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Oh wowzers.

So starting with your gear:

• I don't see any sort of system processor or even basic crossover. How are you getting the right frequencies to the tops versus the subs? That also leads to the fact that you've already blown one of the tops. That's part of Ye Olde School of Hard Knocks - "Back In The Day," like before the Internet, that's how people learned about their system- blow something up? Learn to re-cone, and then figure out why it happened to avoid it in the future.
  
  
• As noted re the vintage of the mixer. An entry level digital board would have served you better.
  
  
• Can't comment on the "various performing & recording mics" without knowing just what you have. Did you get any DI boxes?
  
  >All the speakers are beautiful wooden cabinets, handmade, w/ high quality neodymium tweeters, JBL parts, etc.
  
  "handmade" means proprietary- they won't meet riders (if you ever encounter one) for the most part. More importantly- they'll be frowned upon because there's no consistent specs that an engineer could look up. I'm not saying they won't work in the long run, but start setting aside money now for a replacement plan. On the same thread, you're going to need to learn about the specs of your PA to set appropriate limiters to protect your speakers going forward.
  
  > Still working on monitors, looking at active EVs at the moment.
  
  Having monitors (if you're looking to provide for bands) is going to be vital. Ideally, they're all the same, but as you grow into this... you might start with two and then add two more once you have money coming in.
  
  > Though part of me is worried about more equipment when I haven’t started recouping investment on what I have yet.
  
  At the same time, if you don't have a "full package," it's going to be harder to recoup ANY of your investment. I'm going to be blunt here: No wedges? Home made boxes? A bit outdated mixer? If there's another option for a provider in your area that does have these things under control, that's who is going to get the business. If you're not getting the business, there won't be a cash flow to allow you to get the things you need to complete your package.
  
  Story time! Couple friends of mine were big into the EDM scene in the area, back ca. 2000-2004 or so. Decent JBL SR-X rig. Now, they weren't getting it out enough to really be viable, but that's not really the point of my story. What happened to them is that one show, they blew out one of the 18" cones. Since they hadn't been charging enough to be setting aside cash for repairs, they didn't have the money to repair it. Because of this, two things happened: They had to charge a bit less going forward because they didn't have all of the capabilities that they previously had, and they had to run their remaining subs a bit harder to compensate. I think they eventually blew at least one more sub-- and the downward spiral continued.
  
  Education Opportunity: Start with the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook. It's dated in that it doesn't cover a lot of more recent developments with types of equipment, but the underlying theory and principles of live sound haven't changed. This will help you to learn gain staging, setting limiters, and really how your gear is doing what it's doing.
  
  Building a Business Plan
  
  So to be candid, this step should have been completed prior to buying ANYTHING. Without a solid plan of how to move forward, you find yourself wasting money on things that don't fit the plan. Believe me, I've been there. My shop has piles of stuff that were purchased in the "early years" that aren't in use now, and most likely won't be used ever again. I have a couple things that were purchased and have never been used on a show; I "thought" they were needed, but they weren't. [We also have a collection of randomly mis-matched cases. That makes a truck pack really challenging, but that's just something I never realised was a thing early on.]
  
  > already been running into issues w/ lots of friends wanting free/discounted use. And my own confusion about whether to focus on renting or producing my own events
  
  Being "the person with speakers" is always attractive to people who want them for free. :-) As for the second part, I think you're a ways off from producing your own (people paying for tickets to attend) events. Being a "promoter" is really something that takes a lot of work to make profitable, and to be blunt, you don't want to also be worrying about the sound at the same time.
  
  > (I think the answer short term is renting w/ a contracted sound guy).
  
  Hiring a sound tech is going to eat into your profits. At the moment, you need to be able to "bank" as much of your event income as possible. So, that's where it's going to be vital that you learn how to best deploy your limited resources. As you grow, and either the events are complicated enough that you need an assistant, or you have a second rig and you need them both deployed at the same time, that's when you'll bring in another person.
  
  This whole situation may seem daunting, but you can do this. Learn about the specs and capabilities of your rig. Figure out how you blew that top (did you kill the whole thing, or just the HF or LF of the top?), and implement protection into your system. And then learn how to repair the damage- those skills will help you in the future, if you can recone a speaker instead of needing to pay someone else to do that!
  
  Feel free to reach out with specific questions, or post "I'm confused!" threads here, and we'll help the best we can.
  
  -Ray

Well, assuming that you don't have another wireless system that you're not telling us about, and depending on your geographical area, you get get away with a system as low as SLX. Since you are running in a HOW with a bit of WiFi and other digital traffic mixed in, I'd consider very long and hard before you go with a 900MHz/2.4GHz Digital system because of possible interference/congestion with WiFis and Microwaves (900MHz).

Few things to be aware of:

1. Avoid anything that's between 698MHz-806MHz. You shouldn't run into anything that's new that's within this space but if you go used, you may see this pop up. This is illegal to use in the US and more likely than not, your signal will be squashed by the new cell towers and what not.
   
