Re: live looping amplification etc.

[Mike Barrs <mbarrs@nightviewer.com>]

At 08:08 AM 3/31/2004, you wrote:
>I thought it might be interesting to hear what other people use 
>sound-reinforcement wise, guitarists or not...
>
>
>Paul


Hi Paul,

My current rig is pretty simple, but it does give me all the "tube amp 
simulation" and other sounds I need.

My electric guitar with a RMC hex pickup runs into a Roland VG-88, where 
I'm getting all my sounds and FX.

The stereo out from the VG-88 goes into my Repeater. The Repeater stereo 
out runs into a Roland stereo volume pedal... used as a master output 
volume control, since the Repeater doesn't have one. The pedal output runs 
to a pair of Mackie SRM450 powered PA cabs.

The VG-88 works best for me with clean, high-headroom amplification, and 
the SRM450's are great for that. When I need to amplify acoustic guitar, I 
just run the guitar's pickup output into the 1/4" (non-hex) input of the 
VG-88, and I use the VG-88 basically as a preamp/EQ/reverb module.

The main hassle with this setup is floor space. The VG-88 plus a Behringer 
FCB1010 to control the Repeater takes up a lot of floor real estate. I 
wish 
there was a rackmount VG-88. The way I use it, it doesn't actually have to 
be on the floor if I have the FCB1010 to control things. I've seen one 
custom rackmount conversion of the VG-88, but it was very expensive.

I think the Roland VG-88 is the best body/pickup/amp simulator out there. 
It's not very popular though, due to the high price and the need for a hex 
pickup. Also, few people realize how much you have to dive into the 
programming to make it sound good with YOUR specific guitar. The factory 
patches are no indication of what it can really do.

------------------------------------
Mike Barrs