Modelling Live

[Jaybo]

This is probably in and around all the other topics, but.....


What is your live set up?


Do you run your multi-fx through an amp, or straight to the board?

[MrMike]

I use a Vox AD120VTH head through a mid-70's Marshall cabinet. It gets the job done pretty well. I never had much luck using a POD straight into the board, as much as I wanted it to work for me. Our other guitar player has the Vox Tonelab SE, and he's been getting some really nice sounds going direct with it. I'm impressed.

[Jaybo]

I know modellers never sound as good through a combo as through headphones - but I'm scared to trust the soundman if I were to run direct! :???:

[MrMike]

That is a very valid concern. Another is that you have to have a great monitor system, preferably with multiple mixes. When you're going direct, you quickly find that not everybody wants to hear you as well as you do. :mrgreen:

[MadHatter]

That is a very valid concern. Another is that you have to have a great monitor system, preferably with multiple mixes. When you're going direct, you quickly find that not everybody wants to hear you as well as you do.

we only have a single monitor mix, mostly for vocals and keyboard...tiny bit of acoustic...

it's for this very reason that I'd refuse to go straight into the board...

I have a little blues jr that I use at church...sits on a amp stand pointing right at my head...miced up...
I can hear myself just fine...I don't muddy up the monitor mix, plus it just sounds better this way...

[Jaybo]

Well - like many of you, I've played alot of festivles, or been the second or third band at a club gig, and am very used to not hearing myself! :lol:

But at church I've come to rely on my amp behind me (even though the soundman probably has me turned to zero, anyways) :biggrin:

I guess my biggest worry is that it will sound tinny, or thin running direct.

[MDK2323]

Definitely the key to running straight to the board is having a good monitoring system or a good floor monitor or power amp(i.e. a Tech 21 Power Engine 60, Atomic Reactor, or keyboard amp) to hear yourself through.

I go direct 2 different ways, I run through a Tech 21 PE60 which has an XLR direct out, or I go straight to the board via a direct box and use a small Behringer Eurorack mixer. I have a monitor mix from the board which goes into the Eurorack, and I have a channel that's just me which comes out of the direct box's out.

I like using the mixer better, I can turn myself up as much as I want, and it doesn't bug anybody.

[Lazerjeebs]

That is a very valid concern. Another is that you have to have a great monitor system, preferably with multiple mixes. When you're going direct, you quickly find that not everybody wants to hear you as well as you do. :mrgreen:

I run my Boss GT-8 into a direct box and then direct into the FOH system mix. But, I'm saving my nickels and dimes to buy a Roland KC-350 keyboard amp.

What MrMike said is true. :cry:

[MDK2323]

I guess my biggest worry is that it will sound tinny, or thin running direct.

Before I would ever run direct, I always go to church sometime during the week and just sit in the sound booth with my modeler, and plug it straight into the board, and EQ my patches on the modeler so they sound good to me from there. I'm usually confident enough to go direct then.

[kewlpack]

At church we have a "no amps" policy so we have to go direct. I can't always hear myself in the stage monitors (just need them to boost me in the monitor nearest me).

I have NO idea what it sounds like out in the congregation area though. I hope it sounds alright. Feedback has been good thus far. They just installed a new speaker system which improved the overall sound 1000% IMHO - so I'm not worried if anyone can hear me or not. It just needs to sound good and help them get into worship even more! ;)

[hamfist]

Guitar>PodXt>EQ pedal>DI box > splits one way to PA, other way to Roland KC350 combo for my personal foldback.
Works just nicely for me. I just can't quite get to grips with a "no amps" policy like Kewlpack seems to have to endure. You are utterly dependant on the soundman for your monitoring without your own amp for foldback. This is , of course, just fine if you have a decent soundman, a decent system and have spent plenty of time setting up and soundchecking. However, in my experience, all these things don't seem to happen too often together in a church setting. HF

[Steve Hotra]

At the present, I am running my Vox Tonelab SE thru a Roland KC 350. I mic the amp with a SM 57. The amp is set for monitor only. We have a decent PA system. I used to run direct and then played thru our floor monitors ( Mackie 300's) but found that the sound guys would lower my sound, when I went to a distortion patch. Since I have the responsibility of leading worship , I get to "make the call" about amps on stage. We do play loud, but under control. I can't imagine the "no amps" policy, that's got to be hard. 1x a month we have a 5 piece horn section play, ( Israel Houghton, Tommy Walker songs) I know that there's no way I would be heard if I didn't use a amp.
Steve

[hamfist]

Steve (Hotra) , Can I ask why you mike your KC350 instead of DIing or using the line outs ? I always split my signal with a DI box, send one way to my KC350 and the other off to the desk. However, I only do it this way because of habit. I haven't been able to spend some time comparing different ways of getting my signal to the desk. What's your experience ?
HF

[kewlpack]

I do find it hard to hear myself about 60% of the time. I'm hoping they'll give me a small boost in my monitor.

The biggest issue is that there are other groups using the PA system and every single Sunday we have to redo the sound check, EQ, mix, and stage monitor levels... :???:

I suggested we write down the mix once we have it where we want it and make a Master Settings list that one of the sound guys can just look at, set the levels/EQ, and be ready to go. I hope it'll get done. Having to reset things on Sunday morning just eats away at good prep time.

:roll:

[LesStrat]

I used to use the POD XTL exlusively. I ran it into a direct box to the board. I connected the hi-z output to a Hartke B30 bass combo as a monitor.

Now, we have personal digital monitoring stations and we use IEMs. When I use my POD, I just go direct.

[hotraman]

At the present, I am running my Vox Tonelab SE thru a Roland KC 350. I mic the amp with a SM 57. The amp is set for monitor only. We have a decent PA system. I used to run direct and then played thru our floor monitors ( Mackie 300's) but found that the sound guys would lower my sound, when I went to a distortion patch. Since I have the responsibility of leading worship , I get to "make the call" about amps on stage. We do play loud, but under control. I can't imagine the "no amps" policy, that's got to be hard. 1x a month we have a 5 piece horn section play, ( Israel Houghton, Tommy Walker songs) I know that there's no way I would be heard if I didn't use a amp.
Steve

wow....
got to be careful what you post rofl

I still use the TLSE, but sold the Roland amp earlier in the year.
Bought a Atomic Reactor 112-50... this is the best amp for guitar modelers, IMHO!

[Steelstrum]

I like to play with my patches at church during the week, too. Otherwise, since I'm a/e, I run my modeller through a large Peavey keyboard amp and into the church's system. I've found the engineer has a little more respect for my part in the mix when I have a big amp presence. Don't know why.

My modeller is a Digitech--not everybody's favorite, but it's okay if you amp it and have a little patience.

[RipVanWinkle]

You can see mine in my siggy.

I go with the Epi or the Charvel into my XTLive into a DD5, front ended into my HRDlx.

I don't use the hot rod's drive channel. I really get some nice tone. The secret of the XTLive is finding/making good patches/bundles. I found a "class A" bundle online that I use exclusively, and it sounds phenomenal...much better than the patches I made myself.

[Strat-tastic]

Hey Hamfist, another one on my side of the pond - howdie!!

I run a Boss GT-8 into the DI box, which splits and sends one signal to the board, and another to an amp I use as a monitor. I tilt it back a bit so I don't have to crank it up to get a nice volume.

I also try and spend some time in church setting up patches so they sound good in the house.