2. Look for detachable antennas. Since you didn't mention where and how your receiver will be placed, I'm going to assume that you will place this in your booth area. Depending on construction and how far it is, you may need to consider remotely mounting your antenna, and you'll need a 1/2 wave antenna (double sized antenna) or a directional antenna if your HOW has a lot of reflective, metallic surfaces or your booth is behind a window/wall.
   
3. You do get what you pay for with receivers. Reason you have few of us recommending SLX or better for Shures (G3 for Senns, I believe) is that you get more space should you decide to increase your wireless setup in the future. IF YOU ARE 100% POSITIVE that one and done is your situation and no future expansion is necessary, then PGX ought to be ok. But with other receivers, you can let your receiver scan space, or set your own freq, get a better gain control over your mics at the receiver/transmitter combo. etc.
   
   I'd recommend at the base level, a bodypack with an aftermarket mic. You may have to save up to a Samson/Countryman headworn mic if you're not that hot with black colored headset mics. You maybe tempted to go with a combo set, but if you're going with a speech oriented headset mic, using a third party mic from other vendors will result in a better output overall.
   
   My church uses this particular mic for our secondary worship space with a Shure PGX Wireless:
   http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PMEMS10-Omni-Directional-Microphone-System/dp/B003D2YRLA/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1409113636&sr=8-13&keywords=pyle+headset+mic
   
   It's $20, and unless you baby it, the neck area has a tendency to break. But until your budget is ready for a Countryman or what not, you're getting about 75% of the mic for 1/10th of the price. I think I can live with that exchange and is a Pyle equipment that's not a total pyle of crap. Since this is an omni, you need to be aware of your gain structure even more than most cardioids. But for speech purposes, it very much punches above its weight. Save up and upgrade to a Countryman E6 when budget allows.
   
   Also, invest in a good rechargable battery set ($25 for Costco's Eneloop Pack: 8x AA, 4x AAA and a charger). This will save money in the long run for your battery use. Shures WILL WORK with rechargeables (Ni-MH) whereas for some reason, my Senn Transmitter will not power on with any Ni-MHs. Battery is one of those costs that flies under the radar, but this will eat up your running budget fast if you have to stick with Alkalines... Though the Sony 4x AA Alkalines that you get from your local $.99 ($0.25 per AA cell) will work wonders.

Set up the guitar so it's coming in orange... In general, yes, this is what you're doing to all inputs. An example of when not to do this might be if you know a musician will get hit with adrenaline and play twice as loud during the show as they might at soundcheck.

A caveat: signal coming in nice and hot at your preamp will NOT optimize your signal to noise ratio if you compensate by turning your output faders way down. This still means your PA will amplify however much Johnson noise is contributed by your mixer. Run your faders at unity, but turn down your PA if necessary. I know I've said it before but so many people refuse to follow this practice that it makes my head spin.

Methinks you went to school for this... Nope! My formal training in sound amounts to a two-day lecture on system optimization using Smaart.

I work in IT, so part of this is very similar to what I do. Awesome! I'm working on my Network+ certification right now. Being able to set up a reliable LAN for your PA control/monitoring is a requirement for professionals these days. I rarely put more than 20 devices on network, but I want to make sure I'm ready for the phone call asking me to do something ten times bigger. A lot of IT people I know (my father among them) are fantastic autodidacts thanks to a career of keeping up with the newest technology, so you likely have what it takes if you're interested enough to put in the work here.

Are there online resources for system optimization? Well, yes, there are always online resources. I'm sure there are some regulars on this sub who can direct you to some, but I can't offhand. Personally, and for most people you'd ask, the best resource for this is Bob McCarthy's book on the subject. Not an online resource, but you'd be selling yourself short if you didn't read it from the man who started it all.

Don't make the mistake I did and just start buying gear. Sure, having all this fancy stuff is wonderful, but having just the stuff you need, and knowing how to use it is way better.

I cut my teeth working local amateur-professional theatre. It was a wonderful way to start and while I don't work with that theatre anymore, I will occasionally drop by and lend a hand on shows, etc.

The other thing you could do is fire off some emails to rental companies asking for work experience. A spare pair of hands around the shop is always useful and you can learn a lot.

Alternatively, if you have a vague understanding of audio already is reading this book. It's a bit wordy, but it explains very well all the concepts you'll need to understand. I'd advise reading it cover-to-cover, you'll probably have to set aside some afternoons.

Whatever you do, good luck! This is an awesome industry to be in, and your enthusiasm will take you far.

OK, I'm not sure what you're going on about but I'll take a shot, it seems like you're dealing with something like this -

Soooo, lets assume you're not using the x32 digital snake head and just running everything through the back of the mixer.

And also assuming you're not using an a/v DI box and just running the computer audio out of the 1/8 in computer with an rca/1/8 cable.

