Audio Info & Education

If you're a singer, you know the struggle. There you are at band practice, singing your heart out into the mic, but the rest of the band is drowning you out. No one can hear the vocals, and you can't even hear yourself. You can't help but wonder if you just can't sing loud enough. But fret not, chances are you just have to rethink your PA system situation!

A Direct Box, or DI Box may not look like much, but it is an indispensable tool for both the stage and studio. Its primary function is to convert unbalanced signals to balanced signals. Common instruments like electric guitars, basses, keyboards, and many instrument amplifier line outputs are unbalanced outputs that accommodate your standard quarter inch cable. The signals from these instruments can be susceptible to buzz, hum, and interference, especially when running these cables long distances. This is not always avoidable, as it often occurs that the mixing console or your amp is far away from where you’re standing.

Your music is all set to be recorded, you have put in laborious hours for the composition and the rehearsal, your band has smoothed out all the bumpy spots, your music has gleaned a beautiful flow from the beginning to the end, and for your crowning glory you have booked the recording studio to immortalize your music. However, recording time incurs a hefty cost and it is imperative that you go with ample preparation to garner the most out of your time. With diligent forethought, your limited studio time would slip away with little to show for it. Here are the top 7 ways to maximize your studio time:

Connecting an instrument to an amplifier using a standard ¼” instrument cable has long been the classic, tried and true method. It’s simple, cost effective, and preserves the sonic integrity of your instrument, so long as you use quality cables. The wired method is not without its faults though. As reliable as it is, there’s no denying that it tethers you to your mic stand or instrument and restricts your movement around the stage. You can only go as far as your cable will let you, and if you like to move around a lot, you have to constantly be cautious of stepping on your cable, tripping over it, or tangling it up.

As a working musician, you spend a lot of your time and effort moving your equipment around. It’s a labor of love-- you want to sound your best and have the equipment to do it, but getting it in and out of venues night after night can be a taxing affair. Even if you’re the guy in the band who travels light, it often happens that the parking situation at the venue is less than ideal. Getting any sized rig or speaker setup from your car to the stage may pose some problems as you’re stuck lugging all your gear three city blocks.

 Did you know the TRx2115A has optimized DSP settings to be used in high power music playback with the option of extended bass enhancement? The internal DSP (digital signal processing) is optimized for the time alignment and crossover point for the most efficient clean high output, but there are some optional added processing settings. The playback mode EQs the cabinet for high output music playback. This is ideal for DJs and banquet background music.

Did you know the RX1200L and XP1000L have more than two internal power amplifiers? It is very common for "Box Mixers" to have a stereo power amp section for stereo mains speakers. Many, like our XP800L, have a switch feature that reconfigures the two amps to a mono main amp and a monitor amp. The XP1000L and the RX1200L have additional amplifiers, so you are free to run monitors without sacrificing your stereo mains. The XP1000L has one additional amp for a total of three internal power amps.

Be it a full production in a dedicated house of worship, or a regular Sunday sermon in the local church, fostering an ambience that allows focus and self-reflection can help in promoting the message and impinging it upon the minds of the listeners. Inadequate audio quality can greatly distract the attention of a worshipper or attendees. Especially, with the goal being listener envelopment, articulation, and clarity, having a viable PA sound system is indispensable for the house of worship. However, the operations of a PA in such gatherings pose these specific problems:

It has always been stressed that “a great music producer only frets over the most important things” and it can be rightly argued that the most imperative thing in music production is the recording. Contrary to widespread beliefs, garnering state of the art equipment won’t render such charms to your recording if you don’t know how to use them right. Sometimes, with prudent forethought, you can glean the best out of your ordinary paraphernalia, even in the confines of your home. Here are some top recording studio tricks that you would find handy down the road:

Did you know the HD series amplifiers have a 100Hz low pass crossover built in?  This is great for adding subwoofers to your system.  In many simple cases with full range top cabinets, you don't really need to crossover mains to the subwoofers.

There are a million things that can go wrong when you are on stage. A piece of equipment can falter, the singer hits a bum note (a la Simon Le Bon at Live Aid), or your co-performer exposes more of you than acceptable (Super bowl halftime, you know what we’re talking about). Regardless of how well you prepare, some things are beyond your control and there is little you can do to prevent the problems which occur as a result of them. The best you can do is to be aware of the top 5 live gig problems so that you don’t panic if any of these happen:

If you are in the market for amplifiers, you have two broad categories to choose from: professional amplifiers or home (consumer) amplifiers. Before you can select which amp is best for you, you need to analyze your needs and preferences. To paint the situation with a broad stroke, we can say pro amps are generally great for sound reinforcement (they project sound over an extensive area), come with a lot more features and are durable. However, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of each type: