Help Me Understand This Guy's Sound

[oli123]

Hi guys! So I've been listening and watching a lot of this guy's stuff lately. His name is Jarle Bernhoft and his specialty is using a loop pedal and multitasking. I'm trying to figure out what equipment he uses and how he connects everything to get the sound he has, because really... This is awesome! (search around for him on youtube if you like, a lot of impressive stuff)

 

 

 

This is what I've found out so far:

 

- The loop pedal he uses is a BOSS RC 50. He also has a bunch of effect pedals next to it.

- He uses a normal electric/accoustic guitar,

- and a custom EKO guitar with two bass strings.

- He has some kind of synth

- and he always uses two microphones for his vocals.

 

So I've figured quite a bit out, but personally I only have experience with guitars and guitar amps. I have no idea how to go about connecting all this stuff together. If you can help me recreate this, that would be awesome. 

 

1. First off, why does he use two microphones? It could be for back up, but I find that not very likely since he uses two at every single show I've seen, even very small ones. 

 

2. How many amps would you need to do something like this? I imagine you would need one amp for the guitar, one for the vocals and one for the synth? Or am I mistaken? Anyway as I said, I only have experience with guitars, so that leads to my next question:

 

3. What kind of amp would you connect the vocal microphones to, and what about the synth? Surely it cannot be connected to the same amp as the guitar because of all the effects?

 

If you know the answer to my questions I'd love to read it. And if you also know how I could set something like this up completely, like tell me how to connect everything to each other that would be awesome. Thank you very much. This guy is amazing though isn't he?

 

[john]

1. Two mics for versatility in sound and simplicity in live performance. Each mic can be routed through it's own effect chain and into different loopstations (as is the case with some loop based set ups.) Live he won't have time to click all the pedals. Two effect chains gives him at least two distinct vocal sounds he can swap in or out as needed with a minimum of fuss, leaving connection changes or unnecessary knob twiddling to between songs.

2. He no doubt uses an audio mixer instead of multiple amps. Possibly even one that can on some level be controlled by footswitches. The mixer can take multiple audio inputs to mix into a stere pair that then goes to a PA (public address) system (usually the large speakers on either side of a stage and a behind the scenes amp).

3. Mics (vocal and instrument) go into the audio mixer. An guitar is either mic'ed directly, or a pickup is fed to a guitar amp that is mic'ed and fed to the mixer, or fed directly into the mixer, depending on the guitar and sound preferences of the performer and his available budget for gear.

[oli123]

Thank you so much for your reply John, this was really helpful.

 

So let me see if I've got this right. If I want to do the same thing at home I will need:

 

- Mics/instruments

- A loopstation (boss rc 50)

- A mixer

- Some kind of alternative to a PA system? Since I can't have that at home, or can I?

 

And when connecting all this together, this is how I do it? :

 

Mics/instruments > Mixer > Loopstation > PA system alt.? And if I want to add an effect to one of the instruments, like an effect pedal, I connect it between the instrument and the mixer?

[john]

At home just use a hifi amp and speakers for the output from the mixer.

Effects wise for instruments that have a pickup, electric and electro-acoustic guitars, they can be in the signal chain between guitar and guitar amp or between guitar and mixer.

For anything being input to the mixer, guitars included, you can use a mixing desk feature such as aux (auxilliary) sends and aux returns. Usually there are anywhere between 2 and 8 aux groups. For example, I could have a delay unit hooked up to aux 1. Individual channels can then be routed through that effect before being returned to the aux or mixer group channels. Sounds complicated but mixers are pretty straight forward once you get your hands on one and bit of time with the mixer and manual.

[john]

A different set up for this purely vocal looper, and for me absolutely excellent. I thought you might appreciate it:

 

[john]

Was this useful Oli?