All DJs and sound technicians need to get a pair of these. I will give one scenario. What happens one day when you have to plug your DJ controller, for example, into a mixing desk that does not have RCA jacks? For that very reason, I had to use mine twice this year alone and I am very lucky that I have a few of these. Always have a pair in your tool-box. They will save your gig, in more ways than one, and in times when you least expect it
I just heard about this D.A.S. speaker system the other day. This one sounds just about perfect for an outdoor bar or an alfresco setting because it is weather resistant. So that makes it ideal. According to their website, this speaker boasts:
-Molded high-impact ABS enclosures
-Available in black or white color options
-Small size and ready-to-paint exterior
-Adjustable ceiling/wall mount included
The Arco 24 incorporates two 4” woofers with weather resistant polypropylene cones. High frequency reproduction is handled by a 25 mm neodymium dome tweeter for brilliant highs and balanced performance. An Overload Safety Circuit protects the speakers from damage in case of overpowering.
IP-54 versions are available for outdoor use.
| RMS Power Handling |
100 W |
| Peak Power Handling |
200 W |
| Frequency Range (-10 dB) |
65 Hz-22 kHz |
| Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms |
| On-axis Sensitivity 1 W / 1 m |
89 dB SPL |
| Rated Peak SPL at 1 m |
115 dB |
| Dispersion |
80ºH x 70ºV |
| Enclosure Material |
Paintable ABS Plastic |
| Color/Finish |
Black or White |
| Connectors |
Spring-Loaded Terminals |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) |
34 x 15 x 15 cm
17.7 x 5.9 x 5.9 in |
| Weight |
2.6 kg (5.7 lb) |
Looks like quite a few manufacturers are dabbling in outdoor speakers. Last count, I only counted Technomad and One Systems to have such speakers. Looks like I may have another one on my list when it comes to outdoor installations! Polypropylene cones. Hmmm…gets one thinking…
Every DJ should have this stereo Y-cable in his or her box of tools. You never know when you need it. There was once when I had to break out my trusty Android phone and download a requested song for a customer while at a party. Luckily I had one of these cables in my bag. I promptly hooked it up to my mixer, on a spare channel and plugged the stereo mini-jack into my Android phone. Played the song for the customer who was impressed that I had it. I can also use this cable to plug into my Hercules DJ controller as it has a mini-jack output. many people have iPhones these days. It can be used for instance, when a client wants to plug his or her iPhone, iPad or laptop into the system for say, music for a presentation. Being flexible will get you more clients in the future. They are not that expensive and can save your ass.
In my daily trawls of the Internet, I come across some really interesting stuff. This is another one of them. When I first saw it, I thought immediately that it was a QSC amplifier of old. It even uses the same alphabets in the model number i.e. PLC. This piqued my interest and I find out that it is manufactured (probably in China) for a New Zealand company named SNW Electronics. This company also seems to manufacture and sell motorbike parts. Maybe they are trying to do something what the Yamaha Corporation is doing, I just do not know. In any case, the specs of this amplifier are, as taken from their website:
Stereo Mode:
Both channel driven 8ohm : 1200W X 2
Both channel driven 4ohm : 1800W X 2
Both channel driven 2ohm : 2700W X 2
BRIDGE Mode:
Bridge Mode 8 ohm : 3400W
Bridge Mode 4 ohm : 5200W
Friequency Response HZ: 20-20K
THD+N: 0.02%
S/N: 90dB
SLEW RATE: 40V/s
INPUT IMPEDANCE: 20kohm
INPUT SENSITIVITY: 0dB
MAX INPUT GRAIN: +_20
HEIGHT : 3U
DIMENSIONS:480W x 465D x140H mm
Gross Weight (kg) :42
It costs about NZD$1200 and it looks like it is a pretty hefty amplifier, with a weight of 42 kilograms. I am not too sure how it performs as the specifications are merely words on paper. The specs look good from what I see but reliability-wise…I ain’t too sure.
I have heard that these powered speakers can give the Mackie SRM450′s competition and they are cheaper than them too. Pretty impressive specifications and they are lot lighter than the Mackies too! Boasting a 1000 watt Class D amplifier and having fuller sound than many loudspeakers in their class. Specifications are
- ELX112 performance with self-amplification
- 50 Hz – 20 kHz frequency range
- Lightweight, cool-running 1000 W Class D amp
- Biamped with 24 dB/octave crossover
- Transducer protection
- Bypassable high-pass for external subwoofer
- XLR, TRS, and RCA connections
- Versatile gain, mixing, and processing controls
- Pre- or post-mix parallel outputs
Not too bad considering. There are two inputs in the back and you can hook up an MP3 player AND a microphone as there is a built-in mixer, of sorts. Flexibility is the key. Might need to check out how much these cost here.
