Stageworthy Strategies, Pt. 2

Understanding acoustic preamps, D.I.s and digital enhancers.

- JIMMY LESLIE

LIVE GIGS ARE suddenly coming back, and lots of players who’ve stripped down their sound during the pandemic are seeking ways to translate it faithfully to the stage. Last month we looked at saddling up an acoustic workhorse. This month, we’ll talk about how to assemble a stage-worthy signal chain. The rig can be as simple as a direct box or as complicated as NASA’s Mars Perseverance Mission. Your own dedicated acoustic amplifier is the most reliable companion, but let’s back burner it for the sake of this discussion, since it represents the end of the signal chain, and you may not be able to use it for every gig. It all starts with a pickup, and since we addressed the pros and cons of piezos and magnetics in the March issue, this column will delve into the mystery of preamps, direct boxes and digital enhancers before moving onward.

PREAMP PRIMER