Please give me a shopping list.

[Jordan S.]

Hi everyone! I'd like to set up a simple sound system for some guitar/mandolin shows. We may add a bass and fiddle occasionally. We'll be playing mostly small bars/coffee shops/etc. We want to "do the dance" around a single mic.

We have nothing but instruments, so starting with the mic and ending with the speakers, what should be on my shopping list? Thanks!

[Br1ck]

I'd suggest you look at the Carvin website for either an acoustic guitar amp like the AG 300, or a powered speaker, some of wich have battery power options. There are many nice powered speakers also, from QSC and others. With a small mixer, these can be expanded to a two speaker mini PA, but a small cafe won't need much.

My Carvin AG 300 would be nice if you ever needed to mic the bass separately, as it has three input channels and it's 12" speaker can handle bass well. I think of it as a PA cab with a small mixer built in.

[loess]

What's your budget? You'll get more pointed advice if you can provide a ballpark figure.

I hop around from mandolin to guitar to banjo in various projects and use the same Ear Trumpet "Edwina" large-diaphragm condenser mic for all of them, sometimes solo, sometimes in a band format. That mic has proven versatile and reliable for me, but to be honest if you're just looking to get your feet wet in the single mic game, I'd recommend checking out less expensive options (MXL 990, Audio Technica AT4033, Shure KSM32, for example) that can work quite well and while allocating the remainder of your budget toward trying out other components in your system. Keep in mind with a single mic you'll need to learn to adjust your ears to a stage setup that doesn't rely on monitors; in many environments there is a risk of feedback with a single mic setup (not always, though).

Speakers - Lots of options here, depending how big or small you want to go. I like the QSC K series but the price reflects their quality.

Speaker stands - check out the Ultimate Support TS-100B.

I'd also recommend searching the forums. Lots of posts on this subject. Cafe members foldedpath and almeriastrings in particular have provided a wealth of posts on stage gear and mics (and might I take this opportunity to say thank you to both of them for that!). Here are a few threads to get you started:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...r-Trumpet-Mics
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...pet-Microphone
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-quot-speakers

[loess]

What's your budget? You'll get more pointed advice if you can provide a ballpark figure.

I hop around from mandolin to guitar to banjo in various projects and use the same Ear Trumpet "Edwina" large-diaphragm condenser mic for all of them, sometimes solo, sometimes in a band format. That mic has proven versatile and reliable for me, but to be honest if you're just looking to get your feet wet in the single mic game, I'd recommend checking out less expensive options (MXL 990, Audio Technica AT4033, Shure KSM32, for example) that can work quite well and while allocating the remainder of your budget toward trying out other components in your system. Keep in mind with a single mic you'll need to learn to adjust your ears to a stage setup that doesn't rely on monitors; in many environments there is a risk of feedback with a single mic setup (not always, though).

Consider also the option of a clip-on instrument mic such as the Audio Technica ATM350 or the DPA4099 coupled with a preamp (I use a Headway EDB-2) that will provide phantom power to those mics and allow you to manipulate EQ and tone without having to go all the way over to the mixing board to make adjustments.

Speakers - Lots of options here, depending how big or small you want to go. I like the QSC K series but they can get pricey.

Speaker stands - check out the Ultimate Support TS-100B.

I'd also recommend searching the forums. Lots of posts on this subject. Cafe members foldedpath and almeriastrings in particular have provided a wealth of posts on stage gear and mics (and might I take this opportunity to say thank you to both of them for that!). Here are a few threads to get you started:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...r-Trumpet-Mics
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...pet-Microphone
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-quot-speakers
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-digital-mixer

[vince f]

I have been doing PA stuff for a long time, and the first advice I would give is buy top quality/brand speakers. Do not shop specifications. Power handling and efficiency only give you so much info. You can simply not go wrong with JBL and EV. I have also had fairly good luck with Yamaha (not powered). I would rather buy used EV or JBL on Craigslist than new lesser brands. You absolutely get what you pay for, and replacement parts are available longer particularly with JBL.

I have recently moved to powered speakers. Less trouble IMHO. and the sound has been very good. If I was in your shoes, I would go with a Mackie compact mixer, EV or JBL speaker (s), and a really good mic (gold standard here is AKG 414, read reviews for lesser price options. You want a large diaphragm condenser mic for the one mic setup). Buy good stands for your speakers Ultimate tripod speaker stands are nice. You definitely need to get the speakers up above your audience.

A word on the one mic dance. If you are playing at loud bars or similar venues, or outdoors with lots of wind noise. You may wish you each had your own mic. even with one mic, sometimes bass wants to have a separate setup. One mic is great where everyone is quiet and listens to the band. I wish our gigs were like this.

