If I’m using a typical 2 channel 4 input solo PA system. What would be the best way to run the BB?
Do I put one channel into the vocal channel and one into the guitar channel? What are the drawbacks?
Or do I need to look at a 4 channel mixer?
Thanks. I’ve had the BB about 2 weeks and I have about half my act polished off with BB arrangements (I have a huge stock of midi drum loops from my studio) and the other half is roughed out. I think this unit has a lot of potential and I’m excited about the possibilities for live play. Like many others, I need more buttons! ;>)
Why don’t you just experiment and see what works best. Every system is different - all you want is a clean channel for the BB, preferably a low impedence channel, from what some have reported here, line inputs don’t work too well - as I say best experiment to find what works for you.
If I read it right you have vocal, guitar, and the BB to hook into the PA. PA with 2 mic inputs and 2 line inputs. If I was a good singer and a good quitar player I’d hook the BB into the line in. Start with line in channel at 1/4 to 1/2 volume and crank the BB volume up, but stay below overdriving the PA line in channel. Hook up left and right from BB to line in if you have the cables. Before you go to a 4 channel mixer evaluate if this PA will provide the quality of sounds you need from the BB which has frequency components down to 50hz.
I’m about to buy a new solo PA and was considering the Fishman Solo 220. What are people using successfully? What is an ideal equipment setup for small to medium clubs? (Thanks for the tip on trying it but I’ve yet to buy the new PA.)
I could not find the low freq response of the Fishman on line. They claim it has great bass response without a subwoofer, but Bose needed subwoofers, so I don’t believe Fishman on that. I have a different view. Half the price of the Fishman, double the power and double the inputs, with easy future expandibility. I like a powered biamped speaker like the Behringer B212D (which I chose last year) or similar like the Mackie Thump 12 (real nice), or others. They have the 15" models but it’s a trade off between sound and weight/portability. I believe don’t buy the cheapest and don’t buy the most expensive. Check the power and freq response. Add a 6 - 10 input mixer with effects. I’m talking just one biamped speaker, I started with just one B 212D, 550 watts, nice quality, not real heavy, tight bass, compact. Later I added another when an out of the box deal came up. A lot later I added a third B212D, when I sold off some musical equipment. They can serve as main or monitor, now that I have 3 at 1650 total watts one is used as a monitor. I often bring one for a monitor where the small sound system at the gig doesn’t have monitors.
OK thanks. Are you running a line to each of two speakers? And if so, how do you hook up the third. Also, do I need at least two powered speakers to get the sound I want?
I will set up however I need to, I’m not working on a budget, but I don’t want to spend unnecessarily and I don’t want to have an hour into setup {unlike my road days, I can’t afford a roadie on a solo income}.
Also do you feed into the house system, and if you do are you using a line-out on one or more of the speakers?
The Fishman comes on high recommendation from friend who is a upper tier solo act in Nashville. He runs Boomerang looper an TC Helicon but no drums.
I forgot to add that right now I’m rehearsing with the BB into my recording deck and through my studio monitors. But it didn’t even sound too bad through a guitar amp surprisingly.
The B212D has a XLR and a 1/4" input, and a XLR thru, Hi and Low tone, and volume. Right now in the studio I have all 3 daisy chained for monitors, but on stage I feed left and right mains by XLR and Monitor out XLR. I can take my Vocal Live 3, Beat Buddy, Microphone and Acoustic/electric guitar with the B212D and I don’t need a mixer.
In my system I also use an Aphex 204 exciter and a Behringer Feedback Destroyer Pro.
Do you need the 12s? Only ask because there are some very nice units with good sound dispersion using 10"s or several small speakers or combinations. Such as the LIne 6 Stage source.
Also, what are the drawbacks in sound of running just ONE powered speaker if you don’t need the extra dispersion?
Thanks for the info… if you get a chance check out my page at darylcrowley.com
The capability to produce loud bass is restricted by the total area of the speakers. The 6 4" speakers in the Fishman almost equal a 12" speaker. Stacking multiple speakers vertically increases horozontal desperation. I didn’t find a single powered speaker had issues with dispersion. A loud outdoor concert needs stacks of 18" speakers. A quiet acoustic act in a quiet venue doesn’t. BB drums need more bass than guitars or vocals. It’s a compromise between weight, cost, and bass power.
Randy,
Thanks, I’m interested in…
[INDENT]Your impressions of the Fishman vs the Bose?