You mic outputs (xlr) can go into input 1+2.

If I remember correctly, the rca inputs are on the back of the board and something like 'aux in 5-6'

So now you have 4 inputs (mic 1, mic 2, computer Left, computer right)

Assuming you are just using main left and right outputs and one "mix bus" to go to both headphones (and to keep it simple, have that mix bus for the headphones in mono and not stereo)...then, on the back of the mixer your left and right mains could come out of "Out 1" and "Out 2" and your mix bus out of "Out 3"

So now, you have things wired, but how to patch and send the audio to where you want it?

The next part deals with what you need to know to do what you want to.

On your mixer, to the left of your faders, there are a couple of buttons that light up, each below the other. They say something like "ch 1-16" and the next one says "ch17-32" and the next one says "aux in/usb/fx returns"

there are another set of buttons on the other side of this bank of 16 faders and those say something like "group DCA 1-8" and "bus 1-6" and "bus 9-16" Above this group of buttons you'll see another one that says "sends on faders" when you push this one, it flashes red (I think) or is just red.


Also on the mixer, to the right of the LED screen, there are a few buttons that say things like "meters" and "Utilities" and "routing" and "home", etc.

In the same area are 2 buttons with arrows pointing left/right and another 2 pointing up/down

Lastly, on the far, upper right there's and XLR input for a talkback mic and a 4 pin output for "lamp". In that little section there's a button for "talk A" and "talk B' and one that says "view"

OK, now you are sort of familiar with the board and what you need to know.

So, first off the routing. The mixer doesn't know yet that you want output one and two to be your mains or that you want output 3 to be your headphone mix (I'll call this your 'monitor' mix) so you have to tell it.

Hit the button that says "routing" to the right of the led screen. I don't recall exactly what the menu looks like, but you will need to use the left/right and up/down buttons to find the right page to assign outputs. You will know you are on the right page when you see options to assign "output one" and next to it on the led screen a chart listing "main L/C, Mix 1, mix 2, etc"

You will have to use the little rotary wheels to select your outputs, so output one first, and then the other select the Mix left option, and (I think) by pushing in the little rotary wheel buttons you select this option. Then, output 2, mix R, select. Then output 3, mix 1, select.

Also, if you're not getting any audio inputs, your board might be set up to recieve it's inputs via the digital snake head and not via the xlr inputs on the back of the board. So you will want to check this and make sure your inputs 1-8 are coming via "Local" and not "AES'

So now your board is set up to send audio where you want it, now you need to assign the talkback. You don't need and external mic, the board has a built in mic. Find the 'view' button in the talkback section and select it. You will see options for talkback "A" and "B".

Use the rotary wheels or arrow keys in the LED section to select it where your talkback (a or b, it doesn't matter) is sending signal to mix 1 and NOT to main L/R

Also you will want to select whether the talkback is latch or not. Latch means, when you want to use talkback, you hold down the talkback (a or b) button and talk, and when you let go of the button it stops sending. If it's not on latch, then when you press the button it will send audio until you press the button again.

With me so far?

Ok, now lets get your audio working.



shit. I've gotta go. check the manual for further help if i can;t get back to this

Looking for a solution to a unique problem
(also posted in /budgetaudiophile)


I'm not sure if this is the right sub for this, so let me know if it's not.

I need an affordable (under $500, preferably less) solution for teaching group classes in a noisy environment. Most people I have seen do this purchase a mic and use a single output speaker at the front of the class. Like musical buskers use.

What I would like to do is send that sound to individual speakers that sit on the guests tables. That way the sound doesn't have to be broadcast as loud and the back tables can hear just as well as the front tables. Like a drive in theater.

From my (limited) understanding, bluetooth won't work for this because of latency. I've seen silent discos use VHF, so that might be the right thing, but I'm not finding good speakers for VHF.

I'm looking at input like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Wireless-Microphone-Microphone-Ideal-Presentations-K038/dp/B07CBYWDZX
and transmission like this: https://smile.amazon.com/HamiltonBuhl-Additional-Channeled-Wireless-Transmitter/dp/B0039KSI98/

The VHF speakers I'm finding seem to be designed for marine use and are hardwired. I need battery operated (ideally rechargeable). I'll start with 6 speakers. The perfect scenario would allow me to scale up from there easily to 10 speakers.

Am I thinking along the right lines? Does anyone know if a solution like this exists in kit form, or know of an appropriate speaker?

Thanks for any advice you can give!

