Karaoke Forums

Well, even on a thread that urges the minimization of arguments amongst us, someone had to bring the word "junk" to the fore.

I had intended to start a new thread to share some good news. But, alas, before doing so I made the mistake of surfing the boards. Lo and behold, I ran smack into the "J" word again. So let me tell all of you something about the use of the "J" word - which, reflectss only an opinion! As correctly stated by one of the posters in the above mentioned thread, "Opinions are like A-........"

When I joined this forum over two years ago, I was looking to get started in the business. While several local KJ's who use the Fender Passport 250 recommended it to me, I wanted the opinion of your folks, as well.

I was flabbergasted by how many people denigrated the Passport. It's one thing to be told that for what I want to spend, here's something "better". It's another thing to have someone tell me I am buying junk! It's one thing to suggest that I spend a little more along with recommendations as to what I might consider, than to tell me I'll be sorry with my purchase. I provided all of my background information on the Passport in my original thread - how would I ever be sorry if I knew exactly what I was getting and that what I was getting fit my business plan....?

Anyway..... let's segue to January 17th, 2009.
I have a new gig; the first gig since last May when my mom passed and I had to quite the biz. Starting next week I'll be at that Irish Pub I mentioned in a previous thread. The place is quite large and broken into 3 areas; the Fender definitely won't cut it there.

So.... I just got back from Sam Ash, where I purchased a Yamaha mixer and (2) 3-way 15 inch QSC powered speakers! However, since I don't really need the 15in and I can't see myself lugging them around, my partner is going to use the 15's and I am taking the 2-way 12" speakers that he now uses!

Lastly, I have never regretted the purchase of the Fender Passport. And it's been paid for several times over since purchased. And in smaller venues, of which there are plenty around here, I still intend to use my trusty ole Fender!

Congratulations on your Yamaha. And I do admit I get a momentary twinge when I read that if someone came to my show and saw SGB in the book or didn't like our mics that they would walk off the stage or never come back again. But I think you get to the point where you have to get over it and know that it is their opinion, just like yours, and you don't hae to be offended by it. Just know that you do the best you can knowing your own situation and room and finances and that it is hard to start at the very top at entry level. While the advice from the more experienced is appreciated and has helped us avoid some mistakes, in other cases we just had to get out there and do it to know what we should have done or need to do better.

In our case people are struggling just to afford coming out at all and they have told us how much they appreciate having somewhere to go. We aren't getting paid enough to support only the best but we are trying to do our best by people with what we have. After a while you start to get the confidence to make your own way and not be hurt by the opinions of others. Especially as they probably mean no offense, things just sound harsher in print.

Again, congratulations and best of luck with your new show.

Yes.... YOU brought it up, initially!

Someone else just defended their use of it. But you started the conversation on it!

At the show I was at last night, a different manufacturer was inadvertantly put in place of the one I specifically requested. I mentioned it to the kj and he DID apologize. He did a search on the song, and clicked on the first one he saw, which was the different manu.

This is another arguement altogether, but a kj that KNOWINGLY puts a different manu up without telling the singer (for a number of reasons... they feel it is a more superior version, or whatever)... that just T!CKS me off! If I'd have wanted the SC version, dammit, I'd have ASKED for it.

And even though the KJ did apologize, their company has had the habit of doing this on occassion. And they wonder why we bring in our own discs!! Because I want to sing the song I ASKED for, and that means the manufacturer.

Love those people to death, but that is their one major failing as a hosting company. And in my case, it was because the kj just wasn't doing his JOB. Had this have been the old "disc" days, he'd have never done this.

And I personally feel, that the computer should be NO different than the disc days! That's why I don't believe in all the bells and whistles of the software. For some kjs, it can muck things up!!

I think I'm gonna pee myself laughing!


As for your new gig congrats Eric. I hope it goes well for you.
I agree with you about the Passport, BTW. My BF has the two models and he frequently rents them out and I have used one on occasion as well. For the money, and if appropriate to the venue, it can't be beat.
I hope you get many more years of use from it.

Ok, I'm heading to the toilet now....

Eric, its almost funny how it happens that way. I am never suprised by it unless people CONTINUE to do it. But almost every thread I've ever seen has at least a momentary argumentative thread hijacking if it has a couple of responses. It kills me.

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Yamaha mixers are junk.... .....just kidding, just kidding....usually my equiptment is pretty good, but the vehichle I haul it with is a junk....so I put my junk in the trunk of my junk, and haul it to the hunk(gig).....on the way I hit a skunk, the trunk popped open, and kerplunk went my junk......into this gunk on the road, along comes this punk, who looks at my junk, and says....don't worry, you aint lost much.......which kinda left me in a funk.......and your right, I'm drunk....but always remember....one man's junk, is another man's pleasure..... ....I know....this post stunk....

Eric - Congrats on the New Equipment and the New Gig.

The most important thing you said is YOU realized the Fender Passport wouldn't be enough for THIS gig but it seemed to have served you well over the years.

I've always defended my use of LESS expensive equipment for my personal gigs which have always been SMALL venues. Today based on reccomendations from many here I now use a Yamaha Powered Mixer (along with my Behringer Speakers ) I also relalize that if I was to gig at a LARGE venue or do OUTSIDE gigs
I would need MORE POWER and MORE POWER

One mans JUNK is another mans TREASURE ( or womans to be PC)

Hey, I will hold my hands up and say that when I first did this (as a hobby) my equipment was pure junk.

I then went and spent about £800 on more junk. Better than I had before, but still not informed purchases.

And now, by todays standards, I would say that 90% of you would label my gear as junk. I'd probably meet you halfway on such an assessment.

But week in, week out I fill my venues. Never had anything other than praise on the quality.

I think junk can be a harsh term, but it's fair because we are all very critical of our gear.

My piece of junk Nady wired SP-1 microphone makes me sound soooooo goooood. And my Nady Dkw Duo wireless do too. I've dropped them and they keep working. Best part is they cost almost nothing.

I got the the SP-1 mic with a tripod mic stand and a mic cable, all three for like $22 or $25.

The Nady DKW Duo was under $50 for a base and two hand held mics ayear ago, now they're $50, I can't find them for any less.

Not all junk is good, I just got lucky. I bet that if you put tape over the name, most people would say "hmmm, that's a good mic, what is it". Most of my other equipment isn't junk and it works good too.

I do have a new inexpensive small Alesis mixer that some people would call junk but it works GREAT and the vocal affects are very good. All knobs, no sliders and frankly I prefer knobs now. Knobs work great and are very easy to operate.

So... sometimes there is good "junk" based upon, I guess, the adage that "good is in the ear of the beholder"?

What if something is actually good, but someone thinks it's junk (based upon outdated experience/information).. then what? (new model GM cars)

What if something is actually good, but someone thinks it's junk (based upon different criteria/ear for evaluating "good")? (ALL of my mics sound and "feel" different when used on my new rig)

I can go on, but you get the point

Not all junk is good. I wouldn't buy Advance Audio, Moses, Technical Pro, Gemsound and those type of products, entry level Peavey PR speakers, Yamaha BR series entry level JBL JRX, Kustom speakers and a bunch of other stuff.

That's what I said, Stogie, I think? Not all "junk" is good; which also means that all "junk" isn't bad ---> "the ear of the beholder"