Members pogo97 Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 I loath getting tied up in technology when I'm trying to focus on music. If I could snap my fingers and do magic, I'd walk on, just me and my guitar (or me sitting at a piano) and sing and everyone could hear. Anybody work with a sound system that's almost that simple? How simple can you get for a room of, say, 50 people for a solo or a duo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 There's the Fishman PA, which sells for around $750, and it's pretty easy to operate. It's also lightweight compared to other systems. For more money you can get a Bose setup. There are also plenty of acoustic amps, ie amps designed specifically for acoustic guitar and a microphone. When you talk about PA you talk about three things - cost, size, and sound. The standard joke is "pick two." You can have small size and great sound, but it will cost you. You can have great sound for a not bad price but it'll be big and heavy. So to seriously discuss the topic, you'd need to say how much money you're willing to part with. Also if you already have a microphone. And if you have a pickup system in your acoustic guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 I loath getting tied up in technology when I'm trying to focus on music. If I could snap my fingers and do magic, I'd walk on, just me and my guitar (or me sitting at a piano) and sing and everyone could hear.Anybody work with a sound system that's almost that simple? How simple can you get for a room of, say, 50 people for a solo or a duo? I have 2 10" Fender speaker cabinets I bought in a pawn shop for 75 bucks. I changed out the horns and speakers so they sound good for solo gigs, and I use them for monitors with the band. I bought a powered mixer from Musicians Friend scratch n dent sale, but I'm looking at a little 4 channel Behringer powered mixer(200 bucks- yeah, I know Behringer isn't the best gear- suck it, it does what I want it to) as it's small, is 180 watts and has onboard FX, which is all I need. Add speaker stands, a mic and a mic stand and I'm set up in about 5-7 minutes. My whole investment is about 550 bucks and it sounds plenty good for me. You could look into powered speakers and a passive 2 channel board as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EightString Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 I fill up a medium-sized rooms easily with an old Fender Acoustasonic Junior as my PA. And I'm nowhere NEAR cranking it. That thing is LOUD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted October 29, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 Cost is irrelevant. I have no money but a very good line of credit, which means I can afford nothing and anything. The Bose/Fishman towers look pretty appealing. How well do they scale up from solo (they have two full inputs plus two aux) to duo, where you'd likely want a couple more inputs? Could each member of a duo use their own tower? Right now I have a Motion Sound S200 (actually a keyboard amp), which has two stereo input channels plus a single mic in. It works very nicely for solo (ignoring the weight) but needs an outboard mixer to add a second mic. My partner only sings and I play guitar and piano and sing which is just that wee bit too complicated for the MS to accept, so I wind up cobbling together bits and pieces to make it all work--not fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dingoist Posted October 29, 2011 Members Share Posted October 29, 2011 I went the 8 channel mixer route (with 4 xlr in), a little bigger than I need for solo, and not big enough for a full band, but allows me to add more mics and other DI inputs for the acoustic session I run where I don't know in advance the number of players. I run that to a powered small 150 watt powered speaker, thinking of getting a second. It does the small bar well, and has done a good job in a church. I've a small two channel acoustic amp with a 12 inch speaker + tweeter which I pull out if I need additional volume boost -- it's a loud 100 watts. It's two trips to the car instruments and mic stands included. A few more wires than I'd like, but overall pretty simple still. Guitars, mics, mic stands, cables, mixer, powered speaker, and extension cord. Sounds like you need 4 channels (2 vocals, one keyboard, one guitar). Just add a mixer, before your amp. Hell I use a behringer. Haven't had an issue with it yet, and it's the mixer I bring out to bars so I don't want to invest in anything too cost prohibitive for replacement, and where I'd be paranoid of damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 Yesterday's solo gig, I used a Crate Limo 50 on a speaker stand...loud enough for the gig (a bar-b-q restaurant) and easy to get a decent sound out of. Last night's band gig, I used my Carvin PA1200 and a pair of LM12 cabs...3 X 333 watts and 12 channels, for my trio (guitar, bass, percussion). A little more trouble, but fast to set up, as I've been using this rig for so long that I can pretty much set it up in my sleep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members YeahDoIt Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 Right now I have a Motion Sound S200 (actually a keyboard amp), which has two stereo input channels plus a single mic in. It works very nicely for solo (ignoring the weight) but needs an outboard mixer to add a second mic. My partner only sings and I play guitar and piano and sing which is just that wee bit too complicated for the MS to accept, so I wind up cobbling together bits and pieces to make it all work--not fun. I have a little mixer and I like it a lot. They might cost less than $ 100 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jersey Jack Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 I use the Fishman unit, and it works really well. It would be fine for each performer to have his/her own unit. I use a single SoloAmp, and I'm able to go without a mixer because my partner only sings. I run my mic and my guitar into a TC helicon vocal processor, which then runs them together to a single channel in the Fishman. A small mixer is easy to use if you need the extra inputs. The other benefit of the line array systems is their resistance to feedback. You can even place them behind you, which means that you won't need a monitor. I've never tried the Bose system, but I'm so happy with the Fishman SoloAmp that I feel no need to upgrade at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 I use the Fishman unit, and it works really well. It would be fine for each performer to have his/her own unit. I use a single SoloAmp, and I'm able to go without a mixer because my partner only sings. I run my mic and my guitar into a TC helicon vocal processor, which then runs them together to a single channel in the Fishman. A small mixer is easy to use if you need the extra inputs. The other benefit of the line array systems is their resistance to feedback. You can even place them behind you, which means that you won't need a monitor. I've never tried the Bose system, but I'm so happy with the Fishman SoloAmp that I feel no need to upgrade at this point. I've played through both units...the "Fish Stick" is MUCH better than the Bose...intend to get one of my own for solo gigs that the Limo lacks the wattage for (use my Carvin rig, currently, in those instances). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fingerpicker Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 Two QSC powered 10' speakers and the cheapest passive mixer with fx would be a super quick setup and those qsc's sound great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 I have an all-purpose PA consisting of 2 Peavey PR12's on stands and a Yamaha 6 channel powered mixer putting out 2X300 watts. It's pretty lightweight and quick to set up. I can use it in a small room or on a big outdoor stage. I use it with my solo act and also with the various bands I'm in, including a 5 piece polka band. It does the job pretty well and has never given me a bit of trouble (so far). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John Bartus Posted October 30, 2011 Members Share Posted October 30, 2011 I've played through both units...the "Fish Stick" is MUCH better than the Bose...intend to get one of my own for solo gigs that the Limo lacks the wattage for (use my Carvin rig, currently, in those instances). +1 -- the Fishman is fantastic! It actually has a dedicated I/O for your duo partner's Fish Stick as well so you can hear them better. And the line array configuration will fill the room and you won't need a monitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 +1 -- the Fishman is fantastic! It actually has a dedicated I/O for your duo partner's Fish Stick as well so you can hear them better. And the line array configuration will fill the room and you won't need a monitor. About the only thing the Fish Stick lacks that I need is an AC/DC option...the built-in battery in my Limo has come in handy a surprising number of times, particularily at outdoor gigs like wedding receptions and bar-b-qs, where you'd ordinarily have to use a 100' extension cord (or two) to get power out to where the host wants you to be. Another usage for a DC-powered rig is if you perform at nursing homes, as I do, 3 to 5X a week (and much more often between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day), where not having wires on the floor makes it safer for the elderly...with a 6 hour battery, you're golden! A electronic tech buddy of mine is looking into the feasibility of modifying a Fish Stick by installing a 12-volt battery system into one, and I'm hoping it'll work...otherwise, I may just buy an outboard 12-volt system to plug it into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ProToneThinline Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 I've played through both units...the "Fish Stick" is MUCH better than the Bose...intend to get one of my own for solo gigs that the Limo lacks the wattage for (use my Carvin rig, currently, in those instances). I've also played through both, and liked the Bose better. I'd suggest you give them a try and buy the one you like better. They're both quality pieces of gear. Some people just don't care for the "Bose" sound, but I've gigged mine several times (I've only had it a couple of weeks), and it's sounded great. The nice thing about either it that you really can be set up in about a minute. That having been said, if I'm working a small room, I'll leave the Bose at home and use my (Fishman) Loudbox Mini. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 Two QSC powered 10' speakers and the cheapest passive mixer with fx would be a super quick setup and those qsc's sound great This is what I do...I use a Peavey PV14 mixer, but will get a smaller one soon. I have a third K10 for my monitor. I also have a powered sub, but I forgot the model off the top of my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 Two QSC powered 10' speakers and the cheapest passive mixer with fx would be a super quick setup and those qsc's sound great THIS ^ I have the QSC K10, just one speaker and it works in bars for 50-100 people capacity easily and could do more. I play it at half mast all the time. I don't even need a mixer for the most part because it sounds just that good. Wide enough dispersion to get a large portion of the room and the drop off is longer than the 8'. It's so easy it's ridiculous. One input for vocal, one for guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rodclement Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 Well... I use a lot of gear however...I saw a guy play this weekend using a fishman stick and he sounded great! I could hear the music in every part of the bar at a pleasant level and great clarity. Great musician/singer as well, this guy was great! It was him, his fishman solo with a guitar and voice running through a tc helicom voice tone pedal of some sort...didn't see what it was, no tracks. I was impressed but I wouldn't want to depend on that for a louder room. Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 THIS ^ I have the QSC K10, just one speaker and it works in bars for 50-100 people capacity easily and could do more. I play it at half mast all the time. I don't even need a mixer for the most part because it sounds just that good. Wide enough dispersion to get a large portion of the room and the drop off is longer than the 8'. It's so easy it's ridiculous. One input for vocal, one for guitar. I only us a mixer as I want more control over the vocals. I am thinking about getting a vocal effects pedal, which would mean I wouldn't really need a mixer either. Since I create a lot of bass sounds - or sounds in that range - I like using a sub too, but not a deal breaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike McLaughlin Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 I'm real happy with Bose, easy carry, easy setup, sounds good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Blanchard Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 I have an old Rogue rolling PA. It is 50 watts and four channels, all with XLR and 1/4" connectors. It is an "all in one" unit, so it is easy to carry and set up. I have looked at the Fishman, but it only has one XLR connector, making it worthless for my needs. Sad that they chose to go that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ProToneThinline Posted October 31, 2011 Members Share Posted October 31, 2011 I have looked at the Fishman, but it only has one XLR connector, making it worthless for my needs. Sad that they chose to go that way. The SA220 (fish stick) has 2 XLR channels... The Bose only has 1 XLR, and 1 1/4". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Blanchard Posted November 1, 2011 Members Share Posted November 1, 2011 The SA220 (fish stick) has 2 XLR channels... The Bose only has 1 XLR, and 1 1/4". Thanks for pointing that out. I was sure that, last I looked, it had only one XLR. Time to start saving my pennies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted November 1, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 1, 2011 Two proper inputs with effects loop plus a stereo->mono aux in that I could see using for keys in a pinch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikerol Posted November 2, 2011 Members Share Posted November 2, 2011 I bought one of these a couple years ago and love it. http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/global/en/products/pasystems/stagepas500/index.jsp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.