I have a second, separate problem

[solarbird]

I need some sort of small, reasonably-portable sound solution for vocal amplification for my solo gigs. And maybe a mixer amp would be nice, so I could amp my zouk and mandolin as well. (They’re both much louder than my voice. Also I will need a reasonably rugged vocal mic for outdoor use. SM58, I presume?)

I’ve been poking around at pawn shop listings going, “um… this looks nice?” but honestly I have no idea. I found this Peavey for pretty cheap (assuming it works) but of course there’s no speaker there, and for all I know it could be total overkill or totally inadequate. And I have no idea about what to look for in speakers.

I need some solution I can run myself, and really, I’d prefer an all-in-one amp+speaker+mixer solution, but I have no idea whether that even exists. (And the Peavy amp being separate, I could point it at me and make adjustments on its front panel in ways that seem reasonable.)

So, um, hints, clues, and so on, appreciated. I know what kind of things I’d want for a full-band gig, but this is a totally different animal. What do I actually want?

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Mirrored from Crime and the Blog of Evil.

Comments

[bettyw]

Probably exceeding your budget unless you find on used, but I've been using the Fishman Loudbox 100 for my guitar/violin/vocal duo. It has two channels with separate EQ, one of which also takes XLR input (even phantom power, though not necessary for an SM58). When necessary (no PA @ a venue) we put the vocal to that channel, then use a preamp with two inputs to run guitar & violin to the other channel (I have a discontinued Fishman Pocket Blender).

If you are looking for battery-powered, the Roland Cube series works well - this one has two channels. Also the older Crate Taxi 30 and Limo - neither are made now, but lots floating around. Just check that the battery holds a charge, or get it priced low if you need to replace the battery.

[solarbird]

I found one of these today at a pawn shop for $140ish ($160 with tax) so now I need a loudspeaker - which I may be able to just borrow. (I've got a loan offer, I just need to test it. This would simplify everything!) I opened the mixer amp up and was confused by how clean it was inside - honestly, I'm used to much older equipment and expect, I dunno, tar. And asbestos. And possibly mice. But I open this up and go "oh man this thing has never been touring. I'm not even sure it's been out." The can caps on this thing were still shiny! No sign of heat discolouration on something that has a giant fuckoff heat sink! Very odd and confusing! But it tested fine so I'll take it. ^_^

(It's missing a knob on Channel 6 but fukkit, I can turn it with a guitar pick. Or maybe find one cheap at a repair centre somewhere.)

This is how old my gear is

[firni.livejournal.com]

I still run a Peavey Decade.

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but I bet vixyish or s00j does.

[maellenkleth]

Can't help you much with the speakers, other than to caution that if the speakers and the amp are on the same substrate (decking, risers, whatever) you had better put a thin layer of isolating foam on the base of the amp. Feedback !=good.

The amp itself sounds like it would do the job. You really do need reinforcement of your singing, particularly as overdriving your sung volume is not going to do nice things for your throat. Nor for your vocal timbre. Been there, learned that lesson.

Bear in mind also that voice reinforcment is hardly a unique problem amongst singer/performers. I mic up when I am singing from the keyboard, myself, and this even though the harpischord at full punch is far from as loud as your instruments.

Re: This is how old my gear is

[solarbird]

run FROM you mean

ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar

(Srsly I have no idea. Maybe that's what I need! I dunno!)

[saladofdoom.livejournal.com]

Alec has a cute little setup that he uses as a monitor, I'm not sure of the output volume, but it has a small mixer built into the back of a powered speaker. I know that Solcita has the specs/brand etc.

[solarbird]

I'd definitely like something like that too eventually - I just looked at her LJ and she talks about how sweet the thing is. ^_^

I went pawn-shop trolling and found a ten-year-old Samson S63 for a surprisingly reasonable price - it's a mixer and power amp and has separate monitor levelling and monitor outputs, tho' they need amplification still. It's 210 watts which is lots more than I need, but that's good since hey, headroom and lower noise. I still need a loudspeaker, but I think it's a pretty good start.

Re: This is how old my gear is

[firni.livejournal.com]

Nah, it's an amp built into a speaker. No mixer. Sounds like you need a head and then speakers attached to it. Then again, I know jack about acoustic.

(and I also have a Vox but I was told daisy-chaining them isn't such a hot idea)

Re: This is how old my gear is

[solarbird]

I have an amp/mixer now! I like it. Now I just need a loudspeaker.

Re: This is how old my gear is

[firni.livejournal.com]

you can build one, my friend did for his Marshall head.