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I need to buy a small pa system for a couple of shows I've got coming up. Can anyone recommend anything?
Saw a review for the happieamp in genii a while back, anyone tried this.
Looking for something with a mic (or two) and an amp. Good enough to fill a small room and give that extra punch/ I've only got about £200 to spend and have no idea how much these are.

Ed Wood wrote:I need to buy a small pa system for a couple of shows I've got coming up. Can anyone recommend anything?
Saw a review for the happieamp in genii a while back, anyone tried this.
Looking for something with a mic (or two) and an amp. Good enough to fill a small room and give that extra punch/ I've only got about £200 to spend and have no idea how much these are.

I'm looking for the same sort of thing. My advice would be to ignore 'Magic' ones, I.e ones sold by Magic Prop companies, I have found they are stupidly overpriced. For £200 you could get a good double speaker set from ebay, which folds into a carrying case, which is easy enough to transport, and two wireless mics to connect with it will only be around £20.

This really is a tricky buy. There are so many on the market at all sorts of prices. I guess I will never know if they are good enough until I've bought one and tried it out.
This one from Maplins
http://info.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=228045
seems ok, although I will need a lapel mike as well as the hand held. There are endless reviews on the cafe for systems but everyone recommends different ones. Doesn't seem to be a particular favourite amongst magicians.

Ed Wood wrote:This really is a tricky buy. There are so many on the market at all sorts of prices. I guess I will never know if they are good enough until I've bought one and tried it out.
This one from Maplins
http://info.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=228045
seems ok, although I will need a lapel mike as well as the hand held. There are endless reviews on the cafe for systems but everyone recommends different ones. Doesn't seem to be a particular favourite amongst magicians.

Just had a look at this one in Maplins. Unfortunately the mic isn't wireless otherwise it would be perfect.
Oh well, on with the search.

Unless you have a recommended brand that you're looking for, avoid the cheap stuff on eBay. A friend of mine has just picked up this (for a little more than advertised here) for his lecture circuit work:

http://www.soundsavers.com/shop/audio-e ... -mics.html

And it's working an absolute treat for him. I'm intending on picking up the same system myself.

Vanderbelt wrote:Unless you have a recommended brand that you're looking for, avoid the cheap stuff on eBay. A friend of mine has just picked up this (for a little more than advertised here) for his lecture circuit work:

http://www.soundsavers.com/shop/audio-e ... -mics.html

And it's working an absolute treat for him. I'm intending on picking up the same system myself.

That is exactly what I am looking for.
Do you know if you can use more than one of the mics at a time? I want to be able to have a clip on mic for myself and a handheld for spectators. Also, can you put the speaker on a stand?
Any idea what size rooms your friend has been working in with this?

He's currently working conference rooms of about 50-70 seated capacity. He only uses the lapel mic so I'm not sure, have just sent him a text to ask though and I'll let you know.
Edit:

* 50W RMS (100W peak)
* 2 x 8" speakers
* Master volume, echo, tone
* MP3, minidisk and CD input
* 2 microphone inputs
* Auto-Fade
* Voice priority function (wireless mic over-rides onboard tape/CD)
* Mains or battery operation
* 3 x VHF radio microphone options (lapel, handheld, headset)
* 4 hour battery life
* Trolley handle and wheels
* 35mm Pole mount
* Dimensions (HxWxD): 560x350x310mm
* Weight : 23kg

Just read that on the product page, so yes you can use 2 mics and mount it on a pole stand.

Vanderbelt wrote:He's currently working conference rooms of about 50-70 seated capacity. He only uses the lapel mic so I'm not sure, have just sent him a text to ask though and I'll let you know.
Edit:

* 50W RMS (100W peak)
* 2 x 8" speakers
* Master volume, echo, tone
* MP3, minidisk and CD input
* 2 microphone inputs
* Auto-Fade
* Voice priority function (wireless mic over-rides onboard tape/CD)
* Mains or battery operation
* 3 x VHF radio microphone options (lapel, handheld, headset)
* 4 hour battery life
* Trolley handle and wheels
* 35mm Pole mount
* Dimensions (HxWxD): 560x350x310mm
* Weight : 23kg

Just read that on the product page, so yes you can use 2 mics and mount it on a pole stand.

Brilliant, think I will invest in one of these. Thanks.

I'm looking for a small PA system for use in a room where there will be about 80 people. I understand it's possible to buy a small system that has a small speaker that literally clips onto your belt or similar. Any ideas?

I was in Costco the other week and they had a line of PA's in stock that were selling for around the £120 mark excluding VAT. It had all of the usual mic inputs etc but also had an iPod dock built into the top. It looked pretty solid to me.

Vanderbelt wrote:Unless you have a recommended brand that you're looking for, avoid the cheap stuff on eBay. A friend of mine has just picked up this (for a little more than advertised here) for his lecture circuit work:

http://www.soundsavers.com/shop/audio-e ... -mics.html

And it's working an absolute treat for him. I'm intending on picking up the same system myself.

Damnit! The place selling these, soundsavers, is currently changing owners and won't be sending out orders until December, too late for me. Can't find another one of these anywhere. The search continues.

themagicwand wrote:I'm looking for a small PA system for use in a room where there will be about 80 people. I understand it's possible to buy a small system that has a small speaker that literally clips onto your belt or similar. Any ideas?

In all my searching I haven't come across anything this small. Sounds like a lot to ask of a speaker small enough to clip onto your belt, unless you're a giant! Judging by the weight of most of the speakers I've looked at think you'd end up with your trousers around your ankles if it was attached to your belt. Could be a great bit of misdirection.

themagicwand wrote:I'm looking for a small PA system for use in a room where there will be about 80 people. I understand it's possible to buy a small system that has a small speaker that literally clips onto your belt or similar. Any ideas?

Here's one.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Portable-battery-waistband-5w-PA-System-mic-WAP-4-/290487014979?pt=UK_ConElec_SpeakersPASystems_RL&hash=item43a2601643

themagicwand wrote:I'm looking for a small PA system for use in a room where there will be about 80 people. I understand it's possible to buy a small system that has a small speaker that literally clips onto your belt or similar. Any ideas?

Maplin sell one for E27 which clips onto the belt. It delivers eight watts, which is not that powerful. But it is a reasonably good system, for its size. What I have done, and what I recommend if you go for this, is to buy two and get someone to make a lead which will go from the microphone to both speakers. I use that on the street and it does quite well.
I don't know about halls - I normally bring a 75W amp/speaker for groups that size. But it might work.

Vanderbelt wrote:He's currently working conference rooms of about 50-70 seated capacity. He only uses the lapel mic so I'm not sure, have just sent him a text to ask though and I'll let you know.
Edit:

* 50W RMS (100W peak)
* 2 x 8" speakers
* Master volume, echo, tone
* MP3, minidisk and CD input
* 2 microphone inputs
* Auto-Fade
* Voice priority function (wireless mic over-rides onboard tape/CD)
* Mains or battery operation
* 3 x VHF radio microphone options (lapel, handheld, headset)
* 4 hour battery life
* Trolley handle and wheels
* 35mm Pole mount
* Dimensions (HxWxD): 560x350x310mm
* Weight : 23kg

Just read that on the product page, so yes you can use 2 mics and mount it on a pole stand.

Just been speaking to someone about this system. Looks like you can't run the two radio mics through it at the same time. Damn, damn, damn.
From what I'm being told I'm going to have to spend some serious money to get anything half decent. About £400. My profit margin for these two shows is getting smaller and smaller.