Karaoke Forums

I play music, mostly mp3G's & backing tracks, thru my laptop which is hooked up to a Peavey mixer/amp and using two Peavey PR12 Speakers on stands. My problem is that some of my singers, myself included, have trouble hearing the sound. If I crank up the sound loud enough for the singers it is too loud for the audience.  I have tried hooking up a couple of small computer speakers aimed back at the singer and this is very helpful but I am getting some humming from my speakers when I hook up this way. Maybe it's the way I hooked up the two little speakers using a Y-connector coming out of my sound card.

I'm not very savvy about this sound stuff. Can anyone out there help me out?

Get yourself a stage monitor speaker.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Or place your main speakers in such a way that everyone can hear.  But a small stage monitor would be the best bet.

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And since you really don't need stereo for karaoke in almost all cases, you can set your powered mixer to mono/mon1 mode. Then you can parallel your PR12s off one channel of the amp and get about the same volume to your main speakers, and buy a passive monitor to use for the singers.

Thanks for the tip.

Is a passive monitor the same as a stage monitor?

A passive monitor just means it is unpowered, and must have a power amp to drive it (the monitor output on your powered mixer in mono/mon1 mode).

An active monitor has it's own amp and just requires a line-level output from the monitor out of your mixer (powered or unpowered).

And yes, you can call a monitor speaker a stage monitor. They differ from mains in that they are designed to sit on the floor and point up at a standing performer, and that their horn dispersion is designed to not reach other places on the stage. In most ways, they are like regular main speakers set on their side, and some speakers are made/designed to be used for either function.

When we're in a room that requires them (we don't usually because the active Mackies can be positioned to the rear of the singer without feedback), I have daisy chained a couple of Peavey passive speakers to the mains. They have volume controls on them so it is easy to adjust them down far enough. Sometimes it's just enough for those who can't hear themselves. Again, it depends on the room and the speaker setup and tendency to feed back.

k

Positioning your speakers is everything.
Too far forward and your singers cant hear.
Too far back and feedback.
Try it in rehersal.