vocal pa?

probo_squad_henry

New member
Ok I'm kinda new to this. My bands singer wants to get a better PA/amp thing for his mic, and no one in the band knows where to start. Would you be able to just get a regular PA monitor and plug straight into it, or is there a special monitor I need?

Thanks
 
Re: vocal pa?

there are multiple components to a PA...you cant just plug a mic into a monitor. Do a little research first on what a PA is and a basic setup and we can help narrow down from there.
 
Re: vocal pa?

there are multiple components to a PA...you cant just plug a mic into a monitor. Do a little research first on what a PA is and a basic setup and we can help narrow down from there.

That isn't entirely true. You can just plug a microphone into many active monitors and it would work, though it probably wouldn't be the best option unless you're broke and don't currently have any PA.

If your band has any PA at all, we'd need to know what you have now and what the issue is to say more. For example if your singer can't be heard, it could be a case of poor microphone choice or needing to EQ his channel differently.
 
Re: vocal pa?

We've got a 60 watt powered monitor right now, and he isn't heard at all. Would that be because of bad EQing, or just because we have two 100 watt half stacks and a loud drummer?
 
Re: vocal pa?

I see this one can accept mic level, but your still not going to get nearly what you can out of it imo.

Most active monitors cannot accept mic input. Plus, I would avoid this as having one control over pre/power volume will lead to extra noise since your not properly gain staging.

I do agree with Dystrust though - What do you currently have? you might not need a new PA at all.
 
Re: vocal pa?

We've got a 60 watt powered monitor right now, and he isn't heard at all. Would that be because of bad EQing, or just because we have two 100 watt half stacks and a loud drummer?

1 60W isn't going to cut it for sure. However, if he has a powered monitor we can ADD vs replace.

What else is in the chain? Mic? Board etc? also, what model monitor is it?
 
Re: vocal pa?

We've got a 60 watt powered monitor right now, and he isn't heard at all. Would that be because of bad EQing, or just because we have two 100 watt half stacks and a loud drummer?

The speaker you found won't be much louder than what you have now; I have doubts as to whether you'd even notice. If I were in your place I'd start looking at used PA gear and try to find a powered mixer with a pair of 12s. Bare minimum I'd want 200W into each speaker, and 300+ would be better.
 
Re: vocal pa?

What's the power rating on the speakers? You can find powered boards pretty cheap on the used market. So you could beef up your current AND add a powered monitor as well.

Otherwise SlyFoxx's idea will work as well
 
Re: vocal pa?

PAs are dirt cheap now compared to years ago. I would check your local Craigslist for a system. Bands are constantly breaking up and unloading PA gear. I would imagine for around a $300 investment you should be able to find something much more useable than a single powered monitor.
 
Re: vocal pa?

Maybe turn down the rest of the instruments a bit? A good rule is that if you can't hear the kick drum without putting a mic on it, then you're too loud.
 
Re: vocal pa?

We can hear everything fine except for the vocals. We can't turn them up loud, whenever we put the volume to around 3 1/2 or 4 we start to get this weird bassy feedback
 
Re: vocal pa?

I think checking the wattage on your current speakers and getting more power will be a huge help.

Also what mic is he using?

Also, experiment with different parts of the room for both mic and speaker placement.
 
Re: vocal pa?

if you are getting feedback then it might have to do with the eq of the pa or how you have the speakers positioned relative to the mic
 
Re: vocal pa?

Maybe turn down the rest of the instruments a bit?.

Also, experiment with different parts of the room for both mic and speaker placement.

You guys probably missed this. It would be hard to do an acoustic setup with what they have let alone a full band.

We've got a 60-watt powered monitor right now

I suggest maybe singing up for Stupid Deal of the Day alerts on Musician's Friend and keeping your eyes open. I see these Gemini powered speakers going for around $200 sometimes. They are not the best but they will blow away what you are using right now. You might consider looking at something like this used.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/gemini-hps-15blu-15-d-class-powered-speaker-with-bluetooth
 
Re: vocal pa?

True, but those factors are still uber important (i.e. placement).

Also, PLEASE let us know what your SPEAKERS are rated for, this might make a huge difference in your options.
 
Re: vocal pa?

I've got practice with them this weekend, I'll try messing with placement and EQing, and I'll find the wattage of the speakers.

The mic he uses is an sm57 I think, although I'm not positive
 
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