Amplification

[Nicholas Dyson]

I am playing around with an effects processor (Digitech RP200), using a Sennheiser E604 mic, a Behringer 4 channel board (mic in, running effects through the aux send/return) and a crappy old Yamaha guitar amp. The amp has two 'ins'. a High, and a low.

So here's my question.... how do I need to EQ this set up so it will sound decent. The sound is very strident coming out of the amp, and I can't seem to get it under control. Should I be EQing the signal from the processor, the mic line in/out of the Behringer, or the amp... or all three.

I have also run a 'line out' of my Silent Brass system into another line of the Behringer with the idea that I could get a fully affected sound, for those freaky times you don't want any raw sound in the room. (I know, that's rare). But, I couldn't get that to sound good either, and wrote it off to a poor mic in the Silent Brass.

Anybody? Anything? Help!
_________________
Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada

[pfrank]

You COULD be overdriving any one of the inputs (including the mic) so check that, but I wouldn't expect to get a good sound with a guitar amp anyway. The amp (and probably the effects processor too, but I dont know that model) are made to be used with guitar, so that means an accent on the upper and mid range frequencies. Trumpet needs a treble cut (!) and a bass bost to sound half way natural. And heavy duty speekers (like bass speakers) with a crossover to a tweeter so that the speaker isn't trying to cover the whole frequency spectrum. I use an Ampeg B100 combo that is small and tiltable, has a 15in bass spkr and a tweeter for an on stage monitor, and an already equalized line out of that to the board (because almost no soundpeople know how to amplify a trumpet anymore so it doesn't sound like a razor blade).
There are other earlier posts on TH that cover these things well.

[Nicholas Dyson]

Thanks for the info Pfrank! I know this is an old thread now, but I was hoping more people would post.

I've been trying to compensate for the Eq thing with the little sound board. But I think it's like you said, that guitar amp will never sound good. Since I last posted on this thread, I talked to a guitar player buddy, and he told me that the particular amp I have would be hard pressed to sound good with a GUITAR, nevermind a trumpet.

So, I talked to a bass-twangin buddy and he's gonna lend me an old amp of his. I have to get it fixed, but after that, I have it indefinately. It's an SWR 15" and a horn combo amp. A 'Little Goliath' or something like that????? A step in the right direction, regardless.

If anyone else has additional info for me on this, I would very much appreciate it!!!!
_________________
Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada

[OCTA-C]

Nick, if you can get your hands on an older Fender Twin-Reverb that had the JBL speakers in it then that would be your best bet for the price!
I used two of those, in stereo, for a P.A. system at one time and the sound was great. FWIW
_________________
Jay S.

"May the good sound be yours!"

"Always remember to blow into the proper end of the horn!"-circa. 1900 (Harry Gardoon)

[pfrank]

Hey Nick. Those SWR amps are stupendous. Perfect for trumpet, Lots 'a power and a great speaker/horn combo. They have a line-out too so that you can send a preamped signal to the board that'll sound allot better than a direct box.
Octa, the two twin reverbs IS a good set up too. One by itself, not so good. Four 12 in. speekers driven by 2 amps can be made to sound smooth and natural, and when they are in stereo you get a bigger sound because that helps the phase cancelation. There's enough surface area with 4 speekers to run them at lower volume so that they can handle the trumpet's sound and not overdue the high mids. A tweeter is nice though for hearing a little bit the breath sound of trumpet, which helps the naturalness. I use an analog delay between 2 amps sometimes, set so that one amp makes a slapback vs the other amp. One amp can be the effects amp, the other, the straight sound.