Sound & PA

Amplifiers are used to power passive speakers - they range from power amplifiers which are normally rack mounted, to mixer-combined amplifiers which can have a microphone plugged in directly or built in Bluetooth to play music from a device.

Amplifiers have input sockets which are normally XLR, phono or jack and will have output connections using speakon or jack. Some amplifiers are more suited for hi-fi use with a digital display and built in FM tuner, these tend to be much lower power.

Speakers are either passive or active, passive speakers require an amplifier to power them and active speakers have a built-in amplifier. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is if the speaker needs a mains power lead plugged in, then it’s an active speaker. Passive speakers will have speakon or jack sockets which are then connected to amplifiers by speaker cabling.

Speakers are often chosen by the size of the woofer, when choosing which speaker to purchase firstly it is best to consider what you are going to use it for. Speakers for mobile DJ work will be mostly 12” or 15” which denotes the size of the bass driver or woofer. The larger the driver the more bass and volume is produced, speakers will often have 2 drivers – 1 for the high frequency and 1 for the low frequency but when discussing which speaker to purchase generally the low frequency woofer is what is considered.

The title of the speaker or model number will often mention the size of the woofer for example the Alto TS312 – the last two digits denotes this is a 12” speaker cabinet. Most subwoofers will have larger drivers so for example the FBT X-Sub18SA is a 18” subwoofer.

Speakers are also chosen by the power or wattage, this is sometimes misleading as wattage is not always measured in the same way. For example a 250 watt RMS speaker is possibly the same power as a 1000 watt peak speaker.

We would recommend always looking at the RMS (root mean square) wattage as this is carefully measured rather than peak or max wattage which are often unrealistic and over inflated. One other consistent measurement is SPL or the sound pressure limit – this is considered to be the most reliable method of determining speaker output.

Microphones are made in a variety of forms, the most popular being handheld like the famous Shure SM58 which is used for singing and vocal work mainly. But microphones are made in headset, lapel, studio, wireless and many other types.

Headset microphones generally are very small and lightweight and often will plug into a wireless bodypack transmitter. Lapel microphones are made to be indiscreet and clip onto a jacket lapel or tie, studio microphones are often large diaphragm and will be much larger and heavier.

Wireless microphones are now much more widely used, mainly because they are more cost effective. They are very useful for live performances to eliminate microphone wires and the technology is even more reliable and stable.

Wireless microphones often use VHF or UHF frequencies and don’t require a licence if using the CH60 wireless band. JTS and Sennheiser make a vast array of wireless microphone systems some which are rechargeable and with long range antenna systems designed for outdoor use.

Karaoke is becoming universally popular again, advances in technology mean that systems are now sold with built in LED screens to display the lyrics and music videos.

Many systems come with built in wireless microphone receivers and Bluetooth to stream music directly from your phone or tablet. Although karaoke discs are still used, the majority of users now choose to download tracks onto a USB stick or stream from an app.

Scrims are covers that come in white or black for stands and booths so you can create that essential white wedding DJ look!

The basic karaoke setup like the Easy Karaoke range includes a wired microphone and speaker to play back music so you can sing along straight from the box!

Recording is now done widely at home, the popularity of podcasts and digital music has seen an increase in the purchasing of home recording equipment. USB interfaces to connect microphones to a computer now cost less than the microphone itself and recording software can be obtained free of charge.

Brands like Behringer and Roland have produced high quality equipment which is easy to use but still produces great sounding recordings. Simple studio setups start with a USB interface to connect a microphone and plug in a set of headphones for monitoring.

More advanced setups might use a mixing desk with a built in multi-track interface and studio monitors to play back pre-recorded tracks.

Recording is now done widely at home, the popularity of podcasts and digital music has seen an increase in the purchasing of home recording equipment. USB interfaces to connect microphones to a computer now cost less than the microphone itself and recording software can be obtained free of charge.

Electric drum kits are very popular and basic kits have become much more cost effective for the beginner or learner. Guitar amplifiers and keyboards are very popular and we sell brands like Carlsbro and Soundsation which are widely used in the education sector because they are reliable and cost effective.

Synthesizers are being used extensively now for music production and the range and availability has increased. Synths can include built in screens to loads tracks and playback music alongside full-size keyboards. Behringer has updated classic synth sounds and styles into modern formats, a new generation of music producers can now create and design music easily. The flagship model called the Odyssey has been extremely popular alongside the smaller format TD-3 range.