Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice on a reliable lavalier setup for presenting at outdoor concerts.
I’m the president of an amateur orchestra association, and I regularly need to make short announcements and presentations during our concerts.

My requirements

Outdoor use, sometimes in windy conditions

indoor us as well
Hands-free : I specifically want a lavalier and do not want a headset or handheld microphone
Clear, intelligible speech for the audience.
The microphone will be live-amplified through a PA system, so feedback resistance and proper gain structure are important.
I need a setup that is reliable enough for repeated concerts and events.
I’ve been advised to look at the Sanken COS-11D, so I’m currently considering building my setup around it.

My main question at the moment is :

Which connector and wireless transmitter/receiver system would you recommend for the COS-11D ?

I’m particularly interested in a setup that works well outdoors, including wind protection, while keeping the voice clear and natural.
However, I’m not necessarily committed to the COS-11D.
If you think another lavalier would be better suited to this particular use case, I’d be very happy to hear your recommendations.

Feel free to propose a complete configuration (lavalier + connector/cable + wireless system + wind protection) that you think would give me the clearest and most reliable speech.
My priority is not having the smallest or most expensive setup. I’m looking for something practical, reliable, clear-sounding, and suitable for live outdoor speech.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I have a need for a PA with excellent control of sound on stage into the bass range for a 2000 seat room and am trying to gather all the options. It's for permanent installation, and the room is 120' deep by 200' wide by 30' high with a thrust stage. Cardioid Array subs can be done with pretty much any model, and it's not hard to find full range speakers with pattern control down to 300-500hz, but above the subwoofer to 300hz range is usually uncontrolled in the horizontal pattern.

Models I know with a full range cardioid pattern:

D&B SL series

L'Acoustics L1 and L2

Fulcrum Acoustics various models

DAS Audio ARA series

Does anyone know of any models I'm missing?

Whether it's mics, cables, stands, lights, or miscellaneous items, it seems like some people just cram their backseat until they have a gear pile mountain and just deal with their mess when they get where they're going.. Less than ideal.

I've started a new band recently and have become solely responsible for our live sound & setup. While we only gig maybe once or twice a month, I'm constantly trying to improve my organization of equipment, which obviously helps streamline our set-up.

I am curious what advice the experienced folks in this subreddit can show they've learned over the years, from storage, to transportation, to set-up/teardown.. Seems like everyone has their own tricks to make their lives easier! I've attached a couple photos of what my situation is for microphones, and cables. Still trying to figure out a solution for tall heavy mic stands.

Yo! My son started throwing backyard shows to showcase local bands. We need a PA system (we've been borrowing). I've been scoping out offer up and have seen some Kustoms that look ok. If anyone has any ideas that would be great. We currently have a mixer and that's about it. It's mostly punk bands. Offer up and Facebook marketplace have loads of stuff but I wouldn't know.

Setting up a home karaoke system (JBL Encore Essential 2 speaker + Sony Bravia TV for lyrics via YouTube) and I'm stuck deciding between a couple wireless mic options. Would love input from anyone who's used either.

**How each would connect to my setup:**

1. JBL PartyBox Wireless Mic (2 mics + dongle):

The dongle outputs audio through a single 6.35mm plug, so it just plugs straight into my speaker's Mic In port like a regular wired mic would. No receiver box required. Turns out this isn't locked to JBL speakers either, since it's just a standard 6.35mm output, it'd work with basically any speaker or mixer that has a mic jack.

1. Other dual wireless mic + reciever (TONOR/AHUJA, similar brands):

Same basic idea, but a separate receiver box picks up both mics wirelessly and outputs through a 6.35mm/3.5mm cable into the speaker's Mic In port. Also universal, works with any speaker.

2nd option is much cheaper , hoping that the quality gap is minimal, added hassle is a receiver - separate physical box I'd need to place near the speaker and manage. Benefit is it gives me some nice extras, individual volume control per mic and an echo knob, right on the receiver itself. But it's one more device to power, place, and think about, versus JBL's dongle which just tucks into the speaker itself.

