Last Friday I played an outdoor venue with a huge lawn and open air. People towards the back could not hear me, and when I turned up the volume, I had a lot of feedback, mainly from the guitar. I am using the L1 compact with the Vocalist Live 3 (no tone match or other mixer). I tried to move the L1 far away from me to the side and front, and nothing improved. Any suggestions for more volume w/out feedback are appreciated. I am running the 'guitar through" option with the extra 1/4 cable. The management of the venue is offering their PA system for this Friday's performance, which includes big speakers, stands, and a mixer, but I am unsure if my vocalist box will work with that system. Would I just plug the vocalist box as normal, then run the XLR cable into the mic input of the big PA mixer, then the guitar "through" cable into the guitar input, and not use my L1 at all?
Another question is: what levels do you guys typically set your compressor, reverb, warmth, and delay on w/ the Vocalist Live? I have been keeping all of them at about 10:00, since I cannot really tell improvement when I turn any of them up. I know much of this is personal preference, but would like to get a baseline.

Thank yo so much,

Steve Duncan

FEEDBACK is probably w/ an ACOUSTIC guitar, right? If so, try using a SOUND HOLE COVER / baffle.

Remember feedback happens when the sound comes OUT of your speakers and the vibrations hit your guitar (or mic), and those vibrations cause more sound to go thru your PA, out the speakers, into your guitar, etc. (alas the term, "feedback loop").

I almost never have trouble w/ my L1 causing this, as long as I'm not in a tiny room, and have it BEHIND me.
You can buy soundhole "feedback buster"s cheap at music stores or online. If your guitar has controls in the soundhole and you don't want to cover them, but continue to have a feedback problem, I highly recommend you consider getting a different guitar or pickup for these gigs so you're able to block the soundhole in venues where this is happening. If you have dual source mic/piezzo pickup, try just turning down the MIC, as that is MUCH more prone to feedback.

Mark
www.musicbymark.net

Steve,

I have VL2 and I know that it is very important to set the gain on the VL2 prior to setting the level on my L1 M1.

I dont use the effects on the VL2 in most cases - because we have a T1. If I am not using the T1 - then I do tend to keep the VL2 effects dialed low - like you said.

Thank you. I had a Fishman pickup installed about a year ago. I do like to use the volume dial just inside of the guitar, going from a pick to fingerstyle, etc. I wonder if I could pull on the end of the sound hole cover to adjust, or even cut out a small portion of it...? I know it would leave a space for sound to leak, but would it be covered enough to reduce feedback?

Just slightly moving the L1 Compact, just a bit one way or the other, could help. That is what I do and I play many very small paces, with my L1 Compact directly behind me. I did it last night and it was 2 feet behind me and I had no problem. I also use the VL4, with Taylor Acoustics and a T1, with a SM 58 Beta A for Vox. I play mostly Bars and in the year that I have owned the L1, I have not had an issue of not being loud enough.

I have a Vocalist 3. I solved the problem by going to the Helicon Vocal Harmony G. Much better unit, better sound and more stage friendly.

Most of my problems with the Vocalist were due to the effects presets. It's a pain, but you can go into each pre-set, and change the effects and volumes. The easier solution is to create your own custom pre-sets. I never use more than 3 or 4 of the pre-sets, anyway.

I use the Harmony G from TC Helicon as well, so I don't know about the Vocalists specific settings.
That said... if the gain is set too high, if the vocalist has compressor that is set too high, you are inviting feedback!

Get a T1 tonematch engine! It simply rocks! Lately I have learned that instead of using the gate, I use the de-esser and set the gain to about 2 db. I turn the "tone" button off on the Harmony G. and have no problems with feedback.

If people in the back can not hear you, physically elevate the L1 so people in the back can see it. Then they can also hear it, I promise!