Mixers for singers and/or backup

[wensleydale]

Following on from Charlies thread about allowing a singer to play through his PA, I know many of you are not keen on that, but for those of you who do/will and are looking for some kit to help do it I just bought one of these which seems like a good deal-
http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/soundcraft-notepad-102--68859

Also will work well as a backup mixer too or for other "non-disco" events.

[NKR]

Very nice idea, but it will still be dry!

http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/yamaha-mg82cx-analogue-compact-mixer--38248

Thats what you need for a budget singer application.

[CRAZY K]

Very nice idea, but it will still be dry!

http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/yamaha-mg82cx-analogue-compact-mixer--38248

Thats what you need for a budget singer application.

Is there any difference in quality or reliability.:confused:

I saw the Yamaha at the local Disco shop the other day and they reckon they are excellent.

I currently have a similar looking mixer thats nice and small and sounds good---its the one I use when I work Side Saddle with Corabar Steve and other DJs ;)

Its a Phonic http://www.e-av.co.uk/phonic-am440-mixer

[NKR]

Is there any difference in quality or reliability.:confused:

I saw the Yamaha at the local Disco shop the other day and they reckon they are excellent.

I currently have a similar looking mixer thats nice and small and sounds good---its the one I use when I work Side Saddle with Corabar Steve and other DJs ;)

Its a Phonic http://www.e-av.co.uk/phonic-am440-mixer

Again sure it does a job but not ideal for a singer as it will be dry.

Quality is better on the Yammy - plus;

Mic preamps
Built in Compression
On board DSP effects

Its an ideal budget vocal desk.

[wensleydale]

Surely a dry mixer sorts the men from the boys?

[CRAZY K]

Again sure it does a job but not ideal for a singer as it will be dry.



Perhaps you can explain--im not understanding that expression:confused:

[NKR]

Surely a dry mixer sorts the men from the boys?

You can run dry, but it just doesn't do anybody any justice. Even the best singers need some effects.


Perhaps you can explain--im not understanding that expression:confused:

Dry is where you run with no vocal effects. Everyone needs a little bit of reverb to stop it sounding flat, without depth or as it is known dry.

Also the yammy desk has compression on it which stops singers blowing off the top of the desk when they hit those big money notes.

It also has buses on it so if you ever need to put instruments through and contol the level of them against mics you can. Bus your instruments and mic channels separately.

Running a singer requires a decent FOH desk. The options put forward by others have a send and return option which you can attach outboard effects and compression to, but why spend that additional money when you can get a desk for £80 or £50 more that does that job. Very versatile desk the Yammys and they are the dogs nuts for quality and sound reproduction when you can't afford an Allen & Heath.

Just my humble opinion.

[yourdj]

these are pretty good back up mixers alothough not very good for singers.

You could plug a small band into it.

http://www.ocie.com/images_products/behringer_eurorack_ub502_s16440.jpg

[leelive]

Something with effects would be better.
http://www.mackie.com/products/profx8/
or
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/1204FX.aspx
Lee

[Excalibur]

It's hard to vote against the big Behringer mixers for value. Sadly, they're a bit cumbersome, so that counts against them when space is at a premium.

Really, you need the big FOH mixers for when you need to work with live acts, but take the dinky ones for backup and speeches.

[CRAZY K]

You can run dry, but it just doesn't do anybody any justice. Even the best singers need some effects.



Dry is where you run with no vocal effects. Everyone needs a little bit of reverb to stop it sounding flat, without depth or as it is known dry.

Also the yammy desk has compression on it which stops singers blowing off the top of the desk when they hit those big money notes.

It also has buses on it so if you ever need to put instruments through and contol the level of them against mics you can. Bus your instruments and mic channels separately.

Running a singer requires a decent FOH desk. The options put forward by others have a send and return option which you can attach outboard effects and compression to, but why spend that additional money when you can get a desk for £80 or £50 more that does that job. Very versatile desk the Yammys and they are the dogs nuts for quality and sound reproduction when you can't afford an Allen & Heath.

Just my humble opinion.

Ok thanks for that explanation.

Quite frankly if its just for the odd singer who is piggybacking at a Wedding or a Party to sing a song its doubtful if anyone is going to notice much.

Personally I work dry so to speak, so my mixer is fine for me as im not a singer, seems to work ok as I need maximum vocal sound penetration to cut through the music in a lot of dreadful acoustically challenged venues.
:eek: :eek: :eek:
.

[Digital Jack]

You could always plug one of these into your mixer >> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TC-HELICON-VOICETONE-CREATE-VOCAL-PROCCESSOR-BOXED-/230578990181?pt=UK_Consumer_Professional_RL&hash=item35af942c65

I used to use them , terrific results with them.

[wensleydale]

I think people are missing the point. This was meant as a 60 quid backup mixer or an option to run more Mic's if required. Spending double the amount on a mixer or another hundred on an dc unit is not what the original thread was really after. Nor would it be of use. And whilst it can see the point about singers running dry its also worth noting that we've put several singers through our existing (dry) mixer without any issues so I'm still v happy with the soundcraft option.

[NKR]

I think people are missing the point. This was meant as a 60 quid backup mixer or an option to run more Mic's if required. Spending double the amount on a mixer or another hundred on an dc unit is not what the original thread was really after. Nor would it be of use. And whilst it can see the point about singers running dry its also worth noting that we've put several singers through our existing (dry) mixer without any issues so I'm still v happy with the soundcraft option.

Which is why we have to convince people about the quality of the singing as there are as many rubbish singers as there are DJ's. Any singer running through a dry DJ mixer is really not going to sound very clever at all. Regardless of how good they are you need to be using adequate equipment.