Awesome advise from everyone and they are right on. Find a place to hang out, get to know folks and network, work hard and listen. I would add that you might grab a good reference source. Online is obviously a fantastic resource but it can be a pain to learn something when you don't know what to look for or ask yet. I would suggest the rather outdated but still totally relevant Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook It doesn't keep up with our digital world, but has the absolute fundamentals of acoustics, how a system is put together and basics of how things work. It'll be a great primer and stepping stone to know what questions to ask online/mentor, and is advanced enough that you'll probably reference it from time to time throughout your career. Also, since a lot of the digital workflow stems from the analogue world, referencing this book can help make sense of why we do some of the things that we do. Anyway it's on Amazon for like $25. Easy Christmas present. :)

The Sound Reinforcement Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/0881889008/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_PPNywbKYBB7BP

The mixing part is the same. If you are solely the FOH mixer, and you don't want to be in charge of the bigger picture, you have no concerns - just make it sound good and know the consoles you are working on. The system tech is there to make sure that the rig sounds good everywhere in the room, and the PM and riggers are there to make sure it is run and hung safely and efficiently.

If you want to PM on bigger rigs like that, you need to start learning the details of all those people's jobs - not necessarily so you can tell them what to do, but so that you can spot safety issues and inefficiencies, and work hand-in-hand with them to meet your goals.

Here's a good book to start on power: https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834

And here is a good book on audio systems: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415731011/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't read this one on networks yet, but it's probably my next read...maybe others can chime in on wether it is a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/Show-Networks-Control-Systems-Entertainment/dp/0692958738/ref=asc_df_0692958738/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312115090752&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=449842820588414772&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061129&hvtargid=pla-415287733133&psc=1

​

And of course, nothing beats experience, so weasel your way into bigger jobs and watch what everyone is doing.

​

Thanks! That is very helpful. I'm trying to make sure I am not missing anything because I'm a bit mentally handicapped. Passive means they are powered by an external amp, not by themselves and active speakers means they require power directly to the speakers, but do not require and amp, right?

Is there a like keyword I can use to search for speakers meant for this kind of purpose? If you jsut Google "speakers" you get stuff for home use obviously. Is "stage monitors" or something like that the correct term?

If I were to daisy chain another 2 passive speakers together, how would I do that? There is only one 1/4" jack on the back of each speaker.

If I were to do the active option, would something like this be what I am looking for? https://www.amazon.com/PRORECK-PARTY-15-Portable-Bluetooth/dp/B015GTG454/ref=pd_sbs_267_1/135-1925325-0479758?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B015GTG454&pd_rd_r=96a99144-7261-11e9-8016-4b75b3288f34&pd_rd_w=g6xyn&pd_rd_wg=hzae0&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=N7F96A7M4AE9JXPXTF3A&psc=1&refRID=N7F96A7M4AE9JXPXTF3A

Live sound is such a hands on industry, I imagine it would be near impossible to base an entire degree around it. SAE Sydney do an intensive 7 week course based almost entirely around live sound. This is as good as you're going to get in actual live sound.


In my opinion the only real way to gain knowledge in this field is to get out there and do it. If after 15 years you still don't have the knowledge you need to teach, perhaps you need to figure out what you're lacking and seek it out yourself.... If it's the actual physics part, you can study acoustics at Sydney or NSW uni's . If it's the electrical side of things you can do an electrical engineering at any branch of NSW Tafe.

Otherwise just fill in the gaps yourself by reading books such as the Yamaha Live Sound Reinforcement Handbook.

As I've already stated though, it's not really a skill that can be taught in a classroom... You have to get out there and train your ears as to what sounds good in a particular environment, how to problem solve fast and efficiently under pressure, how to pick a particular frequency if it is feeding back, how all varieties of mixing console work, what the difference between a group and a VCA is, proper gain structure, how to set compression and gates effectively, how to deal with band and management politics, how to keep your cables from getting wrecked, how to repair things on the job, how to tune a PA... The list goes on and on, and honestly these are things that you can be shown, but can only truly start to master by getting out there and figuring it out for yourself.


Good luck.

Ouch. We do a panel with 5-6 school administrators every year and I have been giving them lav mics attached to ties, shirt collars, dress collars, what have you, but they constantly turn their heads and brush their beards and clothing on them while talking. it was killing me and the student who is assigned to run sound for these presentations. Finally, I just bought cheapish headset mics and slipped them on over their ears. Some of them were slightly embarrassed to wear such an obvious mic, commenting on how they looked like they were Madonna in a concert, but the boom could be adjusted in the perfect place and they could all be heard perfectly.

Now I use them for our TEDX student shows and they have been perfect.

These are the ones I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009YAR24E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Surprisingly good sound if you are just doing a talking head.

OK, not trying to come off as "snarky" in my comment. Simply addressing audio physics. The way graphic EQs function mechanically you would loose a lot of power just by reducing your 1K handle. not to mention the phase problems.

Being that it is a work in progress, you need to flatten your EQ and work on the processor from 200Hz up. A good start would be reducing that section of your crossover's output by 6 dB bringing your EQ closer to flat.

>Theory is important and essential to understanding and making sense of what you see in live sound rigs, but it comes down to what you hear in the end.

