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getting started singing

U

uethanian

Mar 11, 2007
1,070
4
#1
didn't see what i wanted in search, sorry if this has been covered

so i'm trying to piece this band together, it's me on bass, a guitarist and a drummer. it seems kind of up to me to do vocals, and i think i have an ok voice so i said why not. but i don't own any gear for it, and am not really in a position to spend any significant money...

would it work (if only for the present) to sing through a guitar amp? the guitarist said he has second amp that can be used for w/e purpose. and for the actual mic, well i have no idea about. is there a workable one i can get for cheap? :help:
 
#2
I'm in the same situation with a start-up band (default singer)...fortunately we already have a good PA and wireless mics, but I sang for years in other bands and always liked the Radio Shack mics for general use (http below)...

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They're relatively inexpensive, solid and perform well (even when dropped or kicked -- accidentally, of course). ;)

Singing through a guitar combo amp will work OK for practicing (you'll need to play with the EQ a lot). You'll probably need to look into vocal amp/PA if you plan on playing live in the future.

Best of luck!
 
#4
Might be a bit expensive, but I would always have to say Shure SM58. Good for live playing, very durable and sturdy. They can be smashed around and will still work a treat. They retail about £50 (about $85).

As for the amp, just get an XLR - 1/4 Jack converter and plug into the guitar amp, shouldn't be too much of a problem but you may get some vocal distortion (which is good if you want that kinda thing). I've tried it before and didn't have too many problems.

Hope this helps.
 
#5
Everyone should start out in "not the ideal" gear situation which is good for learning. Rigging the guitar amp may work for a bit depending on how loud everyone plays through their rigs and it's power. Elevate it to ear level if you can.

Best to save and when it comes to pa's and saving money, look for used. Not sure where you live, but we recently picked up a PA (speakers, amp, mixer, cables, stands) that would have been over 2K USD pieced together, got it used about 2 years old for $400. Bargains are everywhere today, sadly from a lot of wedding dj's that may be out of work.

I like beta 58's, just me. Got a few "used" but never opened ones online again for $75.00. Just have to be patient.
 
#6
+1 on the finding used PA gear suggestion. You will find that the guitar amp is voiced for -surprise - your guitar. Talk to your buddy and see if he'd be willing to sell the guitar and put the money toward a PA system.

one thing to consider is that you'd have to buy a mic with a 1/4" cable end (new ones never have this that I've seen), or get an adapter. And then you've spent moeny going the wrong direction (a PA will want XLR cables for the mic). And the guitar amp might not like the input level.

If you try it, you might do some homework and see just how "flat" (unaffected, true representation of sound) you can get the EQ on the amp. Maybe look for a forum with 'flat' eq settings, or run a CD through it that you know how it should sound.

Sometimes unique approaches get you to the next step; that said, the right tools will always be the better way to go, and a good mic (sm58 is good, but is mid-bump and doesn't suit everyone) is a better investment than many think. I prefer some of the other options available in the 'around $100' range, like the ev nd767a.
 
#7
You might actually wanna try radio shack or shack as it is now(lame), cant find em on the site but last time I was in there a couple weeks ago they had some mixers and PA's so im guessing its new stuff since I cant find it on the website yet. I dont remember exact prices but they're pretty reasonable from what I remember.

edit, just search PA(duh) in the search bar since they dont have a section yet, its pretty nice.
 

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