Would an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI do this?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 5:13 am

I currently have a keyboard live rig, 2 keyboards running out of a single DI (converted to MONO through a Line 6 DL4). I want to introduce an acoustic guitar to my live setup so naturally started looking at acoustic preamps.

I noticed that the LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI which seems to be very popular, has an effects loop. Anyone know if I should be able to just plug the keys into the effects loop return and still use the preamp for the acoustic thus running both keyboard and guitar signals through the single XLR cable?

Post by **Doog** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 1:11 pm

Hmm, seems like slight benefit would be outweighed by having 2 very different instruments share EQ, volume and FX settings on the live PA mixing desk.

Pretty good way to get soundpeople to hate you, tho

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 1:59 pm

Why don't you get something like this:

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 2:46 pm

Doog wrote:
Pretty good way to get soundpeople to hate you, tho

You raise a good point. My thought was actually that some venues might not have enough channels free to run two channels for the separate instrument because we also need two vocal channels, and it's sort of standard around here for soundguys to run di from the bass amp, and also mic kick and snare. Was just going for simplicity but sounds like it wouldn't be the way to get the best sound in an ideal situation.

Post by **Doog** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 3:07 pm

I think a little mixer that you can send to the desk makes the most sense here, and also super-handy to have from a utilitarian point of view.

I guess the Baggs offers a lot more in the way of 'guitar specific adjustability', but once your signal hits the desk anyways, you're at the soundperson's mercy.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun Feb 14, 2016 1:59 pm

So I went to my local shop for a cheap soundhole pickup, and they had a used para di for $100 in excellent condition.

Good news is it sounds way more full and acoustic-like through a PA than a normal DI.

But it doesn't do what I wanted to try at all. Had I read the manual I would have seen that the fx loop is actually a stereo send/return that needs a Y cable to work. So I guess I MIGHT (if I had the right cable) be able to get away with putting the send into the other input of my DL4 and send the single mono return back to the DI, but right now I'm already using both channels on the DL4 for my 2 keyboards.

So I'm either thinking return the para, spend that money on an onboard preamp for my guitar (it already has a stupid hole cut in it for one), and just get a normal 2 channel DI or do the mixer thing, or just keep the Para because I do like it and just use 2 di boxes