Battery powered ukulele amplification...

Notice the tiki huts throughout the backyard pool and patio
area:

Next, we began setting up the stage and sound. Two Senheizer
microphones through two Roland Cube Street amps and the
stand up bass through a Roland Microcube Bass RX. All these
amps were run on battery power. Each of these amps will run
on 6 AA alkaline batteries at full power for 15 hours:





The audience was forming:



Time for da’ jamz!:

Teaching “The Hukilau”:



“Everybody does the Hukilau”:



The new halau:



A big thanks to the McClellan Carlsbad Airport, the Carlsbad
Chamber of Commerce, Deb and Gary and of course, all
the musicians! Ric

I just tried out my new 2me Fluke on my Danelectro amp, and I'm pretty happy with the sound. Bought the inverter to AC too to save battery when can. I usually prefer acoustic but good to have an option. :shaka:

Get a couple of NiMH 9 volt batteries and a battery charger for them. The Danelectro will run about an hour on one NiMH battery. A Vox DA5 or Roland Microcube would really improve your natural amplified sound. Ric

Ricdoug, thanks for the info, the menu and the great pics from that luau. I'm inspired! Also, I think we have the same red hawaiian shirts! Does yours have a subtle bark cloth-like red-on-red pattern?

Wow! What a gig! You have the right idea for sure because it's supposed to be sound RE-enforcement not sound

Wow, I want that backyard! Sorry I missed the airport gig but it was nice meeting you afterwards Ric.

tuscadero said:

I think we have the same red hawaiian shirts! Does yours have a subtle bark cloth-like red-on-red pattern?

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That's very observant! Yes it does. We ordered them from:

http://www.pacificlegend.com/category/men-collection/440-hawaiian-shirts

Reading about your first gig was very inspiring, too. It takes a lot of guts to take that first step and you powered through it! You might also be interested in:

http://www.kani-ka-pila.com/index_files/ProductList.htm

As for your lighting situation:

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt...+light&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-851&fr2=sb-top&sao=0

UkeNukem said:

sound RE-enforcement not sound

*** FORCEMENT ***​

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It's been a hands-on learning curve for the last couple of years. I'm an old hippie rock and blues guitarist who's used to a past of "Spinal Tap" amp settings - everything on "11"! LOL! I own a wide variety of amps and sound reinforcement gear. It makes it easy to adjust to the gig environment. I will say that if I were limited to owning only one amp, it would hands down be the Carvin S400D:

http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=S400

It's a 4 channel self contained battery/AC powered acoustic instrument amplifier/PA system. I bought the "D" model that has onboard effects, along with the second battery for more play time. Carvin claims 6 hours at full power with the second battery. The longest I've used it on battery is 4 hours with no signs of degradation to the sound. I also enjoy the wide sound pickup pattern and excellent anti-feedback characteristics of these microphones:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Sennheiser-e838-Dynamic-Microphone-104600853-i1324590.gc

They are substantially lower in price than when I bought mine. Ric

cpatch said:

Sorry I missed the airport gig but it was nice meeting you afterwards Ric.

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Sorry you missed the gig too, Craig. It was nice meeting you. Ric

The Vox DA5 is now on sale for only $100 bucks, in white and red:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-DA5-Portable-Amplifier-?sku=482065

Check out these buskers using the DA5:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A6qffZqLtI

This is an inexpensive solution for buskers and performers. Ric

The last two weeks have been busy with kanikapila and
performances. Last week on Wednesday, on short notice,
I played the Carlsbad Village Farmers Market luau solo.
I used a Roland Street Cube amp, Senheiser microphone,
Ovation Applause UAE20 soprano ukulele and a LR Baggs
Para DI box. It was plenty for the venue, portable and
totally battery operated. I jammed and sang for two
hours. After that it was off to the Wind an Sea Ukulele
Orchestra in La Jolla and then off to the Moonlight
Beach Ukulele Strummers in Encinitas. Then on Thursday
it was off to the Ukulele Society of America in
Carlsbad. Here's the whole setup for the solo Farmers
Market gig, including a 6' triangular EZ-Up:





On Saturday, many from our group were precommitted to
other hula groups and family gatherings. Our bass
player Jim and myself ended up playing another 2 hour
gig. Christy, the Farmers Market manager, sang several
songs with us. We were set up for a larger band with 2
Roland Street Cubes and 2 Senheiser microphones for
vocals, 1 Roland Microcube Bass RX for the bass violin,
2 Roland Microcube RX's for guitar/baritone uke/tenor
ukuuleles and 2 Roland Microcubes for concert/soprano
ukuleles. Jim used the Microcube Bass RX and I used a
Microcube and we both sang vocals and harmonies. We
were set up next to a Hawaiian plumeria vendor who
benefitted from the island music. The Roland Street
Cubes once again were the right tool for the job:

A week ago on Sunday, a few of us from the Ukulele
Society of America joined up with a few from the
Moonlight Beach Ukulele Strummers to play,
unrehersed, at a luau in Encinitas, California. The
gig went surprizingly smooth. The same equipment
used at the Saturday Farmers Market gig was used
here. It was plenty for a party of about 30 people.
I think I'll pick up two more of the Roland Street
Cubes for two more microphones. They make up a
lightweight, modular PA that will run 15 hours on
battery power. Nice for a weekend festival outing.
The Carvin S400D is still the ticket for larger
gigs, where AC power is not available. The Street
Cubes have proven sufficient and reliable for the
smaller venues. Ric

Ahnko Honu said:

I just tried out my new 2me Fluke on my Danelectro amp, and I'm pretty happy with the sound. Bought the inverter to AC too to save battery when can. I usually prefer acoustic but good to have an option. :shaka:

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You can plug a speaker cord into the headphone jack of that Honeytone and plug it into a Marshall half-stack speaker cabinet. The sound will SHOCK YOU! The AC adaptor was a wise move. As you know, it will save you loads on batteries. I keep those micro Honeytone amps in the cargo pockets of a couple of my ukulele cases, for busking situations that pop up. Ric

dnt.thnk.twce said:

For those of you using these small amps on your ukes - how do you deal with feedback. I have a Vox DA5 and just got a new uke with a pickup - and the feedback seems to be a big problem.

This amp works great with an electric guitar - and even with my acoustic guitar can be played pretty loudly with some gain - but it feeds back like crazy with the uke, even at clean settings and pretty low volume.

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Try stuffing some newspaper in the soundhole. Jake used to do it that way and it helps immensly. Also, play with the tone controls to "notch out" the feedback frequencies. Ric

Roland Microcube modifications:

http://www.konaweb.com/special/microcube_modification/

http://www.lojeck.com/brian/MicroCubeRepair.html

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?p=32061197#post32061197

ricdoug said:

Roland Microcube modifications:

http://www.konaweb.com/special/microcube_modification/

http://www.lojeck.com/brian/MicroCubeRepair.html

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?p=32061197#post32061197

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Thanks, Ric!

Which mods do you plan on doing, Sally? Ric