Been doing a lot of experimenting the past few days, and I'm seriously considering running two lines on every gig, one REDDI, one mic. I've done both separately and together and I've decided that both have their strengths, and I want to play to them rather than accept one or the other for everything. For clean and mildly overdriven tones on electric as well as upright, I love the REDDI, but I've added some heavier and fuzzier distorted tones over the past year or two, and the mic works better because it adds a little pop to the sound but takes away that sputtery buzzy sound that you can get by going direct. Yes, speaker sims do help alleviate that when going direct, but not like the mic does. Even when I mic my little practice amp, it improves the heavier sounds, and I think I simply have to have both.
I have two problems, though...first is a lack of available channels. We're a very large band with horns and 6 members who sing, and we do occasional gigs with other bands who have the same. Second thing is I want complete control of the blend and have the ability to manipulate it as I see fit because no soundman is ever going to know what I want unless he works with us on every gig, and that's completely impossible under our circumstances. I did get the bright idea to combine the two and run the mic into the REDDI since it has a combo input jack, and it's not bad at all and does do a little something that I liked, but I think I like blending the two better, plus I know the whiners are going to complain about getting the mic by itself again.
So I haven't decided it for sure because it'll add more work for me, but it looks like a little 2-ch mixer might be in my future. Not that my fuzzy tones don't sound great through the REDDI...I just want to tone down the sputter. I'm not really up on what's out there, so I turn to you folks. Price is always an issue, but I'm willing to spend a little extra to get something of good quality. The Mackie 401VLZ4 is looking pretty good to me, especially since they're owned by LOUD and I can get a price on it
but I'm willing to hear suggestions about other ones you might use and enjoy.
What I'm not willing to hear suggestions about, though, are DI amp emulation solutions or suggestions to ditch the effects. I've got several excellent amp simulations at my disposal, analog and digital, and they're all very good but none of them do what the mic did. And regarding effects, I respect everyone else's choices for their own tonal journey, and I demand that same respect for mine. Nor am I interested in your opinions of me micromanaging my signal. I micromanage my signal and that's all there is to it, and I couldn't care less who has a problem with it. So if the only thing you can think of to say is "ditch the effects" or "you do your job and let the soundman do his," I suggest you just keep it to yourself and mosey on over to the next thread. Not trying to be difficult...I just know how it goes in this forum.
I have two problems, though...first is a lack of available channels. We're a very large band with horns and 6 members who sing, and we do occasional gigs with other bands who have the same. Second thing is I want complete control of the blend and have the ability to manipulate it as I see fit because no soundman is ever going to know what I want unless he works with us on every gig, and that's completely impossible under our circumstances. I did get the bright idea to combine the two and run the mic into the REDDI since it has a combo input jack, and it's not bad at all and does do a little something that I liked, but I think I like blending the two better, plus I know the whiners are going to complain about getting the mic by itself again.
So I haven't decided it for sure because it'll add more work for me, but it looks like a little 2-ch mixer might be in my future. Not that my fuzzy tones don't sound great through the REDDI...I just want to tone down the sputter. I'm not really up on what's out there, so I turn to you folks. Price is always an issue, but I'm willing to spend a little extra to get something of good quality. The Mackie 401VLZ4 is looking pretty good to me, especially since they're owned by LOUD and I can get a price on it
but I'm willing to hear suggestions about other ones you might use and enjoy.What I'm not willing to hear suggestions about, though, are DI amp emulation solutions or suggestions to ditch the effects. I've got several excellent amp simulations at my disposal, analog and digital, and they're all very good but none of them do what the mic did. And regarding effects, I respect everyone else's choices for their own tonal journey, and I demand that same respect for mine. Nor am I interested in your opinions of me micromanaging my signal. I micromanage my signal and that's all there is to it, and I couldn't care less who has a problem with it. So if the only thing you can think of to say is "ditch the effects" or "you do your job and let the soundman do his," I suggest you just keep it to yourself and mosey on over to the next thread. Not trying to be difficult...I just know how it goes in this forum.
Last edited:
