How to make your own "PA"

[mwalluk]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

Thanks for all the feedback, this is a good conversation. While the the drummer and I are cranked and playing rock/metal, I don't think that we are particularly loud compared to most bands. I'm leaning towards buying a cheap phonic keyboard amp.

If you play acoustic at all fishman loudbox or swr strawberry blonde are good choices for acoustic amps that can be used for vocals.

 

[thespricket]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

I've been doing the vocal mic into a guitar amp for a really long time. We used an older Fender Princeton 65 that I just recently got rid of. It was a SS amp and was usually just loud enough. We've also used an old crate 10 or 15 watt amp with a nice reverb to great effects. My singer and I did a gig recently with no sound system, just that little crate sitting on top of my tube combo, and we sounded pretty great.

I would also recommend using a small powered monitor with a little mixer. You can pick up a rig like that for less that $150. It's pretty worth it, those can give you a lot of volume.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

I never said I never ran vocals through a guitar amp. In fact i did when I was younger. My Marshall solid state was never the same after. I'm friends with other musicians who did the same and their amps never recovered.

What exactly happened to your (and your buddies) amplifier that was unrecoverable? Was it actually the amp that was damaged or the speaker? Fuses? Transformer? Exploded caps? I've done this many times with my amp, and it just sounds really strange that this would cause any damage . . . I mean, there are tons of people who break in their speakers by running CDs or radio through the amp with no problem as well.

 

[Kam]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

What exactly happened to your (and your buddies) amplifier that was unrecoverable? Was it actually the amp that was damaged or the speaker? Fuses? Transformer? Exploded caps? I've done this many times with my amp, and it just sounds really strange that this would cause any damage . . . I mean, there are tons of people who break in their speakers by running CDs or radio through the amp with no problem as well.

Yup. I played bass live and in bi-weekly practice with a band through my AOR 1x12 combo and the only thing wrong with it now is completely unconnected to that. I've ran vocal mics into Marshall AVTs and MGs, with the volume on 8 or above for extended amounts of time. We used to run fortnightly gigs in a sports hall here with no PA and the vocals going through my friends old Laney Tube Fusion. Another friend still uses some sort of low-wattage Fender solidstate amp for practice with his band (after about eight years, I think). Another friend of mine has just moved into a house with a dude who has had a whole studio/practice room set up for about three years, with main vocals going into Deluxe Reverb and backing vocals going into either an MG30 or one of those little solid-state Orange amps (Krush or something?). I'm sure there's plenty more examples I could think of if I had the time.

After all that, I've never heard of vocals ****ing up a guitar amp.

I'm not calling bull**** and I'm not saying you're a liar...it just seems odd to me. I'd be interested to hear some details on how your amps crapped out as well, if only to prevent any future damage that may occur to either mine or my friends' gear.

And on topic: I agree that a keyboard amp will provide better sound quality for vocals. I had a short side-project going a while ago and the singer plugged into some sort of Roland. It always sounded pretty good, it was loud and it was reliable. I wish I had more detail, but that's all I remember, sorry.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

Yup. I played bass live and in bi-weekly practice with a band through my AOR 1x12 combo and the only thing wrong with it now is completely unconnected to that. I've ran vocal mics into Marshall AVTs and MGs, with the volume on 8 or above for extended amounts of time. We used to run fortnightly gigs in a sports hall here with no PA and the vocals going through my friends old Laney Tube Fusion. Another friend still uses some sort of low-wattage Fender solidstate amp for practice with his band (after about eight years, I think). Another friend of mine has just moved into a house with a dude who has had a whole studio/practice room set up for about three years, with main vocals going into Deluxe Reverb and backing vocals going into either an MG30 or one of those little solid-state Orange amps (Krush or something?). I'm sure there's plenty more examples I could think of if I had the time.

After all that, I've never heard of vocals ****ing up a guitar amp.

I'm not calling bull**** and I'm not saying you're a liar...it just seems odd to me. I'd be interested to hear some details on how your amps crapped out as well, if only to prevent any future damage that may occur to either mine or my friends' gear.

And on topic: I agree that a keyboard amp will provide better sound quality for vocals. I had a short side-project going a while ago and the singer plugged into some sort of Roland. It always sounded pretty good, it was loud and it was reliable. I wish I had more detail, but that's all I remember, sorry.

It was back in 2002. I don't remember much. I was fresh out of High School, heading to college. I used to DJ and would use the amp as both a monitor and something to put my vocals out on. Now it may have been on my behalf of ill knowledge or a voltage mismatch surge, but the amp wasn't the same.

I DJ a few gigs, before the amp started crapping out. The speaker was shotty, still worked but sounded like ass and something fried inside the circuitboard. I didn't open it up (once again, just started playing and learning about equipment). So I got rid of the amp. Since then, I just refuse to put anything but a guitar in a guitar amp.

Now I had no problem running vocals through my fishman loudbox which was designed for that purpose.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

One of the little ADA two channel tube preamps, and a little 10" powered Peavey or Behringer speaker would come in at around $250 or less. That's all you need.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

Keyboard amp. Works as a mini-PA, can handle acoustic guitar, many are multi-channel and can handle an instrument + mic.

My Pop played MANY gigs in the '70s using a SuperReverb for guitar + vocals. The amp still worked perfectly when I sold it a few years ago.

When you say you were a DJ and used it as a monitor, were you running the MUSIC through the amp as well?

*cue hooptie bass thump*

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

for about $300 US you can get a small powered head and a 12" cab with a horn. That will do for rehearsals and you can build on it later and use it for monitors at a show if need be. A PA is a handy thing to have!

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: How to make your own "PA"

My Pop played MANY gigs in the '70s using a SuperReverb for guitar + vocals. The amp still worked perfectly when I sold it a few years ago.

At sometime in the late 70's I saw a 3 Piece band here on Long Island called the "Tomcats". The lead Guitarist had his guitar & vocal mic. Plugged into a SF Super Reverb. They Sounded great! The next Time I saw these fella's They had their ugly mugs on a hit album cover. Oh yeah,.... They had changed their name to the " STRAY CATS".:cool2:

Aside from a transient spike, Extend uncontrollable feedback Or a overwhelming low end thud! Guitar amps should be fine in a pinch for vocals .:approve: