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2577 Views 14 Replies Latest reply: Mar 12, 2010 10:52 AM by Hey_Joe RSS
Hey_Joe Iknowathingortwo 606 posts since
Jan 24, 2007
Currently Being Moderated

Jan 29, 2010 5:03 PM

Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

Hi guys -

 

I have to ask you for some help here.

 

I have the X3L and decided on a PA to power it based on all I've read over the years on the Line6 Forums and the consensus about FR/FR. So I picked up a JBL EON 315G demo from Sweetwater Sound for a good price but can't tweak the Pod to set up for rehearsals and Sunday services where I live.

 

a little history on me...
I have been using a Pod since I got my XTL 5+ years ago.
I am just about to start playing in the church band again after 5 years off due to chronic pain, spinal injuries and strong medication.
I have been hearing His calling to come back to play at church and will grin and bare it and with His help and strength, I will serve again no matter how hard it is physically. I have been off work for 4 years, and have been playing every day for hours on end and even went back to refresh myself with an instructor I studied theory and technique with 19 years ago.
But since I have had modeling/MFX I haven't played out live...just bedroom and headphones.
The big problem right now is that I can't gain entry to the church sanctuary to test out at gig volume. We sold our church in a Journey of Faith to relocate and are renting our 40 year old church from the new Korean 7th Day Adventist owners.
So I have to go into a rehearsal cold, never having used the X3L and JBL PA combo over bedroom level and even that is lower than most because our lease specifies NO ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS. So only when the guy downstairs leaves can I even dare to run the EON and that is still at low volume.

 

After months of waiting, I just got my schedule to start playing on some of the P/W teams starting in February and as much as I want to do this for the Lord and as much as I know He will help...I'm having a major panic attack here. The enemy is attacking with a vengeance. I have been praying off and on since i got the emails about the new schedule today for peace and decernment. I thought itwould be a good idea to come here and ask for some advice and support from some of the forum members on this group.

 

For about a month I have been scared to use the Pod and have been obsessing that getting the Spider IV 75 would ease the fear of sounding real bad with the untested and un-tweaked Pod. It's not G.A.S.this time.
We are doing all the typical Chris Tomlin, Hillsong, Tommy Walker, etc. stuff...2 keyboards, one acoustic guitar, one electric guitar (until we move and get more stage room for 2 electrics), drums and 3-5 vocalists. I'll be using the EON for a stage monitor and running XLRs out to the FOH and using in ear buds for the first time.

 

 

I have followed all the usual advice about having core tones, go to amps and effects ready for simplicity but just wonder if the Pod will sound good or if I should just ease my mind and get a new Spider IV 75 and a FBV Shortboard MkII (not the SV -too much $) and leave the Pod alone till I get my sea legs  - so to speak. My wife thinks it sounds like an electric guitar amp and thinks I'm nuts...she's usually right about that but I'm not too sure this time.

 

Anything you can advise me will be much appreciated, I'm really stressing over the fact that I'll sound like crap with the wet blanket over the amp syndrome first time out.
SORRY -- I know that this post is way too long but I'm kind of freaking out here. I'm 56 and have been playing since I was 8 and I just don't think this set up is going to sound like a guitar amp.

 

 

Here goes _ post message

thanks in advance,
Mark Charles alias Hey_Joe

  • Jeraxle Just Startin' 184 posts since
    Nov 28, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jan 30, 2010 3:40 AM (in response to Hey_Joe)
    Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

    Hey Joe! (A pun and a name, love it!)

     

    I've set up my X3L via headphones and then plugged it into my band's PA before.  The most important thing to remember is to make sure the channel you plug in to (or the Powered PA), the EQ is set to top dead center (All flat).  Every time I've done that, I've had very few problems making it sound good on a PA.

     

    hope this helps.

  • davidjdriver Just Startin' 34 posts since
    Jan 4, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jan 30, 2010 6:09 AM (in response to Hey_Joe)
    Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

    Sounds like you are either over-thinking it or you are trying to go too complex all at once. How many patches are you planning to use? For the first time I wouldn't use more than two or three. You should be able to correct two or three tones in a few minutes. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just shoot for not bad the first few times.

