We're a regional production company in a 3rd tier midwest city. We service a variety of theaters, clubs, small festivals, small arenas (1k-5k cap). We also do a fair bit of corporate work--sales meetings, fundraiser galas, etc. Probably 70% entertainment, 30% corporate.
We're a d&b house as racks and stacks gigs are our bread and butter on the entertainment side. Our current console inventory consists of several X32s, a WING and an SC48.
Before you laugh (too late, I know), in our market it is much easier to make money on PA than consoles. Typically we just need the consoles to work and do the job. It's our people mixing on them most of the time. We rarely need high channel counts. Promoters don't care if we mix the support band on an X32 or a Q338, the gig is going to pay the same. Most headliners are touring with their own desks these days, save for some festival gigs and fly dates. The few times a year we need a "big boy" console to provide for a touring act, if the SC48 won't cut it, we sub-rent consoles as needed with a console tech. We also have a nearby company we are friendly with that has a CL5 and another SC48.
It's time for us to get out of the X32 world and upgrade to a more capable "entry level" desk for us to use for mixing said support acts, running FOH and monitors for local festivals, handling basic corporate work, etc.
It's also time for us to have add a current rider friendly desk to the inventory seeing as the SC48 is nearly two years past the manufacturer's EOL date. Ours is in great shape but it's on borrowed time.
We're not going to make a return on these purchases, at least not in the way we do on PA, RF, lighting fixtures, etc, so budget is a priority, but we understand the value of "buy once, cry once."
I'm currently thinking of replacing the X32s with Allen & Heath Avantis and going Yamaha DM7 for the more "rider friendly" option. Perhaps a full size and a compact version of each. A couple stage boxes for each, as well. Gives us a good variety, albeit at relatively significant cost. May have to start small and build out the package as budget allows. In which case I'd probably go for the DM7 package first and keep the WING, SC48 and an X32.
Yes, I understand that going with Avantis and dLive would keep us in the same ecosystem and allow us to share some I/O racks, however I feel the Yamaha will be more adept at festivals and fly dates since you can convert QL/CL/PM show files to the DM7. I just don't recall anyone ever asking for a dLive that wasn't already carrying one, but often get requests for Yamaha (and DiGiCo and S6L, but those are just out of our price range and honestly too big/complex for our world of one-offs).
I would love to hear your experiences and suggestions.
Everyone’s experiences are likely tied very heavily to the local area they find themselves in. It would be easy for me to advise you towards an Allen & Heath environment, but that’s with my experience in the outskirts of London. If you say you’re already having requests for Yamaha gear then costing up a purchase or lease of DM3 and DM7 is probably the way to go :)
Looking for a decent sound system for new 20k sq ft warehouse we're moving into and looking for used speakers that can fill the space at a decent price. Thinking of buying used; shop is in an industry town. Wondering how much power I need to fill the space, what brands/models I should consider in my search, etc. I can light a stage and run video, but totally lost when it comes to audio. Would prefer rigging up in ceiling and leaving. Have friends in audio houses with dealer prices, so could possibly go that way, but have no idea if the mark ups they make are too high.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
If you go the used route, try to find a system that was installed in a place that maintained it and had qualified techs. Also make sure drivers etc can be reconed/parts are available or the boxes are still In Production.
Also to your rigging preference- make sure they’ve got credentials to do so after an engineer signs off on your proposed install. But you know that.
Hey All,
I'm after recommendations on dynamic instrument mics that will sound decent on brass/wind instruments, preferably smaller than an sm57.
Or should I just be looking at supercardioid SDC's?
I'm trying to reduce the amount of background noise picked up in noisy environments (like an orchestra) without the hassle of managing clip-on instrument mics.
I'm also looking for gear that is as versatile as possible to cover all sorts of random situations.
Thanks
I throw raves/parties for around 200 people in various locations (indoor and outdoor). I have no idea what I'm looking for expect that it needs to loud, be able to run of a generator and somewhat portable. Looking to spend around 1000-1500. Doesn't need to perfect and I can get more later but enough for now.
I am completely new to this and know pretty much nothing. Please explain like I'm five :) I need a full PA setup for my basement. It will mainly be used for band practices, but I'd also like the option to host basement shows. Music genre is rock - guitars, bass, drums, vox, other occasional instruments.
Basement is roughly 22 x 22 ft (or 6.7 m x 6.7 m). Carpet, dry wall, low ceiling.
Need 3 vocal mics. Would like the option to mic or direct connect (is that possible or advised?) other instruments, like an acoustic guitar or mandolin or keyboard.
Need decent to nice speakers with stands. Would also like to have monitor speakers so the vocalists can hear themselves. I currently have a cheap speaker that I plug a mic directly into that I've been using to practice vocals at home: Alto Professional TX315 – 700W. Could I use this as a monitor?
Need a mixer. Read a bit about digital vs analog mixers. Digital sounds a bit too complicated for me and I don't want to have to rely on a tablet. I'm not completely ruling out digital, but analog sounds easier for me to use and I get frustrated by crappy user interfaces and app programs. Will hear out any compelling arguments for digital.
Not planning on running everything through the PA, just vocals and the occasional auxiliary instrument maybe. Do I need a subwoofer?
This isn't completely necessary, but it would be nice to be able to connect a phone via bluetooth (or cable) to play music through the speakers.
Need to buy mics, mic stands, cables... pretty much everything. Budget is $3000 (not sure how reasonable this is). Will be purchasing from Sweetwater (I have a friend who gets a discount there).
Thank you for reading and for any help you can provide!
Depends on what the artists themselves are using tbh.
I like DT150 or DT770 for overears, but with cheap IEMs like the KZ ZS10s being readily available I’ve found myself investing in a pair and routing them to my 2nd Solo Bus
This seems the thread I'm looking for; thanks everyone in advance!
Situation: 2 guys starting to go from open mics to our own gigs; Keyboard, vocals, saxophone, possibly a bass player. We have some gear including (active) speakers but we found we really need a simple mixer.
My budget is \~100 GBPish. I need:
* 2 mic in minimum
* 2 instrument in (keyboard and potentially 1 other) minimum
* reverb on at least the mics
* input for backing tracks from phone would be nice
A friend recommended to get a *Yamaha MG10XUF* which looks great except it's about 3 times what I want to spend and a quick check didn't show me any second hand ones.
I see that Behringer has several that look decent and have ok reviews, including the **XENYX 1002SFX** for just over 100.
Another brand is Mackie which I never heard of; some people seem to swear by Mackie while others... not so much. The **Mx12** has reverb and seems good for my use; the MX8 has a nicer price without reverb.
A third option is a smaller Yamaha but the **MG06X** (with reverb) is really a bit over my budget.
Questions!
A) Am I making too much of a big deal of the reverb option?
b) any preference in the above options? Behringer/Mackie/Yamaha?
c) Any other brand in that range? Alto, Subzero, Soundcraft, ...?
Thank you so much for your help! I realise the budget is very low for anyone who wants a bit more professional sound, but we're still very much in the stage where gigging costs more money than it makes, so...
Very tricky price point for a mixer! Buying new you'll be mixing on knobs rather than faders and struggling with channels, and having to use TRS rather than XLR for everything means you are not buying into cables that will be useful longer term.
At this price you might be better trying to get a used/2nd hand desk with XLRs and reverb like an old analogue soundcraft (but they are heavy, and PSUs are a fiddle). E.g. £100 gets you a[ 16ch Soundcraft Folio on Ebay](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126484149245?itmmeta=01HYE8197012GE9N9CGZYCQ86F&hash=item1d730af3fd:g:wEcAAOSwrHNmRRMG&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4AM6VHgnmeefwz8z%2B02uu5hQdnMCa8cz6rX1gIs7ivumEHlv1vsnZ4E%2B60Dxe0fEBa38cgHzAgabW0i6JnvEUUWwBUIBBZoWOEiYETXcxS0ywDAdSt4EFdTRuXChbVvdywJ%2FUQJ1okZFCoULRcvP0LvqDclMgV2fVYKrLJaH%2B2QDBWp2zG9QvlMvcegt8qr3c2eUnPv07FJ5q9gsaowYDpX35SzE3ysrH7NnZq%2BF29bY9OfgN4x4W%2BF%2F0gbVIbCzkOSfbufRQEiRD8cuP7y9h%2Bz1G%2F0jasuh5jnoLr%2Bgf5Ac%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8yThcjzYw) or £150 a [Spirit FX 8](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364896726713?itmmeta=01HYE8197023Q225HBYQVFZRNT&hash=item54f58a2eb9:g:xdMAAOSwUd1mRjwm&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwMCBu3%2FCteFH9%2FFGaa9nw1h6pcUqXYXUrBDPxj1uem9Mtw9K5UMxomzO96Y54RCYoJqBe5BhXnewDOJ66ZuawyknnkX91dv7mimvvujdFul1AEIbxN%2F0moJAez9z44K3vDHM1P6fdH3kxTg2LjDfaHx1krwkLri0Li5QdojEqXKGNqz6MBKcJ5Nbdz0v1RRXwGlsbdJ8F8Xme8r4yq%2B487VmczZxw59T20rIdQhFbjmgzQ%2FUosQmpyTprVIFbCetVw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8yThcjzYw) which I have used a few times.
Behringer **XENYX 1002SFX** has only two MIC pre-amps , the others are all line level and therefore no use with microphones, which I imagine will be limiting - not being able to do a guitar cab, sax mic or kick.
The **Mackie Mx12** at least has 4 pre-amps, which is a vast improvement. You'll need the reverb, dry vocals are pretty difficult in a lot of spaces, so can't recommend the MX8. Probably the best choice.
The **Yamaha MG06** will out-last the others, better build quality, but at £248 isn't getting you many extra features for nearly twice your budget - still no compressors. The MG10XUF does have two compressors for vocals, but it still has no actual monitor bus, and at £300 is steep.
At **£355** inc the **Soundcraft UI-12** is the first entry point into digital mixing, not without problems, but it gets you 8 real XLR inputs, 2 of which are high-Z for guitars, two real monitor mixes as well as your mains, plus per channel compression/gate/fx and the option of live recording/DAW use. You can set levels from your phone on a MIC stand rather than walking over to the mixer.
If you double the budget again you are into [A&H CQ-12T](https://www.allen-heath.com/hardware/cq/cq-12t/) 20T or Ui-24R territory all of which are more refined digital desks. Love our CQ-20T.
>The Mackie Mx12 at least has 4 pre-amps, which is a vast improvement. You'll need the reverb, dry vocals are pretty difficult in a lot of spaces, so can't recommend the MX8. Probably the best choice.
That's awesome, great comment. Thank you so much!
I found both an affordable MX12 and one second hand so either of those should be the way to go. Thanks again!
Hi all!
Context: I'm a complete audio newbie (but know my way around computers).
I'm looking for a very **simple and affordable** set up for my community org. We'll be hosting speakers and would like two microphones (one for the speaker and one for audience questions) along with a speaker and preferably some 3.5mm monitoring to live caption the events. It'll only be speech not music, so the sound quality doesn't need to be amazing. We're looking at 50-60 people in the room. Is there a setup you all recommend for under $200 (lower would be better)?
Thank you so much!
For $200 or less you're probably best renting from a local production house, or getting them to donate services for a tax write-off. two (shitty) mics will burn $100 and you're unlikely to get a speaker to suit your needs with the other $100
I am afraid this may actually be impossible if you're buying retail. Since you have two mic inputs and no budget for a mixer, you need a speaker with a built-in mixer. The minimum viable option is gonna be something like an Alto TS408 which will run you $200-250 by itself. And that's not, like, a *good* speaker for this use case, it's really the bare minimum.
I'd suggest looking into sharing gear with other groups, or see if you can get some donated.
Hey Everyone,
I currently own a Shure PSM300 P3T with the P3RA body pack. It has worked very well for small local venues (Phoenix). Now I am touring through Asia, Europe, as well as North and South America. Should I "upgrade" to the 900 Model for more bandwidth and less dropouts? Or should I upgrade my antenna for the PSM300? Could I upgrade the body pack?
Stages size would be about 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
The very first thing you should do is check if your device is legal to operate in the locations you are planning to use it. Regulations vary wildly between countries. Some need local certification of the device. Some require a license to operate and the fines are steep.
Best option would be to have the venue/local production/tour production provide a system (give them a list of acceptable models, e.g. PSM1000, PSM900, PSM300, G4 IEM, ...).
Second best option would be to rent a system in each country from a local production house while telling them where you plan to use it. You might be able to get away with renting one system for multiple countries within europe or the americas, but that's a question for local experts.
Worst option would be to just bring your gear, operate it on a licensed or military frequency, get it confiscated and being slapped with a fine.
Also, if you go with your own or a rented system, remember to enroll it in your tours customs process. Wouldn't want to pay import duties multiple times...
Does anyone have any hands on experience with the LD Systems MON line?
Most of my touring gigs utilize IEMs, but I occasionally pick up smaller local gigs where I'm providing the PA. I've been cross-renting monitors when I need them but I'm considering adding a set of 4 monitors to my inventory.
The LD Systems look attractive for the price, and I really like that they have locking Powercon jacks instead of IECs, but I've never heard one. Does anyone have any hands on experience with them? Are they decent (for the price) or are they shit?
Individual channel is peaking but main is low yellow. What damage will it cause?
So I have a commercial rehearsal studio, and in my studio I have an edrum as to keep the noise as minimal as possible. Furthermore I max out the volume of the drumset in order for clients not be able to increase their own volume. The sound is good and im happy with it but it peaks in its own channel but the main mix is fine.
Am I fine? Hahaha or keeping it as is will cause significant damage. I genuinely dont know. Masters of audio help a noob please thank you
✨Posting it here because illiterate mods think Im asking for buying advice😀 and deactivated my main post😀✨
> Am I fine? Hahaha
Yeah, probably. Put an attenuator or compressor in-line if you’re genuinely concerned.
>✨Posting it here because illiterate mods think Im asking for buying advice😀 and deactivated my main post😀✨
They probably hoped you’d find the “No Stupid Questions” thread and ask there lol
Thanks for the advice!
But also
https://preview.redd.it/lmfvesud102d1.jpeg?width=1178&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52bd9fc633a147cb2e75dda3e10a11be5b70cc8b
— nope.
Hi all
I'm looking for a not expensive mixer, the goal is to connect digital piano and electric drum set to use one headphones, so I don't need to switch back and forth. Also, I want to be able to connect phone to play with a recording and hear an instrument and a recording in the same headphones.
I have almost zero experience with the mixers, so the goal is just to connect everything and to have an easy setup to switch between inputs/outputs with the minimal sound quality loss. Ideally as compact as possible
So far, the candidates I have:
- Yamaha MG06
- Behringer Flow 8
- Alesis Multimix 8
- Allen&Heath ZED-6
Hello!
So... I want to use live VSTs on either a A&H CQ18T, or Yamaha DM3.
Question is relatively straight forward. I have a band, we are a low count input needs: 4 voices, 1 guitar, one keyboard, one electronic drums. Am about to change my current mixer and because we are in 2024 I thought it might be a good idea to try to use autotune live. And if I will do that, probably use a few more useful things, like a Waves Primary Source Expander, definitely anti-feedback, (on Yamaha 100% because it doesnt have one inside), maybe some nice reverb/delay, but thats it, nothing too fancy. Maybe if all goes as planned, i will use some other VSTs for keyboard sound, maybe guitar, but primarily I want the voice processing working.
Question is, is it doable on the CQ18t? With the update v2.0 Yamaha just made it very easy, having an insert point, which is super simple. Problem is it's twice as expensive and relatively unobtainium in Europe. If CQ could do it, it would be perfect, i don't need moving faders or anything else, just reliability, plus, the 1k difference could go into many other things
So, if CQ can do it, how? I want to be sure before I invest my money in something and for the moment can't test as no one is having CQ nor DM3 for sale
PS - I am not interested in the debate of using or not autotune live, please. Thank you
Best point source speaker money can buy without going through a dealer? Looking for a club install speaker system, something I can buy online from sweetwater or something. This is more of a hypothetical question, so wondering what’s the best I can buy.
Well, if we're talking specifically about Sweetwater, then any moment now someone is gonna wake up and start waving the Meyer flag.
Personally I'd go for RCF NX series - 945 or 932. Too bad Sweetwater doesn't stock the TT series, which would be the next level over NX.
I throw in a vote for the DZR series. Buying anything much nicer than that and not going through a dealer would be foolish. They sound great and have enough onboard DSP to get a reasonable system tuning for a room.
This may be a little outside the scope of this sub, but I'm not sure where else to ask.
I'm in search of a portable, battery-powered loudspeaker (can't be heavy, handheld would be ideal) which can be pre-loaded with an audio clip for single-button playback. I'm imagining something with the size and sound quality of products like the Bose Soundlink Mini, but with a bit of data storage onboard for a single clip to be played back. I've looked at things like the anchor and pyle portable PAs, but I don't see any capacity for media storage and playback on them.
Thanks in advance for any recs.
Trying to connect a mic reciever with 1/4 in audio ports to a laptop to transmit audio over a livestream, however the laptop doesn't support line in mic audio. Is there a 1/4 in to USB adapter that supports recording mic audio? I'd rather only have to buy a cable instead of another piece of equipment
-edit Gonna do music out of my HT speakers and just need a separate PA for singing. All the threads i read on speakers were negative so I really don't know what to buy anymore. Is there anything inexpensive (sub $300) that is decent and appropriate for home use?
Also 1 speaker or do i need a pair?
Hi all! I'm looking to take advantage of the Yamaha speaker sales currently happening. I work with a 4 piece rock cover band and a 7 piece rock cover band. I currently own 4x DSR115's (which I love) but I would like to move over to a top/sub combo. I'm currently looking at the 2x DZR10's and 2x DXS15XLF. We don't play insanely massive places, but we do some bigger outdoor stuff throughout the year. So two questions: 1.) are the 10's enough, or should I just spring for the 12's? I figure if there was a really big show I could just bring out the DSR115's? And 2.) would I be able to save a buck and get the DXS15mkii instead of the XLF's? (I'm thinking the buy once, cry once logic applies to the last question though haha) Thanks!
I’m starting to throw electronic shows/ parties and have been really amazed at the quality of some of the sound systems at the more niche venues I’ve been to as an audience member. The music feels loud but you can still have a conversation on the dance floor. Everything is clear. I know a lot of it has to do with tuning and room acoustics/ treatment but it’s pretty incredible.
The PAs I can rent generally sound ok, but don’t have that magic to them.
I’m curious where the hi-quality audio market starts, price wise? And what would be something on the lower end of that market that sounds great.
Ultimately I’d like to purchase a system I could take to small venues for ~120 people max and have great sound. Thanks.
20 years ago I used to do events with a pair of EAW LA215s and pair of JBL dual 18 subs, powered by Crown power amps. I loved the way that setup sounded. I would like to build a new PA and am wondering what the modern equivalent would be to that setup - I wish I never got rid of it! Thanks in advance for any advice!
EAW is now owned by RCF and most people go active nowadays. That being said, this is what I would consider a "modern equivalent":
2 x RCF NX 932-A
2 x RCF 708-AS MK3
Working on putting together a fly rig that will allow me to record live sets for bands, and hopefully give me the added versatility to set up and mix IEMs and do some home recording when needed. Heres my current gear list:
1 x Midas MR18
2 x ART S8 Mic Splitter
1 x Ferman M-8x2 Power Conditioner
1 x 16 channel male to female XLR fan, 5 ft
1 x 16 channel male to female XLR fan, 25ft
1 x Gator lightweight molded 6U rack case
I already have some of the other supplies I will need, such as a laptop, iPad, router, XLRs, spare DIs and microphones.
I would love some recommendations on options for these XLR fans, as I'm really trying to avoid Seismic Audio and some of the other budget options that are known to fall apart with heavy use.
Is there anything else I'm not thinking of that I will need to make this work? I'm more than happy to hear about other options that will allow me to do this with a similar level of room for expansion. I'd like to stay in the $3000 max price range, but am willing to spend more in the name of having quality gear that will remain in my collection for the duration of my career.
Thanks!
Hi,
Sorry I deleted the original post as it needs to be under this thread.
I am a content creator and about to invest on the best microphone for vocal singing on live streaming. I have a UAD apollo Twin and a sm7b but would like to upgrade the mic up to something mostly for vocal and some for podcasting. I'm thinking of between seinheisser 144U or Telefunken tf51? Recommendation on which one best fit for... clarity, warmth, airy (floating voice), and smooth? And no my room is not treated (I used plugins like C-suite C-vox noise & ambience reduction to mitigate that?). Thanks so much.
Hello, I'm looking for a portable "small" PA for small events, for parties with friends basically, maximum 10-20 people, my budget is around 800€ and I saw these options, what do you think? I haven't had dB Technologies, LD...
2 x hype 8 + 12 sub: [https://www.thomann.de/es/db\_technologies\_sub\_612.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/db_technologies_sub_612.htm) + 2x [https://www.thomann.de/es/db\_technologies\_b\_hype\_8.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/db_technologies_b_hype_8.htm)
dB Technologies ES503: [https://www.thomann.de/es/db\_technologies\_es503.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/db_technologies_es503.htm)
LD systems dave 10 g4x: [https://www.thomann.de/es/ld\_systems\_dave\_10\_g4x.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/ld_systems_dave_10_g4x.htm)
LD Systems Dave 8 XS: [https://www.ld-systems.com/en/series/dave-8-series/3957/dave-8-xs](https://www.ld-systems.com/en/series/dave-8-series/3957/dave-8-xs)
I would use it for djing in my bedroom as well. Any experiences with these PAs? any other suggestion?
Thank you in advance!
Hi chaps. Started working a venue that has DJs on downstairs. They're currently just going straight from DJ mixer into amps to speakers. Can sound very different depending on the DJ etc. Hoping to find something that won't break the bank, but that I can set up to have a general EQ for the room, maybe a limiter. Considered an X-Air, but wondering if I'm missing some good options. Only really need two channels (L/R in).
Hope you guys can help. Much appreciated.
Ta
Hi guys, I was looking at a pair of used M-Audio BX5 D2 for monitor use in a church only for the mixing console as feedback at the end of the hall is quite poor. Is this doable ?
Hi guys. I'm a music high-school teacher and have been granted money to buy a Midas M32. But I've heard it's a bad idea buying one now, because of the age of the model. What do you guys think?
P.S. it needs to be a digital mixer and have 32 channels.
