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Post by lavaman on Aug 19, 2015 11:18:47 GMT
Hi Lynn
The Pulse unit would also be suitable.
Looking at the specs of the Pulse and the Stage Line MPA, the Stage Line MPA provides greater gain (loudness) and its input impedence (techno-babble) is slightly better suited to your microphone so it should sound better.
I would spend the extra pennies on the Stage Line unit. BTW, the Amazon price is very competitive, other outlets are selling it for £80+
Iain
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Post by lavaman on Aug 18, 2015 22:47:36 GMT
Time to buy 2 more more guitars. GAS
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Post by lavaman on Aug 17, 2015 7:35:32 GMT
Glad to help, good luck with today's busking.
Its probably worth have a chat with other buskers - what gear do they use?
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Post by lavaman on Aug 16, 2015 18:45:46 GMT
Sorry, didn't notice your 3rd and 4th posts before I replied earlier.
The Stage Line MPA will work ok. Its manual says for outdoor use only, so don't busk in the pouring rain.
The Red Eye unit is a really good DI box designed for a guitar. It doesn't have a microphone XLR input and I doubt that its circuit is designed for a microphone
Iain
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Post by lavaman on Aug 16, 2015 16:13:28 GMT
According to the manual, the amp's output is 30 Watts when plugged in the mains but only 20 Watts when running on batteries. It would be better if the preamp is designed for a microphone, but I fear you may not have much choice. Any good with a soldering iron to build your own? Another, but more costly solution is to use a battery powered mixer like this one: www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_xenyx_1002_b.htmIain
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Post by lavaman on Aug 16, 2015 14:44:06 GMT
Thanks Lynn
I had a quick look at the specs for the mic and the amp. Both are good quality products and should work together ok.
One thing that is a bit odd, is that normally an amp has a switch to select MIC or LINE input (or separate XLR and Jack inputs for each) and it has its own MIC VOLUME knob to be used in conjuction withe MASTER VOLUME knob. However, with the Roland you select MIC by turning the MIC VOLUME knob up to 11 10. This means that the MASTER VOLUME knob is the only way of controlling the mic volume. That may explain why you're getting the symptoms you describe. Its probably worth taking the amp and mic to the shop and asking them if the amp is behaving as it should.
If you want the mic to be louder you could a battery powered preamp. (BTW, the Roland AC33 doesn't provide phantom power so the preamp will need its own battery power.)
The three preamps you suggested all require mains power so won't be suitable for busking. It may be possible to find a battery powered preamp. I haven't time to look today regards Iain
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Post by lavaman on Aug 16, 2015 10:40:17 GMT
Hi Lynn
I think you may need some help understanding phantom power. Some microphones, such as condenser mics won't work at all unless you have 48 volt phantom power. If you supply phantom power to a ribbon mic you'll probably damage it.
For busking, I guess you're using a dynamic mic (like a Shure SM58) in which case you don't need phantom power.
If the microphone isn't very loud then it could be that the microphone and amplifier impedances are not matched very well. Before spending any cash, let us know the make and model of both the microphone and amplifier and we might be able to help.
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Post by lavaman on Aug 10, 2015 13:46:28 GMT
I recently bought a Zoom H4n to use as a notepad for musical ideas and for field recordings. I've been very surprised how good it is, for the princely sum of £175. As an old git, my failing eyesight really appreciates the large display. With a 32Gb SD card it takes 2 minutes to power up, so use a smaller memory card if you need instant recordings. Batteries don't last too long either. You can increase battery life by selecting 'stamina mode' but you can't record at 24 bit 44.1kHz WAV quality. Also, the menus and controls are intuitive which is just as well as the user manual is huge. In my opinion, the built in mics are fine for capturing the room sound of an acoustic guitar. For vocals, I think it is less good. You might want to think about investing in a cheap large diaphragm condenser mic such as the sE2000, or even a Shure SM58. Co-incidentally, I've mentioned Gear4music before and I have no affiliation with them but every now and then they have special offers such as: www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/sE-Electronics-SE2000-MKII-Condenser-Microphone-Bundle/1A8XI have a home recording studio with a DAW, a USB audio interface, and several microphones so I haven't needed to explore the H4n's ability to record on 4 channels, nor have I bothered connecting external microphones to it. However, I am experimenting with it to record the room ambience while I'm recording acoustic guitar with my DAW and microphones. Once recorded, I copy the ambience file from the H4n SD Card into the DAW, align it, and mix. Quality wise I reckon the H4n is fine for posting tunes on SoundCloud and YouTube. Iain
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Post by lavaman on Aug 7, 2015 18:07:44 GMT
Thanks, it was interesting to see the enthusiasm amongst Bill Collings' employees. Made with love and so consistently.
