vocal processor

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question444

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So I played my first gig at a bar a while back, and there was a problem with the vocal volume. The sound guy couldn't get me loud enough. I had a special setup in which their microphone went through an adaptor cord:
mic->1/4". The 1/4" end plugged into a guitar signal processor for delay effect. Then the processor went out to a direct line to the pa. I did a test, by using a standard mic cable an plugging into "mic" on our pa, I accomplished MUCH more volume than going into "line in" on the same channel. Should I just avoid using direct line ins for vocals? It looks like I'm going to have to purchase a special "vocal processor". Any advice would be helpful. Thanks. -Perry
 
Didn't their soundman have a delay unit for vocals in his FOH rig? Or were you using the pedal for some special delay effects beyond what one would normally want?
 
Well, for one thing, you mis-matched impedance. You took a low impedance source and plugged it into a higher impedance input. A guitar pedal is meant for guitar, not mics. You should really try a different effects processor. One meant to go through the mixer's effects bus.
 
question444 said:
So I played my first gig at a bar a while back, and there was a problem with the vocal volume. The sound guy couldn't get me loud enough. I had a special setup in which their microphone went through an adaptor cord:
mic->1/4". The 1/4" end plugged into a guitar signal processor for delay effect. Then the processor went out to a direct line to the pa. I did a test, by using a standard mic cable an plugging into "mic" on our pa, I accomplished MUCH more volume than going into "line in" on the same channel. Should I just avoid using direct line ins for vocals? It looks like I'm going to have to purchase a special "vocal processor". Any advice would be helpful. Thanks. -Perry

Using an impedance transformer between your mic and pedal should clear this up. About $10. You should get plenty of volume. I'd still use a DI from the pedal to the PA, myself, if it's more than 30 feet or so.

Digitech makes a little vocal processor that would work well, if you want to go that route. A processor like this will most likely give you a better "clean" sound.
 
re

What does FOH stand for? I'm not sure if he had delay available. Is that common? I know most of them will have reverb. It was kind of a small place and I just assumed I should take my own. He did use a "DI", that is the little box that he gave me to plug into right? I wasn't using a pedal, I was using a rackmount digital processor. Not that that should make any difference. Thanks for your help guys. I'd like to get a vocal processor, but was just wondering if this one would work under correct setup.
 
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