This is half true, sound, sound waves, phase, and coherence are invisible.

You are essentially, for example, taking a Ford truck, let's say with a Hemi engine, putting it in drive, giving it gas, then putting the brakes on as you try to drive fast.

This may not make any sense right now but I assure you the physics are 100% true. If I could suggest a book for you to check out, Sound System Design and Optimization by Bob McCarthy. I'm sure you can even find the PDF if you scoured the internet for it. It will open your eyes (and ears) to ideas you haven't yet imagined.

Wow! Thank you so much. Sound/audio is definitely the most difficult thing to understand in my opinion for those starting out and people like you are amazing for spending the time to help. Sorry, I'm just really grateful as this will help immensely!

That all made perfect sense to me & was super helpful. Now that I know that, I do actually have a few more questions.

1. How can I have the commentators hear each other? I have Audio Technica BPHS1's.
   
   
2. Right now I only have two headsets but I want to updgrade to four. Reason being is I want to be able to have tri-casting & then myself to have my own headset. With my own headset I'd want to be "God" and only send sound to be heard to the commentators headsets but NOT to the house nor the recording going on my computer. How is that possible?
   
3. Is there any general YouTube guide/text guide on how to handle and understand everything a mixer has?
   

Hello, reddit,

I think I can break a world record for the... wait for it... loudest pop of the lips. I can create an extremely loud pop with my lips, but I'm sure I need a calibrated, official way to measure that. I don't really know much about the technology of audio, so here's where I ended up. Would a cheap decibel meter record a short instance of sound like that, or would I need something else?

Would a product like THIS help to get the WR for loudest pop of the lips: https://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products%C3%82-Decibel-Reader-Battery/dp/B00ECCZWWI

Thanks, sound people.

I think you've already gotten the answers you're looking for but wanted to throw in my two cents to further clarify and make myself available if you have further questions. I too upgraded from an XR18 to X32 (and own an M32 as well now)...

The X32 is basically the same stuff as the XR18 - the X32-Edit app will look the same, the 'Q' app for musicians to control their mix basically looks the same. There's just a lot more channels to scroll right for.

The questions I think you were asking about is related to routing - you have 6 Aux (1/4" jacks) and 8 XLR outs (plus a headphone jack if you need one more stereo out). My church X32-Rack uses every single plug to run 8 stereo IEM mixes including the headphone jack.

On the XR18, your XLR plugs are basically pre-defined as your Aux 1-6 and LR output. There are two plugs on the X32 labels Left and Right but that is more of a suggestion. The other connections aren't labeled besides a number. You'll go into routing and decide which plug does what. So you'll need to assign (or keep on default) your left/right output, and probably add one more for a subwoofer output. That will leave you five XLR plugs left - unless you wanted to run your main outputs off of the Aux plugs which you can totally do. The default for the plugs are that they are assigned to your busses so XLR 1-6 will correspond to bux mix 1-6. You can put them in to stereo pairs and run 3 stereo mixes....though I recommend assigning output 6 to a dedicated subwoofer output which will leave bus 5 stuck in mono.

Then you can assign bus 7-12 to the Aux Out and have 3 more stereo mixes.

As mentioned, you can buy AES50 snakes for additional input output as well. I bought two SD8's so that I have the combo jacks like the good ol' days with the XR18 and can place one at each speaker tower so that my speakers and subs connect directly through the snake while my IEM's are connected to the back of the X32-Rack.

​

Also someone mentioned an important aspect - there's no built in wireless on the X32-Rack. You will need to have some form of wireless router on hand. I personally use a travel router so that I have my own isolated wireless network to control the audio and give musicians access, but I'm also simultaneously connected to the venue's WiFi for Internet access - https://smile.amazon.com/GL-iNet-GL-AR750S-Ext-pre-Installed-Cloudflare-Included/dp/B07GBXMBQF

Can't speak to the durability as I haven't used it a lot, but this is certainly cheaper:

Pyle-Pro PMEMS10 In Ear Mini XLR Omni-Directional Microphone (For Shure System) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003D2YRLA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Yqv5ybDAPCTWN

The price has gone up 60% since I bought mine at $12, but it's still way cheap.

Someone on here recommended this one a while back and I was curious so I bought one and it sounds way better than it should
for the price. If you're looking to save some money, pick one up and audition it. They're definitely serviceable.

Hello, live event electrician here.

Take a look at Richard Cadenas book, Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician (link below)

I both read his book and took a course he taught. Specifically with stage power, he made sure to burn into my brain using GFCI protected deck power. The time it takes for a short to happen and trip the breaker at your distro is enough to kill. It's happened before.

As for another resource I suggest protocol magazine. It's got all sorts of good, dry information if you are into that. I certainly am.

