A few weeks ago, the unfortunate reality that my stage rig was not cutting it became unavoidable. On the solo gigs I had just done, my combo could not adequately fill the rooms. With the percussion ensemble, the din of speakers distorting while trying to push my sound over a drummer and five percussionists was distracting to say the least (fortunately, I had a direct line running to the house system). I needed more clarity and headroom.
While making my way back home, I was contemplating the options available. The EA stuff kept popping into my head as a possibility. I knew Trey and others I admire have used the gear. But having had no personal experience I was unsure.
As serendipity had it, I arrived home and noticed Mark Warr’s post – only 17 hours old – that he would be carrying EA gear. So I picked up the phone and called. After Mark answered the slew of questions I had (and after the great talk with Randy Strom who had just started using EA himself) I decided to go for it; the iAmp800 and the 210 cab.
As the weeks passed, I’ve used the EA rig on about 12 gigs with three different routing configurations. To conclude first: the EA stuff sounds amazing and true. My 8 string sounds as pure as it does when I record direct. This is the best rig I’ve ever owned.
In the first configuration, I run the stereo outs of my instrument into a Muse Receptor (essentially, a DAW set up for live use of VST plug-ins). This is my most used routing set-up. From the board I run directly into the iAmp to the 210. The tonal quality seems lossless and there are no noticeable artifacts sometimes associated with running direct from a computer based system like the Muse. I imagine the EA stuff would sound great with a laptop running Guitar Rig or the like.
In the second configuration, I run the same as above but go direct from the iAmp to the board. The DI works better than I had hoped. It’s a true signal that sounds great as a feed to the house, and as in one instance so far, to a stand alone digital workstation. Other amp DIs I’ve used pale in comparison.
In the third configuration, I run directly into the iAmp. Having experimented, my instrument sounds best with the bass end into the active input and the treble into the passive. The magic of these instruments really shines through the EA stuff. The warmth of the lows, the texture of chords and the bliss of bell-like overtones are clear and articulate. (As I’m writing, I’m reminded that there are two other configurations I’ve used. The first is with a six-string student who plugged in and claimed, “It’s like I’m hearing my instrument for the first time”. The other is a gig I did on bass last week: unbelievable sound and tone control.)
I’m blown away with the EA gear. It’s absolutely clean and with the EQ off, flat. My headroom concerns are gone. I haven’t even come close to pushing the boundaries. I’ll be entering my next gig with the percussion ensemble at The Great Blue Heron Festival knowing the group members will be able to hear and enjoy my stage sound.
My only gripe is that I don’t yet have a second rig to run stereo during my solo gigs. But I’m saving…
