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  • #1

    Live solo boost question

    My band is only guitar, drums, bass and lead vocal. My guitar is always mic'd through the PA and monitor system. This question is for the other gigging 1 guitar rock band players. Do you use boost for guitar solo's? The reason I am asking is I always find it to be a balancing act to get the correct boost level live. What happens is we are playing and my guitar sound is killer and I am loving it and its solo time so I kick on my boost and my guitar sound gets anywhere between 3db and 6db louder which increases the entire sound level of the band and after my solo I kick off the boost and the entire sound level of the band decreases because I am the only guitar player. Its kind of a let down sonically if you know what I mean. I was thinking that if I am the only guitar player and I am through the PA system then why should I have to boost my solo's at all? Maybe the better solution would be to boost the mids but not the db level of my signal? This way there would be an even balance between rhythm and solo and the overall band level would be more even.
    Discuss?
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I would like to know myself great question.
    Really? well screw Mark Twain.

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    • #3
      Being in that same position with my band, I don't boost. I don't think its necessary with a one guitar band as long as your sound is mixed right to start
      Out Of Ideas

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      • #4
        I can't really say cause most of my time has been in 2 guitar bands, but I''m interested to see where this goes. One never knows what mishaps lay around the bend so it's always good to be prepared.
        In memory of Gary Wright 9/13/2012

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        • #5
          I boost my solos. I Use two channels of my Mesa Boogie MKIII and a Ibanez TK999 distortion pedal. I set my clean channel first, then I turn on my TK999 and set the levels for my rhythm sound. I then set the second channel volume a little louder than the other one. Plus that one have a graphic EQ I use to boost the mids. I then have 3 tones I use. Clean, rythym and boosted lead. Works great for me
          H3LL IS HOME!!!

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          • #6
            Throw an eq pedal in the loop and boost whatever frequencies you want. I just switched to that and it's working out great. If you are gonna use an eq/boost, you should adjust it for each room you're playing in. I'm in 3 bands and only one is two guitar, one other is just me and the the other is me and a keys/guitar player. I boost in every one of those situations, but it's different for each band. Like I said, I think it more depends on the room.
            "My G-Major can blow me!" - Bill

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Frigo89 View Post
              Being in that same position with my band, I don't boost. I don't think its necessary with a one guitar band as long as your sound is mixed right to start
              Originally posted by sambencuda View Post
              Throw an eq pedal in the loop and boost whatever frequencies you want.

              Once you set your stage sound, you have to be careful with making any changes. Let the sound man do his job. Your 3db boost on stage be 20db in the club, especially if he is thinking "here comes a solo, let's turn him up".

              Instead of a volume boost, do an 'effect'. Sambencuda said use an eq. I used to ad a wah, which really just boosted certain frequencies if I didn't rock it up and down.

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              • #8
                Use a volume pedal like a Morley Little Alligator and slowly back the volume back down?
                GTWGITS! - RacerX

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                • #9
                  It's often better to boost to cut through than to boost to become simply louder
                  Instead of enhancing the entire volume, just focus on those frequencies which bring your guitar on the foreground
                  "There's nothing taking away from the pure masculinity I possess"

                  -"You like Anime"

                  "....crap!"

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                  • #10
                    I play in two single guitar bands. I don't boost the leads for either. I will use a phase 90 on some of them, a wah on others. sometimes I kick in some echo if it is a slow lead. one band I am using strats with a fender vaporizer and an MXR custom badass OD for my gain sound. the other I am using a marshall rig with an MXR prime distortion for my gain sound. even when I was using higher gain tones with my rivera, I didn't boost. I have always run a pretty mid-heavy sound and I think has helped.
                    GEAR:

                    some guitars...WITH STRINGS!!!! most of them have those sticks like on guitar hero....AWESOME!!!!

                    some amps...they have some glowing bottle like things in them...i think my amps do that modelling thing....COOL, huh?!?!?!

                    and finally....

                    i have those little plastic "chips" used to hit the strings...WHOA!!!!

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                    • #11
                      Thanks for all the responses. Obviously.. I know how to boost. I have used and still use a combination of volume pedals in the loop, EQ's, clean boost pedals or I just use 3 channel amps. Clean, Rhythm, Solo. We don't have a soundman. We set the PA, get the levels good and thats it for the show. Now that I am no longer playing the Mesa Recto which was NOT mid heavy and am now using a combination of the Peavey 5150 and a brand new Marshall DSL100H (which is a fantastic amp btw...) I have a ton of midrange and I am thinking I might not need to boost anymore for solo's. Maybe an effect is the answer like a sutble chorus for solo's.

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                      • #12
                        I am in a one guitar band but we also have a very dominant keyboard player. I boost for solos otherwise I am completely drowned out.

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                        • #13
                          Here's the thing, since you don't have a sound man, your PA is on set it and leave it. When you say you need a solo boost are you talking about what it sounds like to you on stage or have you actually gone out front where the audience is? There could be startling differences in what you think you need and what is actually needed out front. If you have a wireless I'd suggest listening from out front from the audience perspective while you sound check and do a solo from there. You could use a EQ as others suggested or what I've been using is an MXR/CAE Boost. A simple one knob pedal you turn up to what you need then click it on and off as needed. Of course I'm in a 2 guitar band but I think it should work fine in a one guitar situation as well. Just make sure the boosted sound through the PA is not clipping or over bearing. Even with a sound man turning up our solos he still likes for me to hit that MCR/CAE boost to "put some hair on it" as he describes.
                          Rudy
                          www.metalinc.net

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                          • #14
                            I do not boost. My former band was just bass/lead vocalist, electric guitar (myself), and drums. With the vocals dropping out for a lead, the guitar fell right in place without any boosting. Also, the bass player is very good, so he could work with a lead to give it the spotlight. What I did do for leads was add delay, increase gain slightly, and add a touch of low end to thicken it up (I typically run a low cut around 110hz and would change it to 65hz for leads). Worked great.

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