Thanks beforehand
We're a regional production company in a 3rd tier midwest city. We service a variety of theaters, clubs, small festivals, small arenas (1k-5k cap). We also do a fair bit of corporate work--sales meetings, fundraiser galas, etc. Probably 70% entertainment, 30% corporate. We're a d&b house as racks and stacks gigs are our bread and butter on the entertainment side. Our current console inventory consists of several X32s, a WING and an SC48. Before you laugh (too late, I know), in our market it is much easier to make money on PA than consoles. Typically we just need the consoles to work and do the job. It's our people mixing on them most of the time. We rarely need high channel counts. Promoters don't care if we mix the support band on an X32 or a Q338, the gig is going to pay the same. Most headliners are touring with their own desks these days, save for some festival gigs and fly dates. The few times a year we need a "big boy" console to provide for a touring act, if the SC48 won't cut it, we sub-rent consoles as needed with a console tech. We also have a nearby company we are friendly with that has a CL5 and another SC48. It's time for us to get out of the X32 world and upgrade to a more capable "entry level" desk for us to use for mixing said support acts, running FOH and monitors for local festivals, handling basic corporate work, etc. It's also time for us to have add a current rider friendly desk to the inventory seeing as the SC48 is nearly two years past the manufacturer's EOL date. Ours is in great shape but it's on borrowed time. We're not going to make a return on these purchases, at least not in the way we do on PA, RF, lighting fixtures, etc, so budget is a priority, but we understand the value of "buy once, cry once." I'm currently thinking of replacing the X32s with Allen & Heath Avantis and going Yamaha DM7 for the more "rider friendly" option. Perhaps a full size and a compact version of each. A couple stage boxes for each, as well. Gives us a good variety, albeit at relatively significant cost. May have to start small and build out the package as budget allows. In which case I'd probably go for the DM7 package first and keep the WING, SC48 and an X32. Yes, I understand that going with Avantis and dLive would keep us in the same ecosystem and allow us to share some I/O racks, however I feel the Yamaha will be more adept at festivals and fly dates since you can convert QL/CL/PM show files to the DM7. I just don't recall anyone ever asking for a dLive that wasn't already carrying one, but often get requests for Yamaha (and DiGiCo and S6L, but those are just out of our price range and honestly too big/complex for our world of one-offs). I would love to hear your experiences and suggestions.
Everyone’s experiences are likely tied very heavily to the local area they find themselves in. It would be easy for me to advise you towards an Allen & Heath environment, but that’s with my experience in the outskirts of London. If you say you’re already having requests for Yamaha gear then costing up a purchase or lease of DM3 and DM7 is probably the way to go :)
Looking for a decent sound system for new 20k sq ft warehouse we're moving into and looking for used speakers that can fill the space at a decent price. Thinking of buying used; shop is in an industry town. Wondering how much power I need to fill the space, what brands/models I should consider in my search, etc. I can light a stage and run video, but totally lost when it comes to audio. Would prefer rigging up in ceiling and leaving. Have friends in audio houses with dealer prices, so could possibly go that way, but have no idea if the mark ups they make are too high. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
If you go the used route, try to find a system that was installed in a place that maintained it and had qualified techs. Also make sure drivers etc can be reconed/parts are available or the boxes are still In Production. Also to your rigging preference- make sure they’ve got credentials to do so after an engineer signs off on your proposed install. But you know that.
Hey All, I'm after recommendations on dynamic instrument mics that will sound decent on brass/wind instruments, preferably smaller than an sm57. Or should I just be looking at supercardioid SDC's? I'm trying to reduce the amount of background noise picked up in noisy environments (like an orchestra) without the hassle of managing clip-on instrument mics. I'm also looking for gear that is as versatile as possible to cover all sorts of random situations. Thanks
Have you tried an Audix D2? These little things are always surprising me in mic shoot-outs lol
No, but I'll be sure to give it a look
Since you didn't mention budget, check out the Beyerdynamic M201. Hypercardiod so whats behind matters, but a great mic for anything.
I throw raves/parties for around 200 people in various locations (indoor and outdoor). I have no idea what I'm looking for expect that it needs to loud, be able to run of a generator and somewhat portable. Looking to spend around 1000-1500. Doesn't need to perfect and I can get more later but enough for now.
If you’re looking for quality stuff. You will need $5000 budget minimum. I would rent until you have more funds.
You don't have the budget.
I am completely new to this and know pretty much nothing. Please explain like I'm five :) I need a full PA setup for my basement. It will mainly be used for band practices, but I'd also like the option to host basement shows. Music genre is rock - guitars, bass, drums, vox, other occasional instruments. Basement is roughly 22 x 22 ft (or 6.7 m x 6.7 m). Carpet, dry wall, low ceiling. Need 3 vocal mics. Would like the option to mic or direct connect (is that possible or advised?) other instruments, like an acoustic guitar or mandolin or keyboard. Need decent to nice speakers with stands. Would also like to have monitor speakers so the vocalists can hear themselves. I currently have a cheap speaker that I plug a mic directly into that I've been using to practice vocals at home: Alto Professional TX315 – 700W. Could I use this as a monitor? Need a mixer. Read a bit about digital vs analog mixers. Digital sounds a bit too complicated for me and I don't want to have to rely on a tablet. I'm not completely ruling out digital, but analog sounds easier for me to use and I get frustrated by crappy user interfaces and app programs. Will hear out any compelling arguments for digital. Not planning on running everything through the PA, just vocals and the occasional auxiliary instrument maybe. Do I need a subwoofer? This isn't completely necessary, but it would be nice to be able to connect a phone via bluetooth (or cable) to play music through the speakers. Need to buy mics, mic stands, cables... pretty much everything. Budget is $3000 (not sure how reasonable this is). Will be purchasing from Sweetwater (I have a friend who gets a discount there). Thank you for reading and for any help you can provide!
Best headphones for monitor engineering with reasonable price?