      • davidjdriver Just Startin' 34 posts since
        Jan 4, 2009
        Currently Being Moderated
        Jan 30, 2010 9:05 AM (in response to Hey_Joe)
        Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

        I think that from a performance standpoint I wouldn't want to try to to tweak that many new tones all at once. If you do eight songs and want an entire bank for each..... That's 32 patches that would have to be set and tweaked. You might want to try a more traditional approach and just set up a clean, clean-ish, dirty-is, dirty bank the first few times you preform with the pod + JBL. The setup you are discussing  can work. I have use very similar myself. I used the x3 plus a powered Pa speaker for my archtop (sounding very direct to board) my acoustic, and my bass (a little small sounding but it was a small room so I didn't want to use my 4x10 or 15)  and it worked out well. There is no technical reason it will not work.

         

        You may also want to consider that the the other musicians and the vocalists might not want to hang out while you build you 32 patches for the eight song set. Everyone on my team is an adult and has a job (In my case a 45 hour a week day-job plus night time contracting) and a family. It would be disrespectful of me to come and spend half an hour of their time just messing with my pod.

         

        The best advice I can give is start simple. Just do three or four patches until you get you base tone worked out. Use that base tone until you are comfortable with it THEN branch out. Be efficient with your time and their time. I take about five minutes of stretching and scales  and my tones should be set and the mixer adjusted for me by the time that is over.

  • ZemanG2 Just Startin' 65 posts since
    Nov 23, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jan 30, 2010 3:22 PM (in response to Hey_Joe)
    Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

    Sorry this is a bit late but from what you wanted, is a POD superior?? I would say it is a point of view. I run directly into the PA and thats it, though there have been times I have messed with an amp, stack etc. The BIG thing you need to make sure you look into is how to run into an amp. In your outs on the X3L you can choose what you are running into powered amp, combo, stack, this changes your output properly so your amp doesn't sound like crap. I have finally settled on, if I am going to use an amp I will use the slave in and it sounds fine, after all it is more a monitor for me.

     

    As far as the spider goes, again preference. It really is easier but here is what I did. Got a cheap laptop and drag it to me to practice when I have new patches. I yell and get upset with people doodleing with their equipment but with gearbox I can change all my effects in seconds, and my worship team can live with that. We also have separate practice times for musicians and singers. But if you are willing to spend that on an amp you could grab a cheap laptop... in my perspective, and be able to fix your sound much quicker when you are only able to.

     

    I would also see if you guys could schedule a sound check/jam session, the SDA are usually very helpful

     

    One trouble I have had is consistency with setting tones in the pod via head phones, line out and xlr. So just to repeat everyone, set up a few patches, keep it sounding dry in the head phones and then when you go to practice, go in sandals, this allows you to control all the knobs on the X3L with the toes. As far as your sound guys go, beg pray, yell, that they give you one level, then you can control the rest from your board. After a while the learning curve drops,

     

    ANyways best of luck to you

      • wriimage Just Startin' 6 posts since
        Nov 11, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Feb 22, 2010 11:52 PM (in response to Hey_Joe)
        Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

        Hey, it's been a couple of weeks now and I'm wondering how things have been going with your new setup.

         

        In 3 of our bands, the electric guitarists all use X3-lives direct to the board. One guy adds a compressor and a few other toys. I add a compressor and a BBE to my chain. The third guy - the best guitarist of the bunch - goes plain X3L. Honestly, 95% of the people in the auditorium would never be able to tell the difference between a fantastic setup and a merely functional one, anyway. None of use even lug in our amps anymore. Tone matters to me because I want to give my best to the Lord. But I also just like certain tones because I just like certain tones - for my own personal satisfaction, which is a lower priority.

         

        So if we're playing for God, and He's more interested in the sound of our heart than our amp, and we're serving the congregation, who can't tell anyway, I'm thinking you can probably aim for functional to start.

  • Data Just Startin' 61 posts since
    Feb 6, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Feb 23, 2010 11:15 AM (in response to Hey_Joe)
    Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

    I have a rig similar to Hey_Joe's and it works well for me when playing in church.  I use a Pod XTL through a DI box and straight to the mixing board.  I tap out of the DI box and go through a volume pedal to my JBL EON10 powered monitor.  This allows me to set my monitor's volume level while playing.  Also, because the volume pedal is not in the path to the mixing board, it does not create problems for the sound tech with varying levels from me.