[Jim Garber]

I recently had to replace the speakers for our antique (like decades old) sound system. I did not realize that passive PA speakers are basically on the way out. There were none except used ones in our local chain store but I did find some acceptable passive ones online. OTOH if I wanted to spend more I could have bought a nice set of powered speakers and a small mixer for under $1000. We are mostly using this for small venue square dances so I am not suggesting that you cut corners. This was just my cheapo solution to my dilemma. I have the mics (mostly Shures) and a super heavy Peavy board which works but not great for my back. Ow!

[keithb]

If I were starting from scratch and wanted a small single-mic setup, I'd probably go with something like: AT4033, a pair of JBL powered speakers, a small mixer, a pair of solid speaker stands, and good cables.

A friend's band runs a system very much like this - it's simple, and sounds great.

[Folkmusician.com]

I love watching groups that have the single mic thing down, but man, that is a whole other skill set. When you can't control the venue, and get stuck near the expresso machine, or you start getting feedback due to the gain needed (and the corner you are stuck in) with that type of setup, It makes multi-mics or even pickups, very appealing! Without a good monitor setup, it will be very hard to judge the mix the audience is hearing.

Just wanted to throw that out there.

Advise so far is good. I would just add that it might be a good idea to go ahead and spring for a mixer that had enough inputs to add more mics later. The cost difference isn't that much and the size will still be small.

[onassis]

These days, if you aren't techno-phobic, a digital mixer and powered speakers is a good way to go. You can buy a Soundcraft Ui12 mixer (8 XLR inputs) for $300. Just need a tablet, laptop or smartphone to run it.

[TEvans]

Mackie makes a great little board that I swear by. You can get it in 8 channels, and you can run it through an iPad.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DL806L

That gives you plenty of room for a single vocal mic, and maybe a few pencil condensers for solo breaks if you so desire.

For speakers, I'm quite fond of QSC speakers. Lots of bang for your buck. I have used mostly the QSC K12's, however the K10s and K8s are wonderful speakers. Just depends how far you need to throw sound.

I also have used QSC K181 subs a lot, however they are fairly heavy and maybe a bit more speaker than you'll need for a small acoustic ensemble.

However, I have also used a little EV subwoofer - https://www.amazon.com/Electro-Voice.../dp/B00JZTS78Y - This thing really pushes some air for being such a small unit, and I haven't seen a sub that performs like this thing does anywhere near this price range. It truly is an awesome subwoofer.

That's the board, mains and speakers! Good luck on your quest!

[Mike Snyder]

Bandaids, aspirin, possibly safety goggles.

[almeriastrings]

I'd also go for QSK K10's in that situation. Really clean, reliable and well made speakers. However, both Yamaha with the DXR10 and EV with the EXT-10P are also very fine speakers. For this kind of application you truly need a very clean sounding system. Cheap speakers just will not cut it.

Mixer... personally, I'd probably go for the QSC Touchmix 8 in your situation, though the Mackie DL's are rather similar and not quite as pricey. Again, you want a really solid, clean-sounding board. Personally, I like to have the option of a physical control surface plus wi-fi by tablet, rather than relying 100% on a remote.

Lots of microphone choices... I agree with Robert's note of caution. Sometime, yes, you can make the "single mic thing" work - but if you get landed with a really bad room room or stage, you can find yourself up a creek without a paddle. Have a 'Plan B'. Always. Either transducers plus an SM-58 (or similar) or a multi-mic system you can change to in those situations. Venues do exist where a single mic system can prove completely unusable. You need to be prepared for that.

[Jordan S.]

Lots of great information here, folks. Thanks for the help.

[Mandoplumb]

Our band has used one mic for years, and like any thing else the more you use it the fewer times you can't make it work. You will probably need a graphic EQ, and learn to " ring out" the room, don't try to use monitors. I found it a big help when starting with the one mic dance to record right off the mixer to see if the dance is working, and make changes where it's not. In most cases the single mic is more forgiving in the mix than multiple mics. You have had some good advice on equipment and if I have to replace my system the powered speakers are what I would go with but as of now I'm using antique power amp and speakers that just won't quit. Good luck and if you don't have someone to run sound make thatvone mic work. In my case it took the mix off my mind and made the playing less stressful and more fun. No more money than we make we should have fun.

[BrianWilliam]

Get an outlet tester and use it before plugging anything in. Getting electrocuted is decidedly uncool.

[mandroid]

Power conditioner ..

[mandroid]

Had Passive speakers , so when My Etek Notemix seemed Less Transportable
(small, But Heavy).


I Got a CARVIN powered Mixer ..I was Amazed How Light it was ,
due to not having a Transformer based power supply.