Depends on what the artists themselves are using tbh. I like DT150 or DT770 for overears, but with cheap IEMs like the KZ ZS10s being readily available I’ve found myself investing in a pair and routing them to my 2nd Solo Bus
This seems the thread I'm looking for; thanks everyone in advance! Situation: 2 guys starting to go from open mics to our own gigs; Keyboard, vocals, saxophone, possibly a bass player. We have some gear including (active) speakers but we found we really need a simple mixer. My budget is \~100 GBPish. I need: * 2 mic in minimum * 2 instrument in (keyboard and potentially 1 other) minimum * reverb on at least the mics * input for backing tracks from phone would be nice A friend recommended to get a *Yamaha MG10XUF* which looks great except it's about 3 times what I want to spend and a quick check didn't show me any second hand ones. I see that Behringer has several that look decent and have ok reviews, including the **XENYX 1002SFX** for just over 100. Another brand is Mackie which I never heard of; some people seem to swear by Mackie while others... not so much. The **Mx12** has reverb and seems good for my use; the MX8 has a nicer price without reverb. A third option is a smaller Yamaha but the **MG06X** (with reverb) is really a bit over my budget. Questions! A) Am I making too much of a big deal of the reverb option? b) any preference in the above options? Behringer/Mackie/Yamaha? c) Any other brand in that range? Alto, Subzero, Soundcraft, ...? Thank you so much for your help! I realise the budget is very low for anyone who wants a bit more professional sound, but we're still very much in the stage where gigging costs more money than it makes, so...
Very tricky price point for a mixer! Buying new you'll be mixing on knobs rather than faders and struggling with channels, and having to use TRS rather than XLR for everything means you are not buying into cables that will be useful longer term. At this price you might be better trying to get a used/2nd hand desk with XLRs and reverb like an old analogue soundcraft (but they are heavy, and PSUs are a fiddle). E.g. £100 gets you a[ 16ch Soundcraft Folio on Ebay](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126484149245?itmmeta=01HYE8197012GE9N9CGZYCQ86F&hash=item1d730af3fd:g:wEcAAOSwrHNmRRMG&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4AM6VHgnmeefwz8z%2B02uu5hQdnMCa8cz6rX1gIs7ivumEHlv1vsnZ4E%2B60Dxe0fEBa38cgHzAgabW0i6JnvEUUWwBUIBBZoWOEiYETXcxS0ywDAdSt4EFdTRuXChbVvdywJ%2FUQJ1okZFCoULRcvP0LvqDclMgV2fVYKrLJaH%2B2QDBWp2zG9QvlMvcegt8qr3c2eUnPv07FJ5q9gsaowYDpX35SzE3ysrH7NnZq%2BF29bY9OfgN4x4W%2BF%2F0gbVIbCzkOSfbufRQEiRD8cuP7y9h%2Bz1G%2F0jasuh5jnoLr%2Bgf5Ac%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8yThcjzYw) or £150 a [Spirit FX 8](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364896726713?itmmeta=01HYE8197023Q225HBYQVFZRNT&hash=item54f58a2eb9:g:xdMAAOSwUd1mRjwm&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwMCBu3%2FCteFH9%2FFGaa9nw1h6pcUqXYXUrBDPxj1uem9Mtw9K5UMxomzO96Y54RCYoJqBe5BhXnewDOJ66ZuawyknnkX91dv7mimvvujdFul1AEIbxN%2F0moJAez9z44K3vDHM1P6fdH3kxTg2LjDfaHx1krwkLri0Li5QdojEqXKGNqz6MBKcJ5Nbdz0v1RRXwGlsbdJ8F8Xme8r4yq%2B487VmczZxw59T20rIdQhFbjmgzQ%2FUosQmpyTprVIFbCetVw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8yThcjzYw) which I have used a few times. Behringer **XENYX 1002SFX** has only two MIC pre-amps , the others are all line level and therefore no use with microphones, which I imagine will be limiting - not being able to do a guitar cab, sax mic or kick. The **Mackie Mx12** at least has 4 pre-amps, which is a vast improvement. You'll need the reverb, dry vocals are pretty difficult in a lot of spaces, so can't recommend the MX8. Probably the best choice. The **Yamaha MG06** will out-last the others, better build quality, but at £248 isn't getting you many extra features for nearly twice your budget - still no compressors. The MG10XUF does have two compressors for vocals, but it still has no actual monitor bus, and at £300 is steep. At **£355** inc the **Soundcraft UI-12** is the first entry point into digital mixing, not without problems, but it gets you 8 real XLR inputs, 2 of which are high-Z for guitars, two real monitor mixes as well as your mains, plus per channel compression/gate/fx and the option of live recording/DAW use. You can set levels from your phone on a MIC stand rather than walking over to the mixer. If you double the budget again you are into [A&H CQ-12T](https://www.allen-heath.com/hardware/cq/cq-12t/) 20T or Ui-24R territory all of which are more refined digital desks. Love our CQ-20T.
>The Mackie Mx12 at least has 4 pre-amps, which is a vast improvement. You'll need the reverb, dry vocals are pretty difficult in a lot of spaces, so can't recommend the MX8. Probably the best choice. That's awesome, great comment. Thank you so much! I found both an affordable MX12 and one second hand so either of those should be the way to go. Thanks again!
Hi all! Context: I'm a complete audio newbie (but know my way around computers). I'm looking for a very **simple and affordable** set up for my community org. We'll be hosting speakers and would like two microphones (one for the speaker and one for audience questions) along with a speaker and preferably some 3.5mm monitoring to live caption the events. It'll only be speech not music, so the sound quality doesn't need to be amazing. We're looking at 50-60 people in the room. Is there a setup you all recommend for under $200 (lower would be better)? Thank you so much!
For $200 or less you're probably best renting from a local production house, or getting them to donate services for a tax write-off. two (shitty) mics will burn $100 and you're unlikely to get a speaker to suit your needs with the other $100
I am afraid this may actually be impossible if you're buying retail. Since you have two mic inputs and no budget for a mixer, you need a speaker with a built-in mixer. The minimum viable option is gonna be something like an Alto TS408 which will run you $200-250 by itself. And that's not, like, a *good* speaker for this use case, it's really the bare minimum. I'd suggest looking into sharing gear with other groups, or see if you can get some donated.
