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04 Oct 10 - 12:27 AM (#2999115) Subject: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: Larry The Radio Guy 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. |
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04 Oct 10 - 12:29 AM (#2999116) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: Larry The Radio Guy 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). |
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04 Oct 10 - 09:56 AM (#2999313) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: pavane 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. |
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04 Oct 10 - 10:18 AM (#2999323) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker 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 ? |
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04 Oct 10 - 10:25 AM (#2999329) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker 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...? |
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04 Oct 10 - 10:35 AM (#2999341) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker 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. |
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04 Oct 10 - 11:28 AM (#2999383) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: Larry The Radio Guy Thanks, this is very helpful. So with a mini-mixer, all the sound would simply come through my little amp? |
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04 Oct 10 - 12:20 PM (#2999437) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker 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. |
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04 Oct 10 - 01:05 PM (#2999451) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: Richard Bridge 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. |
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04 Oct 10 - 06:41 PM (#2999663) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: Tootler 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. |
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05 Oct 10 - 01:32 AM (#2999803) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: Leadfingers 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 . |
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05 Oct 10 - 08:31 AM (#3000015) Subject: RE: Tech: Seniors Home Performances:Sound system? From: wysiwyg 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 |