Educate yourself, don't lift your grounds, ALWAYS use GFCIs for deck power. Too many people have needlessly been electrocuted. Requiring GFCIs for deck power is currently being discussed (I believe)for addition to either the NEC or ESA (Event Safety Alliance)

Good luck out there!

http://www.esta.org/Protocol/protocol.html



https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834

Not quite sure how large of an area you need to cover, nor how loud you need it to be, but... I would recommend:

Westinghouse 2200-watt inverter generator

https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-iGen2200-Portable-Inverter-Generator/dp/B01MUP6L1U

This is really a bit of overkill, but it's the smallest, quietest portable generator that you can get that will be reliable and rock solid. The bonus: you could use it to power a crockpot, some lighting, fans, etc., at your tailgate.

​

For speakers, any old powered speaker will work.

On the cheap: Behringer EuroLive

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C4QWXQ/ref=psdc_11975001_t1_B001XWD3LC

Or, a lot nicer: Yamaha DBR12

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-DBR-Powered-Speaker-Cabinet/dp/B00NIS8IZ0

​

Don't forget to purchase some stands!

​

Either of those speakers will consume around 120-watts each at full-tilt-boogie-annoyingly-loud levels. So, you'll have tons of extra power available with that generator.

I'm kind of late to the party, but when I was doing live sound for a local church and was mixing everything between simple prayer meetings to live bands, I personally found the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook to be my best friend. I am actually quite surprised that no one mentioned it.

I'm thinking about buying a mic for discord, maybe streaming (emphasis maybe) and am leaning towards a dynamic mic because I've been told that they're better for reducing background noise vs a condenser.

If I get a dynamic mic with XLR out, what would be the okayest way to hook it up to my PC with acceptable input levels? At the moment, I'm considering this headset with the mic connected to the PC via this XLR to USB cable. Will that combination work ok, or should I be looking at something else?

The other thing I'm considering is this USB stand-alone mic and having game sound through my speakers.

I apologise is this isn't the right place to ask.

Try this.

If one particular freq is feeding back, let's say 400hz, bring down 400hz on the EQ but don't bring it too far down. After bringing down 400hz, contour the surrounding freqs, 315hz and 500hz, by bringing down those freqs but not as much as 400hz. This [pic] (http://www.audiocity2u.com/images/catalog_images/1270877631.jpg) is a good example of what I'm talking about.

And you're probably correct about the down firing speakers that are in your gym causing the feedback but you're probably also correct about the acoustics of the gym causing the muddiness in the sound. But it seems that the PA system that you brought would be a better solution than the House speakers. So try this if you aren't already. Place the speakers forward of the performers. So what I mean is, if the performers perform on a stage, place the speakers so they're at least parallel with the front of the stage and not behind it. Or if there isn't a stage, place the speakers so that they firing in front of the performers. You don't want a situation where the speakers are placed behind the performers. This makes it difficult to notch out the freqs that are giving you problems.

It's too bad that you don't use Shure Lavs because I highly recommend these [Pyle Pro headsets.] (http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PMEMS10-Omni-Directional-Microphone-System/dp/B003D2YRLA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1448984220&sr=8-3&keywords=pyle+pro+headset) Even though these Pyles would seem like they would suck, they actually don't. I own 4 of these and I've successfully used all 4 at once and feedback wasn't that much of an issue and they sounded great. I've heard, although I can't verify, that Audio Technica will attach a 4 pin Hirose connector that they use on any mic for $30 bucks. It might be worth a shot since 3 of those Pyles with the connector conversion would be around the same price as 1 of those Audio Technicas.

The best resource for this in my opinion is Richard Cadena's book "Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician." [Amazon] Worth every penny.

Richard was nice enough to do a Q&A for us - read it here.

do you NEED wireless?
i donut in 90% of my gigs so i use wired in ear monitoring. I send the mix to these

They are cheap and effective and can blend two input signals together if needed. They DO NOT have any limiters on board so if you need that function, you can route your mix to a comp/limiter first, like I do.

Couple those with These Monitors

And you have a $100 / person in ear system.

I love mine

A podcast I listen to recommended Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician my copy just arrived but it seems like it would be a good place to start.

So my school has two of these DI boxes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027V760M/ref=twister_B00W2GJIH6?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 and it has the attenuation switch options at -60db, -30db, and 0db (pretty sure about those numbers). Just curious in what scenarios should I have the ATT switch set to each level?

Also if you were to recommend an upgrade from those DI boxes that would be nice for electric guitar/electric bass but not too pricey what would you recommend? (think between $50-125 maybe?)

I gotta ask about the Pyle DIs. I've looked at them a few times and the thought of, "damn, they're so cheap if they're crap whatever, plus if they get lost/stolen/broken their still so cheap", but I haven't been able to get someones 2¢ on it, care to provide one? (also is this the version you have? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027V760M/)
Thanks in advance!