     

    I adjust my tones at home while listening with studio monitor headphones (Audio Technica ATHM40fs).  I try to have the volume level at about the same level as one would listen to in church.  That way the bass, mid and treble levels will not need adjusting for Fletcher-Munson effects.

     

    The JBL has a very flat response so it should match what is heard in the headphones pretty closely.  Again, the volume level of the monitor needs to match the headphones in order that the Fletcher Munson effects don't alter the sound.

     

    Hope this makes sense!

    Data

    • Stratotron Just Startin' 121 posts since
      Mar 13, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      Feb 23, 2010 11:41 AM (in response to Data)
      Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

      Jumpin in here, with maybe nothing new to add.

       

      As I had probably stated before, I run an X3L right mono XLR to the board and 1/4" right mono to a 50 watt Marshall amp with a solid back that is up on a stand and faces away from the congregation in front of me. I have all of the patches that I use panned straight up or hard right.   This may not be the post for this but...

       

      Last Sunday we were playing Today Is The Day by Paul Baloche and Lincoln Brewster, ( The Paul B version) lot's of opportunity to really put the X3 through it's paces. Anyway, during soundcheck one of the singers came over and asked if I could turn my stage level UP to help with the energy on the other side of the stage! I can count on one hand how many times THAT has happened in 40 years in front of an amp!

       

      So in other words, "Fear not the X3L, for the LORD is with you"  ( I am paraphrasing from the Methylbapterian Standard Paralell version)

       

      Blessing,

      Strato

        • Stratotron Just Startin' 121 posts since
          Mar 13, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          Feb 24, 2010 8:19 AM (in response to Hey_Joe)
          Re: Fear of X3L + Powered PA at gig volume

          Mark,

          I hope this isn't off topic but I didn't think it needed another thread. I am writing only because your situation sounds so much like mine, only a year later, that I wanted to write and encourage you.

           

          I too had not played electric in public for around 5 years. Most of my service was occasionally singing with the WT and acoustic guitar at small home groups and at a homeless outreach. Those things even started to kind of go by the wayside for unknown reasons. I assumed it was due to my age (58), and maybe it was time for me to step down and let the younger servents take over. My wife and I started attending a different church and I spent about a year sitting quietly on Sundays. Waiting and listening kept creeping in to the studies and messages. All the time, noticing that the worship group at this church didn't have an electric guitarist. There can be a lot of reasons for that. I believe that the 2 most potentially toxic things that you can unleash on a congregation can be drums, and electric guitar.

           

          I the meantime, this may sound funny, but my prayer was that ,all I wanted musically was to be able to play electric on Paul Baloche's Hosanna. If the Lord would allow that, just once, I could fade away and go to the old pickers home and live out the rest of my days. ( OH the PITY!)

           

          There was a call for musicians and I introduced myself to the worship leader and asked: 1) why they didn't have an electric guitarist and, 2) if it would be ok if I brought an electric rig to the out reach? The leader told me that they didn't currently have an electric player because they hadn't found the right fit, and of course I could bring an electric rig.

           

          At the time I had an XT so I did some programing for a couple of patches that I thought would be useful. I had set up patches for Hosanna, and guess what was the first song that I sat in with the group was?! Consequently, it was also the first song that I played with the group ( Sunday Morning) after haveing been asked to join! God answered that prayer, Halleluah!

           

          Over a year ago, I truly thought God was done with me musically (Abraham?), I had accepted and was OK with that. Since that time, HE has allowed me to serve with this group at a level that I would not have had the nerve to pray for!

           

          I am writing you this to encourage you, and to let you know that I will be praying for you and thanking the LORD in advance for the work in your life that you will be telling us about a year from now!!!!

           

          Keep me in the loop, Bro.

           

          Strato (Don)

           

          *Truth be know, the X3L does all of the heavy lifting. It is without a doubt the most powerful guitar tool that I have run in to*

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