acoustic di

[herbie d]

Right now I'm using one acoustic guitar on stage. I run it to a LR Baggs Para DI, then to the stage snake. I want to add a dobro to my stage set-up, plus I'm thinking a second acoustic guitar as well.

Do I need to use three Para DI,s? I also see some dual channel preamp/di's (like KK, and ultra sound, but I think maybe they are more for one guitar with two pick-ups) I know the eq on each of those guitars is different so, unplugging one, then plugging in another is not an option.

[RoadRanger]

These do a surprisingly good job on acoustic instruments with built-in pickups If you can get away with the EQ on the guitar and/or mixer:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062444

I don't plug them right into the snake or mixer but use an XLR cord in-between.

 

But I guess if you really need the EQ on that Baggs for each you'll need one per instrument .

[agedhorse]

Yes, the whole point of the product is for seperate contro, of the eq. I prefer a good active DI, but I also have everything I need as far as eq goes in monitor world and FOH.

[Reson8tor]

Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes frustrating) world of multi-instrumentalism. I use from two to four different acoustic instruments on a gig, and yeah... it's nice to have separate EQ for each one, but there are trade-offs. I've handled that a few different ways, depending on the band I'm in, and whether it's worth extra hassle with gear:

 

1) The easiest solution is to give up separate EQ and also ditch the pickups. Just play into an external mic, if the stage volume is low enough and feedback is under control. If you have decent-quality instruments, and use a good mic, then you shouldn't really need any additional EQ playing into an external microphone. Your "EQ" is in your instrument selection and playing technique. It's old-school, but it works.

 

2) Set up a compact mixer on a table or stand nearby, plug all instruments into the mixer (with basic DI's if needed), and use the mixer channel EQ for each instrument. Reach over and use the channel mutes when you're swapping instruments. This works well with the clip-on mics I use, which need phantom power anyway.

 

3) Use a floor pedal with programmable EQ, like the T.C. G-Natural. Use a single cable and plug it into each instrument as you swap, using the pedal's tuner function to mute the signal. Set up a different EQ program for each instrument that you can select with another foot button press after the swap. You can also set up different levels for each instrument patch. AFAIK, this might be the only pedal that does programmable EQ like this, and it includes high-quality effects -- reverb, delay, chorus, etc. Sounds good when used very sparingly, and again each instrument can have its own effects patch.

 

Or, you could just get another PADI or two, but I think one of the above options starts to make more sense when you get into three instruments or more.

[herbie d]

Agedhorse

Ha, the sound man! I hear ya, but I like having some control of the tone of my instruments, in my stage monitor. If someone I trust is mixing FOH I don't wory much, but if its someone I don't know, I like it when they can hear what I am doing on stage to make the FOH similar.

I can put 3 para DI's on my pedal board, but it would be cool to to just run one XLR to the snake rather than 3. Less stuff to pack up at the end of the night. On these acoustic gigs I usually don't supply sound, and the faster I can set-up and take down, the better. Maybe I can run the three DI's into a box with three switched inputs, and one output. Just turn on the one I'm using at the time. I guess my tuner and booster would go to that line out before it goes to the snake? The tuner would alow me to mute the line befor I switch DI's so I don't make the pop noise when I switch.

I say this, and I'm thinking of carrying 3 guitars, and a big pedal board! What a knuckle head. guitar players, huh?

[herbie d]

Reson8tor

I'll have to take a look at this T.C. G-Natural. On another note, I saw this guy's rig on a job I did. He used a 000 type guitar and a baritone guitar. He used a rack mounted dual 15 band EQ, and I think he just Y'd the EQ to a DI box. Some how he had a Rack mount tuner in that rig, and two volume pedals on the floor. I was in a hurry to get someplace else and didn't have time to check it out closly, but he sounded good.

I just need something I can either rack mount or install on a pedal board, to cut my set-up time as much as I can.