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Post by lavaman on Aug 2, 2015 9:05:48 GMT
Great photos. You were certainly kept busy for the day.
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Post by lavaman on Jul 26, 2015 22:09:53 GMT
Fascinating subject, worthy of a PhD psychology thesis.
Like others here, I don’t have much experience of high end guitars. I’ve played a Ryan and an Olsen and they were both very nice. But I only had the chance to play them for 15 minutes or so each and in that time, with my limited ability, I don’t think I got the best out of them. Would I like to own one? Yes, I would be inspired to play more often. Would I take it to an open mic, a folk club, or a pub? No. Could I sell it for a reasonable price within a reasonable time if I needed the cash? Not sure, look how long it takes to sell a guitar on Guitarmart or our forum.
I agree that we do live “in a golden age of luthiery, where the sheer variety of choice and level of workmanship/’finessing’ of instruments far surpasses anything that’s gone before”. In the price range £2500 to £3000, we are spoilt for choice from both mainstream and boutique guitar makers. For me, this is the area where the limits of affordability match my ability. For others, it will be a different price band.
An apprenticeship with an expert is one of the best ways to learn the craft. We should encourage and support apprentices who leave the nest. Andy and Simon at Brook guitars learnt their trade with Andy Manson, and hopefully, one day their apprentices will continue the craft in years to come. I hope so. It’s evolution.
One of the sad facts of life is that expensive guitars become more affordable as we get older and have more disposable income. Trouble is our hearing deteriorates, our fingers and shoulders are attacked by arthritis, and tunes get harder to remember.
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Post by lavaman on Jul 17, 2015 21:47:56 GMT
I can relate to this - there are just so many steps to getting even a basic competence in classical guitar, but so long as I get to play more interesting things or make more beautiful music I'm good with it. It's mostly me doing the pushing - my guitar teacher seems to be pretty laid back with me - though I'm aware he can be a hard taskmaster with his university students - must be tuned in to issues with adult hobby learners - without parents pushing us and with an attitude that if it isn't interesting we're not interested, I think we make a challenging group of students! I just have to work more on being in the moment and enjoying the journey .... (I wonder if there is an exercise for that? ) How long did you take classical lessons Mark? I just realized I've been taking them for 2 years now (if you count the group lessons at the beginning). I initially took classical to get a good grounding in basics. You can either say now that I'm hooked on the classical guitar, or that it might take the rest of my playing life to get a good grounding I love where I have got to regardless of my lack of finesse and certain skills and despite my lack of desire to perform - I do feel quite self contained and I am as happy if not happier just playing as the mood takes me with no reference to songs or books or theory. It does wonderful things to my mental well being and helps negate the effects of 5 x 9 hours of weekdays. But I really owe so much to those 3 teachers and to the internet for unlocking so much information and help that wasn't available when I was young. H elp - I'm in danger of sounding very and self-satisfied. But it's a place I highly recommend if you can find a way to it. I had a bit of a jolt when I changed from electric to acoustic playing and was worried I might have lost something special, but it just needed adapting to a different type of instrument and gaining confidence. Mark No need to feel smug. This is what playing music is all about. Its a journey, but the fun part is that you're never quite sure of the destination. Iain
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Post by lavaman on Jul 10, 2015 21:23:48 GMT
I have a fondness for old parlour guitars. Some are great, some aren't. I have a 1920s birch parlour. It's a cheap student model that has cost far too much in repairs but I like it. I often wonder who else has played it over the last century.
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Post by lavaman on Jul 9, 2015 21:38:47 GMT
I haven't seen AG either, but at the end of the day I agree with jonnymosco, a guitar is a tool for making music - it's an air pump made from a wooden box. I haven't bought my guitars as investments, I bought them all to play music. Assuming that I had the cash, would I spend that much on a Greenwood? No. What's a fair price for a hand made guitar? Who knows? Whatever the market will bear. I suspect that us purchasers are currently getting a pretty good deal from most UK luthiers. I'd rather support them. Iain
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Post by lavaman on Jun 29, 2015 22:00:33 GMT
Hull's finest. I remember seeing Mick with Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople at Leeds when I was a student. Great guy.
Clapton playing "All Your Love" on John Mayall's Beano album made me pick up a guitar
God, we're sad old gits
Iain
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