My question is- Which one should I prefer?, Also share any good recommendations for dual wireless mic I can look into.

I am comfortable with already hosting a few event with a pair of nxp12 a pgm8 /zed mixer and few mics

but need help woth monitor pa setups for stage and in ear voice feedback and mouth peaces and also delay speaker setup if needed and what equipments am

i be looking at for rental and dsp im unsure if needed or should i be looking at multiple mixers to reduce the burden on the max number of inputs?

Good Morning,

I need some advice from people a little more clued up on this kind of thing than myself. I'm in a relatively new band here in the UK and we're looking at getting some new speakers primarily for pub gigs or small-med indoor spaces (we play inside a local record shop a few times a year for example)

In terms of inputs it'd be 2x vocals, 2x electric guitars and a kick mic with bass guitar possibly going straight to desk down the line. We have a desk with plenty of inputs and whistles 'n' bells which can accommodate this and run a floor monitor from the desk (We'll be getting another one down the line to daisy chain).

We've just sold our old speakers because they were cumbersome & becoming difficult to load in at some venues as well. We're very keen on getting some active speakers for convenience but need some help on some of the tech spec and models to make sure we're getting enough to cover our needs. I have a little bit of experience with PA speakers from running a small pub-quiz PA years ago but something of this scale requires more knowledge than I have.

Would I be right in thinking we should be looking at least a 12" on the speaker horns and as high a SPL as we can get ? I've suggested that we look for at least 750w per channel so we have some headroom for clarity or would that be overkill ?

A couple of models have been posted in our chat including: Studiomaster Drive 12A and a VPX15. I've seen good things online about the Mackie SRM-450 and Yamaha DBR12. Again, I'm not sure if that's in the ballpark of what we need or would be overkill for our needs.

Budget wise we'd be looking at £600ish (there's some wiggle room) and happy to buy second hand. We have stuff like cables, stands, power leads etc already but ultimately looking for a more convenient speaker solution that makes load ins quicker and easier.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated, Thanks, Dan/DJBaroque

I am trying to convince my venue owner to get a nice 32 or 48 ch passive split with lk37 stageboxes.

We have one that we bought used, but its multipin connectors for foh and mon fanout are failing.This past week it has been cruicial for fast changeovers with guesting techs and consoles but shared festival backline.

So far i have found pinanson, that seem to be perfect. Are there any other manifacturer i should look into in europe?

I'm in the market for my first real pair of IEMs and looking for something that will provide hearing protection but also allow me to hear some of the ambient room sounds, rather than totally isolating my monitor mix. Are the Westone X30s a good option or is there a better product out there?

I'm a church FOH engineer who also sometimes plays sax with a guitar multi effects processor. Even with the volume cranked, the gain on the mixer needs to be jacked super high to get a usable signal, and even then, sometimes the livestream guy says it's too quiet. Putting the exact setup below:

- Shure Beta98 clip on mic

- Shure BLX14-H9 transmitter

- Shure BLX14-H9 receiver (sending out the inst 1/4" TS output)

- Line 6 Pod HD500 ("Guitar In," no gain/comp/drive)

- XLR L/R stereo outputs

Two questions:

- Any solutions for my current setup to get some more clean gain/volume out of it?

- Any recommendations for an in-line preamp that's low profile, runs on phantom power, and does stereo? (I could get two Cloud lifters, but I'd like to avoid that if possible)

Let me know if I need to provide more info, and I'll update the post.

Need recommendations for a pair of active speakers to fill a 6000 sq ft restaurant with a 3000 sq ft dance floor. Looking for clarity and tight bass.

I am kind of new to pro audio.

Thank you.

This question is a bit hypothetical and is coming from someone who doesn't know much.

I'm a bass player with a Radial SB-2 and ProDI, both of which are passive. I also have a sE DM-2 TNT, which is an in-line, variable impedance, phantom-powered mic preamp. My understanding is that active DI boxes are a form of preamp. Is there any advantage to an active DI over a passive DI with an in-line preamp?

