General Venue Settings and TC Electronic Bodyrez

[kelbythomasgray]

Hey guys. I have two quick questions. I've been playing guitar for about 20 years but only recently began playing at church. Before that, I just played at home with no need for amplification, etc. At church, I alternate between two guitars: (1) a Martin HD-28v with an LR Baggs Lyric pickup; and (2) a Taylor 210e Deluxe with Taylor's ES2 Expression system. For my preamp, I also alternate between (1) an LR Baggs Venue DI and (2) a Fishman Aura Spectrum. I typically play the Martin with the LR Baggs Venue DI, but sometimes play the Taylor with the Venue. I like the Aura Spectrum but it usually just sits there. Both DI's are less than 3 months old and i've only had the Lyric installed in my HD-28v for a few months.

So far, i'm happy with the sound from the Venue DI but admittedly need to spend more time with it to get the controls right. In all honesty, the whole "midrange, frequency, etc." talk is very foreign to me.

So two questions:

(1) while the settings will likely vary from instrument to instrument on the Venue, what are some good "general" settings for a Venue newbie like myself? I'd like for my guitars to be able to "cut through the mix," but would also prefer the most natural sound possible.

(2) I recently purchased the TC Electronic Bodyrez, which I really like. Would you recommend putting the Bodyrez before the Venue in the chain or after the Venue? I currently have it before the venue (Guitar ---> Bodyrez ---> Venue ---> Soundboard). Other than the Bodyrez, the only other current pedal I have is a Boss Reverb pedal that I seldom use.

This is my first post and i'm new to this board. My apologies if this question has already been asked and answered. Thank you guys.

Kelby
Ravenswood, WV

[Caleb_Elling]

Hey Kelby,
In order to get a good "fit" in a band mix, especially with the Lyric, I usually like to make a cut around 300Hz-400Hz, and often another around 1.5k-3kHz. That's usually enough of a mid-cut in the right place so that the guitar plays well with other instruments. I definitely prefer to cut some mids rather than boost the presence or treble to stand out more. That definitely depends on the instrument though.

As far as running your TC or reverb, since both of your pickup systems are active, you can easily run them in front of your Venue, like you are, or run them in the Effects Loop without any trouble. You could even run the BodyRez in front of the Venue and the reverb in the Loop. It all depends on what sounds best to you. You may notice a difference, you may not. It's always worth trying a few things though. Then you can develop your own option and your own sound.

I hope that helps.