PA speakers for your rig....do you share?

[bhodaway10]

Hey guys,

 

I know a lot of you use PA type speakers (eons, Ev's, Accugrooves, etc) for your keyboards and most of you bring multi channel mixers.

 

Do you guys ever let the other guys in your band (guitars, bass, etc) patch in to your mixer to reduce the amount of amps on the stage and to make sure the mix/balance is better?

 

 

 

 

[Jazz+]

Yes and the jazz guitarist I work with helps move the speakers to and from my car. He is also responsible for bringing a mixer for us and setting it up. He also carries the bag of poles I keep in the trunk and will lift the speakers up onto them when I think they are neccessary. We get good sound and I get a roadie. I don't usualy invite bass players to play in my PA, just the guitarist, horn or singer.

[bhodaway10]

Jazz+, do you run an out from your bass' amp or does he go direct into the mixer via a d.i. box?

 

 

 

[Jazz+]

I prefer bass goes direct in so I can control their level. If they are sending me an out from their amp and they are playing loudly then I will turn their PA level down to zero. I don't like loud bass players, I like bass quite low in the mix.

[bhodaway10]

What kind of DI box works well? Do the cheaper ones work as well as the rest?

 

[Jazz+]

We don't bother with DIs, they seem uneccessary our my situation.

 

Wiki

 

"A DI unit, DI box, Direct Box or simply DI is an electronic device that connects a high impedance line level signal that has an unbalanced output to a low impedance mic level balanced input, usually via XLR connector. DIs are frequently used to connect an electric guitar or electric bass to a mixing console's microphone input. The DI performs level matching, balancing, and either active buffering or passive impedance bridging to minimise noise, distortion, and ground loops. DIs do not perform impedance matching."

[montunoman]

I play from time to time in a jazz trio lead by a drummer, and he always invites horns players and singers come to sit in. The drummer likes to chit-chat with the crowd, so he always asks me to bring a mic and a stand. The singers and horn players never have mics either. If the leader doesn't help me load in/load out my PA it can bug me and it's something I've been meaning to tell him.

 

 

[timwat]

bhodaway -

 

Since you asked, IMHO all DIs are not created equal. In a previous church setting I was able to A/B compare ProCo (the 4-in-a-rack unit), Whirlwind, Countryman and Radial on keys, bass, guitar and v-drums.

 

Radial is far and away the best DI.

Countryman FET is second.

ProCo is a distant third.

Whirlwind not worth buying.

 

Poor DI throws a blanket over high end, dynamics, and basically sucks the life out of the instrument. If you end up needing a DI, buy the Radial duplex unit and you'll never need another one.

 

 

 

 

[SpaceNorman]

We run everybody (guitar, keys, bass, sax AND vocals) direct through the PA for low volume rehearsals and it works just fine. However for gigs - everybody brings an amp. Personally, I think that spatial seperation helps keep the volume down when playing live.

[Joe P]

We run everybody (guitar, keys, bass, sax AND vocals) direct through the PA for low volume rehearsals and it works just fine.

 

SpaceNorman,

Do you run everybody through the PA in order to keep the rehearsal volume low, or do you do it because it is only a rehearsal so nobody has to bring an amp? Just wondering, because sometimes our rehearsals get a little loud and we all play through amps.

Regards,

Joe

[SpaceNorman]

I think our primary driver is because a) it saves space and b) because it cuts the rehearsal schlepp factor. I don't think it reduces volume much if any. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if we're not maybe a hair louder because of it.

 

I think you need to know a little bit about our setup to understand my comments regarding volume. Our rehearsal space is small (it's a room off of my family room - 16' x 18' - normal height ceilings (8 foot ?) - so space is a concern, as is volume. I stick our PA rack the rack in the middle of one wall....two mains (Yamaha Club V's ... 15" and a horn) in each corner. Everybody simply plugs into the rack mount DI unit I've got and we're off to the races. It difficult to describe volume since I haven't metered it - and given that "loud" is such a relative term. As a rule, we're not volume addict - meaning that the PA setup we use at rehearsal can get us as loud as we'd ever want to get in a 16' x 18' room. We certainly view it as an amplified practice - we're not trying to go for the "unplugged" vibe in any way shape or form.

 

With that as background - I think we could probably be a little quieter if we were playing through our own amps because our own amps would give us a little more spatial seperation of sound sources. When I know where to listen for my instruments - I have a tendency to turn down and listen for me in that space - compared to when we're all coming through the same two speakers (where I have a tendency to turn up a little to get "on top"). It's taken all of us a little getting used to our "shared" sound. Now that we have however - it's working well - and ain't nobody complaining about lugging gear!

 

I (keys) go keys into my keyboard rack - and with a send to the PA board (the keyboard speakers and amp that I normally use as stage monitors are out of the picture. Bass player patch from instrument direct to DI channel. Guitar player uses a Line 6 Pod XT Live unit amp modeller - direct in the DI. Sax and vocals all run into the board as usual.

 

If we were all using IEM's - I consider trying a "sans amp" setup live.

 

 

[JeffLearman]

Wiki

 

"A DI unit, DI box, Direct Box or simply DI is an electronic device that connects a high impedance line level signal that has an unbalanced output to a low impedance mic level balanced input, usually via XLR connector. DIs are frequently used to connect an electric guitar or electric bass to a mixing console's microphone input. The DI performs level matching, balancing, and either active buffering or passive impedance bridging to minimise noise, distortion, and ground loops. DIs do not perform impedance matching."

 

Proof that fools can write Wiki articles. That paragraph contradicts itself, because a passive electric guitar is *NOT* a line level device.

[Jazz+]

My guitarist does bring a DI for his 1956 Gibson jazz guitar that he plugs into the mixer for my EV Sxa360s. He gets a higher level with it.

 

learjeff, how should that paragraph read? I will edit it on wiki.