Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 08:31 AM

Mudcatter Genie makes a huge part of her living doing these gigs in the US, and has posted a wealth of knowledgable information: technical aspects, perfomance aspects, and biz aspects.

To find them, just use The Mudcat "Old Adv Forum Search" (CLICK HERE) (an item in the drop-down menu called Quick Links), with these search terms:

Genie
Nursing

... and you will turn up topics and subtopics of intertest. I'm sure she'd respond to a PM as well.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 01:32 AM

The only valid reason for a P A in a small venue is Sound Balance . I have a Folio - 4 Instrument or Mic channels and 2 Stereo inputs - Works a treat tghrough my antique HH Mixer amp and gives us eight chanels , ample for a trio .

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: Tootler
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 06:41 PM

Apart from your keyboard, do you really need an amp at all?

Somehow there seems to be an assumption that however small the venue, if you are performing, you must have a PA. Surely in a small space, even a largish dining room, there is no need for a PA. Learn to project your voice and no PA reduces the chance of instruments dominating the vocals.

Also there is this issue of volume with seniors. They really don't like too much of it and an the intimacy of a purely acoustic performance is much far more satisfying.

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 01:05 PM

What you really need is to be able to send a signal direct into their hearing aids: an induction loop. I don't think there is any such thing.

If you want your keyboards to sound halfway decent you will not achieve that with a 6 inch speaker.

The fact that something will go loud does not mean that it has to go loud.   You should (IMHO) get a little suitcase rig. I like the Peavey a lot better than the Fender, and the Carlsbro one is not bad either.

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 12:20 PM

yes, even a small 10 watt practice amp with only a 6" speaker
might be too loud in such a care centre environment,
so i'm safely assuming whatever the size of your acoustic amp
it will provide loud enough amplification of the keyboard,
and just sufficiently reinforce the relative volume of the mics and guitars.

Acoustic and keyboard amps are fairly similar in design and function,
so yours should cope ok with the extended frequency range
without any real problems.


Even a decent quality pair of powered computer speakers
plugged into the output of your combo
[if it has one] would be fine for some small intimate room performance
where excess volume is an issue.

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 11:28 AM

Thanks, this is very helpful. So with a mini-mixer, all the sound would simply come through my little amp?

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 10:35 AM

i've just checked, even the cheapest acoustic amp in the current behringer range
has a 'CD' input which would allow use of an outboard mixer or preamp/FX unit.

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 10:25 AM

if more flexibility is needed,
in the UK I'd suggest a portable all-in-one
multi instrument mixer combo amp like the Laney Audiohub

http://www.laney.co.uk/show_type.php?tid=4

I've picked up fair priced used AH100 which
will be a very useful multipurpose gigging amp.

In the states, Roland and I think Kustom market similar products,
probably Behringer as well...?

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 10:18 AM

assuming your acoustic amp is plenty loud enough for small care centre day rooms
to just mildy reinforce your acoustic sound;
I'd suggest the cheapest practicable option is to consider a mini mixer
[behringer is a good cost effective brand]
to cope with the keyboard and any additional mics.
Maybe your amp has a suitable aux/line-in input for such a mixer ?

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: pavane
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 09:56 AM

If, by Senior Centre, you mean for the elderly, then the main advice is keep the volume to the absolute minimum! Mrs Pavane often entertains in retirement and nursing homes, and the one thing she often hears about other entertainers is that they are too loud.

Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 12:29 AM

Sorry---one more addition. I also have an electric keyboard that I'll use (especially if they don't have an in-tune piano--which would actually be preferable).

Subject: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system?
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 04 Oct 10 - 12:27 AM

Hi folks. My partner are planning on trying to get some gigs at various senior centres in the area, and we're wondering what any of you who have done this sort of thing have used for a sound system. We don't have a lot of money to spend on one. We have one singer/guitarist (Ovation electric/acoustic) with a big voice, and a singer with a not-so-big voice. All I own right now is a Behringer acoustic guitar amplifier with two channels.


Some of the venues will be small, but some may be in a larger dining room or auditorium.

Any ideas?

Thanks.