Music Gear Needed for Playing Live Acoustic Gigs

Ready for the ultimate yet simple setup for your live acoustic gigs?

This is an extremely simple setup I'm showing you, but it's also going to give you high quality and professional sound.

I'm sharing everything I use for my live acoustic shows, and this is really all you need for small gigs.

Keep it Metal,
Jason

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[justinbaugh]

Great video! Just wanted to point out a couple of things. You don't need a "speaker" cable to go from a mixer to a powered speaker. Speaker cables are heavier gauge to carry signals from a power amp to a non-powered speaker and are not shielded. Using that kind of cable in this instance can introduce outside interference/noise. In your case, a mic cable, which is shielded and balanced and better at rejecting interference, would be the best option to connect the mixer to the speaker.

Similarly, for the connection from your Fishman unit to the board, a mic cable would be a much better choice. It is a balanced signal and will handle longer runs without signal loss that you get from "instrument" cables, which are not balanced. Hope that helps!

[brelleom]

I like the tc helicon play acoustic for guitar fx and vocal fx. Opens a whole new world for vocals and solo gigs.

[oneGOD]

After years of humping gear I reckon I have finally got my rig perfected.
I have a 90 dollar round back six string with a Bolt on neck, strung with Daddario light gauge with a plain 017 swapped out for the wound g, a $19.00 rechargeable wireless headset mic, a $35.00 transmitter and receiver set for guitar, and a $175.00 portable p.a. speaker with a 15 and a M.r. horn built-in reverb. One load in. Speaker on wheels, guitar case under arm, triangle guitar stand in hand set up time is two minutes max, and I get paid at the end, can just about load out before they realise I've knocked off. Wish I'd done it sooner. I don't even need to plug in to power if I don't want to. Powered speaker runs off two self contained 12 v batteries, last for about 6 hours, haven't run them flat yet. Use all rechargeable batteries in the remotes. Lasts a whole 4 hour gig. Minimal cost and hassle free. Just saying. Thanks for the info Jas, rock on. G.

[waynemartin]

Hi jason, Rick here. I really loved your video on eqip. I have palyed in a bluegrass band for the past twenty years. But get this we were doing cover gigs like Metalica, Led Zepplin, the Beatlles long before anyone else out there started it. But I now want to just be on my own with my fiancee', I might add sings it all, and do what I love doing. Oh I am 60 years old and yes still a rocker. Thanks again for a great video.

[SingerRC]

Man you're just my go to when it comes to gear info, setup, etc. Such great videos all across your channel. Cheers buddy!

[raysiekierski]

Very helpful and well done video. Thank You!.

[richardervins]

Nice summary of the essentials for a one man band. 😎
Let me offer some more tipps and some teenie weenie little corrections.
Microphones can be seen as the first EQ stage, as they have different characteristics. So it‘s not the „more power“ of the Beta versions (as that can easily be adjusted with the gain control on your sound board), but what the mic actually does for you frequency wise.
For solo musicians the old type of sound board is kinda outdated, especially when space and flexibility is an issue. Remote controlled mixers like SoundCraft’s UI- or Behringer’s X-series are what you may want to consider. They not only offer all the outboard stuff you may be carrying around, like that awkward DI-board, an extra player or guitar FXs, but they also let you store your settings for all the venues you may be repeatedly playing at. In addition to dynamics processing, they offer gates and feedback suppression, which come in handy especially when the corner in which you have to set up is acoustically not that ideal. Your speaker already can be remotely controlled, so why shouldn‘t your sound board offer this?
FXs, like chorus, reverb, and some delay types, don‘t make a lot of sense without stereo capabilities. And besides, we (and the people in our audiences) have two ears… 😁
Last but not least — monitor speakers next to your computer workplace should point at your ears and shouldn‘t be hampered by barriers next to them. Get rid of them — and the results will be a lot better. 🤓

[micahjmusic]

Super helpful video! Looking to invest in a ToneDEQ now. Thanks for the suggestions!

[cashmoney]

Hey dude! Steven Cash here from 1999...harvest days. Congrats on the awesome channel! I just happened to notice it when I searched 'acoustic gig setup'...I gotta say i was surprised to see you doing acoustic gigs haha! You could always melt any electric fret board! Great video. I enjoyed seeing your gear. I didnt do much w musici for quite a while but I'm learning songs and thinking about doing a singer, acoustic guitar gig type deal.

[Garryjonesmusic]

I live in Churubusco, In. I can throw a rock and hit Sweetwater. So very cool.

[mysolojourney]

hey bud. great video! im using the the same equivalent equipment. great for small venues. i do have a second speaker. i play acoustic gigs in southern New Hampshire.

[ethanherndon]

dude I've been looking at this exact speaker and mixer combo! what are the odds! great to see its working well!

[cambo]

Just a tip that I use Jason. If you can get your hands on a Zoom A3 guitar efx pedal it also has mic/phantom input. For a soloist it is the perfect little efx / mixer DI. Although I don't think it was ever designed for vocals that said but I've been using it for years with zero issues. My setup is very basic QSC K8 2000watt, Boss RC30 looper, 2 x A3 Zoom. I actually only ever use the one A3 Zoom but I realised it's best if I have a back up and because they stopped making these I went a purchased another one second hand.

[mikedonovan]

I really enjoyed your presentation and style ..

[Scott__C]

Jason, recently came across your channel. I like your laid back delivery and not the over the top delivery some YouTubers seem to love. 
For low number of inputs, the Bose T1 or T4s are great little mixers. Small, and they have comp, EQ, verb and delay and their ToneMatch settings so you can just plug the guitar straight into mixer and it sounds good. Also, I'm a big fan of the Audix OM series of mics. The OM-2 is the same money as a 58 and the OM-5 is about the same as the Beta 58.

[mzmudy]

This is great! I have played acoustic gigs for many years, and I too now have the ToneDeq. This is a super video for folks just starting and wanting to understand what to do, as well a good review for experienced folks. Nice one!

[garycreativemusic]

Thanks I’ve just starting out playing with back tracks and this really helped now subscribed and I’ve hit the bell and liked your video

[baneverything]

I bought a set of 100 dollar powered monitor speakers, two Powerwerks PW50 small PA speakers, a 100 watt Yamaha subwoofer, a four channel Yamaha mixer with basic effects, two chorus pedals, a cheapo but fun PockRock effects pedal for comedy songs so I can have drums and fuzz effect on my acoustic, very impressive cheap Shure copy SM-57 & 58 mics that are 98% as good (after around a dozen stolen Shures...now they can steal a 20-30 dollar mic), plus I already have a Sennheiser vocal mic. Those cheap Shure copies are as good as any I`ve used besides the Beta 58 and Peavy mics. Plus I got a Dean Koa wood acoustic electric and an impressive 89 dollar Ashthorpe acoustic electric as backup and alternative tunings. All this for well under 1000.

[tautvydasserepka]

Thank you very much for the great, honest, and fun video! :) you are a good speaker.

[justinleal]

Love what you’re doing man! Keep being awesome!! 🔥🔥