Karaoke Forums

All,

#1: Which one would you recommend in term of sound quality (karaoke purposes of course) for the following entry level Powered Speakers:
Behringer B215A or TAPCO Thump TH-15A?
I read other online reviews and sounds like the Tapco is quite noisy and buzzy whereas the Behringer is quieter, any confirmation on this?

#2: Any recommendation for a good entry level mixer to go with the speakers? How about the
Yamaha MG-82CX 8Ch PA Mixer w/ FX & Compression or the Yamaha MG-102C 10Ch w/ Compression or Mackie DFX6?

#3: What is "compression" on a mixer by the way? Is it better to have it or it does not matter?

Thanks,
John

I use both the Thump and the B212A, along with another set of Behringer speakers. I like the sound of the Behringer better, myself, but it is close. I would purchase Yorkville YX15 over either -- three hundred more the pair but worth it.

The Mackie will be a good mixer, but I like the completeness of the Yamaha package. Compression makes a big difference in the sound of your singers. Basically it is like an automatic volume control -- turns them up in the softer parts of their singing and turns them down in the louder parts. I have both the Yamaha MG124CX and the MG166CX.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Thanks mckyj57,

I just bought a Yamaha MG-82CX mixer based on your recommendations.

As for the PA speaker, would you please be more specific when you stated that you like the Behringer B212A sound better vs. the Tapco Thump? Is it because it's warmer, cleaner or else?

Note: I do also intend to plug my acoustic guitar (w/ pickup) to the system as well for solo performance.

Cleaner. The Tapco has more low end, of course, but I find the Behringer has more punch.


That should be no problem -- I use the B212a as the mains for a piano / bass / vocal combo. I either mic an acoustic piano with an XY condenser pair or put an electronic through the speakers directly. I also sometimes put a bit of the bass in via a DI box (of course relying on the cab for most of it).

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Thanks mckyj57,

It's great to hear from somebody who actually has real experiences with the gear. It helps a lot to make informed decision before taking the jump. I heard from many online users that the B212A is very clean and loud and yet no noise nor feedback issues at all. I personally prefer clean sound as well.

On the other hand, when you stated that the Tapco is not as clean as the B212A:
- Is it softer in the mid/high range?
- Is it warmer (still clean) or muddy (not clean)?
- Is it noisy or hummy at low volume like some have reported so?

By the way, have you had a chance to work with the Yorkville NX25P and if so, how is it compared to the above speakers?

Now you are pressing me. Neither is my main rig, though I listen to the Thump quite a bit. The main problem is muddy. If eq-ed properly -- we use the DriveRack PA -- they really sound fairly good.


No, but I am sure it blows them away. I work with the YX15 for my home rig, which is Yorkville's low end speaker. I like it better than either the Behringer or Tapco, though again the Behringer speakers I have tend to hold their own. They could easily replace either of the above for gigs and be better.

I am not really that experienced overall, though I believe I have learned quite a bit in the two years I have been serious about this stuff. Listen to LondonLive and Lonman, though they ironically don't have that much experience with the low-end stuff. They tend to buy the better equipment.

Here is the summary of all my pro-level speakers and speaker experience:

-- Peavey PR10 10" mains, 400W. Always used with PR-Sub (15") Sound pretty darned nice when given the full power they need. As Lonman always says, power-hungry but can do pretty darned well. Sound great when well crossed-over and EQ'ed with the DriveRack. Extremely clear with punchy bass that will fill a small room.
-- Behringer B212A (powered). Used in a practice studio and for gigging a piano / bass / vocal combo. Have taken a licking and kept on ticking. Sound pretty darned nice for what they are. Have never used with the DriveRack. I sometimes use as a monitor, and works OK if awkward design for monitors. (90 degree cords help)
-- Tapco Thump 15" powered speaker. Used with the Tapco subs. Will definitely rock the house pretty well, but muddy and underpowered for the subs with 1600W going to the pair. Again, rescued pretty well by the DriveRack.
-- Behringer B1520 400W speakers. Driven with one channel of an EP2500, i.e. 780w, a perfect match. Sound really nice when well eq-ed, can provide some pretty danceable bass.
-- Yorkville YX15 powered speaker. Really crisp and clean, decent bass for a 200w / 50w powered speaker. Not as good as the NX25, I am sure.

I gig out with the Peavey PR10/PR-Sub combo or the Behringer B1520 depending on the room. Both are good enough in combination with the DriveRack, compression, Lexicon or Alesis effects, good mics, and a monitor speaker to wow people compared to your typical pair of PR-15s with a powered mixer and plastic wireless mics.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Thanks mckyj57,

By no mean, I didn't want to put you under pressure
But I am sure that your valuable feedback would benefit a lot of newbies like me in quest for a good entry system for Karaoke and other PA purposes.

Below is a summary of what I was able to collect from my research for a good starter Karaoke system:

- Avoid "Karaoke" brand stuffs. Not only these could be as expensive but also limited in term of quality - flexibility and expandability.

- Get a good non-powered mixer such as the Mackie DFX series or Yamaha MG CX series (MG82CX $150 or MG124CX $250). The Yam looks more attractive as it also includes mic compression (great for vocal) and FX effects.

- Go with PA powered speakers - compact, portability, flexibility, expandability and no worries as opposed to matching a separate amp to some passive speakers.

Entry: It sounds like a pair of Behringer B212A (400W 12" 36lbs $250 ea) is the way to go for an entry level system. Inexpensive and yet powerful while delivering clean and punchy sound in the mid/high, good for vocal applications as well as other musical instruments such as keyboards, acoustic guitar, etc... Coupled with a sub, it will cover the lower end as well. Also, it is good to know that the B212A/B215A are reported as quite reliable and not subjected to quality issues by many online users reviews.

The Tapco Thump TH-15P (300W 15" 36lbs $350 ea) looks very attractive on the paper and gets some notoriety as designed/manufacctured by Mackie. It provides a better thump in the low frequency range thanks to its 15" driver. However, it doesn't sound as clean as the Behringer B212A in the Mid/High range where vocal applications are more dominant.


Good: On the other hand, in the sub $500, one could also just buy ONE better speaker such as the Yorkville NX25P (200W 12" 40lbs $450) or the RCF ART310a for its light weight (350W 10" 26lbs $500) or the Yam MSR400 for its overall smoothness for vocal and instruments performance (300W 12" 50lbs $550) and get a second one down the road. These speakers would provide quality and clean sound that the entry level ones can't match and that would be money well spent.

Note: I didn't include the popular and acclaimed Mackie SRM350/450 in this category b/c it sounds like these are best suitable for PA purposes for their loudness, punch but these are a bit harsh on the vocal side based on various online users reports.


Best: Last and not least, if money is not an issue, then the upper scale powered speakers such as the Electro-Voice EV SXA250 (430W 15" 42lbs $800) or the Yorkville NX55P (550W 12" 47lbs $900) or the QSC HPR122i (500W 12" 60lbs $900) or the heavy weight QSC HPR152i (500W 15" 100lbs $1000) have been cited many times as the preferences for great sound quality for vocal and/or PA applications.


All other comments are welcome as it would help other newbies...
Thanks a bunch to all the contributors...