Connecting two guitars and two mics to a Roland Cube Street?

josh83 · January 2019

Hey guys

I know that this question isn’t really appropriate to the Audiobus forum, but I got such great help here on a similar topic (https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/30976/easiest-setup-to-loop-both-guitar-and-mic-separately-to-old-ipad-2#latest) that I dare to ask you guys once again. I hope this is okay.

I have a Roland Cube Street for busking on the streets. It has a 1/4“ XLR mic input (with phantom power, at least I guess this as my mic works perfectly with it, while it is hardly hearable when using it with my iRig 2), a 1/4“ guitar input, and a 1/8“ aux input. While mic and guitar both can be controlled using volume and/or gain knobs, the aux can’t be controlled in any way (except from its source, like a connected iPad).

While this is great for solo performances, it doesn’t allow me to busk together with a friend: although we managed to connect a second guitar through the aux input (by using an iPad with an iRig 2), we couldn’t connect a second mic.

As explained in the other topic (see link above), I want to use a looping app on my iPad to loop both a guitar and my voice, so I need an input interface for my iPad. I’m thinking that the Zoom U-24 could be the right choice for me (or an iRig Pro Duo).

Here’s my question: am I right when assuming that together with the Zoom U-24 I will be able to connect 2 guitars AND 2 mics to the Roland Cube Street? So a guitar and a mic directly to the Cube, and another guitar and mic through the Zoom and iPad to the aux in?

Thanks a lot for helping me, I truly appreciate it, as I have no clue and while traveling around as a backpacker/busker, it’s hard to find a quiet spot to take care of all this.

All the best
Joshua

josh83 · January 2019

PS: and will the aux input be loud enough compared to the dedicated guitar and mic inputs? Afaik, this is fully dependent of its source, which would be the Zoom U-24 (or iRig Pro Duo)... so would this interface provide considerable output volume?

Longskatedeath · January 2019

Hi Josh, yeah as far as I can see, your plan should hold up. You’ll need a couple of extra things though:

1/4” stereo to 1/8” stereo jack to go from the headphones on the U-24 to the aux on the cube (these tend to break easily, so I’d recommend buying a few)
Some form of host app (Audiobus 3, AUM etc) that allows you to have different effects/processing for your vocal and guitar signal
Lots of batteries

But yeah, that should do the trick

Re: volume levels, the easiest way to check is just with a jack to jack from your iPad, and see if music playing from that will compete with the sound of a guitar playing.

josh83 · January 2019

Thank you!

1/4” stereo to 1/8” stereo jack to go from the headphones on the U-24 to the aux on the cube

I have a 1/8“ cable and a 1/8“ to 1/4“ adapter. Is this what you mean?

Some form of host app (Audiobus 3, AUM etc) that allows you to have different effects/processing for your vocal and guitar signal

I‘m happy to buy Audiobus. I hope it works on iOS 9.

Lots of batteries

You mean for the U-24? It should last for 4h with 2 AA batteries. I’m usually not busking for much longer a day.

Re: volume levels, the easiest way to check is just with a jack to jack from your iPad, and see if music playing from that will compete with the sound of a guitar playing.

Doesn’t the U-24 generate more volume than an iPad?

All the best.

CracklePot · January 2019

I have a Roland Cube RX and, for me, the iPad is plenty loud when plugged into the Aux jack.
Make sure your app outputs are suitably high too, as if the apps or host is not full volume it limits the signal coming out of the iPad.

I suggest trying to monitor your friend directly from the U-24, if you can. If you monitor your friend going into the iPad and out again, latency could cause some issues.

I would consider getting a small, mobile mixer. Plug you and your friend into that. Send its output to the monitor directly for no latency. Or if the mixer is too limited, send its output through the iPad and send the iPad out to the monitor. There will be some latency, but the same latency for you and your friend.

Will · January 2019

Zoom U-24 sounds like a good plan. I don't own a Cube but the line level outs from the U-24 should work fine. Reading a bit about it, I'm not sure it has any extra gain above unity. If the line out doesn't work, you can always use its headphone output (like you probably do on the ipad) which will provide actual gain. Just have to be careful not to set the headphone level too hot otherwise it will distort the AUX input.

If that doesn't work for some reason, a battery or USB powered mixer should do the trick. Those generally offer extra gain on the inputs and the outputs.

Longskatedeath · February 2019

@josh83 said:
I have a 1/8“ cable and a 1/8“ to 1/4“ adapter. Is this what you mean?

Yeah, that ought to do it. Notice how thin they tend to be though; definitely worth having a few spares to hand.

I‘m happy to buy Audiobus. I hope it works on iOS 9.

Hmmm, good question - not one I’m 100% sure of...

You mean for the U-24? It should last for 4h with 2 AA batteries. I’m usually not busking for much longer a day.

True, but it never hurts to have spares around. Plus, buying in bulk makes things cheaper

Doesn’t the U-24 generate more volume than an iPad?

Oh almost certainly! But if your iPad can compete on its own, then you can be certain that the U-24 will.

josh83 · February 2019

Thanks to all you guys for supporting me!

I finally ordered a U-44 on Amazon - it's nearly as small as the U-24, but offers some more features, like the possibility of adding 2 more inputs using a "Zoom EXH-6 Dual XLR/TRS Combo Input Capsule"... just in case more buddies wanna join a jam...

I still have more similar questions left, but I don't wanna bloat the Audiobus forum with them. Can you recommend another good forum for questions like:

While I have a guitar with preamp that I can connect using a TRS cable, sometimes people who want to play with me do not have a preamp (most Ukuleles do not), so I'd like to buy a small clip-on microphone like this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc-Piezo-Microphone-Pickup-For-Acoustic-Guitar-Violin-Mandolin-Ukulele-New/32851978660.html - would this easily work with the Zoom U-44?
I'd also love to have a second microphone, but one without a stand, like a headset: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Perfect-for-Singing-Concert-PRO-Headset-Microphone-Mini-4-Pin-XLR-TA4F-Cardioid-Condenser-Mic-for/32834953656.html; would this also work? Would its quality be decent enough? Would it cancel background noise? I also don't want feedback from the speakers...

Thank you.