Karaoke Forums

As I said, you've never used the mic I was talking about, how did I know? You don't know what you're talking about. You just admitted it.

Only a $500 wireless is good enough for you because you're such a pro and such a good singer. Only $500 wireless mics are good enough for your bar customers too. Why? I sure don't know. But that's the difference between you and me. I DON'T know it all and I'm the first to say so. I try to talk about things I DO know and have first hand knowledge of or experience with. You on the other hand speak from high aloft on your ivory tower surrounded by only the best that money can buy and proclaim that that is what everyone should do and if they don't they are inferior to you and their patrons can't possibly have a positive experience. You are full of it.

You can tell the difference? That's funny. Say it all you want. You talked smack about something that you know nothing about and you got exposed for what you are, a poser.

I bet you've never used the Audio Technica 252 either, but you know it's not good enough for you either because it only costs $100. Again, you don't know what you're talking about. The primary difference between the AT 252 and a $500 mic is in sensitivity. Unless you're a professional vocalist with very good control of your voice you don't want a super sensitive mic like a Sennheiser because it will expose every flaw. Since you sing perfectly and have no flaws then the Sennheiser is probably the perfect mic for you because you want people to hear every nuance of your pristine vocal renderings.

One more thing.

I've used Samson, Nady, Shure, Sennheiser, Behringer, Audio Technica, Vocopro, CAD and Gemini microphones. Some wired and some wireless from most of those brands. I own several of them, but not all.

I've read a lot about AKG mics. Seems like quite a few people use them and buy them. I've never seen one or sung through one. I don't talk smack about AKG. I've never used one, don't know anything about them. Why would I disparage them?

People put down Pyle Pro all the time. I heard a pair of their speakers and for the price they aren't bad. Are they as good as Yamaha or Electrovoice? IMO, NO, but for what they cost, they're not bad. Could you get by with Pyle Pro speakers? In many instances you could IMO. To my amazement people sometimes put down Peavey. Peavey products are moderately priced. Are they crap? A whole lot of professional musicians have relied on Peavey products for years.

I was at a bar that had JBL speakers and the person running the Karaoke knew nothing about running a mixer, IT SOUNDED HORRIBLE! Aren't JBL speakers supposed to be good?

Spending a lot of money on equipment is no guarantee that it will sound good. Some people are hacks, some people know how to adjust a mixer.

<loud whistle sound from referee>

Time-out guys.

Life's too short. We obviously can't all agree on everything. Live and let live. You're both right in your own way.

Take a deep breath. Step away from the keyboard.

I'm not upset, but it seems there is someone here that is. I must have a talent for teeing people off. I state my opinion and they get upset, and start attacking. I willl have to learn to state my opinion a bit more delicately -- some people take things personally and start making personal attacks.

Once again, for you -- I tried the cheap mics and found them wanting. I am just an amateur, so it doesn't matter so much. I am waiting on a great price for my Shure.

I know that if I were running a pro show, I would think I couldn't afford to have cheap mics. Unless, that is, I ran a wired SM-58 or the equivalent and just used the cheap ones for people who don't care. Just my opinion, Randy. Take it for what it is worth -- an amateur KJ with 25 gigs of experience, and singer who has attended 100 different karaoke shows.

The KJs here in sunny Miami, alas, are 0-3 for sound. The combination of cheap mics and over-use of cheap effects makes everyone sound the same. Maybe that is what they are going for, but it sucks.

he's got a point, dude. The thread was about inexpensive mics, and then you go and diss it. OF COURSE it's going to hack someone off.

If you are looking for a cheap, but decent wireless mic check ebay. There is one series of mic's that I have had some experience with that generally sell for around $80 for the pair. This includes the batteries and receiving and base charging unit. This is for 2 mic's. This item is sold under several different names and is VHF.  I purchased mine for $77 a set. I purchased a couple of units and have been using them for almost 3  years with just replacing the batteries from recharging. I keep a separate rapid charger on stage just to be sure that I have plenty of fresh batteries.

