Best Acoustic Live Looping Setup - Carl Wockner 2024 Live Rig Rundown

Carl Wockner shows his newest Live Looping Pedal setup with equipment. ONLINE LOOPING COURSE - truefire.com/g...
songwhip.com/c...
Website carlwockner.com...
Facebook / carlwocknermusician
KZbin Channel - / carlwockner
Live Equipment List: -
Shure ULXD4 - Beta 58a Wireless Microphone
Shure QLXD4 - Wireless Guitar Transmitter
Shure PSM600 - Wireless In Ear Monitor System
IEM's Alclair Audio RSM Quad or Spire Custom Molded
Maton EMD6 - Acoustic Mini Guitar
Tuner = Boss TU-3
Octave = Boss OC-3
Volume Boost = TC Spark
Custom AB XLR Microphone Switch
Quad Cortex = vocal and guitar FX
Loopstation = Headrush Looperboard`
Expression Pedal = Dunlop Mini EXP Pedal
Bluetooth Page Turner = iRig Blueboard
Beat Sample Hits = AKAI MPX8
Pedal Board Case = Pelican Air case
Midas MR18 Mixing Console
Carl…ness.
The music, the talent and the personality of Carl Wockner radiates from the multi-talented entertainer like a kaleidoscope of watercolors found on the most beautiful of life’s palettes.
In other words, this Australian is as cool as sh**.
“I get bored easily,” remarks Wockner, who has dipped his creative brush into everything from pop music to country music to R&B on his current EP Yellowly Live Once. “I mean, we live in a mix. We want a mix of everything, and that’s what I love giving the world.”
“My style didn’t really fit ‘in a lane’ and nobody would take ownership of my music,” remembers Wockner, who was named “Musician of the Year” at the Livewire Prestige Awards back in 2021. “I didn’t really have anywhere to go.”
So, he started coming over to the States to write and record in 2011, resulting in the release of his debut album Crayon Days in 2013. Two years later, Wockner scored a global win at the International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA,) becoming the first and only Australian to ever win top honors.
The following year, Wockner purchased a one-way ticket to Nashville for himself, his wife, their two young children and a total of 10 suitcases.
“I was able to exhale a little more over here,” says Wockner, who shortly after snagged a spot performing on CNN. “I could find my people.”
Find his people he did. Wockner soon found himself displaying his live looping skills to a whole new audience craving something different from the status quo and finding it within Wockner’s off the cuff performances, many of which have been featured on his ever-popular KZbin channel.
“Looping gives me the ability to lean into the act of stumbling, music wise,” explains Wockner, whose biggest dreams take him to the day he will finally play Madison Square Garden. “It’s like a fork in the road. The listener never knows which direction I’m going to go, and sometimes - neither do I!”
The creative chameleon who recently signed deals with both Dream Big Dreams Management and Universal Attractions Agency (UAA) draws in a deep breath.
“When you go to a music festival or a big show these days, everything is choreographed to an inch of its life. Bands play to tracks and there’s months and months of rehearsals and it’s the same guitar solo every time. (Pauses.) I will never sound as ‘polished’ as that, but I don’t think I want to. People want to hear what life is like, and life is sometimes a challenge.”
And while Wockner loves himself a good challenge, he also has come to love the pristineness of the game of golf, a sport he learned to play under the watchful eye of his grandmother and a sport that he could easily have made his career.
“I love shutting my brain off from everything else but what I’m doing in that moment,” explains Wockner, who happened to headline the Opening Ceremony of PGA Honda Classic earlier this year. “Anybody who legit meditates will roll their eyes at this, but for me, it’s a form of meditation. All I think is that I’m going to take this seven iron and draw this ball over the edge of that trap.
And crazy enough, it usually does.
Because he is Carl fri**in Wockner.
“I want to send a message to people that you can follow through with your ambitions, even if you’re over 30 with a wife and kids. I want to give people strength for their aspirations so that it flows back to me when I need a little strength myself.”

[@MattGullaci]

Thanks Carl! Been waiting for an in-depth video of your vid. loads of inspiration! Thanks for sharing your setup and how you go about it. Really appreciate it! Also thanks for always taking time to reply to questions on your IG, Super humbling. You're a huge inspiration to my setup and looping journey, Especially because I'm 90% of the time playing corporate gigs, so I'm always looking at streamlining my setup for Av. Greetings from Perth 🙌

[@carlwockner]

hey mate! thanks for the comment:) Ill keep em rolling, good luck brother!

[@MattGullaci]

@@carlwockner Please do keen them coming!

[@MorfMusic]

Loopy pro, AUV3 and Midi controller bro! Solid AFFFFFF

[@mrblues1981]

i sold my quad cortex couple of month a go :(

[@87Nikus]

Great video 👍 What are you looking at to replace the Headrush Looperboard in the future?

