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How many would gig weekends with this many toys?


jerrye

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Do what makes you happy.

 

If the labor involved is too much then there's your answer.

 

If it's not and you want to have all those options and it increases your personal enjoyment and enhances the performance then bring it all.

 

That being said, there are probably ways to achieve everything you want in a more compact setup.

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I'm with Taylor. Unless you're getting paid big bucks, I'd find a different way to express myself.

 

I do an acoustic duo with one of my buds. I bring an acoustic guitar, an amp, an electric guitar for about 10 songs, and my pedalboard and a mic. He, on the other hands, brings three amps, three guitars, an Ipod, a toneworks thing, a guitar synth, a beatbox, and so on. It drives me nuts because 1) he's never ready to start on time, and 2) he spends half his time fiddling with his {censored} or running down bad cords.

 

I prefer everything stripped down to it's basic elements, allowing musicianship to come through and either carry the songs or not. But that's just me.

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I bring a couple guitars, a couple lap steels, an amplifier or two, a tuner, maybe a couple stompboxes, and cables to connect them together. I also bring a folding table and a folding chair for playing lap steel. Though I am seriously considering switching to an ironing board.

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It's just like backpacking. At some point, you have to sit down, pick up each item, and honestly ask yourself what it can do for you and if it's worth carrying it.

 

In one of my old bands that was gear heavy, we used to joke, "How many more tickets do you think we'll sell if we buy one more Par 64 can (lighting fixture)?"

 

Same applies to foot pedals, though I guess more realistically you might ask how much each one increases your enjoyment if the pay where you're at is anything like around here.

 

Terry D.

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I played in a band where the other guitarist had about 14 pedals and various things. Plus he carried 2 amps so he could split signals from the pedals,etc.

 

I can say it really did cause aggravation during gigs....picking up RF/ radio stations through his amps, bad cables ,and intermittent audio problems at some gigs where the lighting console reacted badly with some of his stuff.

 

It really was a PITA sometimes and he'd finally bypass the whole thing in disgust ( though sometimes under protest) if it was really sounding bad.

 

And his setup/teardown was the longest I've ever seen for a guitar player in my life.

 

So I vote for the simplest possible approach for gigs. I use the 3 stompbox maximum rule. Much less troubleshooting and less aggro on small stages.

 

PS-Nothing comes close to the earsplitting howl of a ring modulator box that suddenly goes nuts at a gig thru a 100w amp miced thru a 3.5K PA.

:eek:

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I have 2 guitars that use the same chord to an acoustic amp. I do have an AB switch and a TU2. And the PA. But I can set the whole thing up in a half an hour.

It comes down to personal taste but there's something to be said for being able to reproduce your sound with very little equipment. My 2 cents...

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Last night I decided I must downsize.

 

Too much stuff, not enough value...including everything you got.

 

I don't get enough help to haul all this.

 

I will now bring two mains, powered mixer, guitar and amp, two monitors, 3 mics and stands.

 

NO more subs, extra amps, guitar stands for others, lights, guitar synth, or pedals.

 

I will bring the full rig when I get a share for playing and a share for the PA.

 

I have to do this to keep it fun!

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Originally posted by multitrack mind

PS-Nothing comes close to the earsplitting howl of a ring modulator box that suddenly goes nuts at a gig thru a 100w amp miced thru a 3.5K PA.

:eek:

 

Dear God! If I didn't have my ring modulator on stage I'd be helpless! The humanity!

 

:D

 

Terry D.

 

P.S. What I'm having trouble weaning off of is my hexaphonic pitch shifter. Without that thing (enabling instant guitar retunings) I'd not only be without my weird twelve string tunings but I'd have to learn like five of our songs in the right key! :eek:

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Originally posted by MrKnobs



P.S. What I'm having trouble weaning off of is my hexaphonic pitch shifter. Without that thing (enabling instant guitar retunings) I'd not only be without my weird twelve string tunings but I'd have to learn like five of our songs in the right key!
:eek:

 

Ahh, but that sounds useful. It saves you lugging additional guitars to gigs, no?

 

Which one do you use, Terry ?

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Technology has advanced to the point where much of what you mentioned can be achieved with inexpensive modelling devices/synths.

 

Tritons and many other keyboards can be programmed to add the effects you talked about - all the way to embedding sampled sounds and/or additional audio tracks.

 

I have the Roland guitar synth too - and while it's possible to do what you mentioned, a keyboard trigger is much easier to use.

 

Guitar/amp combos like the Variax/Vetta (or roland/boss/podXTL etc) are capable of all the effects and alternate tunings you mentioned - with quick setup time.

 

It's fairly easy to incorporate a laptop to trigger outboard gear changes - such as changing tones, triggering devices and much more.....and use plug-ins for the intelligent harmonies etc.

