Karaoke Forums

Let's keep an open mind here realising different venues and different types of shows will have different answers.

I'm wondering how many mics you all put out at a show. Now I am in the same venue three nights a week, so I am very venue specific.

I find that if I do it this way I have the most control over unwanted mic grabbers. 90% of my singers will sing alone -

I have one mic out for the singer and one mic for myself. Being that I am right next to the singer if there is a duet I give them my mic. Plus I always have a third mic ready on the side for the occasional threesome. I've tried all kinds of other scenarios and this works the best for me.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

very similiar - 2 wireless mics and a wired mic available
Never putting out more than 3 mics!!

Right now I use altogether 4 microphones. 3x Wireless Shure Beta 58's and 1 x Wireless Shure Beta 87c (only for my personal use). But I think for most scenarios 3 microphones are absolutely sufficient.

I do think about getting cheap Wireless Mics though, even though they might sound worse than the Shure's. Just for the reason that it really cramps my heart, when I give out one of the Beta 58's to a drunk person or someone I just don't know and seems to be a problem person. Or maybe I just use a wired SM58 which I still have at home for those kind of singers. Still thinking... decisions, decisions...

3 at most..

I have a total of 5 microphones, all wireless. I have one that I don't let anyone else use, that's my Shure SLX Beta58. It's part of the rig that I use on my production gigs so I'm pretty protective of it. I have a total of four PG58 mics for the singers. At the venues with a larger stage or "stage area", I'll put two of them out in mic stands. If a larger group comes up I'll hand out the other two. My regulars are pretty used to asking for them when needed. In other venues where there is less room for mic stands, I keep all the mics by me and hand them out (up to 4 of them) as needed.

I always keep any unused microphones muted (or not turned "on" as in the case with the Yamaha board) at the console. This helps keep the uninvited mic grabbers to a minimum. If someone does come up, I look to the original singer for permission before I'll turn on the the other mic.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I use 4 mics. I set 2 shure sm58 corded mics on the monitor stand, I use "The King", retro style mic on a desk stand (for ME), and I have 1 pg48 for back-up if needed. I don't have any wireless, fine with what I have.

Srnitynow

I put out 3 (2 for the singers, one for me), all wired Sennheiser E835's. Although I recently purchased a Audio Technica wireless mic, that depending on which venue I am hosting, I will add it to the mix. But I am actually not happy with the wireless.

When I gig out for parties, I run two SM-58 wired on stands, one EV ND/767 for my DJ mic, plus a wireless SM58 for announcement use by the venue or myself.

For my now-rare bar gigs, I run two wired SM58s plus a DJ mic, with one mic stand. No wireless. (They aren't rare because of this policy, but because I can't for various reasons do weekly gigs.)

I have another in-place setup that has two AKG WMS-40 wireless for use by most singers, a wireless SM58 for those who care about a good mic (which are not many), and a wireless SM58 for the host.

I like having four mics because it is pretty common at my gigs to have family groups that get up and sing. Often it is a couple of small kids and a mother, and the kids do like mics. I am also preparing your future singers for you -- I teach them to sing into the mic and not cup it.

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

I have 3 corded SM58s available at any time for singers, two on stands, one on my table, and I use a cordless SM58 (don't share for health reasons). I don't have room for more than 3 singers so having any more than that would be impossible anyway.

I use five mics for my shows. 2 PGX24/SM58 wireless mics on the monitor stand. 2 Nady DWKDUO wireless mics as reinforcement on group numbers. And I use a wired Shure 565sd for announcing.

2 for stage - although right now one of my compressors are down so I only have one on stage, so I will hand the host mic over if needed. More than 2 singers tend to pull their mics away or need to be turned down anyway as they are all screaming - so no more than 3 total at any time.

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

for years ran only 2 audio tecnica wireless and 1 wired sm58.

converted to vocojunk 4 mic system for awhile to offer more mics around a larger venue and large groups coming on stage.

learned from HERE they really do SUCK (thought it was my old mackie mixer that was making the sound super-tinty) and bought 2 recommended Shure wireless mics Lon and Mickey J suggested.

HOW THE HECK i ran shows without the shure wireless is beyond me!

I no longer offer a wired mic since my monitor and av cables/ plugs already take up a lot of floorspace and no one seems to mind so far. I still offer a mic stand of course, i can't sing myself without one.

I run with 3 wired SM58s.

4

I use 2 wired Beta 58's (compressed) as my personal mic and they are available if people want a quality mic.

Almost everybody wants the 2 Vocopro wireless ones though.

What problems are you having with your Audio-Technica? I have a 3000 series wireless and find the sound is just not up to par with my wired mics. Are you having the same problem? It was such an expensive wireless mic it really turned me off of wireless.

Sorry of topic - You can pm me if you like.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I always have four Audix wired mics for singers (did have a fifth wireless but it's down for now), all going through their own effects mixers (two old Nissindos), plus one simple Pioneer for my box work.
I have the capability of running up to 10 or 12 singers' mics, but have never run more than six simultaneously.

It's overkill, but I don't want my singers to have to share mics.
Several regulars do group songs (old R&B: Temptations, Spinners, etc.), and they're GOOD!
And once in a while, I'll call up the "bar choir" (literally anyone who wants to sing) to do a huge group song. Have had 30 people on stage at one time once!

The audio technica mics have terrible sound to them. A Shure wireless 58 or Sennheiser G2 would make you want to use wireless mics.

Really ! I'm so disappointed. The mic cost me $600 and was toted as being used by many professional singers on tour etc... I'm really feeling ripped off.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Most of the issue I have with the Audio Technica is the fact that the one I bought wasn't a good one to begin with, (I only paid 100 bucks new for it). The thing with this one is the frequency is preset, so no options at all there, causing an electrical interference issue in some places, depending on the proximity of where I set the receiver up. And if the power source is the same as my amps, then that creates issues too. The settings are fairly comparable to my other mic settings on the mixing board, and the sound is not terrible, just not perfect. I have to have the gain way too high for my liking as well.

I will keep looking around for another choice of wireless, but I am a tight wad, so don't want to spend my grand kids inheritance just for a microphone.

Scott

If one weekends pay equals your grand children's inheritance, you have bigger issues.

Seriously, we always seem to devolve into these discussions about mic-cost vs quality. I have found that when it comes to wireless, you definitely get what you pay for having ALSO gone the Vocopro to Shure route. Yes my mics cost me about $500 for the pair. Is that a lot? Considering that it is one of, if not THE most important part of my system it's a drop in the bucket, especially compared to my total business inflow. And how often do you buy them? These will last for years, are rugged and sound A+.