Choosing Sound Equipment To Meet Your Own Needs
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.
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.