What’s your signal chain setup?
What’s your signal chain setup?
Acoustic (Headway undersaddle with built-in preamp) —> passive volume control —> amp
Electric —> overdrive pedal —> EQ —> amp
Same amp for either, Trace Elliot Elf into Eminence 6.5” woofer(s).
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The viola is proof that man is not rational
Absolutely preferred setup:
Mandolin - several feet of air - the audience
medium preferred setup:
Mandolin - small diaphragm condensor mic on stand - mixing desk - pa - several meters of air - the audience
In this case I would add a generous low cut, notch on feedback frequency and possibly light EQ
If necessary:
Mandolin - Clip on mic (DPA 4099) - preamp with side chain + volume control pedal in the side chain - mixing desk - pa + monitors
Low cut and notch and possibly EQ as above. Some reverb added to compensate the too close listening position of the clip on mic.
almost never:
Same as above but use the installed PU (AKG C411).
All of the above sound more or less like my mandolin. But no PU really does. The C411 is a contact mic, still the vibration of the mandolin's top is by far not all what makes a good mandolin sound. Well at least this is my opinion.
electric setup (subject to frequent changes):
Airline mandola - Boss GT-1 multi FX pedal - mixing desk - pa
I have strung the mandola as octave mandolin and need the GT-1's eq to fight the resulting boominess. Reverb or slapback delay, crunchy overdrive, tremolo and other FX are second priority but very nice to have
Depends on the rig and the need.
Acoustic: Baggs Venue DI feeding the Loudbox ch2 via the XLR; AFX Chorus and Delay in the Loudbox loop; Loudbox plate reverb selected. I keep the Polytune Noir in front of the Baggs.
Electric: Since I've gotten the Rivera, I've gone somewhat small on fx and really just looking at the front of the amp. Polytune Noir>CM2>DOD201 phasor>DOD250 Preamp Overdrive>DOD Rubberneck delay. I've put the Rubberneck on top of the amp to run it in the loop (with everything else in front of the amp) as well.
Gig specific: I will bring an envelope filter, reverb, boost, or other as needed.
Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10
1) Good condenser mic on a stand (preferred) straight into a QSC Touchmix.
2) Audio Technica ATM-350 (second choice) also straight into the QSC.
4) AKG C411 contact mic (only in really bad/loud venues), mounted internally, into a Headway EDM-1 then into the QSC.
Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
Northfield Big Mon #127
Ellis F5 Special #288
'39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.
Collings MT2 w/K&k > Grace designs “Alix” preamp > PA
On the effects loop of the Alix I have an optical compressor > delay > reverb
I have experimented with putting the compressor before the preamp (that’s actually how I have it set up now) but there isn’t any benefit that I have been able to hear (so it’s going back).
I have some mics I like to use but I have all of the above in a pedal board so it’s too easy just grab that and go
I should be pickin' rather than postin'
Current rig:
Mandolin --> DPA 4099 clip-on mic --> Mixer
That's a small mixer I keep within reach for EQ, a very light touch of digital reverb, and switching instrument mics. From there, it goes to either my own powered main and monitor speakers, or an ISO (transformer isolation) box and then to the house PA mixer if we're using a house system. I always use an ISO box when using my mixer as a sub-mixer to avoid problems.
On rare occasions I've played directly into a mic on a stand, as in a festival-type gig where we're rotating among other groups and all using house mics.
Setups I've used in the past that worked well, but I don't gig much these days so I've gone to the more stripped-down system above:
Mandolin --> DPA 4099 clip-on mic --> Sound Devices MP-1 battery preamp --> Peterson tuner pedal --> Mixer (same as above)
Mandolin --> DPA 4099 clip-on mic --> Wireless body pack transmitter --> Wireless pedal board receiver --> Peterson tuner pedal --> Mixer (same as above)
The first one is bombproof because it's hardwired. I like the freedom of the second rig and the ability to sound check out in the room, but it has some potential hassles with RF interference, and needs a backup hardwired solution.
If there's a sound guy and they're running the PA as an acoustic band setup:
Mandolin --> SM57Beta --> House PA
Small house PA with no monitors
Mandolin --> DPA4099 --> AER Compact60 or Acoustic Image Corus --> DI out to board
Bigger venue who knows what's going to be there
Mandolin --> DPA4099 --> Presonus TubePre w/ phantom Power --> Headstrong Verbrovibe (if there's PA, I'll mic this, if not, turn it up!)
Mando WI pickup -> helix -> mixing board.
Inside the helix it's:
Eq (hi pass) -> compressor -> tremolo -> reverb -> noise gate.
The last three are only when using a solid body electric. And each instrument has it's own preset.
Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.
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