Live sound for our uke group

Hi all. I've been lurking here for awhile - this is my first post.

I'm after some detailed advice if possibly about the tech gear we need for live shows for our ukulele group.

A bit of background...

There are usually seven of us playing and singing (one on bass). We are keen amateurs, and usually get community/charity gigs where there's not a lot of expectation that we'll sound fantastic - people don't pay to listen to us. Our gigs are a mix of indoors and outdoors. Quite often when we play there'll be a sound guy, but very often we have to do our own sound with what we have, or just play unamplified. We're very keen to do the best with the talents we have and would like to get our own gear so that we can create a sound that isn't awful. We have about $US850 in the bank (though we are in Australia where gear always seems to cost more!)

I'd appreciate an idiot's guide to what gear we should get now (and what we might need to add to in the future). I realise that $850 doesn't go a long way. Assume we are completely ignorant when it comes to live sound - because we are!

Any advice gratefully received!

To be honest. Spending $850 to amplify ONE performer is stretching it. 7 performers has the costs going up and up, and when you do have some gear you will NEED a sound tech to run it. Mixing 7 sound sources is intricate.

My advise. Keep it simple and stay un-amplified.

Also. What gear do you have already? When a sound tech runs the gear what gear is he/she using?

And another thing. STAGE sound, particularly for such a big group is ordinary at best and often terrible. If you want good stage sound then we are talking money and time to setup and operate. You need to separate stage sound from front of house sound and get used to the stage sound. Stage sound is what stage sound is.

Anthony

I recently have been contemplating the same thing. I like the Peavy Escort 6000 PA system, which is on sale at B&H Audio and Video in New York for $780 with extra stand and 2 mics with stands, the kit normally sells for $1000. Free shipping in the US, don't know about Australia. Then you will need to buy a few more mics and stands, which I bought recently for $50 per mic with stand.

It is rated 600 watts continuous, has 7 XLR/ 1/4" inputs, USB, RCA, Bluetooth inputs and two 10" speakers.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1236299-REG/peavey_escort_6000_kit_with.html

The original poster isn't buying anything in Australia for the prices you guys are paying in the US. In Australian Dollars you will be flat out buying a PA for a solo act for $850.

A brand new Behringer PPA500BT pa system is $1000 on eBay. Someone is trying to sell a 2nd hand Fender 250watt PA for $1000. Neither is big enough for this sized group.

Anthony

Thank you for the information so far. I know the budget isn't much, but I was hoping there may be a simple enough way to boost the sound without having to spend a fortune. Is there a way you can aim a few microphones at a singing group to pick up the sound without everyone having their own microphone/uke plugged in?

At the moment we make do with whatever people have. One guy has a (very) cheap mixer, and we usually plug in three microphones and three ukuleles for our better players and then everyone just sings/plays unamplified. It would be good to get a whole-group sound, though. We don't have a PA - we plug into an amplifier which obviously isn't ideal.

The option of each member getting their own microphone & stand could be doable. I think people would be happy with that.

Australian prices are very high. I have a brother in the US and may head over for Christmas, so I may opt for a bit of excess luggage on the way back!

Cheers!

steveh05 said:

Thank you for the information so far. I know the budget isn't much, but I was hoping there may be a simple enough way to boost the sound without having to spend a fortune. Is there a way you can aim a few microphones at a singing group to pick up the sound without everyone having their own microphone/uke plugged in?

At the moment we make do with whatever people have. One guy has a (very) cheap mixer, and we usually plug in three microphones and three ukuleles for our better players and then everyone just sings/plays unamplified. It would be good to get a whole-group sound, though. We don't have a PA - we plug into an amplifier which obviously isn't ideal.

The option of each member getting their own microphone & stand could be doable. I think people would be happy with that.

Australian prices are very high. I have a brother in the US and may head over for Christmas, so I may opt for a bit of excess luggage on the way back!

Cheers!

Click to expand...

What microphones do you have already? Which mixer do you have/use?

One option is to use a pair of pencil condenser microphones set up in front of the group to cover you all like a choir. This can be tricky and you don't get that much volume out of it before screaming feedback sets in.

What amplifier are you using also? DO you have speakers?

Anthony

anthonyg said:

What microphones do you have already? Which mixer do you have/use?

What amplifier are you using also? DO you have speakers?

Anthony

Click to expand...

When it's just us we use three or four dynamic mics - I don't know the brands but they would almost certainly be cheap. The mixer we have is a very basic Behringer mixer that has four XLR inputs and some inputs for guitar cables - again it would be cheap. We plug that into a guitar amp. But this is only when we do muckaround type gigs - most of the other gigs we've done have had sound people who have set it up for us.

I appreciate the advice.

steveh05 said:

When it's just us we use three or four dynamic mics - I don't know the brands but they would almost certainly be cheap. The mixer we have is a very basic Behringer mixer that has four XLR inputs and some inputs for guitar cables - again it would be cheap. We plug that into a guitar amp. But this is only when we do muckaround type gigs - most of the other gigs we've done have had sound people who have set it up for us.

I appreciate the advice.

Click to expand...

The Behringer mixer with 4 XLR inputs will do for the moment until you have more money to spend. I use a similar mixer however I am a one man band. Buy a pair of Pencil condenser microphones to set up in front of the group. You WILL need a sound tech to control these mics as they are feedback prone.

Also buy your group a SINGLE, powered speaker and a speaker stand for it to replace the guitar amp.. A Behringer B212D (B112D are the new model)will do the job just fine. Even a Behringer B210D (B110D new model) will do the job.

A pair of condenser microphones will do the job and keep your costs down but are tricky to operate and you won't get a lot of amplification out of them. If you need to mic everyone separately the costs will go through the roof.

Just check that your Behringer mixer supplies "Phantom" power although I believe that it does.

Anthony