Need inputs for solo act

Started by myksara, May 21, 2017, 01:19:06 AM

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myksara

Hi all
Planning to go solo now by playing to audiences ranging to upto 500 people
Can you pls suggest if anything over and above the below would be good:
1. Guitars (ofcourse)
2. Simple multifx such as zoom g3x
3. Ipad for drum tracks (i use the drumjam app for variety of beats)
4. Beatbuddy or digitech trio plus (yet to figure out the newly acquired trio plus)
Is there anything on the ipad for drums for randomly adding drum fills, intro and outro with auto ending?
5. P.A ( suggest which portable PA should.i really invest in?
6. A headset mic so that i can freely do vocals without having to bother about moving around
Guitars: Ibanez Prestige S5470, Ibanez Jem 7v, Ibanez JS2410, PRS SE Custom24, Cort  Ltd G16, Ibanez RG370Ahmz,
MultiFX: Roland GR55, Zoom 1on, BOSS GT00
Loopers: Digitech trio+, Line 6 JM4
MIDI:, MAudio Axiom24 keyboard, Alesis IO Dock with iPad air 2

gumtown

#1
I don't really have too much to offer,
but ensure you always have a backup 'plan B' with you.

I played a gig last weekend with our 3 piece + vocalist rock band,
during setup the mixing desk would run for 60 seconds and then power off.
A bit of a show stopper, but lucky I always bring a small 4 mic +2 line channel desk (which I use for my in ear monitoring).
It was just enough to save the gig.

I always carry a spare instrument.

the gear is modular enough, that if a power amp blows, we can get by on another (I would even give up my bass amp for the PA to save the vocals, and play direct).

I don't put too much trust in one computer/sound device, like the iPad,
I would also bring an MP3 player with your performance backing 'pre-recorded'... just in case the iPad crashes and burns.

A P.A. to support a 500 head gig and be portable is a tall order, maybe a 800 watt sub + 2 x 500 watt satellite speakers?
Those watts are R.M.S. watts too.

Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

stratrat

#2
I would think if you have a Trio Plus you wouldn't need the drum app. I'm also not a fan of gigging with computers or tablets - too much to go wrong. The only things I use a tablet for is setlists and lyrics. Then again, I probably wouldn't base a live performance around a Trio plus either (I prefer to play electronic drums with my feet).

I would probably get a TC Helicon Voicelive 3/Extreme (or a Voicelive Play Electric) to cover both guitar and vocal duties - they are solid, quality units and great for solo entertainers. The extreme can even cover most of your looping and backtrack duties too.

Headset mic only if you really need to move around. I used one for a year and then went back to my old faithful AKG C535EB on a stand. The downsides of a headset mic are that you can't use any mic technique (as they are set at a fixed distance), they pick up breathing when you exert yourself and you can't turn away to cough, etc.. If you have to go that route, make sure to get a cardioid model - a lot of places will sell you an omnidirectional model, which are a bad idea for live music use.

Hurricane


Hurricane

#4
Quote from: stratrat on May 21, 2017, 05:45:12 AM
I would probably get a TC Helicon Voicelive 4/Extreme (or a Voicelive Play Electric) to cover both guitar and vocal duties - they are solid, quality units and great for solo entertainers. The extreme can even cover most of your looping and backtrack duties too.

Where - When did theY release this  :o ?

I just got a VL3X a little over a month ago  .

EZ :

HR

stratrat

Quote from: Hurricane on May 21, 2017, 02:51:48 PM
Where - When did the release this  :o ?

I just got a VL3X a little over a month ago  .
Sorry! Sorry! My mistake. VL3/X it is. Edited. I use the VL Rack, BTW - which is a VL2 in rack format - sadly the VL3 doesn't exist in a rack version.

Elantric

#6
But I do predict a VL-4 will arrive at 2018 NAMM

They have a track record of releasing a new hardware box in this same form factor every two years

And the VL-3 Extreme is already 18 months old
and here is a discussion thread for VL-4
https://forum.music-group.com/showthread.php?15973-VL4-Feature-Request

myksara

Thanks guys. Will check the tc belicon stuff.
Upto what number of audiences are the portable PAs like fender passport good?
Guitars: Ibanez Prestige S5470, Ibanez Jem 7v, Ibanez JS2410, PRS SE Custom24, Cort  Ltd G16, Ibanez RG370Ahmz,
MultiFX: Roland GR55, Zoom 1on, BOSS GT00
Loopers: Digitech trio+, Line 6 JM4
MIDI:, MAudio Axiom24 keyboard, Alesis IO Dock with iPad air 2

slooky

I have the Peavey 8500 which I think is better than the passport. I have used in a fairly big hall and filled it quite nice. It also has a usb port and and sd card slot. I use backing tracks that I put on the usb. Works like a charm. The PA is rather light also, no strenuous lifting. I also have the Tc helicon Voicelive play.

