Hi everyone..
I have a question. This isn't about flutes, but about the electronics I'm now using to accompany myself.
2 days ago I added a new device, a Korg Wavedrum, into the mix. But now I'm running into feedback problems again. I played around with everything and I think I have a handle on it... sort of. It's getting there....

this is the set-up. I have the Wavedrum running into a TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch (my looper)... which in turn runs to my mixer, and then to the speakers (2 micro-cubes). I also have an SM58 mic and my wireless mic running into the VLT.
Now all 4: the Wavedrum, VLT, mixer and Micro-cubes have volumn controls. Plus the VLT, Mixer and Cubes also have gain controls. That's a lot of volumn and gain controls to balance out....

So this is my question... does anyone know where I set everything so it sounds good and doesn't feedback like mad? Just start turning each up a hair until it sounds good? Or is there some rule or guideline to setting volumns and gains on devices all connected together...

I'm still so new at all of this, I would definitly welcome any advice!

If it sounds good....print it. Thats the rule as far as I know it. The E.Q. on the mixer for the mics should be useful for helping with feedback. Reducing the amount of effects can also give the mics a break. I have not played much live.....but in my studio the SM58 is really good at handling feedback. Do you have both mics live at the same time?

Jim,

I think it depends on the situation. Feedback usually occurs when the speakers - are being picked up by the MICS - and then also when the gain is too high.

I would try putting every thing in its MID volume setting, make sure the cubes are not in the "pickup" range of the mics or such that sound bounces back into the mics from the cubes. Then - see how it sounds and make adjustments from there? (at least that is what I think I would try.)

- Richard

Everything that everyone else said is true. What is also true is that your feedback (or lack there of) will be totally dependent on the room/space/area that you have it all setup in. You may then be able to work around the feedback a bit with the eq dials on your mixer. However, may of them are just 2 or 3 bands. You may not want to add more to your sound chain but a little eq stompbox with 6-8 bands might be useful in some locations. If the mixer isn't cutting it, eq stomp box might fill the bill. Looks like you can get a Behringer one for around $35 or less. Might be able to find one for a good price on ebay too.

-Mark

Jim, is there inputs to run the wave drum directly into the mixer? There should be.
If the feedback goes away this may be the best way to go. This will allow the mixer to do it's job by mixing the different units independently.
edit = The VLT should also have a way to control the amount of input gain (besides the out volume control on the wave) if you are wanting to keep the wave drum connected to the looper.
edit #2= Page 8 of your user manual, item 12 Input level Control (side of unit)- Turn clockwise while singing or (wave Drum is playing) to set input level. The green LED on the front panel should flash but the clip LED should not light on your loudest singing. (drumming)
edit #3 = Ok, I see there is only one XLR input and you have got your mic hooked there I suppose. The Aux. input is a 1/8" stereo jack (I don't see level control for that)
P.42 AUX input level @ 0dBu: +2dBu.---- Does your wave drum have a line out? Give that a try if it does.

Hi Jim,
Yes, i agree with Richard, start about the mid point on effects and processor settings and work from there. usually from the mid point you can easily find the sweet spot where you don't have feedback. Experimentation will get you to the right place eventually, however, a good rule of thumb is that "less is usually better" so, keep your gain settings at a minimum.... just enough to get you your desired fullness of tone and volume and no more, and this should help you stay out of the feedback zone.....

AND whoa..... a Korg WaveDrum? oooooooooh, that is SO cool to implement the WaveDrum into your act Jim. I applaud this intensely. The WaveDrum must be a beautiful piece of gear. Im assuming you are using the re-issue WaveDrum and not the original WaveDrum from years ago. supposed to be super amazing devices. I personally use a Roland HandSonic HPD-15 which is somewhat similar in use and end result. I have not jammed with a WaveDrum yet, but hear they are real nice! :-)

It's been a long miserable morning... but I'm home now and can experiment.

When I was driving around this morning, I had a thought as to what my problem might be... When I first hooked everything up I had a problem with the SM58 mic signal being a lot hotter than my PGX14 wireless mic. The same with the Wavedrum when I got that... the signal was much weaker than the SM58.

Now, you can internally set the input gains with the VoiceLive Touch, which everything runs into, and I did. I increased the levels of the PGX14 and then the Wavedrum until the sounded balanced... and I think this is where I goofed... I'm thinking now the SM58 may have been too hot all along. So I'm gonna go make some lunch, then reset everything, and this time, instead of increasing the gain on the Wavedrum and PGX14, I'm going to decrease the gain on the SM58 instead and see if that makes a difference...

yeah, the Wavedrum is amazing. It's a 2nd generation. When I first heard of it I knew I wanted one... but my original plan was to wait until Spring when I get another big disability check. But getting to play at the Rhythms festival changed everything... and so my Mother lent me the $$$ so I'd have the Wavedrum to use in November. hopefully I'll be good enough with it by then to use it onstage.

So far it's amazing what it can do.. not just drum sounds, but some cool synth effects as well... and being able to use it with the VoiceLive Touch gives me the option of using it for background loops. This is why I wanted it most, so I'd have the ability to do percussion loops to play along with.

I think the next piece I want... probably the last in my little "One man band" set-up is the Korg MicroKorg Synth... hehehe

First, let me say that I have no idea what I'm talking about here, I'm passing on what I was told, but it makes some sense to me. I have nothing like your set up, but I do have a microcube, so this applies only to setting on that. Since feedback is as Richard described, and gain controls the sensitivity to input, I was advised to set the cube volume on max and then control the cube output by controlling the gain only. I think this enables you to set the gain as low as possible, thereby reducing the input sensitivity, which might reduce the chance of feedback.

Ignore this post if it makes no sense.

Rick

Interesting... I hadn't heard that, but it might work... But I'm kinda afraid to turn the cubes to max because I'm pumping so much more power into them than the're normally used to. With the added signal boost from the VLT and the mixer, if I hit them with too much there is a good possibility of blowing the cubes inside out.

OK, the Shure SM58 is connected to the XLR input on the VLT and the wireless PGX14 runs into the 1/4" guitar input on the VLT.
As long as nothing is plugged into the guitar thru jack on the VLT the guitar signal (or wireless in this case) is mixed in to the loop.
The wavedrum is running into the AUX input on the VLT. The AUX input is interesting, because it's mixed into the loop, but without any added VLT effects... which I don't want on the Wavedrum anyway. It's designed more for like an MP3 player, but works perfect for the drum. I do want the drum hooked to the VLT so it can loop, but I don't need the added effects of the VLT, so the AUX input is perfect.

The VLT has a mix feature, which allows me to set the input gain on all 3 devices.... I'm just thinking the trick is finding the right balance between the 3 of them.

OK, update:
I reset everything, and this time lowered the gain on the SM58 to balance everything, and sure enough, it's starting to sound a lot better. Just need to experiment a little more I guess.