You would probably benefit from attending [Meyer SIM training](http://www.meyersound.com/events/seminars/courses.php#SIM 3 Training and System Design), if you're in a position to do that. It's offered internationally. You would also probably get a lot of good info from Bob McCarthy's book, Sound Systems: Design and Optimization: Modern Techniques and Tools for Sound System Design and Alignment.

The Bible
It depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. This book has been suggested by a ton of folks as a great place to start. I went into reading it with a basic understanding of electronics, speaker placement, and "mixology". I came out the other side with a better understanding how and why the things I was taught to do actually work.

I'm assuming this is more for higher end shows, but if you ever need a get out of jail quick mic, I've used the pyle-pro earset mic. I do a lot of middle to high school theater shows and we don't trust a kids wearing our countryman. It's cheap and sounds pretty good for the price.

https://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PMEMS10-Omni-Directional-Microphone-System/dp/B003D2YRLA/ref=sr_1_6?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1510165832&sr=1-6&keywords=pyle+pro&dpID=31G9WVG8nRL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

The ZLX-12P are are actually nice, I use a pair for floor monitors, but when in the club setting they sound great. The will accept 1/8" stereo jack from an Ipod and can be linked to another ZLX-12P so they get the same source fed to them. You do get what you pay for on Pro gear, its one place where more money does usually tend to be better equipment. Adding that sub to a home stereo that does not have a sub output would mean you have no control over the volume of the sub if you used the stereo's main volume control. While it may add some depth to the sound if you are lacking it, you would be headed in the wrong direction of what to buy first. For the price that sub may sound decent or bad I do not know but for that price you can get a a ZLX-12P and get a better sound to start even out of one speaker. ZLX-15P

https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Systems-Optimization-Techniques-Alignment/dp/0415731011

I have not read this edition, but the previous was great.

My suggestion would be to figure out which console is going to be at your church and search google for a .PDF manual. Those are always super helpful. Also, I'm sure this book has been referenced a lot, but the Sound Reinforcement Handbook should do wonders as well.

Anytime you ask about a book, someone is bound to mention the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook. This is essentially the bible of sound reinforcement. It has all the things you need to know about a sound system. It is a bit dated with the lack of topics on digital systems, but physics hasn't changed so all that is still good.

I firmly believe that an understanding it the basics of how sound works is essential to being a good sound person. I run a University tech crew (full time supervisor) and I don't let any of my students use the digital boards or larger systems until they've proven themselves on smaller rigs.

That said, another thing you could do is download the offline editor for the Profile. get used to Menus, routing, effects, etc. And if you're allowed and there are no events happening, get your hands on the desk and just play.

That's an access point, you need a Router and Access point so that it will give out IP addresses via DHCP.


Check out this dude: https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNet-GL-AR750S-Ext-pre-Installed-Cloudflare-Included/dp/B07GBXMBQF/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=glinet&qid=1554322043&s=gateway&sr=8-2


This router runs off USB, even the one on the X32! I use it and it works great, even in crowded conventions, just don't expect crazy range if it's on a trade room floor with 30+ other Wi-Fi networks.

> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027V760M/

Yep that's the one. I'd go for a few of them if I were you. Obviously would never use in place of a Radial, but when you're in a pinch, even for just a guitar player's 1/4" that just isn't quite long enough, it can save the day.

Buy yourself the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement book.

Sound Reinforcement Handbook https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0881889008/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_B.XCzbBZSTH6Z

It will give you so much more information and is a useful reference book.

IMHO everyone interested or doing sound should own a copy.

Per rule 1, please do not post links to pirated content.

You may link to an Amazon page where a user can buy that book like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement-Handbook-Gary-Davis/dp/0881889008

They're not perfect, but the MEE Audio M6 Pro's are not bad and they're super cheap. They come with Comply tips which make a huge difference in isolation over the typical silicone buds.

I know "proper" IEMs are crazy expensive. Not sure what expensive is to you right now, but these actually seem to be decent for the price and will almost certainly work better than the Skull Candy stuff: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SLVB71Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3JQM3B39CBQ5R&coliid=IWQZT76YIQGJJ&psc=1

Grab a copy of Mixing a Musical. It’s probably the best book on the subject.

> so what i was wondering is if the active speaker would act like an amp for the passive one for a kinda stereo setup?

Ah. As a general answer, no. There are a few isolated examples where this does happen (M-Audio AV40 comes to mind), but they're sold as a stereo pair and just keep the amp in one for simplicity. As far as I know, there is no powered speaker marketed with an additional amp for powering an unpowered one of another brand/power rating.

>and you're sure the xlr to 4" adapters wont work?

Well, there's a spot of difference between "work" and "work properly." Yes, you'll be able to get some sound out of them. But will sound bad and likely not be nearly loud enough.

> also what kind of amp would work for vocals?

Amps don't care what you put through them.

>would it be cheaper to buy an amp or an active speaker?