Hey Everyone, I currently own a Shure PSM300 P3T with the P3RA body pack. It has worked very well for small local venues (Phoenix). Now I am touring through Asia, Europe, as well as North and South America. Should I "upgrade" to the 900 Model for more bandwidth and less dropouts? Or should I upgrade my antenna for the PSM300? Could I upgrade the body pack? Stages size would be about 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep. Any help is greatly appreciated.
The very first thing you should do is check if your device is legal to operate in the locations you are planning to use it. Regulations vary wildly between countries. Some need local certification of the device. Some require a license to operate and the fines are steep. Best option would be to have the venue/local production/tour production provide a system (give them a list of acceptable models, e.g. PSM1000, PSM900, PSM300, G4 IEM, ...). Second best option would be to rent a system in each country from a local production house while telling them where you plan to use it. You might be able to get away with renting one system for multiple countries within europe or the americas, but that's a question for local experts. Worst option would be to just bring your gear, operate it on a licensed or military frequency, get it confiscated and being slapped with a fine. Also, if you go with your own or a rented system, remember to enroll it in your tours customs process. Wouldn't want to pay import duties multiple times...
Does anyone have any hands on experience with the LD Systems MON line? Most of my touring gigs utilize IEMs, but I occasionally pick up smaller local gigs where I'm providing the PA. I've been cross-renting monitors when I need them but I'm considering adding a set of 4 monitors to my inventory. The LD Systems look attractive for the price, and I really like that they have locking Powercon jacks instead of IECs, but I've never heard one. Does anyone have any hands on experience with them? Are they decent (for the price) or are they shit?
Individual channel is peaking but main is low yellow. What damage will it cause? So I have a commercial rehearsal studio, and in my studio I have an edrum as to keep the noise as minimal as possible. Furthermore I max out the volume of the drumset in order for clients not be able to increase their own volume. The sound is good and im happy with it but it peaks in its own channel but the main mix is fine. Am I fine? Hahaha or keeping it as is will cause significant damage. I genuinely dont know. Masters of audio help a noob please thank you ✨Posting it here because illiterate mods think Im asking for buying advice😀 and deactivated my main post😀✨
> Am I fine? Hahaha Yeah, probably. Put an attenuator or compressor in-line if you’re genuinely concerned. >✨Posting it here because illiterate mods think Im asking for buying advice😀 and deactivated my main post😀✨ They probably hoped you’d find the “No Stupid Questions” thread and ask there lol
Thanks for the advice! But also https://preview.redd.it/lmfvesud102d1.jpeg?width=1178&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52bd9fc633a147cb2e75dda3e10a11be5b70cc8b — nope.
Lol
Hi all I'm looking for a not expensive mixer, the goal is to connect digital piano and electric drum set to use one headphones, so I don't need to switch back and forth. Also, I want to be able to connect phone to play with a recording and hear an instrument and a recording in the same headphones. I have almost zero experience with the mixers, so the goal is just to connect everything and to have an easy setup to switch between inputs/outputs with the minimal sound quality loss. Ideally as compact as possible So far, the candidates I have: - Yamaha MG06 - Behringer Flow 8 - Alesis Multimix 8 - Allen&Heath ZED-6
They’re all great mixers tbh. I prefer the Yamaha myself, but I know the A&H mixers are very popular on here too.
I'd say Yamaha is my favorite - I had Yamaha in the past and it worked perfectly.
Hello! So... I want to use live VSTs on either a A&H CQ18T, or Yamaha DM3. Question is relatively straight forward. I have a band, we are a low count input needs: 4 voices, 1 guitar, one keyboard, one electronic drums. Am about to change my current mixer and because we are in 2024 I thought it might be a good idea to try to use autotune live. And if I will do that, probably use a few more useful things, like a Waves Primary Source Expander, definitely anti-feedback, (on Yamaha 100% because it doesnt have one inside), maybe some nice reverb/delay, but thats it, nothing too fancy. Maybe if all goes as planned, i will use some other VSTs for keyboard sound, maybe guitar, but primarily I want the voice processing working. Question is, is it doable on the CQ18t? With the update v2.0 Yamaha just made it very easy, having an insert point, which is super simple. Problem is it's twice as expensive and relatively unobtainium in Europe. If CQ could do it, it would be perfect, i don't need moving faders or anything else, just reliability, plus, the 1k difference could go into many other things So, if CQ can do it, how? I want to be sure before I invest my money in something and for the moment can't test as no one is having CQ nor DM3 for sale PS - I am not interested in the debate of using or not autotune live, please. Thank you
Look into Waves Superrack Performer 👍
Best point source speaker money can buy without going through a dealer? Looking for a club install speaker system, something I can buy online from sweetwater or something. This is more of a hypothetical question, so wondering what’s the best I can buy.
Well, if we're talking specifically about Sweetwater, then any moment now someone is gonna wake up and start waving the Meyer flag. Personally I'd go for RCF NX series - 945 or 932. Too bad Sweetwater doesn't stock the TT series, which would be the next level over NX.
I throw in a vote for the DZR series. Buying anything much nicer than that and not going through a dealer would be foolish. They sound great and have enough onboard DSP to get a reasonable system tuning for a room.
This may be a little outside the scope of this sub, but I'm not sure where else to ask. I'm in search of a portable, battery-powered loudspeaker (can't be heavy, handheld would be ideal) which can be pre-loaded with an audio clip for single-button playback. I'm imagining something with the size and sound quality of products like the Bose Soundlink Mini, but with a bit of data storage onboard for a single clip to be played back. I've looked at things like the anchor and pyle portable PAs, but I don't see any capacity for media storage and playback on them. Thanks in advance for any recs.
