How to connect an electric guitar and amplifier to the PA system

How to mic up an electric guitar amplifier.

Part of the St George's Church PA training series of videos.

Ways to get in touch - I love hearing from my viewers!

[nsmith]

What a fantastic, clear and concise explanation. Just straight forward with no nonsense. Thank you very much, I have always wondered exactly how this is done.

[filmlover]

You sound like Matthew Broderick putting on an accent lol

[GLBProductions]

- You're most welcome. These videos were made to train volunteers so they need to be simple and easy to follow.

[GLBProductions]

You would connect the mic to the mixing console of your PA system. The industry standard for this application is the Shure SM57 but there are many other options available. Thanks for asking, all the best with your sound!

[Daddyfatclaps]

straight forward and well spoke...love your vids.

[GLBProductions]

- Thanks for the question! If you are plugging directly into the PA system you do not need a microphone; however many sound engineers prefer to mic the amplifier as they feel this captures a more realistic picture of what the guitar/amplifier combination sounds like.

[GLBProductions]

- You're welcome. According to the internet, the mixer that comes with this PA system has 4 inputs, so you and your father could both plug into it and not use individual amps. However you might not like the way this sounds, so I suggest you try it out before buying. Bring all your effects pedals along when you do this, and connect them up in the usual way - then plug the output from the last pedal into the PA system's input. Good luck!

[GLBProductions]

- Yes, that is the correct setup, although most concert venues have some sort of mic points built into the stage that would prevent you from needing such a long XLR cable. Just see where the vocal mics are being plugged in, and use a spare channel. All the best with your music!

[seamusn]

Hi there, just wondering can I also connect from the back of my guitar amp into the pa system?

Would it be through the auxiliary?
Would I have to use either instrument/ speaker lead jack to jack?

Many thanks.

[GLBProductions]

- I would suggest there are 2 ways around your issue: the first would be to get a small electric guitar amp like a Fender champ and mic that up. The amp would cover the electric guitar player, and the rest of the players on stage would hear it through the monitors. The other solution would be to go completely direct with something like POD, where everyone hears the electric guitar via the monitors. Big guitar amps are difficult to work with on small stages!

[GLBProductions]

- If you have only two monitor mixes you will need to reserve them mainly for the vocals. The drummer's mix can have a bit of bass guitar in it but the mix for everyone else will probably need to be vocals and nothing else. You will need to experiment with the position of the electric guitar amp such that the player can hear it but it's not too loud for everyone else. Trying using a stand to get it up off the floor, and angle it back so that it's pointed at the player's ears.

[GLBProductions]

- I would say using the headphone amp to drive the monitor cab is not a good idea as it is not designed to drive such a low impedance load and may burn out. However if you can connect the main amp of the combo to the monitor that may work - you'll need to find a way to disconnect the combo's internal speaker and run the signal from the amp into the monitor. Some combos have a 1/4" speaker connector on the back that makes this simple. Make sure you use speaker cable, not a guitar cable!

[sgedhd]

Very good and funny videos bring a great sense of entertainment!

[nfn]

This is an older video, but u all are always so helpful. Can I mic a guitar amp to the church house pa using one of their connected cordless mics? Thx. God Bless.

[Richlucch]

What if i dont have a mixing console? Can i put the microphone xlr directly into my powered pa speakers? And then control the volume with a the dial on speaker instead of a mixer? The only thing that would concern me if the speakers clipping because i use them for vocals so it would be a lot of load on the pa system. I might be better off just cranking the amp instead. not sure whats better

[thisguyiscool]

Thank you this is great! Do you crank the volume up pretty high or just loud enough so the mic picks it up?

[electriciandallastx]

Thanks for the tips you have shared here.

[ctzeninsane]

Hello GLB. This is a fantastic video as usual. Just a question - when I try to mic my amp and set the gain level on my mixer, setting the volume of the amp so it will hit around 0db on the meter of the mixer results in a very high volume of the amp, even when I set the gain knob of my mixer to 3 o'clock. It is just way to loud for my church band, as we have a relatively small stage. Strangely enough, I seem to get an adequate input volume level even if I turn the amp down to where it wouldn't bother anyone, and the meter on the mixer is barely hitting -10db ~ -20db or so. When I turn the channel fader to unity it's just as loud as other channels that have the gain setting of 0~3db on the meter. Is this a common phenomenon, or am I doing something wrong? How do you set your amp and mixer when you mic an electric guitar amp? Much thanks in advance.

[GLBProductions]

- That's great news, all the best with your music. Hopefully you'll be able to afford a bigger bass amp soon :)

[dfu]

Alright man, was wondering if you could help, our practice room is short on an amp, and we only have a 25watt for the bassist, this isnt loud enough, i was wonder if it is possible to connect the bass amp from the headphone socket to one of the PA's monitor, and use it as a cab. The thing that im unsure is, is 1. will it work and is it safe to do, 2. will the amp provide power to the monitor as it doesnt have a power socket. Thanks!