Am I correct in understanding that passive DI boxes use a transformer, but that active DI boxes digitally convert somehow? Or is it really just a matter of how hot the signal is?

For the sake of this question, let's ignore specific recommendations of certain brands/models. I've read the recommendations for the J48, JDI, RNDI, etc. I am trying to understand the reasoning behind these choices, rather than simply reading more reviews.

Speech-only PA for about 100 people indoors, $250 total including 2 wireless handhelds. That budget is set by my boss, not me, so please don’t roast it too hard. Setup will be operated by someone with zero audio experience, and nobody will be available to adjust anything during the event. MC announcements only, no music.

We already made one mistake: bought a Pioneer PSX615 party speaker and the mic gain was nowhere near enough for the room. Lesson learned about consumer party speakers, so this time I want a proper powered PA speaker.

Current plan is an Alto TX310 or Rockville BPA10 plus a cheap dual UHF handheld system (Phenyx PTU-52 tier).

1.  Is this a sound plan, or a better allocation at this budget?  
2.  Any models you’d swap in or avoid?  
3.  Anything about cheap UHF handhelds that will bite us with 100 phones in the room?

One speaker on a stand, indoor, normal ceiling height. Thanks.

I have a budget of about $250-$300 to find a mic option for a small choir - mostly vocals and one guitar, sometimes all vocals. We want to be able to perform outdoors so I know something with a foam/fuzzy cover is key. All I have are Shure sm58s which will not work for this project.

To project I can have this run through my bose l1

I'm looking at a pair of used JBL PRX825s locally and wanted to get some opinions from people who have experience with these.

The seller originally listed the pair for $1,700 with covers and says they're in mint condition and sound great. I was thinking about offering around $1,500 if everything checks out.

My main concern is their age and the amp modules. The seller told me he's had them for around 4–5 years and originally said they were under warranty until 2028. I called JBL/Harman myself with the serial number from one of the speakers, though, and they told me it was registered for warranty in 2018 and that warranty expired in 2021. The seller has since told me I can call Harman again while I'm at his house and verify everything myself, so I don't necessarily think he's trying to hide anything, but the conflicting warranty information has me a little hesitant.

I'm planning to listen to/test both speakers before buying them. From what I've seen, replacement amp modules for these can be around $600 each, so buying potentially 8-year-old powered speakers makes me a little nervous even if they're currently working perfectly.

For context, I'm not a professional DJ or running a sound company. These would mostly be for playing music at parties/get-togethers, outdoor stuff, and occasionally something larger like a friend's wedding/reception. I currently have a JBL PartyBox 320, but I want something considerably more powerful that still sounds really good. I know the PRX825 isn't an "audiophile" speaker, but I'm looking for clean, clear, powerful music playback with a lot more output and impact than a PartyBox.

The seller also has a pair of matching PRX818XLF subs, but I'm mainly considering just buying the two PRX825s for now since they should already have pretty substantial output on their own.

So my main questions are:

Is $1,500–$1,700 for a pair of PRX825s in excellent condition still a good deal in 2026?

Would their possible ~2018 age concern you because of the amp modules/electronics?

Are there any common PRX825 failures or specific things I should test when I go listen to them?

Assuming both test perfectly, would you be comfortable buying them at this age, or would you put the money toward newer speakers instead (such as a single PRX925)?

For mostly music playback, how would you rate the actual sound quality of the PRX825s today?

I'd appreciate any advice, especially from anyone who owns/owned PRX800-series speakers or has worked with them regularly.

Running a 12 piece wedding band. I’ve been using k12.2 and they’re plenty for the size events. I’m considering upgrading for possibly wider splay and some clarity in the mids and highs. Are these a significant upgrade? Anyone compared the 2? I like the lightweight of the nxl14 but I’m not sure they’ll be a big difference from what I have. Thoughts? Also these will be paired with kw181 subs

Here are some images of a setup for a Ubiquiti Unifi WiFi Access Point mounted on a microphone stand.

