Bad Monkey as "amp" into PA really works!

Quick Background: sorry I feel the need to explain process:rolleyes:

For years I have been playing duo/trio gigs where normally, I would just play my acoustic guitar (into PA) and sing, along with one or two of my musical cohorts (usually a bass player/2nd acoustic, etc.) but lately folks have been wanting to hear my electric playing- even in this small (drumless) group situation.

So just wanting to stick to a small footprint and avoid using a guitar amp (bad back too) all together, I thought I would get a cheap Multi-Effects unit and just use it's amp emulator OUTPUT into PA, but then I thought: "You are completely intimidated by the programming, you don't ever like the distortion from these things, and you have no $$!"

So this morning at home, I set up 1/2 of my PA, got out my Bad Monkey (I never really use this), using it's amp/mixer OUT jack, first in line on my little pedal board (with TU-2 Tuner>Trem or "Fake Leslie">Delay) >into PA channel, and everything works great! Even though the Bad Monkey was first in line the amp emulation works great, and the effects are fine too. Guitar amp (for these low volume gigs) eliminated!

The two things I noticed were that first, even though the BM's amp's emulator works w/Monkey OFF, all sounds better with it ON: I can tweak volume and tone from the Monkey, and even with Gain off, and of course UP the Gain as needed. The 2nd thing I noticed (knew this before) is that Monkey draws a lot of juice (as tone controls are active) so best to use with pedalboard power supply.

Bottom line a very good guitar tone was right there! No fizz with the OD, no 'squeaky clean, going direct tone' sounded like me. Granted I know I will have to watch this as I will be sharing PA power stll with vocals and other instruments and can't just crank it- but for these gigs, this should be perfect :wink:

Going direct is becoming easier and easier - and it's sounding better and better, too. Nice work! Count me in a brother in arms for going right to the PA. I use a VHT Special 6 head, and the speaker output goes into a Behringer DI (the red one with 4x12 cabinet simulation) and then into a Weber attenuator set at max (dummy load, tricking the amp into thinking it's connected to a speaker). XLR right into the PA and my little 6 watt amp sounds like it's a Marshall stack (in spirit ;)).

I think a lot of the improvements quality has to do with how popular in-ear monitors (IEMs) are becoming. Digitech, if I recall correctly, was way ahead of the curve to include a Mixer output on their pedals (not just their multi-effects modelers).

To paraphrase a Radial ad I saw recently: for the first time in a long time guitarists with IEMs are hearing what is really coming out of the PA - and they're not happy. ;)

^^^ With me, my Bad Monkey "revelation" was inspired by lazyness and age- My back is shot, I own (and haul) our band's PA gear (not much) but most of the time someone else is always carrying my own stuff for me, so I was trying to eliminate one piece of gear (my guitar amp. for these kind of gigs) to bring to a restaurant/bar or home...Also the Bad Monkey idea should work as we are not talking about a lot of volume here, or a very distorted tone- just a pleasing guitar tone is all I wanted-bingo!

I played a gig recently when during full-band (bass, vocals, guitar (me) and drums) soundcheck the club owner asked me what mic I was using on the amp (there was a Vox AC30 on stage, an amp far, far too large for the small room) because to him it "sounded good through the PA but seemed kinda quiet on stage".

After explaining and showing him my little "trick", in a very awkward moment he hugged me and asked me to write down everything I used because he was planning on having all future guitarists go direct, and if at all possible, amp-less on stage to control dB.

Spread the love of direct-to-PA and get love back, I guess. :)

To paraphrase a Radial ad I saw recently: for the first time in a long time guitarists with IEMs are hearing what is really coming out of the PA - and they're not happy. ;)

Amen to that (even without IEM's) - SM-57's poorly positioned (or knocked out of position by tweaking guitarists!!)contribute a fair bit to that.

I sold myself on the Randall cabinets with the "mic eliminator" circuit after getting one in for a customer - fired it up in the shop & thru the shop pa system (we've got a stage in the back for in-store appearances) & the sound out of the PA was pretty much identical to the sound coming out of the quadbox.... retired my SM-57s from stage use after that - I got one of the Randall quadboxes for myself & use a Hughes & Kettner Redbox on the other guitarists AC30 head & 2X12 (the redbox is Good!!)

I've started using a Tech 21 Trademark 30 for really small gigs. It's super light at 14 pounds, gets some sweet sounds and I can run an XLR out into the P.A. to make things easier on sound dogs and other barroom mutantry. Given that it's essentially a Sansamp GT-2 with a power amp and speaker, it's pretty much a no-brainer to set up.

I've started using a Tech 21 Trademark 30 for really small gigs. It's super light at 14 pounds, gets some sweet sounds and I can run an XLR out into the P.A. to make things easier on sound dogs and other barroom mutantry. Given that it's essentially a Sansamp GT-2 with a power amp and speaker, it's pretty much a no-brainer to set up.

Trademark DIs are great. When I tested the one on my old TM60 vs an SM57 in front of the amp I couldn't tell the difference. And so much neater on small stages.

I've started using a Tech 21 Trademark 30 for really small gigs. It's super light at 14 pounds, gets some sweet sounds and I can run an XLR out into the P.A. to make things easier on sound dogs and other barroom mutantry. Given that it's essentially a Sansamp GT-2 with a power amp and speaker, it's pretty much a no-brainer to set up.

I have always wanted to try a Tech 21 Trademark as they seem like they just have it all in a logical, lightweight package, if you are not hung up on having to have a tube amp, which I am not.

I do play mainly Fender tube amps- but when I think about it they are almost always running clean, the power tubes are barely being pushed, and I use OD pedals! I have heard friends of mine using the older SansAmp into both SS and tube amps and it's a great "amp factory'

So, IMO, "sounds good" is "sounds good" any way you get there:wink:!

I have always wanted to try a Tech 21 Trademark as they seem like they just have it all in a logical, lightweight package, if you are not hung up on having to have a tube amp, which I am not.

I do play mainly Fender tube amps- but when I think about it they are almost always running clean, the power tubes are barely being pushed, and I use OD pedals! I have heard friends of mine using the older SansAmp into both SS and tube amps and it's a great "amp factory'

So, IMO, "sounds good" is "sounds good" any way you get there:wink:!

I owned a tm 60. I found the drive sounds to be well below the quality of decent pedals. That being said, I never really loved my Sansamp GT2 either.
The TM60 had a nice direct out and clean sound, but I am a lot happier with the clean tones coming from a BillM modified Blues Jr all in all. I might try the Behringer DI in combo with the Bjr. The TM was fine but not quite juicy enough for me.

^^ Got it!

As I mentioned before I will always be a real amp guy (and Fender tube at that, even if clean) for all of my full-band gigs. But the Bad Monkey>PA is a good-sounding solution for these new acoustic/electric hybrid duo gigs I seem to be getting. To be honest I was fine just playing acoustic guitar 100% and have no problem playing "electric guitar" music on it, but I think some folks just gotta have the visual of the electric
It's R&R:twisted::wink:!