[@carlwockner]

@@87Nikus not a clue at this stage. Probably the Sheeran Looper X if they get a workflow and FX firmware update out soon

[@Beerbatter1962]

What an amazing setup. It shows that from experience, you have customized your rig to work perfectly for you. It really is amazing all the sound you get. I just wish I knew how to play the guitar like you.

[@carlwockner]

Thanks so much mate!!

[@craigmccaskill1641]

Can you check the model numbers on the shure stuff in the description? Cant seem to find those when I Google. Love this rundown, gonna try to build something similar for my rig!

[@carlwockner]

fixed:) thanks mate, good luck brother!

[@mpquin]

Hey Carl.... great stuff as always! I was fortunate enough to find and older version of your guitar this week and am looking forward to my fist gig with it. Do you ever find the need for a sound hole cover to reduce feedback? I always use one with my Martin and Larrivee that have old school Fishman Matrix pickups.

[@carlwockner]

@@mpquin you’ll love it mate:) I always use a feedback buster in the sound hole for live shows. You don’t need it for normal gigs but when looping or for noisy environments it’s helpful to keep the stage noise out of the body of the guitar.

[@sennalan2912]

awesome video as always! i got a little motion sick from the camera man though :/

[@discopotato6870]

The only reason i have my loop rig setup the way i do is from a previous iteration of Carl's. 4 years and only now am i shopping around for a new set up.

[@MikeWh]

Brand of fork?

[@carlwockner]

@@MikeWh Yamaha. Like the motorbike brand

[@wallacenock7423]

Wow amazing Carl I use the same guitar and I have the Sheeran X plus a QC but have struggled with the QC. I would pay to get the patch on the QC app as I’m desperate to get a good lead / drive sound and also use my mic through the unit. 😊

[@Matser038]

Cool vid Carl! Anyone noticed his mic holder? 😂😂

[@kelvinfunkner]

this was AWESOME!!! I've been looking forward to seeing your current setup for a while!!! Thanks for walking us through it!

[@zachmyersmusic]

Sweet rig dude! The cable method you use is wild 😅

[@MographVideo]

Thanks so much Carl, always love your breakdowns!

[@dougparkinsonmusic2958]

so you're the one who bought that guitar from artisan before i could order it!

[@carlwockner]

@@dougparkinsonmusic2958 haha, yessir they sell like hotcakes. They had 6 other ones there but they only lasted a week or so after I got mine

[@dougparkinson1868]

⁠yeah man ended up going with another Aussie brand. Cole Clark true hybrid to try something different. By the way I used to be Joe’s rhythm guitarist, been following you for a while now. You are what got me back into live looping. Cheers man!

[@carlwockner]

@@dougparkinson1868 Nice, great brand - I'm not a huge fan of the Cole Clark plugged in sound, quite different to Maton, bit bright and boomy for my liking, Matons tend to have a flatter freq range especially through the mid section. But everyones tastes are different! hope you like it!

[@dougparkinson1868]

@@carlwockneryeah I had to do quite a bit of eq’ing in my cortex to get it useable.

[@davidrice3322]

Nice!! Thank you man!! Your videos are awesome 🫡🤘🏽✨

[@nesiansoulallstars]

Hi Carl question. So your running all of your L/R outputs on your Headrush to your Midas? What difference that make?

[@carlwockner]

hey mate, as opposed to what? that is pretty standard procedure - guitar > Pedals > mixing console. It's the only way Ive ever done it or recommend to do it. but let me know what you mean and Ill try and help

[@thomaswhitaker9350]

Yes!! The video we were all waiting for! Thanks for showing us the BTS, Carl! 🎉

[@gladejustglade]

I can't believe how good that EMD-6 sounds.

[@travisdrewmusic]

So good to see how you use the QC for acoustic and vocals! Send the Neural DSP guys an email and see if they’ll make a looper plug in for QC that suits your workflow… then your board will become exponentially smaller!

[@FRUGALZZZ1]

Love your videos, and this explainer was fantastic answering so many questions; more like this please!

[@tonbuur5650]

wow...great to see this...thanks❤

[@JoshElliottMusic]

Thanks for the run down! The new loom looks slick. I also have a Maton Mini. Interesting that you use heavy picks. What gauge and brand of strings do you use?

[@carlwockner]

Thanks mate, I use Elixir 80/20's in 13-56 gauge.

[@ckjjclan]

Great video.

