Karaoke Forums

We have a friend who used to co-host on a system that was a permanent installation belonging to the club until it burned down recently. So she has a lot of hostess experience but not real technical experience as she mainly just had to run what was there and not pick any of it out. Now she is trying to get together her own system so that she can keep together the old gang while the old place is rebuilt. The only thing I could comment on her proposed list is that we don't like our Kustom monitor and the Shure SM58s are good. Otherwise don't know Mackie too well.

She is a female who wants light weight and prefers using powered speakers to an amp. Will be playing small to medium rooms--bars, mobile home park clubhouse, etc. Her budget is probably what you see here. This is what the person at the music store has suggested she get:

Mackie ProFX 8 mixer
(2) Mackie Thump TH15A 2 way powered speakers with crank stands
Kustom KPC12M vocal monitor
(3) SM58 Shure microphones
CAVS JB199 Premier computer with external drive (she already has this and her own discs)

Coming soon:
Sub woofer
cordless microphone
(she didn't specify on two above)

Any comments?
Thanks.

Decent little starter system. Speakers & monitor are probably the weakest links, but should suffice to start out. I personally wouldn't have opted for CAVS but you said she already has it.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I don't think the Kustom is a powered monitor and I don't see an amp on there. Speakers are sort of what I was worrying about as that is a rather crucial link. Read some reviews of them getting distorted/shutting off after a few hours use but wasn't sure if that was a common problem or not.

If it were me I would put off the sub and buy better speakers/monitor but then I know a lot of people think a sub is crucial.

Let me suggest this one:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Harbinger-A ... 1474995.gc

I bought one just to have a a simple backup. I only have used it a couple of times, but I do have to say as far as inexpensive speaker/monitors goes, it works pretty good. It's light weight and sounds reasonably good. There are better for sure out there, but for one that is for a starter system, I wouldn't hesitate.

Scott

OH, BTW, I meant this for the monitor, not the mains. The Thumps are definitely a better choice for mains.

I think you'll do alright with the Thumps, yes they are the B-line model of the Mackie SRM-450's so they do use some cheaper components, but in the end they still share a lot of technology with the 450's which are actually one of the better molded cabinet powered speakers out there.

The Kustom does need an amp. However, I wouldn't be too hard on them either. I worked with a band that played a small stage at a local bar. The place had provided PA and used a pair of those Kustoms for wedges (monitors). They did fine. Are they the highest fidelity? Well no. But lets not forget, this is a stage monitor and in this case a stage monitor for Karaoke where most of the singers barely pay attention to it anyway. I think it will serve you just fine.

All in all not a bad little rig, definitely meets the lightweight requirement.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

We have a Kustom KPC15 Monitor and while it is accurate enough to let you adjust your singing, it is so different in tone from what is coming out of the main speakers that many, including myself, prefer to grab the wireless and sing from the floor. It may be how we have it dialled in but the boyfriend has worked with it and worked with it and we just don't like it too much. But we aren't out of ideas yet for working with it. I would call it a bit bass-y and muffled at this point but if he tries to take a bit of that out, the vocal gets too harsh. Hard to explain. We can't seem to find a good "in between."

While I like and have Mackie and prefer sliders to knobs
I think I would have gone for the Yamaha MG82cx board.
I think the compressors outweigh the Mackie graphic.

Have to chime in with she just told me the Kustom IS powered--guess she meant to put a "p" on the end of the model number. I didn't know they even made one but guess they do.

Is this where I chime in and publicly admit how lame I am? Thanks for your help my friend and to everyone else for your expert opinions. I think the ability to work with the system first hand before I buy is going to really help me out a lot. I'll let you know how it goes.

Hmmm.
Stick with Leopard and you will be ok.

It has been over two years now and I still don't know enough and I learn something almost every day I use the equipment. This is why this part of the forum is here. For people like us with those willing to share.

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Kevin

How important do you guys think it is for her to have compression right off the bat? Our Yamaha has it built in which I know Lonman has described as better than nothing. But I don't think the Mackie has any.

She doesn't have a screamer crowd but then neither did we and it only takes one. We got in two rare ones last week.

My thought on it is this. If you like the Mackie better otherwise (or already have it) stick with it and get yourself a real compressor when the time is right. Yes compression is helpful, especially in controlling peaks from "screamers" but if you keep your gain and levels in check, you can manage without compression just fine. Just my 2 cents.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Tony remember this is a ....
What do I say.
Not a lot of experience...
Compression may help?

Looks ready to roll to me. Only draw back, to me, is the Cavs 199. I'd think picking up a cavs 203g+usb for the main player(should work with the external drive as is), and using the 199 for a backup. Books, and m.o. should remain the same. Good Luck