Hurricane

Quote from: myksara on May 21, 2017, 09:24:16 PM
Thanks guys. Will check the tc belicon stuff.
Upto what number of audiences are the portable PAs like fender passport good?
;DKon'nichiwa myksara san :

Those Fender Passport P.A.'s are good units , their smallest powered unit compares to my Mackie Fereeplay's
amplifier power  .

The Fender 3 channel has 175 watt RMS . It doesn' t have FX , you won't need them if you get a
T.C Helicon unit like the Voice Live  3 & the Voice Live  3 X or the other ones they have that have
an FX unit for vocal and acoustic guitar .

I am ogi san - I don't like lifting heavy sound equipment anymore . I have a portable P.A. that is very
lightweight and still has quality sound and a very powerful sounding stereo imaging unit for such a
small system . It's about the size of a [ " BOOM BOX " ] , it has two XLR/TRS inputs and AUX/Bluetooth (stereo )
and FX that you control with a ipad or smart phone .

I compare the power/sound/FX close to those old small Yamaha P.A.'s

that had 150 watts RMS stereo ( 75 watts X2 ) because it has the same power . I used a Yamaha like that in small
coffee houses and small night clubs with 2 cabinets w/X1 8"JBL woofers & piezo tweeters  .

My Mackie FreePlay has a lot going for it positive . I mount it on a sturdy speaker stand just above my head . It
projects well .

Depending on where you are planning on playing would determine how much power you need to be heard
, the Fender Passport has units with FX that are bigger with twice the power than the Mackie FreePlay .

The single 8" woofer in the Mackie is very good as are the two high frequency tweeters . I also have the
carrying case & lithium ion battery pack they make for it so I need no AC power to play anywhere .
It will play 10 hours with a fully charged battery .




EZ :

HR

alexmcginness

#10
Ive been doing a solo gig since 1980. heres my kit list that Ive been using since 2007.

Guitar, Traveller Escape MKII with a GK-3 on it. You get the best of both worlds, very good acoustic and everything else is handled by the GK 3 feeding a VG-99. FC-50 for patch changes. So the 99 will give you all the alternate tunings, electrics, amps etc.
Digitech Vocalist workstation for harmonies. Can work 3 ways, midi triggered or up to 50 tunes can be programmed into it and the changed stepped thru with foot pedal or automatic mode for a third above you.
For backing tracks a Miditemp MSX. It will play midi files, audio files, midi and audio together so audio or midi can be playing and harmonies can be sent to the vocalist or any other midi box from one or all of the 8 individual midi outs on the miditemp.
  For PA I use three Mackie SRM 450s and one sub. One Mackie on the floor as a monitor and two with the sub for PA.
  For a mixer I use a Zoom R16 multi channel recorder. It lets you record up to 8 inputs at once on to a small card. You can dump the tracks into Cubase and edit them after for live albums. The R16 isnt heavy duty so youll have to be careful with it but it sounds good and isnt expensive.
I carry an IPOD with all my backing trackes on it in case the Miditemp goes down.
VG-88V2, GR-50, GR-55, 4 X VG-99s,2 X FC-300,  2 X GP-10 AXON AX 100 MKII, FISHMAN TRIPLE PLAY,MIDX-10, MIDX-20, AVID 11 RACK, BEHRINGER FCB 1010, LIVID GUITAR WING, ROLAND US-20, 3 X GUYATONE TO-2. MARSHALL BLUESBREAKER, SERBIAN ELIMINATOR AMP. GR-33.

Hurricane

Quote from: alexmcginness on May 27, 2017, 06:03:26 PM

  For PA I use three Mackie SRM 450s and one sub. One Mackie on the floor as a monitor and two with the sub for PA.


8)

Wow man that's killer!

EZ :

HR