Powered Monitors as Jazz Amps

[DRS]

With all the new powered monitors out that are light and affordable, has anyone tried one as a solution for jazz amplification?

[3625]

I've been giving it some thought since I have the Ethos pedal - given that increasingly there are similar products like the Ethos being released on the market, not to mention digital modelers, this method is probably going to get more common. Also, another scenario could be if you owned a valve amp like a blues jr or whatever, and miked it up to run through the powered monitor. All the headroom you need without lugging around a large heavy amp.

[robertm2000]

With all the new powered monitors out that are light and affordable, has anyone tried one as a solution for jazz amplification?

Jim Soloway, a guitar builder who's on this forum a lot, used on with a modeler for quite some time.

[GaryCorby]

Not for jazz, but I've attached powered monitors to the output of a Boss ME-50 multi-effects box. It has a built-in pre-amp, which is essential if you want to use monitors...something needs to raise the signal to line level.

Tube amp adherents would be horrified, but I rather liked the sound. It's terrific for echo, chorus and other time-based effects.

[Michael Kaye]

I am way happy with my QSC K10's. For a small gig I bring one which accepts a stereo input. Rich lows and sparkling clarity with a quality modeller (Axe FX or HD500X or eqiuv) I can switch between my Strat, nylon and archtop with natural results. Amp purists may frown but it's tough to argue with the portability. They are feature loaded and I haven't regretted switching over at all. My guitar tone has never been so care free. The only requirement in my opinion is an aptitude for setting modelling equipment.

[pingu]

With all the new powered monitors out that are light and affordable, has anyone tried one as a solution for jazz amplification?

Also is there one out there that has an instrument (ie Guitar) input ?
most seem to just have Mic and line inputs

[jzucker]

I've been giving it some thought since I have the Ethos pedal - given that increasingly there are similar products like the Ethos being released on the market, not to mention digital modelers, this method is probably going to get more common. Also, another scenario could be if you owned a valve amp like a blues jr or whatever, and miked it up to run through the powered monitor. All the headroom you need without lugging around a large heavy amp.

thinking about it too. they have the advantage of being able to be used for vocals/acoustic obviously

[Tom Karol]

I have a little Yamaha MS-101 (10w, 4" speaker) that I've used as a practice amp with my archtop with good results .

[fep]

thinking about it too. they have the advantage of being able to be used for vocals/acoustic obviously

Yeah, I like to play an electric and my Godin SA which is nylon strings with piezos.

[ruger9]

Wait, do you need a preamp or not? Can powered monitors/computer speakers amplify a guitar plugged directly into them?

[pingu]

Wait, do you need a preamp or not? Can powered monitors/computer speakers amplify a guitar plugged directly into them?

You'll get some sound but most of these Powered speakers' line i/ps are expecting
mixer o/ps etc not guitars and are not high enough Z i/ps for Guitar magnetic pickups

PU's are around 7-10 Kohms , guitar amp inputs are approx 500Kohms to 1Mohm
These Powered PA speakers typically have an input Z of a lot less and don't match that well
ie it won't sound great

Please don't shoot me down , I said APPROX !

Thats why I asked if anyone uses one with a dedicated 'instrument' i/p

[ooglybong]

Not quite a powered monitor but sort of, I suppose... I use a pair of Tech 21 Power Engines (60 watt 1x12s) with some sort of preamp such as a Mustang Floor, etc. Sounds great and amazingly light-weight, too. And, of course, you'd only need one, but I got these for a steal so I went with now having a stereo setup. (Odd story: I bought them 300 miles and a month apart, and I somehow ended up with consecutive serial numbers. Man, I should have played the lottery that month!)

[nosoyninja]

Thats why I asked if anyone uses one with a dedicated 'instrument' i/p

There are a few. Most notably the mackie srm150. There's also a copycat product from behringer. Perhaps the most impressive is the Line 6 active loudspeaker with alot of digital sound processing options that can be used as PA, monitor, or acoustic guitar amp... It's called the stagesource L2t.

K

[xuoham]

Got a EV ZLX-15P last month and i am extremely satisfied.

This speaker can stand the comparison with QSC (which i never tried) in reviews, for a much more affordable price.
Very non-resonant, clear, flat, powerful, plenty of headroom and bass.
Very sturdy, relatively light, 15kg, and since weight is not all, very easy to grab and carry, plenty of handles.

I am an ignorant in terms of higher end amps, my ears probably are not the subtlest, but personally i've never be so happy and felt so confident gigging before getting this very serious tool.
The sound all comes down to your equipment before the speaker's input, as it is very transparent.

If you already have a preamp amd FX that you like and if you also use acoustic guitars, this is a great buy !
One detail: it does not have any anti-feedback (i have one in my Zoom A3, which i use to blend the main source with transducers-even on electrics).

[pingu]

There are a few. Most notably the mackie srm150. There's also a copycat product from behringer. Perhaps the most impressive is the Line 6 active loudspeaker with alot of digital sound processing options that can be used as PA, monitor, or acoustic guitar amp... It's called the stagesource L2t.