[@EricInTampaAcoustic]

YESSSSSS love it brother . Thank you ❤🤙🔥

[@benhuuri]

Quad cortex from our corner of the world: FINLAND 🇫🇮 Almost every musician here uses Cortex, it's a super pedal. Your setup is great 👍

[@BlurryNightsMusic]

Hey man! Love your videos and I've been following you for a while now 😊 I have one question regarding the headrush Looperboard: I run into the problem that sometimes when I am singing my live vocals over my looped backing track that the volume of my live vocals and guitar kinda get turned down or compressed... this also happens when I open a pre saved loop when suddenly the entire volume settings of backing track, live vocals and guitar are completely different and often times much quieter... do you have an idea what the problem is and how I can try to fix it? Thanks already! great video as always Cheers

[@carlwockner]

hey mate, it sounds like you have a compressor or limiter setting on the output channels. Is your live vocal mic separate to the looper or is it running through the looper alongside your loop mic?

[@BlurryNightsMusic]

@@carlwocknerthanks for the answer, mate! It runs through the looper alongside my loop. Do you think a xlr mic switch like yours would help me out?

[@carlwockner]

@@BlurryNightsMusic it shouldn’t affect the volume of your vocal if it’s adjusted properly, but an XLR switcher would help allow you to run the main mic channel direct. That still doesn’t account for the volume limiting. I would check both the input and output fx to make sure you haven’t got any strange settings or limiting going on

[@BlurryNightsMusic]

@@carlwockner alright I will try that out. Thanks for your help 🫶🏽

[@jeffbateman2339]

Have you tried the RC600, and if so, did you notice that the overall sound of it was kind of harsh compared to the older Boss Loopers and the Headrush Looperboard? Thanks for your time

[@carlwockner]

Ive messed with it briefly - didn't notice a difference in sound quality though. as long as the gain staging is set properly it should technically be the same:)

[@gregvogtaria]

❤❤❤ thank you ! Nice rig !

[@gerimayawhyte154]

Carl, Do you use any kind of preamp for your Maton? I really like that mid presence that you have your tone. It's really balanced. I play with a pick primarily with some occasional fingerpicking. Trying to roll off some of the plectrum clanking without totally flattening the life out of the mids. Any suggestions? Also what brand are the cables that your using? The runs look really clean and professional looking. PS The Quad sounds amazing already! I kind of noticed it when you switched over and even then noticed a discernable shift in audio quality. It's like you captured the character of the Wampler but the quality got better.

[@carlwockner]

Nothing more than the standard pickup in the Maton guitars. Not sure what guitar you use, but these have great control with the AP5 Pro pickup, with a mid freq sweep. Definitely use a thick pick if you don't already. I use a 1mm - 1.2mm pick, and try to avoid "playing" hard. a softer / neutral touch is always ideal for tone. The cables are hand made custom lengths by me. I use Mogami Cable by the roll usually and any Soldered TS plugs are ideal. The solder-less cables are handy for custom lengths but the connection isn't very reliable and doesn't usually hold up very long. Thanks! Im still working on the overdrive tone but it's getting boiled down nice!

[@gerimayawhyte154]

@@carlwockner Thanks for the tips. I'll keep tinkering. I do use a lighter plectrum. Maybe I'll try going up and using a lighter touch. I picked up a used Mini Maton EM-6 earlier on in the year. Loving it!

[@cbfdxbxsb]

I'm currently in the opinion for a new Maton. What's your opinion on the blackwood ones?

[@carlwockner]

Absolutely LOVE the Blackwood models. I prefer the EMD6 for a mini, for the larger fret wire, the gold tuners and I love the burst:)

[@MauAzuelaMusic]

Wow new guitar and already some visible wear on it, you must be grinding that thing😅 cool setup Carl I’m using the Looper X since it came out (I used the rc50 for years) and I’m loving it so far.. Is that a new studio you’re in??

[@carlwockner]

@@MauAzuelaMusic yessir haha, nice mate, this is my studio space when I’m in Australia:)

[@joshcarrollmusic]

How do you add that distortion effect on your acoustic guitar without dealing with feedback?

[@carlwockner]

its the series of 5 patches on the quad cortex carefully added with the parametric eq. takes a bit to dial in for loud environments.

[@joshcarrollmusic]

@@carlwockner ok thanks bro. I have an hx stomp and trying to run my acoustic through it using some of the distortion patches and can’t seem to get rid of the feedback

[@jeffreystone6331]

Carl, what about speakers are you using point and subs or column array's, I'm about to buy myself something but not sure what yet.

[@carlwockner]

@@jeffreystone6331 usually either Yamaha DXS18’s with DXR10/12’s or JBL VRX’s For my standard small system (when I don’t being in production) I’ll use 2 x 18” subs and 2 x 12” tops

[@jeffreystone6331]

@@carlwockner By the way Carl, are you performing anywhere in Melbourne while your down here ?

[@carlwockner]

@@jeffreystone6331 Not this trip sorry mate, one day though! Its hard to fly down to do a 1 off show to cover costs these days, unless Im already headed through the area haha

[@bosstone43]

Totally understand mate enjoy your time back home love your work cheers