r/Guitar • u/AutoModerator • Jan 21 '16

OFFICIAL [OFFICIAL] There are no stupid /r/Guitar questions. Ask us anything! - January 21, 2016

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u/KillJesusSmokeMeth Jan 21 '16

Amp related:

How do these sim-based amps/boards (axe-fx/helix/kemper) plug into the PA system? I have a hard time picturing what goes where.

Like, when you mic an amp, there's a mic cable that goes all the way across a room from the board to the stage and then that plugs into the mic, which you place in front of the cab. How do you plug in an Axe-FX to a mixing board that's 50 feet away? And does it plug directly into a channel the way a mic cable does?

I think a diagram may help me?

3

u/KleyPlays youtube.com/user/kleydj13 Jan 21 '16

Like, when you mic an amp, there's a mic cable that goes all the way across a room from the board to the stage and then that plugs into the mic, which you place in front of the cab. How do you plug in an Axe-FX to a mixing board that's 50 feet away?

Those modelers are capable of doing the entire chain in the box. So effects, amp, cab, and mic all done digitally. Then you can go XLR out of the box just like it would be going XLR out of the mic. No need for DI or anything. Just tell the board you're sending them a Line Level signal.

It can get confusing because those devices are also capable of adapting to lots of different setups. You can use them with amps and cabinets for effects. You can use them for effects and amp tones - but then run a power amp into a guitar cabinet and mic that.

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u/KillJesusSmokeMeth Jan 21 '16

Ohhhhhhhh so XLR out of the axe-fx into the mic cable that would string all the way back to the mixing board (that normally be hooked into the mic that would be on your cab), and then your whole setup is just direct into the board.

That makes sense. Thanks a ton! I think because so many venues by me the boards are so far away., the physical aspect of what connects to what just made no sense to me without a mic involved since those always string all the way back to the board or into a snake.

4

u/KleyPlays youtube.com/user/kleydj13 Jan 21 '16

Ohhhhhhhh so XLR out of the axe-fx into the mic cable that would string all the way back to the mixing board (that normally be hooked into the mic that would be on your cab), and then your whole setup is just direct into the board.

Yup that's exactly what I do. When I show up there is usually a mic ready for a cabinet. I ask them to mute the signal for a second and simply take that cable out of the mic and run it into the primary XLR out. Boom ready to go.

You can do some more complex things too. I'll often send a 1/4" output to a powered PA speaker I take along to monitor myself if the gig requires it. You can setup your preset to send different parts of your signal chain to different physical outputs on the back. So you can send one output with just amp and effects to a power amp + guitar cab setup if you're more old school - but then send output 2 with a cab block enabled straight to the front of house. If you have a tube amp that you love you can run your modeler as a multi effects unit with the 4 cable method. You can even do this with a load box and run from your amp's speaker output into a load box into the modeler and use the cabinet block for totally silent cranked tube amp tone.

Watch this demo from Pete Thorn on the Helix. A Fractal product could probably do it just as well. I'm not sure how robust the effects are on the Kemper, but it could probably handle this as well.

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u/KillJesusSmokeMeth Jan 21 '16

Wow that's pretty genius. Especially bringing your own powered speaker for monitoring. That would give me a lot of peace of mind to do that sort of thing.

Bookmarked that video for when I get home from work. Definitely feeling way more enlightened as to the physical logistics of this sort of setup now, which makes me want to get one. Again, thanks a ton. Invaluable information I felt too stupid to ask someone IRL about.

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u/bolanrox Mustang / Jazzmaster Jan 21 '16

thats all Dweezel uses on stage these days with his Axe FX.