[wensleydale]

Which is why we have to convince people about the quality of the singing as there are as many rubbish singers as there are DJ's. Any singer running through a dry DJ mixer is really not going to sound very clever at all. Regardless of how good they are you need to be using adequate equipment.

I dont really agree- the last one we did like this was a wedding with an acoustic guitar playing singer. Choice was run through our PA or leave without any amplification so that no-one could here her.
In this instance, the B&G, singer, and myself were more than happy with the results we got.

If we were doing it week in week out then I would agree with you but Charlie and myself originally discussed a very rare need to amplify a singer or a band or in my case the option to have many more inputs.

[yourdj]

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/1204FX.aspx
Lee[/QUOTE]

I got one the same as that. Not bad generally.

I would get a better non generic one. Lots are the same and just branded, bit like the impossiled etc.

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

I use these.. theyre Studiomaster C3X,
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/DAVESOUNDS/DSC07567.jpg
4 XLR/Jack Mike channels
4 Line (Phone/Jack) Stereo/Mono inputs for music, Instruments etc
Built in Effects ( Footswitchable for talking between songs)
And a Separate Monitor Feed for Floor monitors.
Ive fitted a few in installs and actually own one in my
Open Mike Night kit and theyve been Brilliant.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/DAVESOUNDS/DSC07568.jpg
Theyre only 1 unit!
the mikes have 3 band eq on Mike 1
and Common 3 band eq on 2-3 and 4 Mikes
the Lines have Common 2 Band eq
and it allways gets me through the night.
theyre around 150 pound but i think this one
came boxed from Trash Converters or something
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/DAVESOUNDS/DSC07569.jpg
The Musicians like them too!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/DAVESOUNDS/DSC07570.jpg
Ive sold one to an open mike singer for him to gig with
he was delighted with it
The one in my open mike kit has a Peavey Switching stuffed into the same
box to make a light self contained PA

Cheers

[CRAZY K]

Which is why we have to convince people about the quality of the singing as there are as many rubbish singers as there are DJ's. Any singer running through a dry DJ mixer is really not going to sound very clever at all. Regardless of how good they are you need to be using adequate equipment.

We are talking of a cheap mixer for the odd bit of singing by a piggyback
wannabee singer or perhaps a member of the family who wants to sing a song-- well out of tune in my experience:eek: .

I dont see why I have to have singer friendly equipment just in case they might want to use my mike.

If they are serious singers they will bring their own PA.

Which is exactly what happened last year when I offered my PA to the singer---he turned up with a Mackie setup and mixers of his own. Very nice.

Great--except he didnt have long enough leads so I obliged by lending some of mine.;)

[wensleydale]

I use these.. theyre Studiomaster C3X,

The one in my open mike kit has a Peavey Switching stuffed into the same
box to make a light self contained PA

Cheers

Is that the Peavey amp that weighs next to nothing? If so what's it like?

[Corabar Steve]

Somebody get me the smelling salts!

I need reviving.

Davesounds has posted an equipment pic that doesn't contain any Matamp kit

I feel quite faint :sj: :sj:

[Excalibur]

Somebody get me the smelling salts!

I need reviving.

Davesounds has posted an equipment pic that doesn't contain any Matamp kit
I feel quite faint :sj: :sj:

Yeah, but he's bringing the mobile Matamp billboard round to me on Tuesday. ;) :D :D

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

Is that the Peavey amp that weighs next to nothing? If so what's it like?


Hiya Wensleydale,
The Peavey IPR1600 Switching amp is Brilliant!
Ive 2 and have been hammering them for around 6 months!
and havent destroyed either of them.
Up to now id only use MatamP or Chevin but now ive enjoyed the
IPR im a convert. They weigh 3 kilos!
and are 5 years warrantied!
cheers

[CRAZY K]

Hiya Wensleydale,
The Peavey IPR1600 Switching amp is Brilliant!
Ive 2 and have been hammering them for around 6 months!
and havent destroyed either of them.
Up to now id only use MatamP or Chevin but now ive enjoyed the
IPR im a convert. They weigh 3 kilos!
and are 5 years warrantied!
cheers

Ah well thats 2 Peavey fans on here now;)

[wensleydale]

Hiya Wensleydale,
The Peavey IPR1600 Switching amp is Brilliant!
Ive 2 and have been hammering them for around 6 months!
and havent destroyed either of them.
Up to now id only use MatamP or Chevin but now ive enjoyed the
IPR im a convert. They weigh 3 kilos!
and are 5 years warrantied!
cheers
the weight and warranty are what really appeals to me.
thanks for the reply

[NKR]

I dont really agree- the last one we did like this was a wedding with an acoustic guitar playing singer. Choice was run through our PA or leave without any amplification so that no-one could here her.
In this instance, the B&G, singer, and myself were more than happy with the results we got.

If we were doing it week in week out then I would agree with you but Charlie and myself originally discussed a very rare need to amplify a singer or a band or in my case the option to have many more inputs.


We are talking of a cheap mixer for the odd bit of singing by a piggyback
wannabee singer or perhaps a member of the family who wants to sing a song-- well out of tune in my experience:eek: .

I dont see why I have to have singer friendly equipment just in case they might want to use my mike.

If they are serious singers they will bring their own PA.

Which is exactly what happened last year when I offered my PA to the singer---he turned up with a Mackie setup and mixers of his own. Very nice.

Great--except he didnt have long enough leads so I obliged by lending some of mine.;)

I believe this thread is titled mixers for singers / backup. What was posted was not appropriate for singers and both the known posters who are either a singer or run a singer pointed it out.

If it was called - Mixers you might run a singer through if you had nothing else and they could not be bothered to bring their own kit - i might have agreed.