Vocal Equipment

paulmartin

Ok, I'm just wondering what equipment a singer would need for your average pub rock covers band, assuming the band already have a PA. Ok, obviously a mic and a mic stand. But is the mic plugged directly into the PA or do you need a speaker or an amp, like with guitars. And what happens when practising, where you don't normally setup the PA. What do you plug the mic in then. I know some guitar amps allow mics to be plugged into them, but is this what is normally done.

daram

mics usually go through a desk into a poweramp then through the speakers. This is how nearly all venues work. When practicing its ideal to try an aim for the same idea, just on a smaller scale (or on the same scale if you wish). It is possible to plug a mic straight into a guitar amp but it wont sound great.

Eoin Madsen

Guitar amps have no HF drivers (tweeters, horns etc), so they only really reproduce frequencies up to about 5000hz. You want a full range speaker (up to around 20,000hz), since most of the frequencies which dictate vocal clarity are around or above 5000hz. Basically, amps bad - pa speakers good.

You could buy yourself a full range active speaker for practice and even use it as a monitor in live situations. This one would be ideal (and as cheap as you can get without getting into speakers that are actually packed with human feces as well): http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_the_box_pa108a_aktive_fullrangebox_prodinfo.html

Or if you're shopping a little up-market, preferably this one:
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_the_box_pa502a_aktives_fullrangesystem_prodinfo.html

They'll both take a mic directly in via an XLR lead. In a live pub type situation you can plug directly into the PA mixer, also via an XLR. If you wanted to use a speaker like one of the above as a monitor (assuming there are no monitors), you could connect it to one of the mixer's auxilliaries (probably also using an xlr or a balanced jack) - so you have mic out front and mic coming through your monitor.

daram

Something like this may suit too

http://www.music123.com/Galaxy-Audio-PA5X140-i13392.music

paulmartin

Ok, thanks for the replies, but is this stuff needed as well as the band's PA. Like if the band already have a PA system, does a singer like what Daram suggested for gigs. Presumably most singers need one anyway for practice but can the singer plug straight into the bands PA speakers for the gigs or do they need a seperate speaker.

daram

No they just plau straight into the bands p.a. system. Although, with most bands, only vocals are put through the p.a. if they are using they're own system. Only very rarely have I seen drums and amps micd. But yeah, vocals plug straight into the p.a.

Eoin Madsen

If the band have a PA, use it. For the gig, and for practicing. PA systems are made for amplifying microphone signals.