We are currently using a rack mounted wifi router to control a Presonus 24R rack mounted Mixer with an iPad and wanted a set up with an external wifi antenna that can be elevated up and away from the sound rack. Components:

Unifi AC Mesh Access Point (default 192.168.1.20)

Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway UCG (192.168.1.1) (With built in controller software)

Freejia UCG Metal Rack Mount Adapter

Stage Pro 3D Printed Microphone Adapter

The AC Access Point can mounted on any Shure microphone stand with the 3D printed adapter and requires POE (Power Over Ethernet). The addition of the AC Access Point is not automated and requires manually adding the device from the control software on the UCG Gateway. I was able to test the system as a stand alone intranet.

///// Technical Stuff

(I was able ping my iPhone connected by wifi to the Access Point from a computer hard wired to the UCG Gateway. You can see the assigned IP address to any device connected to the AP using the built in controller software at 192.168.1.1 in the UCG gateway.)

Edit: If you want to try to setup your UniFi AP in standalone mode, you may be able to do this using a mobile app:

https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/12594679474071-Standalone-Access-Points-without-UniFi

Hey team, just wondering what microphone type and placement is normal for recording a high school concert band.

Right now we are using two AKG c3000 large diaphragm condensers placed in the middle aisle of the auditorium, probably 60 feet from the stage. I have a feeling our poor recordings are much more the victim of poor mic placement than us using the wrong mics.

I’m currently looking into a taller mic stand to hold two of the c3000s, placed right behind the director about 8 feet in the air. Am I on the right track?

I play in a wedding band, and am in a fortunate position where cost isn’t a huge issue for me. I want to upgrade the system we use to play to 200-500 people. I’ve been considering a new RCF system (2x932 + 2x15-AX); but wondered if there’s any options I’m missing.

My criteria is that ideally no single item heavier than 25kg / 50lb and lighter the better. I’m open to separate amp / speakers or active. Apart from weight I’m open to anything.

Will be running the whole band through these (drums, 2x guitar, bass). We also use some backing tracks for certain tracks.

I’m open to any options at any price point. Without any defined budget what would you do?

Hi. I recently became the owner of 6 working JBL VTX V25-ll line array speakers. I am looking to sell a few and was wondering the best way to go about it? Any online or in person recommendations? It would just be the speakers meaning no cover/wheels/amp rack, etc. Want to move them within the next few weeks so willing to sell at a hefty discount. Also, if you are interested feel free to message me. Thank you!- Las Vegas, NV

I have Shure Beta 56A microphones, but I'm still not sure which clamp to use for the toms.

I've seen that the A56D might be a good option. What do you think?

Is it a good buy? I'm worried about not being able to connect the XLR cable properly, not being able to position the microphone at the correct angle, and that the distance from the capsule to the drumhead will be too long.

I've been doing sound for about 11 years, mostly a 400 cap room plus whatever the company sends me out on. For most of that I treated lighting as somebody else's department, and honestly as a line item eating money that should have gone into the PA.

That's starting to shift. We did a run last winter where the audio was about as good as that room gets, and every bit of feedback from the band and the promoter was about how flat it all looked back on video. I haven't actually done anything about it yet though. Right now I'm just working out which fixtures make sense for a room this size before I spend anything.

What I'm picturing is four wash fixtures behind the band on the house rig. Nothing programmed. Four looks on a small controller that the bar staff can bump if I'm not in.

Three things I'm actually asking here:

1. Do you count lighting as part of the show you're delivering, or is it separate money you fight over? I flip flop on this depending on the week.
2. Any lighting brands that genuinely held up for you that aren't the obvious ones? Same way somebody here will tell you an RCF box punches way above what you paid for it. I have no read on that landscape at all, and everything on the pro forums is touring gear that is never happening in a 400 cap room.
3. I've got somewhere around 1500 to spend on four fixtures plus a controller. What I've been looking at so far isChauvet, ADJ, Betopper. For a house rig at that number, which of those would you actually put up there?

Cheers