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CHOOSING SOUND EQUIPMENT TO MEET
YOUR OWN NEEDS
Your sound system is one of the biggest
dollar investment that you make in your teaching career.
We're talking real money here, and we hope that the
following will help you to choose sound equipment that
will give you your money's worth in performance,
dependability, portability and convenience of operation.
The basic sound system has four components: Microphone, amplifier/mixer, a music source such as a turntable,
Laptop, MiniDisc, MP3 player, or CD player, and loudspeakers. Look for convenience of
operation, ruggedness, and portability in choosing portable
sound equipment.
The microphone: This is the one component to which a lot
of general rules do not apply. Your choice of a
microphone should be based on its having the response
characteristics that make your voice
sound the best. Some mics. have a lot of bass response.
If your voice is in the bass or low baritone range, this
is a bad choice for you: You will sound like you have
your head in a barrel. If your voice is high in pitch,
this is exactly the kind of response that will make you
sound the best. When you test a mic., hold it touching or
almost touching your lips, and use a normal speaking
voice. Use words like "Testing, this is a
test," and "Pick up the tempo." Do the
"S" sounds come over crisp and clear? Does the
mic. have enough pop filtering that the "P"
sounds don't sound like explosions? Have someone else
listen while you compare mics. Your voice over a mic.
sounds completely different to those who listen to you
than it does to you. Chose the mic. that your partner
says makes you sound the most natural: Don't rely on
yourself. You will use that mic. for a long time, and a
few dollars difference in price should not be the
deciding factor in your choice.
The amplifier/mixer/turntable/tape player is the heart of the
sound system, and usually the most expensive component. Here are
some things to check out before you buy, most also apply
to microphones and speakers.
What features must I have? You need enough power to cover
the halls you work in and the size groups you have. If
you don't have enough power to cover your groups, you
have made a bad buy no matter how much money you saved. Do you need a variable speed turntable or tape player?
What is your music source? If you are using a laptop or MP3 player you
will need the proper input on the sound system. Will you be connecting
more than one music source at a time? If yes, then you need more than
one auxiliary input on the sound system. Microphone tone
controls must be completely independent of the music
controls, or every time you cut the treble in your music
your voice will sound as if you were down in a well. Do
you need to make and/or play back recordings? Other available built-in features
to consider are such things as vumeters, tone arm reset, monitoring
capability, etc. If you have use for these, go ahead; if
you don't, you may be paying extra for something you will
never use. One option that many find very useful is a
remote music volume control like the one on our Hilton sound systems
microphone cables. Once you have decided how
much power you need and which optional features will be
useful to you, there are still several others to
consider, in making your choice.
Performance: Will it do the job for you? Can you get your
money back if it doesn't? Of course you can get a refund
or an exchange if you buy something and it doesn't work.
But what happens if it does work, and you just don't get
the coverage that you need? Is there a time period during
which you can try the unit and get your money back if it
doesn't do the job? Don't buy new equipment without a
clear understanding about this.
Dependability: What is the track record of this
particular brand? Dependability is more important than
appearance or extra features. When a sound system breaks
down it is more than just an inconvenience. Check with
other people who use this make and get opinions based on
experience.
Warranty: Check the length and terms of the warranty. Get
the answers to these questions: How long does it take to
get repair if you need warranty service? Free parts and
labor are not the whole story! If you have to ship the
unit somewhere and wait while it is repaired, what do you
do in the meantime? Are rental systems available? Does the warranty include shipping
costs? Find out before you buy.
Customer Service: What is the reputation of the people
with whom you are dealing? If you are buying from a
dealer, will the dealer provide warranty service? What
happens after the warranty expires? Will parts be
available if you need them? This is especially important
if you are buying used equipment. When this unit is
several years old, can you still get parts for it? Unless
you can get replacement parts the whole unit is a piece
of junk if one component goes bad.
Price: Once you have
picked out your first choice, will your budget stand the
price? If not, what are you willing to give up to get the
price down into your range? If you buy something that is
inadequate it is no bargain at any price.
All too often, we consider only the initial purchase
price and ignore other things that have just as much
impact on your finances. First, how long will it last?
Replacing a $500.00 unit every two or three years is more
expensive than buying a $1200.00 unit that will last ten
years, not to mention the superior performance that you
will get from the better unit. Second, what will be the
cost of repairs and availability of service over the next
several years? Third, what will its resale value be in
five years? To arrive at your real cost, take the
original purchase price and add a reasonable estimate,
based on the experience of others, for repair and
maintenance over the next five years. Subtract that total
from its cash value at the end of five years. This will
give you the true cost of owning the sound system. If you
shop for price alone and fail to consider the other
things that we have mentioned, you will spend more money
in the long run.
The loudspeakers: Here is a real jungle. For every
established manufacturer of a full line of portable sound
equipment, there must be a dozen entrepreneurs who buy
loudspeakers wholesale, put them in enclosures and sell
them under their own brand name. It is quite possible to
buy two different brands at two different prices and find
exactly the same type of speakers inside.
Check with other instructors and see what they use and
what their experiences are with different speakers. Go to dances where
different speakers are being used and do your own evaluation while you
dance!
If you have an amplifier that you know has adequate power
and sound quality, you can still get poor results by
using speakers that are inefficient and/or have very
limited frequency response. A complete discussion and
comparison of various types of loudspeakers and speaker
enclosures would take far more space than we have, and
probably nobody would read it anyhow! But here are some
bits of advice, to help you in making a choice of
loudspeakers:
1. Never buy loudspeakers which have a lower power rating
than that of your amplifier. You'll get distortion,
overloading, maybe even eventual damage to your speaker
or your amplifier.
2. Never buy a loudspeaker without getting a guarantee
that after a fair trail if it isn't giving good results,
you can trade up or get your money back, at your option.
You will know in a very short time whether you are
getting your money's worth.
3. Make sure the impedance correctly matches the
amplifier you are using.
4. When you have decided on the make and model of sound
system that you want if you are also buying speakers,
first try the same brand as the amplifier. Even if you
have a guarantee of satisfaction that we mentioned, if
two different sellers can point the finger at each other,
you may have some difficulty in bringing a problem to a
satisfactory conclusion. If for example, you buy a Hilton
sound system, try Hilton speakers with it first; if you
don't like them get your money back and try another
brand. Another consideration: If you buy a complete
package sound system you'll usually get a discount on the
speakers: If you buy two different makes you'll likely
pay full price on both sound system and speakers.
Follow our bird to the next topic
TO RETURN TO THE
"SOUND" INFORMATION T. O. C. CLICK HERE
 Contact
Information
For a complete information package contact Dick
Henschel at:
HILTON AUDIO
PRODUCTS, INC.
1033-E Shary Circle, Concord, California 94518
Phone: 925-682-8390 - Fax: 925-682-8497 - E-mail: hiltonaud@aol.com
Copyright
© 2007 - Hilton Audio Products, Inc.
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