Way back when, quite a few years ago, I was contemplating getting a portable public address (PA) system for events and such. I was looking at two brands, namely the Fender Passport series and the Peavey Escort series. The Peavey Escort was one that piqued my interest and I must say that I do find it appealing to this day. The only thing that turned me off though was the mixer that is seated in a coffin, as can be seen in the diagram above. The specs of this thing, as per the Peavey website are:
- - Two-way speaker system with 10″ woofer and piezoelectric horn
- - Five-channel powered mixer
- - Four XLR mic inputs with 15 V phantom power
- - Two stereo line inputs
- - 60 mm faders
- - High quality digital reverb
- - 300 Watts output power (150 Watts per channel) with DDT™
- - Five-band graphic equalizer with FLS
- - Two folding speaker stands
- - One PV®i cardioid dynamic microphone with cable
- - Two 25′ speaker cables
- - Storage compartments for microphones, cables and accessories
- - Convenient package with luggage-style wheels
- - Weight Unpacked: 52.50 lb(23.813 kg)
- - Weight Packed: 64.00 lb(29.029 kg)
- - Width Packed: 16.62″(42.2148 cm)
- - Height Packed: 39.75″(100.965 cm)
- - Depth Packed: 17.62″(44.7548 cm)
That is what the unit looks like when it is open. The mixer portion looks too big though. It would have been nice if I could detach it and just put it on a table or something like that. The beauty of it is that when it is closed, it looks like a pod:
Relatively easy to carry, looking like a big suitcase. The thing even has luggage-style wheels so that you can wheel it from place to place. The speaker stands are included and fit in the box very nicely. The mixer portion looks like this:
The only issue I have with this is that it does not have a headphone output. I suppose that we cannot have our cake and eat it too. There is a 5-band graphic equaliser and the usual reverb and such that are available on many other portable PA offerings by other manufacturers. But the beauty of it is that Peavey throws in a free cardioid microphone with this!
Not too sure how much this costs in Singapore currency but I dare say that this thing is a solid bit of kit and I am pretty sure is well-worth the price.
It seems that all-in-one systems are the rage these days. many manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon to provide such systems and Wharfedale Pro are no exception. This PMX 700 system is their offering. It looks pretty powerful too. Basically, the PMX 700 System package comprises of a PMX 700 powered mixer, a pair of PTX-12 2-way loudspeakers, a DM1.0 dynamic microphone and the necessary cables to connect the system. This is unique because none of the other offerings from Yamaha and Behringer throw in a microphone. Besides, there is a whole plethora of effects in the effects bank to satisfy almost all vocalists, if need be. The speakers even have pole-mount adapters so you can mount them on stands. This system is able to pump out about 250 watts continuous and 500 watts program. More details are available on the website here
Just when I thought that the Yamaha Stagepas family of portable audio set all boundaries, I came across this. Looks like almost everyone worth their salt is doing this now. Samson is one of the other players in the professional audio industry churning out portable sound units. The beauty of this? It even comes with an iPod dock! According to their website:
Samson introduces their most versatile and inclusive PA system to date: The Expedition XP510i.
Adopting the same principles of portability and simplicity that made Samson’s Expedition XP308i so popular, the Expedition XP510i (XP510i) is an all-in-one portable PA system that offers outstanding power and convenience. The pro-level performance of the XP510i begins with a pair of dual 2-way speakers with 10-inch woofers, complemented by a 1-inch titanium tweeter in a 60° x 90° horn. These speakers will provide dynamic low-end qualities and broad dispersion in any performance space.
The XP510i features an internal 500 watt Class D powered mixer equipped with seven total mic/line and stereo inputs, phantom power, an integrated iPod dock, and ten studio-quality 24-bit digital effects to shape a customized sound for each and every performance. In addition, the speakers, mixer, and integrated 1 3/8-inch speaker stand mounts can be transported as a single compact bundle that weighs just over 50 pounds.
Thanks to its clever design and comprehensive feature set, the XP510i Portable PA offers an ideal solution for a variety of PA applications.
Well, there you go. Boasting the same power as the Stagepas 500. Looks pretty good and check this out: The two speakers sort of “slide” together from the front for east storage. The mixer cum amplifier is stored the same way the Yamaha Stagepas is stored…at the back of the speaker!
Looks interesting but I think I will take my Stagepas over these.
So I finally ponied up and bought the AKG WMS 40 Mini wireless microphone system a few days back. Got it at a pretty good price and what can I say, the microphone sounds absolutely superb! The only issue was the connection behind it:
This thing uses a 1/4″ balanced connection, not an XLR. I suppose it is to keep the cost low. So it looked like I would have to make a cable, or at the very least buy one. What I needed was a 1/4″ TRS plug and that I did not have. I had to go to the local electronics shop to buy one. It was pretty inexpensive…only costing me less than $2 for it. I came back home, looked through my junk box for a three-core balanced audio cable and a male XLR connector. I managed to find what I needed. Firing up my soldering iron, I began to prepare for Operation DIY Balanced Microphone Cable
One hour later, I had the microphone cable ready and it looked like this:
The male XLR plug goes into my mixing board and the 1/4″ TRS jack goes into the new unit. For just an hour of my time and a plug that cost less than $2, I had a great sounding microphone system. Thanks AKG. You make great mics and this one is NO exception!
I think I have covered just about all the companies that make small-format mixers. I have had my eye on this one by Behringer but the only problem is that there are no dealers in Singapore bringing them in. Its a shame really because this one looks pretty good, judging from all the positive reviews I have been reading about them. Its the same as the Alto ZMX52 and the Wharfedale Pro Connect 502 I covered recently. The surprising thing about all of them is that they all name their mixers the 502. makes me wonder if they are produced in the same factory in China! The specs are, according to the website:
State-of-the-art, phantom powered XENYX Mic Preamp comparable to stand-alone boutique preamps
Neo-classic “British” 2-band EQ for warm and musical sound
Main mix, stereo CD/tape plus separate headphone outputs
CD/tape inputs assignable to headphone output or main mix outputs
High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life
The only thing this mixer does not have that the Wharfedale Pro and Alto ZMX52 has is Phantom Power. Aha! Got you there Behringer! But all in all, a great unit and I like it.