K

Thanks K
yes knew about the little Mackie/Behringers , too small for me I want an 8" or 10" really
Didn't know about the L2t , sounds very promising if a little over-engineered DSP wise for my taste
oops its 41lbs !

any more ?

[fep]

The Mackie copycat Behringer has a 10".

The problem I've had with the powered monitors with my modeler is that there is too much boost around 130 hz and below (C note, 6th string 8th fret and below) and when I try to eq that out the guitar sounds too thin.

I'd be interested if anyone else has had that problem and how they remedied it.

I recently got a Quilter MicroPro 8 and am able to plug my electric guitar straight in to ch 2 and my nylon guitar straight in to ch 1 (the clean channel). Both guitars plugged in at the same time makes guitar switching easy. Also, much easier to carry and a lot less set up time.

(BTW, Quilter is the "Q" in QSC speakers. The QSC K10s are a favorite to use with modelers but at $750 a piece you could simplify and just buy the Quilter MicroPro 8 instead and skip the whole modeling thing.)

[nosoyninja]

The Mackie copycat Behringer has a 10".

The behringer I meant is this one:

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/B205D.aspx

Which has a 5.25 " speaker. In any case, I agree, Fep, that the best option spec wise is the qsc. But in that price range you could find acoustic guitar amps or even keyboard amps with more practical appeal.

K

[nosoyninja]

Thanks K
yes knew about the little Mackie/Behringers , too small for me I want an 8" or 10" really
Didn't know about the L2t , sounds very promising if a little over-engineered DSP wise for my taste
oops its 41lbs !

any more ?

The current top contender:

http://www.mackie.com/products/dlmseries/lineup/

Checkout the DLM 8... 8" speaker, 2000watts, highz input, integrated mixer, and..... Drum roll.... 22 lbs!

K

[pingu]

The current top contender:

http://www.mackie.com/products/dlmseries/lineup/

Checkout the DLM 8... 8" speaker, 2000watts, highz input, integrated mixer, and..... Drum roll.... 22 lbs!

K

[3625]

I've been giving this more thought over the last couple of hours, and it goes a long way to solving that problem jazz guitarists have of using a portable sized valve amp with enough headroom. A 15watt valve amp that is additionally miked up through a powered monitor gives you all the headroom you need, plus you can position both speakers on either side of the stage to better disperse your sound, so it's not too loud coming from a single source.

Additionally, if the valve amp throws a tantrum and gives up the ghost, you can just plug your Ethos/modeler straight into the powered speaker and you're good to go.

[nosoyninja]

I've been giving this more thought over the last couple of hours, and it goes a long way to solving that problem jazz guitarists have of using a portable sized valve amp with enough headroom. A 15watt valve amp that is additionally miked up through a powered monitor gives you all the headroom you need, plus you can position both speakers on either side of the stage to better disperse your sound, so it's not too loud coming from a single source.

Additionally, if the valve amp throws a tantrum and gives up the ghost, you can just plug your Ethos/modeler straight into the powered speaker and you're good to go.

Also, most contemporary tube amps will have a line out jack, so you can even skip the mic part in case you want to avoid feedback.

The only problem with this system is that you end up carrying twice as many amps...

K

[3625]

Also, most contemporary tube amps will have a line out jack, so you can even skip the mic part in case you want to avoid feedback.

The only problem with this system is that you end up carrying twice as many amps...

K

Good point about the line out. Re: carrying twice as many amps - true, except these powered monitors are quite ergonomic and lightweight to carry. So I'm thinking a blues jr size amp in one hand and the monitor in the other would be more comfortable and balanced than carrying a single, heavy, higher wattage valve amp, or even my single 12" roland jc for that matter. Even better if you can get something for your guitar that you can sling on your back, in the way of a protected gig bag or those cheap styrofoam hard cases (which are fantastic), that have a pocket for sheet music, leads, and one or two pedals etc.

If portablility was a big issue, such as using public transport, I'd just use the monitor plus a preamp/modeler - lighter and easier than lugging an amp.

[fep]

I've been giving this more thought over the last couple of hours, and it goes a long way to solving that problem jazz guitarists have of using a portable sized valve amp with enough headroom. A 15watt valve amp that is additionally miked up through a powered monitor gives you all the headroom you need, plus you can position both speakers on either side of the stage to better disperse your sound, so it's not too loud coming from a single source.

Additionally, if the valve amp throws a tantrum and gives up the ghost, you can just plug your Ethos/modeler straight into the powered speaker and you're good to go.

That brings up another benefit of a modeler.

My nylon Godin, my jazz box, my modeler, two powered monitors, cables. Add to that a tiny backup modeler like a $50 digitech RP55... And you have a backup for everything, i.e. any one thing can fail and you're still good to go.

[DRS]

I experimented with my Eastman AR810CE into a Bgass Para DI preamp and then balanced XLR into a Mackie Thump 12. The EQ features on the Para DI are nice but I think the Mackie was a poor choice. It has a nasally mid-range heavy tone even with the Mackie's mids rolled off completely. I'm seeking a clean sound so it was an interesting experiment. My Traynor Darkhorse tube head into a 1x12 Emi Private Jack sounded better. I'd like to try a better powered speaker.