Karaoke Forums

Hi guys -
I've been mulling this over and need your opinions.
I was afraid to post at first because many of you have such
advanced equipment and advice I didn't want to appear to be subpar,
but if I am ever going to learn as much as I can, I can't be afraid to ask
how to make my system better.

I don't use a compressor of any type, I don't know the first thing about them.
I'm wondering if I need one and what you'd suggest?

This is how limited my knowledge on them is - they help with feedback(which I don't have a problem with) and people who scream in the mic (that happens occasionally).
Technically I have no clue how they work.

I am looking for any ideas on how to make my system better. I know Lonman has mentioned using a powered mixer isn't the best way to go, but it works best for me. Please be kind with your advice. I have spent a lot of money on trying to make my system nice. I know it isn't the best out there, but I'm trying.

I have a :
Mackie 808m powered mixer

3 JBL EON passive speakers

RSQ MV333 triple tray player

Cavs JB 199

I use 2 wired mics - Audix

and 1 wireless mic - Audio technica 3000 series

Thank you  :hug:

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

A compressor acts like a fuse in you house.   If you overload the curciut it keeps bad things from happening.

Use a compressor for the mikes.   It keeps the screamers from blowing out your speakers.    Sound waves look like ocean wave rolling up and down.  ~~~~ Distortion makes the waves go square.   l__l    Your speakers and other equipment can not handle square waves.     A compressor sqwishes the sound waves down to keep them from going square.    Compressors are split to run them in stereo.  Two sided.   If you use two mikes you split the compressor and can plug one in each side.     The compressor is after the mixer and before the amplifier.

Wrong.....(I think I just pulled Bigdog's tail ),

Place comps on mics before mixer inputs.....Do not squeeze the whole mix by placing comps on mixer main outs....You do that by 'inserting' comps on mic channels....you need special cable that looks like 'Y' cable, but is designed for 'inserting'...It's called an insert cable.

Now let go of my pants leg, Bigdog!

Babs, you have a very decent quality mixer, so don't be ashamed of it....It really is a quality unit.....People who regret powered mixers are those who underpower their speakers with them, so take care in that regard....look to see if your mixer has  1/4" jacks up near the mic XLR inputs called 'insert'....or they might be on the back...If it does, read on.

What a compressor does is allows you to dial in a threshhold where it begins to attenuate(reduce) gain of the signal....It also allows you to set rate of attenuation(ratio), and how quickly it reacts(Attack), and how quickly it backs off(Release)....so it's a nightmare to get straight initially, but once you understand it, it's really easy to setup.

A good quality compressor, if properly dialed in, is very transparent....Folks will be able to both whisper and scream without you grabbing for sliders and gain twistys....A bad tweek job will cause the vocals to sound weak, choppy or both.

If you get the chance, venture into a pro level music store and ask the sales staff to demonstrate one for you....Have them connect a mic and show you how to tweek it and listen and see(meters) how it works.

Comps are not the answer for feedback, but they can help reduce the end result somewhat...best answer for feedback is to prevent it with proper speaker/mic placement and/or use of 31 band EQ.

Comps can be justified if you need to protect your speakers from screamers and desire to provide them a better sounding performance......But the trade off is cost and the necessary learning curve and a little extra setup effort.....Once set tho, they are good from one venue to the next.

Trust me, those pro singers you adore so much on CD, they are singing thru a very high quality comp and lots of other expensive gear.

My Mackie has a built in compressor. This might be why I haven't
found the need for a compressor.  LMAO

Please I'm looking for other ideas to make my system better.

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

woops last post was before I read keith's post.

I also have individual gain control on each mic with my Mackie.

Do you think I still need a compressor? I do grab for the volumn button
when I get a screamer.

If yes what kind?

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

Let me go look at your mixer......you say it has builtin comp, maybe it will do the job if tweeked properly.....

I've seen mixers with comps on mic strips...they are usually the soft-knee type and you get a single twisty to tweeky with...They can help quite a bit, but have their limits due to fact they must be inexpensive and simple to be included in economical mixers.

Stop saying 'volume button' Blondy.... ..."Sliders and twistys", ok?

Learn to talk the talk, and then you can walk the walk....or at least sound like it

Hon, every mixer has a gain control on each mic channel....Every mixer.

That input gain twisty knobby does just one thing....It determines how much of the mic output the mic preamp gets....The mic preamp then amplifies the signal from there and sends it down the mic strip to the next thing in line....The less the input, the less the preamp output....If the mixer has a comp on the mic strip, it is after the mic input gain twisty and after the strip EQ twistys...it is also usually provided with a little up/down switch to cut it in/out.

Sorry my old powered mixer did not have gain control.

Okay okay twisty  button  LMAO

I said be nice - I'm learning still.

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

No built in compressor..  However the 808 has an scr crowbar circuit for speaker protection but I would still get a mic compressor..

The Mackie 808 is to the karaoke industry as the 30-30 lever action is to deer hunting. I know at least 3 have been used over 5 years No problems I did replace the filters in one..

I went and checked it out it says it has the soft-knee type compressor.

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

Now you got me lookin for the manual.... I dont remember one

I just googled it and looked under the description

http://www.mackie.com/products/808m/index.html

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

Yup you are right babs It does have one on the input of the amps....I would still get a mic compressor tho

Okay, can you suggest one?  :oh yeah:

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

This is the one I use....dbx

Here's a link for some good compressor info
http://www.tweakheadz.com/compressors.htm

I said every mixer, not wannabe mixers!..You got a real mixer.

Not 'twisty button', just 'twisty'.....Buttons are for pushing, twisty are for twisting....Girls twist their buttons when flustered, so stop being girlie...You will know the difference when a man pushes your buttons and twists your twistys.

I will not be nice, but I will reward you for effort.

Allstar, that's a good link in that it says several things, honest things, about compressors....It is intended mostly for the recordists(is that a legit word?), but the rules apply to live as well.

Babs, what a well tweeked comp does for you is it allows the singer to blend in properly with the music.....What I mean by that is best demonstrated by what you hear when you play a commercial CD.....The singers voice at no time is too weak or too brash for the music...neither is the music....you want the singer to sound just like the guy/gal on the CD, right?

FM radio takes it a step farther and comps their broadcasts lots so they will sound good on consumer grade tuners and home/car stereos and still fit in their broadcast bandwidth.....But as a KJ, you don't need to comp the music, just the singers.

You need to comp to some degree to make singers sound good in live situations with prerecorded music....The goal is for you to make the live singer blend in properly with prerecorded music that has been comped to some degree when it was placed on disc.....Get the idea?

You've attended live bands and heard uncomped, so you know that live singers sound best with live bands....your goal is to make live singers sound correct when blended with prerecorded music...music that lacks that 'live' sound.....you gotta squash the vocals a little to get there....but just a little.

Praise the lord. We got close to having a conversation


@ recordist. Had to check it up, it's legit!
One entry found for recordist.
Main Entry: re·cord·ist
Pronunciation: ri-'kor-dist
Function: noun
: one who records sound (as on magnetic tape)  

Keith, I told her to compress the mikes, not the whole mix.    I'm still biting your ankle.    :drool:


You can compress the mike directly into the compressor.    It doesn't have to insert.