We are looking to take a small revue "on the road" and need some advice on what the best form of backing music would be and what we would need to make it sound OK ie; not be drowned out by singing but still be able to hear it.

Should we use CD, mini disc and just on a normal player or should we use an amp/ speakers etc?

As you can tell - I'm not a techie!!

Hi we do a lot of musical revues at other peoples venues.. we use a Mini disc player an amp and a speaker...

Hi Aims

Good question, firstly What you use to play back your music on will be determined by what medium you can easily record onto. There is much debate between the two but I prefer using mini disc, however most people have access to CD recorders on their computers which makes CD preferable.

As for playback itself I'd definitely recommend the use of an amplifier and speakers, after all you can always turn it down if it's too loud, but if you can't turn something up if you haven't got it (if that makes sense) If you were to use a normal portable stereo you can plug it into the amp via a head phone socket - although you can buy a separate player if funds allow. Whether to buy or hire depends on your usage and funds

So what to hire or buy ... You'll need a small amplifier - you could even get a mixer amp (which allows you to use different things at the same time - another CD player - a microphone etc) obviously 2 speakers but not small hi-if ones - 2 speaker stands would be good too.

The real decider is the size of venue you're playing.

Anyway hopefully that's not too confusing and of some help - if I can be of any more assistance then let me know

I'll direct you towards to further threads in the sound topic that may also prove useful in your quest...

Hiring Playback Kit http://www.amdram.co.uk/forums/index.php?a...4f93bf57d724f4e

Playback kit- replacing a tape deck http://www.amdram.co.uk/forums/index.php?a...4f93bf57d724f4e

Ditto on Emma's post. Although we don't travel much that's what we use in house. CD is fine except that once you have "burned" the tracks on to the CD, you can't edit them or even record over the CD again. Unless you buy flash CDs with several initials and lots of tekkie gear (me too non-tekkie, Aims!). Mini Disc is editable and very flexible and the quality (in my humble opinion) is just as good as CD.

Thanks this is a great help.
I do have a CD re-writer on my PC and the bloke in PC world gave me a box of 10 re-writable CD's (ripped off as will never use them!)

I have used a mini disc before and find these great help - esp. for rehersals where you want to start from a certain point in the music etc. but do I need to get a certain one to hook up to an amp, or will any old mini disk player work!! (how about a portable/walkman type one)

sorry to be so ignorant (typical dancer eh Martin!)

I can link my portable Mini Disc recorder to the Amp.. just need one of the red and white plug thingies with the other end connected to the earphone socket of the portable mini disc... As you can see I'm not very technical either!!

As Emma says most MD's or CD can be rigged to the amp via ear phone socket - those red and white plug thingies described (very well) by Emma are known in the shops as a jack to phono lead (but I much prefer Emma's name fo rthem)

Some MD's have a second socket called a line out - which works too.

I like twirlies Aims - I think every techie should have one I'll mail you the twirlie operating instructions via this site - it'll make you laugh (all the other dancers I know think it's funny)

Just to add to the excellent advice here, if you can get a portable MD with line-out, go for it. Connecting line-out to line-in will provide a better quality signal as it avoids what is known as an impedance mismatch. It also generally misses the volume and tone controls on the portable unit so what you transfer over the 'red and white plug thingy' (I too love that term!) is closer to the original sound. It also means that you are less likely to fall down the huge hole I've seen people dig for themselves where they turn down the volume on the MD and then wonder why the amp is not loud enough or worse still, can't get a sound out at all!

Happy dancing ...... Robin

We use a Sony combined mini-disc/CD unit into an amp and four JBL Control-1s for our Murder-Mystery and 1940's revue nights. This gives us the flexibility of a MD player and the turn up and go of a CD. Directors often turn up on the night with a CD and say 'Just play that for some house music.'

Please be aware that many Cd players will not play CD-RW discs.

Dave

QUOTE (Aims @ Jan 23 2003, 1:51 PM)

I do have a CD re-writer on my PC and the bloke in PC world gave me a box of 10 re-writable CD's (ripped off as will never use them!)

Aims

Be wary about using CD-RW as very few players will play them. (I discovered this the hard way!)

CD-R is a different matter, although obviously you can't re-record them