It would probably be cheaper to buy an amp, because they're stereo, meaning if you buy an amp for one speaker you've already got amping for another passive speaker. But on the other hand, if you buy an amp and buy a 300W-ish speaker for the other channel, then you're going to run into a problem with that 100W speaker on the other side.

So it gets a little messy. I recommend ditching that awful speaker you currently have, buying one powered speaker now, and buying a second later. There's nothing cheaper than that speaker which I would recommend. Again, check craigslist near you and see what's there.

what you linked would probably work, but those look like the 2nd speaker wants to be wired to the first, which would lead to some cable management hardships. This is another option

Pretty common, actually, as a method of getting a new show under your fingers.

That's the method described in Shannon Slaton's Mixing a Broadway Musical.

When you've gotten through those, and have a handle on the material, I'd recommend Bob McCarthy's Sound System Design and Optimization, Davis' Sound System Engineering, and Ballou's Handbook for Sound Engineers.

You've got the right idea.

Learn DCA/VCA first, that will be biggest improvement.

Then get into scenes after you understand that. Don't do too much in scenes at first, just mutes and VCA assignment.

And read this: https://smile.amazon.com/Mixing-Musical-Broadway-Theatrical-Techniques/dp/0240817591

What is the consensus on using rechargeable AA batteries for my Galaxy AS-900 IEM system? I'm new to the whole IEM thing. The batteries I'm using are these.

I play in a cover band where I'm using the IEMs for about 3 - 3.5 hours every gig.

edit: Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Electro-Voice-ZLX12P-Two-Way-Powered-Loudspeaker/dp/B00CE0VLXO

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-XR18-18-Channel-12-Bus-Digital/dp/B00UC16Q2I

glad you showed up here. get powered speakers. Look at the EV and JBL powered stuff. It has processing in it, does a lot of the work for you. Look at the EV powered stuff for value. They are proven. Good value and they work and they're cheep.

Mixer? what can you handle? Are you a computer person with a tablet for control? Behringer digital ?

cheep cheep cheep. you could get two powered speakers and a digital mixer new with warranty for $1500. total.
____



Behringer iNUKE NU3000 Amp OR Crown XLi 800 Amp

JBL Control 28WH - White speaker pair
no non no no no no this stuff is junk. Control 28 are airport or fern-bar speakers. get powered speakers, in case you forgot. The real question is "what kind of engineer are you?" because with digital mixer you will have a ton of control. Do you know what to do with it?

Get yourself one of these and read it like it's the ten commandments. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0881889008?pc_redir=1397818753&robot_redir=1

Pretty basic book, if that's confusing then you'll really be stumped by this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Systems-Optimization-Techniques-Alignment/dp/0240521560

Is there a usable portable SPL meter on amazon that I can buy that's decently priced? I'm looking at this one.

The +15 to -15 how much the EQ is boosting or cutting. The RTA overlay is in dBFS or dB Full Scale.
This book has a lot of information on live soubd systems https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement-Handbook-Gary-Davis/dp/0881889008

I use EV ZLX-12P for monitors. They cost a lot less than the QSCs and can get similar levels. Side by side with my K12s they don't have the same clarity, but bang for the buck you can't beat them.

For a small venue she could probably just use a BEHRINGER EUROLIVE B210D $199 on Amazon Prime https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C4QWXQ

I would put it up on a stand ($22) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E0PPG0

My band uses one of these as our main PA for our digital piano and vox (via a Yamaha MG10 mixer) when we practice.

You should read this book instead.

Green Bible

Edit: Formatting

https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Systems-Optimization-Techniques-Alignment/dp/0240521560

Bob McCarthy's Design book. It's given out at every class he teachers from Meyer but you can get it online too.

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Systems-Optimization-Techniques-Alignment/dp/0240521560

"Mixing" is routinely used in the theatrical world for what the person operating the sound board does. Shannon Slaton used it in the title of his book about it.

See if you can get your hands on "Mixing a Musical" the book.

It's a bit overkill for some of your stuff, but it is all there.

https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Musical-Broadway-Theatrical-Techniques/dp/0240817591

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sound-Systems-Optimization-Techniques-Alignment/dp/0415731011

Newer edition is actually cheaper!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0415731011/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile

https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement-Handbook-Gary-Davis/dp/0881889008

Yamaha live sound handbook!

Edit: Yamaha Sound reinforcement handbook. Link

I’d start with this: Sound Reinforcement Handbook

yamaha sound bible: https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement-Handbook-Gary-Davis/dp/0881889008

What do you think about these: http://www.amazon.com/MEE-audio-Universal-Fit-Noise-Isolating-Detachable/dp/B00SLVB71Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453482715&sr=8-1&keywords=mee+electronics

I use the MEE M6s as my backups, and I know people that use them fulltime - $50 on Amazon. They sound fine, just use the comply tips to get decent isolation. I keep two sets in my bag, one as a backup for me, and one so that I can throw a backup to somebody else and look all "professional" and stuff.