 

And - they're sounding better than ever with the advances in computer modelling. You sound comfortable with technology - you might experiment with a laptop, some small keyboard controller and a Variax/Pod XT live for your guitar rig.

 

All sound, harmony and amp/guitar settings can be embedded in a MIDI control program (sonar etc)- and do your changes for you. Only problem with that is you have to follow pre-arranged songs. If you improvise alot - it can get confusing making program changes while playing guitar.

 

Go direct into the PA - you don't even need an amp. Very quick and easy setup, and unlimited capability.

 

I sometimes worry about the reliability of these type of devices - but I haven't had problems (yet)

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I'm a keyboard player (ducks for cover) and it only takes me 5 minutes to set up. One keyboard & stand, a powered speaker (Mackie), and a direct box (one side to speaker - one side to PA) and I'm done. That's me and it's taken 30 some years to get that simplified!

 

Now if I were a guitar player (and I do actually play a little - just not in this band - we already have two guitar players and another would mess with the ego mix) I'd seriously look at a Line 6 Variax and PODxt Live! Talk about simplicity! You could plug those two in and do what I do ... go to a PA and an amplifier or just the PA and slap the monitor back atcha!

 

Just my minimalist thoughts for what they're worth!

 

Now I'll leave before the tomato throwing begins!

 

:D:thu::wave:

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When we play places with big enough stages, I bring:

 

Nord Electro 2 73

Alesis Micron

nady mixer

DOD digtal looping delay

Telecaster

Peavey Classic 30

Voodoo Labs trem

Fuzz Factory

Johnson analog delay

Lap steel

A/B/Y switch

 

I love being the "multi-instrumentalist" at practice and in the studio, but it kinda sucks during setup.

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Originally posted by BlueStrat

I'm with Taylor. Unless you're getting paid big bucks, I'd find a different way to express myself.


I prefer everything stripped down to it's basic elements, allowing musicianship to come through and either carry the songs or not. But that's just me.

 

 

huuuuum.....concept!:)

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While I agree with many that it's possible to simplfy your setup, if you enjoy what you are doing then don't change a thing. Or.... you can do what I've done which is hire a roadie.

 

 

I play 2nd guitar and keyboards in my band. From the start my setup has never been simple, in fact I carry more gear now than when I first started gigging with this band 4 years ago. However I have made strides in simplying the connections between my gear.

 

My guitar rig is:

Peavey XXX Head

Genz Benz G-Flex 2x12

Pedal board consisting of: Vox Wah, Boss TU, Boss CE3 Chorus, EH Holy Grail, Digitech Whammy IV...

2 of any of the following 2 guitars to the gig... Fender Strat, ESP Mirage, Ibanez RG570, LP Special, BC Rich Warlock

 

 

Synth Setup

Roland XP 30

Roland Fantom S

Korg Triton LE

Alesis Micron

running stereo into a Yamaha MG10/2 submixer.... stereo line out to the FOH mixer, mono left & right to 2-100 watt Yorkville keyboard wedges.

 

Since I play nearly every weekend I have a fairly organized way that I pack my car, load in my gear (Rock N Roller carts are wonderful ;) ), set up my gear, and tear it down. As I said we pay someone $30 out of the $$$$ we make per gig I make to help me (and the rest of the band) set up. For $5 out of my pay it's just an extra pair of hands. With help I can be set up in 25 minutes. Without help it takes me close to 40 minutes. We usually arrive 2 hrs prior to showtime and soundcheck 1/2 hour before we play. Although I usually only have time to grab a beer and change my shirt, I wouldn't have it any other way. I paid $$$$ for all my gear, I might as well use it. Could I get away using just two synths for the night? Absolutely and in tight spots I have to make sacrifices. But I paid for it all, and I use it... so why not bring it to the gig.

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I don't bring as much equipment as Grant does, but I most defintely see his point. His setup works for what he does and my setup works for what I do. For any of the bands that I play gigs with, my setup is usually pretty simplified. e.g.:

 

With the blues gigs:

 

Yamaha S80

Hammond XB2

Peavey KB4 amp

Leslie 45

Fender Bassman

Ernie Ball or Behringer volume pedal

 

 

With any other gigs:

 

Yamaha S80

Yamaha EX7

Peavey KB4 amp

Ernie Ball or Behringer volume pedal

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Originally posted by wheresgrant3

Synth Setup

Roland XP 30

Roland Fantom S

Korg Triton LE

Alesis Micron

running stereo into a Yamaha MG10/2 submixer.... stereo line out to the FOH mixer, mono left & right to 2-100 watt Yorkville keyboard wedges.

 

 

You take all of those to every gig? Seems like a lot of overlap. 3 ROMplers it a lot to carry for a lot of similar sounds. If you got the sampling expansion for your LE, you could probably do away with the XP and Fantom. Lighten the load a bit, at least.

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