As far as quality, I can assure you that they are durable (yes they have been "DRUNK DROP TESTED"),  the worst thing that has happened is the battery covers disappear. They also hold up well to moisture (I clean my mic's after every singer).

I have had professional singers/musicians use them on my stage and they couldn't believe how well they respond and sound. (Just remember the sound is only as good as your sound tech!) One of these guys told me that he normally uses shure, and sennheiser, but didn't have a problem with using these.  The range inside a bar is not bad, enabling you to work the house. Also with 4 wireless mic's and 2 corded mic's I can have even a large group sing at the same time. (a big favorite towards closing time).

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Only expensive mics are good, you don't know what you're talking about roadhog. You need to spend a minimum of $500-$600 or I wouldn't come to your show. I can only sing with the finest equipment and how dare you say your inexpensive mics are good enough for professional musicians! This is an outrage.

Someone needed to cut Mickey Mouse down to size, I elected myself. Don't confuse me giving him a good a$$ banging with me being mad. I enjoyed it, I should be thanking him. He thinks he needs to post his opinions on EVERY thread and he has an opinion on EVERYTHING. In this case he got schooled. Problem is he's way too thick headed and he already knows it all so he won't go away with any knowledge or insight at all. When you're god's gift to Karaoke you don't need to LISTEN or learn anything, you just need to tell everyone what you "know" and it's pretty much everything there is.

))))))

That is funny.

Stogie, getting a  little personal there...why all the anger?
It's true some people have very strong opinions here, but that's all they are.

I don't agree that you need an expensive mic to sound good though, or that professional singers are not okay with cheap mics. I personally have 5 professional singers, not wannabees. from the Legend In Concert Shows that prefer to sing on my cheap API mics OVER my Shure SM-58s. I got the API's because the drunks kept dropping my senheisers.

PM me and i'll give you contact numbers of these currently performing every night singers who use REAL expensive equipment in showrooms, but prefer to sing off my cheap wireless mics. They also prefer my 1 audio technica wireless OVER the Shure as well. And they sound good. Believe me when i say THEY WOULD tell me if my system or sound sucked because they ARE friends of mine.

Just telling you the truth in my case, my friend.    Best J.R.

I was very clear, please read what I wrote. No other explanations are needed. If you don't get it after that I'm sorry, there's no reason for me to repeat myself. Just to clarify one point, I'm not criticizing people who use Shures or Sennheisers or EV wireless mics. They are obviously very good products.

There was never any question about those products or their quality and that's not what this discussion was about. Personally, I can't justify handing a $500 or $600 mic to someone in a bar, but that's just me. The single most expensive piece of gear that I have is my powered mixer and only I use it. There are no customers fiddling with the knobs or buttons. I consider it to be of very high quality and I can justify it's expense because of the functionality it provides, it's light weight and compactness. Could I get by with a less expensive and not as high quality mixer? IMO, yes. Would it still sound good to the vast majority of people, IMO, yes, it would.

My point is that there is the simple question of whether it is smart to buy cheap mics. I don't think it is, because I made the mistake of doing it. $600.00 later, on my third set, I could have had a Shure mic for $200.00 less.

I think the proponents of cheap mics here don't even know why they are bad. While some copies of cheap mics can sound good, in general they suffer in 1) consistency and 2) off-axis response. Because of the nature of microphones and their transducers, it is very difficult to make them meet specification consistently. For instance, you may have seen small-diaphragm condenser mics sold in matched pairs, even from high-end, top-quality manufacturers.

Good mics meet the specs and sound good consistently. You can also tell from fit and finish, and handling noise, that they are better. But cheap mics will drive a decent singer batty because they will sound different depending on how you hold them. Good mics will be consistent even if they are rotated 180 degrees along the axis.

I think among the people who know the business here, the consensus is that the last thing you can afford to scrimp on is microphones.

So yes, I dissed the cheap microphones. I think making that purchase is a big mistake, because I made it and paid for it.

