Texas_minor_blues
Rosewood or Bust
So decided to pick up an Alex Lifeson SE Thinline and trying to decide the best way to amp it, do you guys just use a DI or do you prefer an amp
Open to all options
Open to all options
What do you run your Acoustics through?
- Thread starter Texas_minor_blues
- Start date
Texas_minor_blues
Rosewood or Bust
recommendations ?
BrianC
more toys than talent
DI to PA. I already have a PA if I did not the Fishman Loudbox's are real nice.
C&M Music - Lafayette
Charlie
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,183
Some DI's are better than others , but I have found three components, that together accomplish what a DI does, if not way better. I run into a wampler ego to balance the strings, onto a mxr 10 band eq with volume and gain, and for colour, a reverb pedal. I cut the lowest bass frequency and the highest treble on the eq. Adjust the others to taste and the amp or PA is set flat. Works splendid for me and a few other I know. It is still cheaper than a complex or high tech DI and accomplishes more and better as the individual components are great at their individual purpose. I am no audio expert by any means. But this works for me splendidly.
WeFixFlats
Respect The Clave
LR Baggs Para DI
http://www.lrbaggs.com/preamps/para-di-acoustic-preamp
And both my 6 and 12 string acoustics(made in El Cajon) have K&K Sound 'Pure Pickups' installed because, on purpose, I didn't buy them with the 'built in' black plastic preamps.
http://kksound.com/products/purepickup.php
Works for me; on a fixed budget.
http://www.lrbaggs.com/preamps/para-di-acoustic-preamp
And both my 6 and 12 string acoustics(made in El Cajon) have K&K Sound 'Pure Pickups' installed because, on purpose, I didn't buy them with the 'built in' black plastic preamps.
http://kksound.com/products/purepickup.php
Works for me; on a fixed budget.
Texas_minor_blues
Rosewood or Bust
G-man for the price point it is a nice little acoustic!
The biggest selling point for me is that it is a thin line and it sounds really good
I've gone directly into a room's PA, but I also have a great little AER Compact 60 that's amazing...
Danerada
Goatee Practitioner
Fishman Loudbox for me. I love it.
SincePRS doesn't make acoustic amps (yet), I'm currently using this...
This is the DI I use when I go direct; it's the Avalon U5. It's actually a very versatile unit, with line and mic preamp level outputs, true Class A design, discrete transistor components, 30 clean db of gain, tone control presets for acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, and an input to take up to a 400 watt amplifier (you have to use a speaker load with it, as it's not a load box, though no doubt a load box would work), and a headphone monitor output. It's ridiculously high quality, and a very good value for how well made it is and how great it sounds. All the hardware is stainless steel, so it will last for a very long time. You don't connect the amp directly to this unit, you connect a secondary output from the cab (some amps have secondary outputs as well, but I don't actually remember how to use it that way!).
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C&M Music - Lafayette
Charlie
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,183
Cool Les. Good to know that you like it. I have been looking at these for a few weeks now, trying to decide if I show go with it. Still trying to sort it all out! Thanks for posting it.
I've been using them since they first came out, and have yet to find a DI I like as much for bass, guitar or any other instrument.
In fact, I brought it to a session with Prince's former bass player, and he just smiled and took the same model out of his road case. Lots of players use these and swear by them.
That is correct. You can use an amp into the U5, but it has to be post-speaker load, i.e., a thru jack from the speaker (such as the thru jacks on Mesa cabs), or a thru jack from a load box. However, you do not have to do employ an amp.
It's optional, and just another thing the box does.
I do think it's the best sounding bass DI out there, though I will also say that my son swears by the A-Designs Reddi (he used it on his own records and on the 30 Seconds to Mars stuff), but the Reddi isn't as versatile, lacking the amp input, headphone output, EQ, etc. Rupert Neve also has a new DI box, but again, it lacks most of the U5s features. Still both of these are very good sounding DUs.
Truth
New Member
For all our acoustic shows, I just run the cable straight into the mixer. Never had any problems and sounds great!
Parralax view
New Member
I've been using a Roland AC-33 amp for a while now. I think I should have bought bigger. It sounds great, it's just not very loud. I don't have a PRS acoustic, I use an Alvarez, but it's undersaddle piezo only with no condenser mike. I think that is the downfall. Piezo's sound shrill and thin and make an otherwise beautiful guitar sound small. Perhaps the addition of a condenser mike should be an option on all marks of A/E's. Once I found a Condenser mike that worked with the system installed in the Alvarez, it became full and loud and sounded natural, or more natural at least.
LR Baggs makes some great products, I use the big brother to the Para, it's called the Venue DI and worth checking out as well. I use it with my Taylor T5z Custom when I gig.
http://www.lrbaggs.com/preamps/venue-di-acoustic-preamp
