Setting up a simple live show
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Posted on Mar 10, 2009 10:24 pm
colby miller
Member Since: Jul 21, 2007
Hey guys, I'm setting up a simple live show in a small coffee shop type area and I need some help.
It's just acoustic guitar and vocals. I have a mic for the acoustic guitar and a mic for the vocals that I use for recording.
I am completely clueless to setting up anything for playing live and need to know what kind of equipment I'm going to need.
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monmixrIf 50hz 60 will kill ya.Member
Since: Jan 08, 2009
Mar 10, 2009 10:27 pm well, what kind of mics do you use for recording as they may do. then, rent a nifty powered mixer with a pair of tops and go to town. the rental place should have a sound on a stick package cheap, if your using expensive studio type mics for recording then just have them throw in a shure sm57 for the tar and a shure sm58 for the vox and you should be fine. the powered head will prolly have a verb built in too.
Mar 10, 2009 10:40 pm I'm using a shure 57 and 58. They don't have any equipment at all. We are setting up for free, just to play.
Mar 10, 2009 11:56 pm Well, like monmixr said, just a small powered mixer, and a small pair of top boxes and your good to go.
There is two lawyers that rent from my shop on a regular bases. And they rent a Mackie 808S, a pair of Turbosound 081's. Which is just an 8", and a 1" horn. The cabling, stands, and two 58's.
I think we only charge them around $50 bucks.
So, it might cost a few dollars, but, it will get some exposure.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 12, 2009 08:01 pm What they are suggesting is if you have a music store near you that will rent a small pa amp and speakers out. Most places around here as well do the same for around the same as Rob stated.
That is all you would need. A simple little pa amp with a pair of small speaker's.
Mar 17, 2009 01:35 pm So I went around looking for nearby music stores and there aren't any nearby that will rent. Everything I'm going to have to buy.
I'd rather just order online. I already have two mics, I just need everything else haha.
So what gear would you guys recommend? I really have no knowledge of what kind of equipment I need for playing live, at all.
Thank you for the help you've given me so far but I need some help compiling a nice (as minimal as possible) list of things I need to buy.
Mar 17, 2009 01:37 pm Mixer, compressor, 30 band or better EQ, multi effects processor for reverbs and whatnot and lots of cables.
Probably a stage snake too...
Mar 17, 2009 01:47 pm Oh, for little shows yeah, things like that are awesome...and inexpensive. But get them at zZounds :-)
If you only need to amplify vocals, maybe a little kick fill or whatever, those little rigs are cool.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Mar 17, 2009 03:04 pm What about those little Fender Passports? I've always wondered about those for little coffe shop shows. They're pretty low-powered but you wouldn't need much amplification in a quiet setting like a coffee shop, at least until somebody orders a cappucino and they have to turn on that damn milk frother :)
Mar 17, 2009 05:24 pm Yeah, I guess the little passports are OK.
I'm just having an argument with Fender right now. So, I'm just a little jaded towards them.
I still don't see why I just can't order factory direct with them. We are an approved back line company for them. But they still won't let me get any part from them.
Not that parts guru or Antique Electronics are bad companies to deal with. They just don't carry everything that I need for Fender or SWR.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 17, 2009 05:31 pm Tadpui, the Passports are OK when you get into the bigger systems. The systems up to about the $600 mark are not DJ type stuff but would work ok for strictly a vocal type thing. They run pretty smallish speaker's and not much power until you spend about a grand on one.
The system Rob pointed to is a pretty good bang for the buck. I just listened to one similar and was pleasantly surprised at what it sounded like for that kind of money.
But ya, buy from zZounds.
Doug BabbittSound as good as you playMember
Since: Dec 23, 2008
Mar 18, 2009 11:13 am Take a look at using a Mackie SRM150 as a combination mixer and powered personal monitor, with a connection to an SRM350 or SRM450 on a stick for your pa.
This setup appeals to me because the 2 components could still be useful parts of a larger system if you needed to upsize down the road.
You can see the configuration I'm describing in the SRM150 manual at mackie.com.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Mar 18, 2009 11:51 am The band I was in used the bose stand type things. they worked quite well. Two posts, and 2 subs.
For a 1 man show, they would do quite nice. Though their price is quite obtrusive.
On a similar note, I think fishman has a stand type PA now, for around 600$.
Oop, my bad. 1k$:
www.zzounds.com/item--FSMSOLO
still, cheaper than the bose system, and uber-easy to work with.
Mar 19, 2009 04:09 am I like that package that Rob linked.
I assume all I'd really need after that is more cables for my mics and speaker stands?
Mar 19, 2009 10:22 am You're right. The plus I see with that system is that if/when you graduate to something bigger, the speakers can be used as monitors!
Mar 19, 2009 10:25 am I think the package comes with all of the speaker cables, and speaker stands. Well maybe not the stands.
I think the only other thing would be some mic cables for the mic's that you already own.