If they can't tell the difference, then I bet their sound is real bad. I know a deaf KJ, and I like the man very much. He is a lousy host, though, because his stuff sounds terrible.

Pros can often make any mic sound good just because they are so good at hearing themselves and making the adjustment. Wannabees who are not good at mic technique, like me, have more trouble and need a more forgiving mic. That is why I prefer the SM-58 over the Sennheiser 945 or the Beta 58 -- because the cardioid pattern tolerates poor mic technique better than the supercardioids do.

I'll agree with that statement- good logical reasoning.

He only wants a cheap one to see what will happen to the frequencies after 2009.   He doesn't want to get stuck with an expensive one that won't work.

High quality yields high quality.

I've argued my stance on good, less expensive mics too. You can disagree with a thread, the guy was looking for the best kind of inexpensive mics. I personally feel you can get some pretty good results from some fairly inexpensive mics. Will they stand up to the $600 mics? Probably not. Heck, just the warranty on the Shures is enough proof for that. BUT when you're on a budget and doing one gig a week (if that), then you have to go with what can get you through the night, the month.

I started out with a Audio Technica wireless for $99, and I was very happy with the result. I thought the AS-890 was a good deal a year or so later, and when the AS-990's came out, they were an even better improvement.

That's all the guy was looking for!

Obvioulsy some times you get what you pay for, but PRICE should not be the factor on if a mic is good or not.  I admit my SM58 sounds better then the PG58 and also a cheep Behringer Mic I purchased.  I know a SHURE $300 wireless system will sound better than my $49 Gem-Sound system.    But I do use the cheap system without any complaints from experianced singers.  Some KJ's will only uses expensive equipment ( $600 mics  / $10,000 speakers / $900 mixers etc.) If you have the business and the budget ..I think that's great.    One should not dis someones show because of the price of equipment.   Some KJ's use low budget equipment and still have a decent sound and a great show and business.   It's true that the some can not sing on certain mics due to voice tone or improper microphone techniques  etc.
That's why you see many choices for pro audio . Some swear by SHURE others Sennheisers or another brand.  If we want to talk about the BEST wireless mics , start another discussion.   This OP wanted to know about cheap alternatives for a wireless setup.  :hi5:  :hi5:  :hi5:  :hi5:

And I stated my opinion that cheap is not cheap.

I am a cheap person in general. I like Behringer equipment, which some decry as cheap. My first reaction was to try a cheap wireless mic. Three years later, I have a different opinion on the mic. Cheap was not cheap in the long run.

all I can say is every body is looking for that mic that makes them sound better,
if you mixxer is not a good one with at least three band eq and some other stuff with it you are limited no matter what they say or mic you use  so start with a good sound sytem
first, and who knows, you mite like that old mic...
ranger

Tommie Tunes aasked about Hisonic earlier in this train wreck of a discussion and no one responded. I went back to reread the thread and clicked on his link and now I'm curious. Does anyone own a Hisonic wireless or has anyone used one more than once or twice? I'm talking about does anyone actually know first hand anything about this brand not just they read or heard something about Hisonic?

Thank you all for the lively discussion!

I've done my homework on inexpensive systems and came up with a strong candidate... unless anyone has used these and they sound aweful...  It's hard to imagine Pyle being mentioned in the same breath as Hisonic and VocoPro. But the Pyle system is just a little bit more money for double the mics

Pyle PWDM 5000 rack mount, 4 mics, companding circuit

http://tinyurl.com/2hce6s

Pros: 4 mics = 4 frequencies. Drop one and it dies, or interference on freq, switch mics. Good dynamic range, good freq. response 50 Hz - 15 kHz. $120 for the system.

Cons: 9v batt's (plan to get rechargeable 9v batt's and save about $200 per year vs. alkaline), Antennas in rear of housing (so they're in the back of the rack)

I'll get the UHF with many frequencies OR the 2+ Ghz in a year or two when the price comes down.

Anybody see any serious cons with this system? Anybody have experience with this mic brand or model?

Thanks!    Randy