Bringing up the Level?

[Big Benner]

Not sure where to post this, but here's a situation - My band will be playing a medium venue with little but vocal PA support. We're not a loud band (2 guitars, keyboards using 1x12 combos) but we are a original alt. rock band so we're no jazz trio. There will be 2 1x12 monitors and 2 1x12 mains for the vocals and a little of the guitars and keyboards, perhaps a smidgen of snare drum. In this situation in the past I have placed a SM57 right inside the Kick Drum (in between the blankets), run a line into a Behringer Ultra Gain Pro 2200 mic pre and sent that signal into the side chain FXs loop on my SWR SM900 adding a little more low end thump through the 1x15 and 2x10 speakers. Worked beautifully and just made the low end of the entire band sound large and thick running through a proper bass rig instead of the 1x12 mains.

My problem is I don't have access to the Behringer preamp. What I do have is a newly aquired Presonus Firebox - I don't want to use this until I learn more about it. So instead I'm thinking of running a XLR to 1/4 inch adaptor from the SM57 into a BOSS LM-2 Limiter pedal. All I need is a little gain from the mic going into the FX loop - anyone think this is going to work?

Thanks,

Benner

 

[dadodetres]

. So instead I'm thinking of running a XLR to 1/4 inch adaptor from the SM57 into a BOSS LM-2 Limiter pedal. All I need is a little gain from the mic going into the FX loop - anyone think this is going to work?

Thanks,

Benner

the XLR is a balanced connection, so you need a balanced input to make it works, and the BOSS pedal doesnt have one.
you also need a pre amp cause the mic level is very low compared with the level the FX loop needs to operate....

you`ll need a pre amop there for the mic

 

[niftydog]

the XLR is a balanced connection, so you need a balanced input to make it works, and the BOSS pedal doesnt have one.

Just to clarify that, it'll work ok, it just won't work as it's intended. You loose 6dB just by running a balanced source into an unbalanced input, then, like dadodetres says you'll need a lot of gain (not just "a little") to make the mic come up to a decent level, but I figured you kinda knew that already.