF at decade. I bought one of these when they first came out.

 

Ya see that button on the lower button that says anti feed back. Just step on it and it's over and done.

 

This is the best acoustic pedal I have ever owned. Period.

 

DSC_5358_jansberg.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for the suggestion Mikeo - I appreciate it! :cool2:

 

 

 

I'm not particularly fond of the tuner on the Spectra. Don't get wrong, it does work, I just like other tuners better.

 

So when you start pushing an acoustic in a rock band setting, you will want to compress that acoustic a bit. It's there.

 

You can also fake any guitar and mic, they have, plus you can do custom downloads, and even send you guitar to Fishman if you are fuss budget.

 

 

The funny thing is I have never tried out the 12 string simulator.

 

I may do so, just to see how it sounds.

 

Most of the time all I ask for on stage is a XLR line back to the house mixer and plug the Spectra in from there.

 

I have also not tried the Spectra on other pick ups that are not Fishman, so I can't say how that sounds with other brand of pick ups.

 

I use a LR Bagg Radius M and Venue Pre amp on my mandolin, which has a notch filter anti feed back system. I like that for my mandolin, quite a bit.

 

 

Here are the direct PDF manuals to each

www.fishman.com/files/aura_spectrum_user_guide.pdf



 

 

www.lrbaggs.com/sites/default/files/pdf/venue-di-manual-131112.pdf



 

 

 

 

 

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