Need suggestions when playing psg thru kybd amp

[Marc Friedland]

Here is my situation.
There is no need to, so please don’t use this topic to talk about the advantages of an amplifier that is designed for pedal steel, or why you wouldn’t play if you couldn’t use your “ideal” equipment. I have an Evans and a Nashville 400, and I use one of these 95% of the time. Thank you in advance, for keeping to the subject, which is talking about options, for the other 5% of the time.
In addition to my psg, which is a Carter S10, 3 & 5, I also play keyboards and 6-string guitar. There are “rare” times, when playing at a low volume in a small club, where everything is mic’d, when I play all of my instruments through my Roland keyboard amplifier. This is a closed-back amp that has 4 separate channels, is 100 watts, and has a 12-inch speaker. Obviously, the keyboards sound great through this. The guitar also works quite well, which I put through a Korg AX1500G Multi FX Processor. It is a very user-friendly, small floor unit. I also run my psg through this when putting it through the Roland. There are a couple of settings that work “pretty good” for steel.

My question is --- Are there any user-friendly, cost-friendly units like my Korg guitar processor, that have settings that work particularly well for psg when going through an amp that wasn’t designed for steel.

And, other than refusing to play, what would you do if you had to regularly play your psg through a keyboard amp on rare occasions. Also, please remember that it is to play on a small stage at a small club, at a low volume, and everything is mic’d, or line out. Additionally, in keeping with the purpose of this thread, let’s ignore the possibilities of playing everything through a steel amp, and or also, having two amps on stage. I have on occasions, successfully run everything through a steel amp, and I know having two amps on stage is an easy solution, but that’s not the help I’m asking for on this thread.
Thanks.
Marc

[Ron Randall]

Sounds like you would be playing each instrument separately. If you can use the "power amp in" (assuming it has one), use a Profex, TubeFex, or Transtubefex as the preamp/signal processor. Program some patches for each instrument. Plug and unplug, or use an A/B stomp switch, etc.

My guess is that the guitar, the steel, and the keyboard are gonna need different EQ, reverb, etc.

Hope I stayed on topic.

Ron

[Jon Light (deceased)]

Gee--you are ruling out most stupid answers and other folks who don't like to read the question. Where's the fun of that?
I played a short set last week in a tiny room with a back line so I traveled light and ran my Pod (which is my standard front end) into the back of their PV keyboard amp. I had absolutely zero time to play with it and try to dial in a happy sound so I shrugged and accepted a less than excellent but border-line acceptable sound. This amp also has a horn which adds certain x-factors. If I'd had the time, I'd like to think that I could have dialed it in a bunch better. One problem with your situation is that usually going into the back of an amp ('amp in') cuts out the front end preamp inputs, not too good if you're using the front with other instruments. But it seems to me that part of the key is to bypass the Roland preamp with its not ready for pedal steel voicings and substitute something more appropriate--in my case the Pod. I'm sure there are some other suggestions.
One nice thing about the Pod--it can lend a Fender-like jolt (many people will disagree) to an otherwise dead sounding solid state power amp--and this is a way I would describe my experience of playing thru a Roland JC--

.......my experience, my mileage.

[Bobby Lee]

The Peavey Profex II is somewhat of an industry standard. Jeff Newman developed a whole set of presets for it for pedal steel. The unit is a preamp with built-in effects, but I believe that it can also be used in an effects loop or even in front of an amp. There are lots of them around, and they crop up used in the B&S section of the Forum quite often.

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<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
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[Bob Snelgrove]

Roland GP-100

Great amp/speaker/mike modeling. Extensive EQ, excellent effects, I double on guitar/steel and have patches for each instrument. I do go into the front of 2 steel amps, but I'm sure I could dial it in for KB amp. These are great, flexible professional units that still sound great and can be found pretty reasonably.

bob

[Bob Snelgrove]

Roland GP-100

Great amp/speaker/mike modeling. Extensive EQ, excellent effects, I double on guitar/steel and have patches for each instrument. I do go into the front of 2 steel amps, but I'm sure I could dial it in for KB amp. These are great, flexible professional units that still sound great and can be found pretty reasonably.

bob

[John Steele (deceased)]

I think I'd take an old red-knob Twin.... two channels with separate eq's...
-John

[chas smith R.I.P.]

You might also look into the TC Electronics G-Force.

[Miguel e Smith]

Marc,

I play keys also. Although I use two old Peaveys with 15" spkrs, I'm only using them as cabs. I'm running the steel thru a pre (Evans) and then that output is being submixed with my keys for the common stereo output. On the occasional fly dates I do I've been known to just use the mixer output to a DI.

MS

[Miguel e Smith]

P.S.; I'm still using an old, beatup Alesis Q2 with the Evans pre, but I'd think any decent efx processor (maybe with a built-in pre) would work fine. Sonny Garrish has done some work for me in the studio and only brought in a Korg processor (no pre).