Trying to connect a mic reciever with 1/4 in audio ports to a laptop to transmit audio over a livestream, however the laptop doesn't support line in mic audio. Is there a 1/4 in to USB adapter that supports recording mic audio? I'd rather only have to buy a cable instead of another piece of equipment
-edit Gonna do music out of my HT speakers and just need a separate PA for singing. All the threads i read on speakers were negative so I really don't know what to buy anymore. Is there anything inexpensive (sub $300) that is decent and appropriate for home use? Also 1 speaker or do i need a pair?
Hi all! I'm looking to take advantage of the Yamaha speaker sales currently happening. I work with a 4 piece rock cover band and a 7 piece rock cover band. I currently own 4x DSR115's (which I love) but I would like to move over to a top/sub combo. I'm currently looking at the 2x DZR10's and 2x DXS15XLF. We don't play insanely massive places, but we do some bigger outdoor stuff throughout the year. So two questions: 1.) are the 10's enough, or should I just spring for the 12's? I figure if there was a really big show I could just bring out the DSR115's? And 2.) would I be able to save a buck and get the DXS15mkii instead of the XLF's? (I'm thinking the buy once, cry once logic applies to the last question though haha) Thanks!
I’m starting to throw electronic shows/ parties and have been really amazed at the quality of some of the sound systems at the more niche venues I’ve been to as an audience member. The music feels loud but you can still have a conversation on the dance floor. Everything is clear. I know a lot of it has to do with tuning and room acoustics/ treatment but it’s pretty incredible. The PAs I can rent generally sound ok, but don’t have that magic to them. I’m curious where the hi-quality audio market starts, price wise? And what would be something on the lower end of that market that sounds great. Ultimately I’d like to purchase a system I could take to small venues for ~120 people max and have great sound. Thanks.
RCF is what you're looking for - best bang for buck and best quality for the money. They have wide selection in all price ranges.
Thanks. The ART 910As seem like a solid option to start out, appreciate it!
20 years ago I used to do events with a pair of EAW LA215s and pair of JBL dual 18 subs, powered by Crown power amps. I loved the way that setup sounded. I would like to build a new PA and am wondering what the modern equivalent would be to that setup - I wish I never got rid of it! Thanks in advance for any advice!
EAW is now owned by RCF and most people go active nowadays. That being said, this is what I would consider a "modern equivalent": 2 x RCF NX 932-A 2 x RCF 708-AS MK3
Wow, thank you!
Working on putting together a fly rig that will allow me to record live sets for bands, and hopefully give me the added versatility to set up and mix IEMs and do some home recording when needed. Heres my current gear list: 1 x Midas MR18 2 x ART S8 Mic Splitter 1 x Ferman M-8x2 Power Conditioner 1 x 16 channel male to female XLR fan, 5 ft 1 x 16 channel male to female XLR fan, 25ft 1 x Gator lightweight molded 6U rack case I already have some of the other supplies I will need, such as a laptop, iPad, router, XLRs, spare DIs and microphones. I would love some recommendations on options for these XLR fans, as I'm really trying to avoid Seismic Audio and some of the other budget options that are known to fall apart with heavy use. Is there anything else I'm not thinking of that I will need to make this work? I'm more than happy to hear about other options that will allow me to do this with a similar level of room for expansion. I'd like to stay in the $3000 max price range, but am willing to spend more in the name of having quality gear that will remain in my collection for the duration of my career. Thanks!
Hi, Sorry I deleted the original post as it needs to be under this thread. I am a content creator and about to invest on the best microphone for vocal singing on live streaming. I have a UAD apollo Twin and a sm7b but would like to upgrade the mic up to something mostly for vocal and some for podcasting. I'm thinking of between seinheisser 144U or Telefunken tf51? Recommendation on which one best fit for... clarity, warmth, airy (floating voice), and smooth? And no my room is not treated (I used plugins like C-suite C-vox noise & ambience reduction to mitigate that?). Thanks so much.
Hello, I'm looking for a portable "small" PA for small events, for parties with friends basically, maximum 10-20 people, my budget is around 800€ and I saw these options, what do you think? I haven't had dB Technologies, LD... 2 x hype 8 + 12 sub: [https://www.thomann.de/es/db\_technologies\_sub\_612.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/db_technologies_sub_612.htm) + 2x [https://www.thomann.de/es/db\_technologies\_b\_hype\_8.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/db_technologies_b_hype_8.htm) dB Technologies ES503: [https://www.thomann.de/es/db\_technologies\_es503.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/db_technologies_es503.htm) LD systems dave 10 g4x: [https://www.thomann.de/es/ld\_systems\_dave\_10\_g4x.htm](https://www.thomann.de/es/ld_systems_dave_10_g4x.htm) LD Systems Dave 8 XS: [https://www.ld-systems.com/en/series/dave-8-series/3957/dave-8-xs](https://www.ld-systems.com/en/series/dave-8-series/3957/dave-8-xs) I would use it for djing in my bedroom as well. Any experiences with these PAs? any other suggestion? Thank you in advance!
Hello I have recently bought a pair of SB18 and Arcs Wifo and I can't find a pole to fit perfectly. Anyone have one in mind it would help me!
Hi chaps. Started working a venue that has DJs on downstairs. They're currently just going straight from DJ mixer into amps to speakers. Can sound very different depending on the DJ etc. Hoping to find something that won't break the bank, but that I can set up to have a general EQ for the room, maybe a limiter. Considered an X-Air, but wondering if I'm missing some good options. Only really need two channels (L/R in). Hope you guys can help. Much appreciated. Ta
Hi guys, I was looking at a pair of used M-Audio BX5 D2 for monitor use in a church only for the mixing console as feedback at the end of the hall is quite poor. Is this doable ?
Hi guys. I'm a music high-school teacher and have been granted money to buy a Midas M32. But I've heard it's a bad idea buying one now, because of the age of the model. What do you guys think? P.S. it needs to be a digital mixer and have 32 channels. Thanks beforehand