|
Required Equipment: Acoustic Preamps Ever hear an amplified violin with a harsh cheezy tone? Most likely the violinist was using a piezo without suitable preamp (though a distorted amp will also ruin the tone). It is a mismatch to plug piezo pickups directly into any equipment built for electric guitar signals. This includes guitar "stomp box" pedal effects, guitar preamps, and guitar amps. A preamp built for acoustic instruments will amplify the level, allow for tone control and convert the impedance of the signal before it is sent to an amplifier. Use it when sending a piezo signal to the PA too. A variety of other features such as mixing, better EQ functions and effects loops can be found on the higher priced preamps. (Not needed if your acoustic amp has the same features.) "Direct boxes" contain buffer or impedence converting electronics. They are suitable for using with piezo pickups only if they are "active" (powered by battery or transformer). Piezo pickup manufacturers may advertise "preamps are not necessary". Use one anyway! Recommended Preamps 
*The Fishman GII (left at <$100) is a basic unit. Their Pro EQ II has better EQ, and the Pro EQ Platinum has many other features at about $170. I highly recommend Fishman electronics. Fishman makes other units for mixing mics and piezos including the Pocket Blender. Fishman website I believe the older Fishman Model G and the older preamps with the Martin guitar logo featured the same electronics. Both are suitable for violin.
*L.R. Baggs Gigpro. Another very good basic preamp for about $100. The Baggs Para DI at about $150 has many advanced features. Both are highly recommended. Baggs website *Tech 21 Sansamp Acoustic DI *Countryman Direct Box and the Demeter tube direct box *ART MP tube mic preamp/tube direct box. Available from Musician's Friend High-end acoustic preamps above $300: (The Crate CA1-P is a highly recommended but discontinued item selling for as low as ~$99.00. It is based on the preamp section of Crate's acoustic amplifiers.) Amplifiers Specialized amps built to amplify acoustic instruments can
be found in the $300-$1000 range. Acoustic amps are essentially
Recommended Acoustic Amplifiers The amps are listed by increasing price. I won't attempt to rate them, its a matter of budget and taste. Test the amps against each other if possible. Other acoustic amps, including Carvin and Marshall, are suitable but I am not familiar with them. Each company, except for Peavy, has a product line of acoustic amps. Check out the Crate Taxi (TX30) for a low cost alternative.
Crate Taxi (~$250) rechargable portable amp-[also Crate Limo and CA 125D (~$700)] Crate website Peavey Ecoustic (~$350-400) Peavey website Fender Acoustasonic Junior (pictured top left ~$350-400) Fender website (also SFX ~$6-700, and others) Zeta AE-12 (~$500) SWR Strawberry Blonde(~$600) SWR website (also SWR California Blonde-pictured left) Trace 50RBK (pictured above left with "purple ring" around it ~$600-700) Trace website I've used one of these for 5 years, and will recommend it. "High-end" acoustic amps above $1000: Fishman Acoustic Performer, Riviera Sedona, Zeta Forte Amplification System Daedalus features components by top manufacturers in their own cabinets. PA recommendations/Violin rack systems PAs can consist of the following: Carvin and Peavey both offer good lines of
PA equipment. Check out their powered mixers and Peavey's Impulse
speakers, the SP2 and SP5. EV, Community, JBL and Yorkville are
names to look for in middle to high-end PAs. If buying used, consider
a Peavey—they are relatively indestructible.
Books on Sound Reinforcement/PA Use The Acoustic Musician's Guide to Sound Reinforcement (etc.) by Mike Sokol, Prentice Hall; ISBN: 0134335090Live Sound Reinforcement by Scott Hunter Stark, Mix Bookshelf/Mix Books; ISBN: 0918371074 Sound Check : The Basics of Sound and Sound Systems by Tony Moscal, Hal Leonard Publishing; ISBN: 079353559X Web based background on PAs: Scott's PA System Tutorial Other Amplifier Possibilities Amps designed for electric instruments can be used for violins, but the sound will not be as close to "acoustic" as the amps listed above. This does not make them unsuitable for violin—it’s a matter of taste. I have ranked them by their ability to deliver an "accurate violin tone" (in my opinion). *Peavey Nashville 400: A very powerful amp with anti-distortion circuitry. This amp is primarily used by pedal steel guitarists and also by many fiddlers. It sells used in the $300 range. The 400 has no mic input, but is an excellent bargain and worth a demo. It was replaced by the Nashville 1000 in Peavey's product line. You may be able to get a bargain on the 400 now. (This amp can be difficult to find in the northeastern US.) * Keyboard amps: Peavey, Roland etc. In my opinion, better than electric guitar amps but usually missing features found on the acoustic amps. Some of them have a mic input. You may be able to find inexpensive used keyboard amps. *Clean-toned guitar amps used by jazz guitarists etc: Roland Jazz Chorus 90 and 120, Polytone MiniBrute series (I believe Johnny Gimble uses a Polytone with his electric violin.) *Electric guitar amplifiers (Fender, Marshall, Crate, Peavey etc.) are great if you want to play rock music, although many of the smaller practice amps have very little headroom. The wide frequency response needed for an acoustic tone is not featured on these amps. They are built for low fidelity, and IMO the sound of distortion will always be present in your violin tone. People have experimented using tube amps, reconfiguring them for a good violin sound. I haven't heard the results yet. Harmony Central has a great deal of info on amplification. Look for the reviews by users--opinions are highly variable. Electric guitar amps can be divided into two categories: tube based and transistor or "solid-state". To generalize: tubes deliver "warmer" sounds than solid-state electronics, but they tend to distort more easily. I prefer not to use electric guitar amps, but there are violin players who do. One local player gets a fantastic variety of rock sounds from an inexpensive amp.
|
little PAs with many of the same functions. (Keep in mind that
new or used PAs can also be found in this price range. Amplifying
your violin with a PA may give you more versatility and "bang
for your buck" than an acoustic amp.) The following amplifiers are
all high quality units. Links to the manufacturer’s sites
are included.
Other types of amps may be used to amplify violins and they are listed lower on the page.The
The amps listed
here generally have enough power to amplify signals to high levels without
distorting. This function is called "headroom". When
smaller amps are driven hard, they may be just as loud, but the
element of distortion is there.The amp may be your onstage monitor.
You can mic it with an
SM 57, or connect the amp’s line-out to a PA input. When playing
with an acoustic band using microphones, I like to also send the piezo to my acoustic
amp, as a personal monitor (not mic'd to the PA). Make sure the level is just above the monitor mix, and is not blasting anyone on stage. If feedback is a problem, use this set-up, but cut the violin out of the PA monitors. If you find the amp
to be "boomy" lift it off the floor.
The individual components can be assembled for a PA or specialized violin amp system.
The 
