Two Channel Vocal / Guitar Amps

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   Is that specific enough?

I am getting together with another guy doing the singer songwriter thing, playing mostly acoustic guitar and I'm the lead player doing some very basic harmony vocals. We don't have a PA and he's running through an acoustic amp and I'm thinking I may need one for the second mic and just for better sound on my acoustic rather than running through my old guitar combo (which actually has a very good clean channel). My only issue is that I'll probably want to do some electric also. Any experience with these amps and suggestions? I'd really like to keep it to $500 or under but am willing to push it for something really worthwhile. I'm really not ready to shlep around even a basic PA.

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Negoba Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 24 2008 Location: Big Muddy Status: Offline Points: 5208	Topic: Two Channel Vocal / Guitar Amps Posted: June 01 2009 at 13:33
	Is that specific enough? I am getting together with another guy doing the singer songwriter thing, playing mostly acoustic guitar and I'm the lead player doing some very basic harmony vocals. We don't have a PA and he's running through an acoustic amp and I'm thinking I may need one for the second mic and just for better sound on my acoustic rather than running through my old guitar combo (which actually has a very good clean channel). My only issue is that I'll probably want to do some electric also. Any experience with these amps and suggestions? I'd really like to keep it to $500 or under but am willing to push it for something really worthwhile. I'm really not ready to shlep around even a basic PA.
	You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.

Petrovsk Mizinski Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: December 24 2007 Location: Ukraine Status: Offline Points: 25210	Posted: June 01 2009 at 14:00
	Got yourself a Line 6 POD/Boss GT/Sans Amp or something similar? Multi input keyboard amp, put the guitar amp modeling unit in one unit and turn the cabinet simulations on, put the microphone through the other. Don't have a POD X3 Live, score one off ebay used for 200-250 bucks if you can, because these have not only guitar amp simulations, but also has an amp model very suitable for acoustic guitars. It's not physically possible to make a guitar cabinet with speakers that will suit both electric and acoustic guitars equally well, because electric guitar speakers are designed to emphasize certain frequencies and have their own frequency range that is different to that of acoustic guitar speakers. Hence this is why a keyboard amp with a flat frequency response and full range is suitable, because with cabinet simulations you can get an appropriate sound for both electric and acoustic with no compromise, unless you're a tube amp snob in which case you might not like an amp modeler. IIRC the Boss GT-10 also has an acoustic amp sim, but I've never used it recently so can't speak for how good it is. Buy the most expensive and high wattage keyboard amp you can afford because headroom and as little coloration of the signal is key to a good sound. Nothing worse than skimping on wattage to save money only to find you're pushing the amp too far and getting into horrible solid state clipping zone that can destroy speakers.


Negoba Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 24 2008 Location: Big Muddy Status: Offline Points: 5208	Posted: June 01 2009 at 14:26
	I don't have an amp modeler yet, surprisingly. What you're saying makes sense, and always in the past in other groups we had acoustics through the PA and mic'd the amps separately. I'm certainly no tube snob, I still use my old Fender M-80 Chorus though I don't use the distorted channel, I use (old) outboard gear for tone coloring. It's loud enough that any venue that needs more volume needs a PA for sure. Having a single unit to handle vocals and an acoustic is pretty attractive, but probably I'm not going to find anything to handle vox, acoustic, and an even slightly distorted electric tone to my liking. I'll probably just wing it for a couple gigs and see what seems to be the biggest holes in what I'm wanting and go from there. I've not ever heard an acoustic sim I liked. That said, I've warmed to other effects over the years so maybe I just need to take the time work with the sounds. Edited by Negoba - June 01 2009 at 14:28
	You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.