Have you used the line-out on the Fishman for additional speakers?
Are you running the Beat Buddy into the Fishman along with your voice, guitar, etc.?[/INDENT]
I was in the Florida Keys this week and heard several acts with the Bose but I’ve yet to hear the Fishman in action.
Bose is top notch, but it would not stop me from using my fishman if I was playing in the keys or smaller venues. I used the line outs to go to the mains, there is actually a monitor in on the back so you can link two fishmans together. I’m running everything into the fishman and it sounds great. I plan to use both systems at this time. The fishman is obviuolsy way easier to haul and set up. Its would be plenty of quality volume for most solo situtions. The bose is a little more to haul and set up, more channels and options, but it does have the base bottoms and a killer soung that no other system has matched yet in my opinion. The one thing I do use with the fishman is the bose Tone Match, this gives me more flexibility with feedback and channels because I’m running the BB, looper, harmonizer, and a Finhol kick pedal, guitar and mic. I would reccomend using this with the Fishamn.
I was thinking about running the BB into a separate monitor, can I get away with 1, or should I use two? How about running the line out to a 12 or 15 inch monitor? I realize that is not the same as bass module, but would that help with bottom end? Of course if there was a house system I could run out to that.
Not sure I will be playing in the Keys, but I will be spending part of my winters down there over the next few years, so it’s possible. Mostly I will be playing small clubs in northwestern Michigan.
I toured a lot in groups and some solo gigs my younger days and I’ve been back into recording for the past 10 years, but I’ve had the itch to do some solo stuff again and the BB adds a lot and keeps me in-synch. Which is good because and I need all the help I can get. ;>)
Check out my website if you get a chance and thanks again.
The Solo is the monitor and the PA all in one, I do not use monitors with the bose or the solo amp. Nice Web site. I was born and raised in upper michigan
Hi, here is my way of playing the BB when not putting it through the looper. BB goes out to a small two channel mixer on my stand then out to main mixer I can easily adjust volume of BB ouput while standing, and solves the problem of hearing the drums when going from pause to new song (I don’t yet have BB manger software) You can choose if you are limited for inputs on the mixer/powered spkr/or what ever makes the noise (some have only one input) Then run mono out of the Aux mixer on the stand and pan both input channels(BB in) hard L or R. I’ll most likely use this method even when I’m using the looper for easy volume adjustment if nothing else. Still have to bend down to change song though until I get software
ihazid
Hey Daryl, I’ve had a Fishman Sa-220 going on three years and I absolutely love it. I recently played a venue that I had previously played at and the owner bought a brand new PA system with three speakers and a Behringer mixer. He insisted I play through it so I did for one night but next gig I insisted on using my Fishman. I haven’t played through anything better since I’ve owned it to be honest. I play a Yamaha FGX-04 LTD with a Fishman matrix pickup. I previously played it through a self powered Mackie speaker but the clarity of Fishman for the vocals and the guitar is just uncomparible. I just got a BB pedal so I’ve been experimenting with using that with my infinity looper and TC Helicon harmony singer. I think an additional sub would be recommended as I am experimenting with using my Markbass 121p mini for the lows. The Sa-220 is pretty awesome for guitar and vox and has great anti feedback controls built in. Really it’s only drawbacks are: Lack of channels only 2 (can use a mixer though if needed I don’t) and the reverb is completely unusable. It actually reviewed better than the Bose tower with a lot people feeling it made their guitars sound more natural… Anyway I obviously love mine and I am getting ready to play out with that aforementioned set up on this Saturday…
Hey Daryl, I run my acoustic through a TC Helicon Harmony singer pedal, to a Infinity Looper, to the BB pedal out (split signal) to the Fishman tower and my Markbass mini for the lows. Even before I introduced the Markbass into the setup I experienced FB from the harmony pedal even though my anti feedback controls are always maxed out. Have you had any issues like this and did you come up with any solutions?
I’ve gotten an update that addressed this for my pedal which has helped some but not entirely. I was considering getting a Fishman Aura D.I pedal so I could have another way to control fb…
Here’s a tip, particularly for people that perform in duos: you can use the headphone-out jack to feed a near-field monitor in parallel. I find this useful because I’m more the rhythm player and it’s important that I hear the beat very clearly not matter how loud I’m playing and singing, while my partner is getting a more balanced mix.