reverb

[ksquared]

Hi, I sometimes play where the acoustics aren't that great. Can you give me some recommendations for a battery operated reverb unit that would work with my whistle(s). Thanks in advance.

[Wanderer]

back when I played paying gigs, I hooked up reverb and chorus pedals for my whistle. My method may not be the best but it's what worked for me: cable out from my Shure mic to a pre-amp to my guitar pedals to a line input (not mic input) port on the sound system. This required some cable adapters to all make work, and me standing near a power outlet to get the preamp hooked up.

It was kind of a pain, really, and I gave up on doing it if we were going to be shuffling around, or I didn't have enough time to really set it up properly.

[ksquared]

Thank-you for the response. I've never done any sound work so even if you sent me instrucitons it would be a stretch as I am a complete novice. I play mostly outside or inside where there there isn't a place to set-up or a plug. I was hoping someone else here was in the same perdicament as me and could suggest a portable unit.

[brewerpaul]

Are you just playing for fun or performing? Whistle is traditionally played in places with awful acoustics-- pubs! Nobody seems to care. Bad acoustics make it important to drag the best possible sound out of your whistle, which is a good thing. One of the charms of the whistle is its portability, and dragging around an amp,mic and mic stand at minimum kills that charm.
If you really need reverb, some of these amps have it:
http://truefire.com/blog/favorites/top- ... itar-amps/
I have a Fender Mustang I that I use for my electric mandolin, and that has reverb as well as a lot of other modeled sounds you probably wouldn't want for whistle.
Remember, a little reverb goes a long way. Too much starts to sound cheesy.

[Italian Rover]

hi folks
i actually play through a cheap (but good) microphone, a Zoom G1X multieffect and a handmade tube amp taht i use with my electric mandolin as well.
The multieffect has a lot of patches, but i use 2-3 patches only: clean- light reverb- more reverb. Is more than enough.

[ksquared]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check them out.

Although I play for fun (love the whistles for their versatility AND portability), I am performing as well.

It's the perfect instrument for graveside services, rallies, parks, campgrounds, hikes or any place people gather. I play wherever the opportunity presents itself. I don't mind carrying a small unit around with me. I have a special "wearable" bag that once on; you don't even know you have it. Very comfortable and there is room for more stuff. I will always practice without any enhancements as it's the only way to really learn how to control the sound as you said. But when you are playing for other people, it would help to be able to improve on the acoustics.

Regarding playing in pubs, there aren’t any here that I can go to. The closest I come to a “session” is The Whistle Shop. They recorded some of theirs and have them available on their web site. Not the same as playing live but for those of us who have no place to go, maybe the next best thing.
http://www.thewhistleshop.com/slow/session.htm

[Chifmunk]

Reverb- there are undoubtedly instances where some artificially applied reverb can be pleasant and/or helpful to the effect you are after. But I sometimes see videos on youtube of flute and whistle players applying so much reverb that they sound like they're playing underwater...texture and articulation disappears. Judicious use is good.

[Mr.Gumby]

I find it particularly disconcerting when a youtube video has someone playing with a sound completely separated from reality, eg you see someone playing in a suburban bedroom but you hear a cathedral like sound. In other words, the sound you hear has no apparent connection to what you expect to hear watching the image.

I imagine if someone would strike up a tune, someone playing 'in the flesh' whether outside or in a room, with heavily added reverb, the result would be similar and sublimely ridiculous.

[MathiasTheBard]

Well, if you have to use reverb there are a few options for battery powered pedals. It's going to be difficult to use reverb without having a place to plug in a system of some sort. This pedal here works well with whistles (and battery powered). I'm not saying don't use it but please be tactful about it.

https://reverb.com/p/tech-21-boost-rvb? ... AnuM8P8HAQ

Good luck to ya!

[Joe Gerardi]

If you want a pretty neat, inexpensive multi-effects unit, it's hard to beat the Digitech RP55. Battery powered, and mainly for guitars, I know of several electric violinists that use them with their electric fiddles, (me included) and they offer a lot of bang for the buck. And not a lot of bucks: I think they're $49.95. 20 different effects, and up to 8 at any one time: Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Wah, and different guitar amp models.



You can read about them Here:http://digitech.com/en-US/products/rp55

..Joe