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AndyH · Posts: 1425

A friend performs dance in a small group. She makes CDR compilations for the performances. She has a Sony boombox (around $40 U.S.) that they found adequate for rehearsals, but you can probably easily imagine what happened when they tried to turn up the volume to accommodate a larger than usual performance space.

She ask for recommendations. She said it needs to be simple to set up and use, but it would be OK if it required a dolly for transporting. Then she delivered the killing stroke by telling me she has about $150 to spend.

This sound pretty hopeless to me, but maybe some of you have experience that will suggest a solution. Obviously she needs more power, and speakers that can use it. Since basic cheap-o boombox sound was adequate at moderate volume, audiophile pretensions are not part of the requirement. CDR will be the only source. Possibly a used CD player could be obtained outside that basic financial bonanza, maybe the current boombox could be the source via the headphone jack.

kylen · Posts: 290

The first thing I'd try is to see if I could make the sound bigger by sticking a gamer or pc style powered subwoofer on it connected via the headphone jack. Now the original system is responsible for the mids and highs and the consumer style sub will handle the bass. The good thing about a pc or laptop sub is that it won't have a real tight cross at 100Hz or whatever and should slop around into the lo mids a little giving an even louder feel.

I've got a little JBL sub I do that with sometimes. < $100, someones used upgrade at Voodoo's yard sale maybe $40 :D

The trouble now is that your dancing friend now has to begin hooking a wire up which may throw them off or they'll forget how to do it without written instructions. Something we take for granted. Depends what you're used to doing... I can't dance.

You might want to check the room out too, it may be really big or something else might be going on like dirty or brown AC or who knows what.

kylen

VoodooRadio · Location: USA Posts: 3971

The (very low) limited budget means.... limited options. I don't really have an answer for $150. Ideally, finding a little more budget would allow for a simple, small powered mixer and a set of speakers.

BTW, I don't dance either! Approve

ozpeter · Location: Australia Posts: 3200

Look for a performing arts grant - or pass the hat round family friends and supporters. I fear those are the best suggestions. Or eBay?

- Ozpeter

AndyH · Posts: 1425

Powered computer speakers sound worth investigating for a tight budget. In fact I have a fairly nice set that she can try. I don't even have to unhook them first; I don't have room for even that much speaker in my cubby hole here.

I started thinking about the thrift stores I visit for used LPs. Sets of speakers, from computer size to twelve inch woofer floor sets, are not rare. They never looked interesting to me, but maybe I could find something useful for her purposes. Then find a used receiver, (which I never see in the thrift stores) a few cables, and she would be ready.

I've never used a mixer, but I always though they were, equivalency speaking, in the preamp catagory. Can they actually drive speakers, as in they contain a couple of 100 watt amplifiers? If not, where would a mixer fit into these requirements?

djwayne · Location: USA Posts: 583

tlenthe · Location: USA Posts: 11

I second ozpeter's suggestion! My daugheter is in a small, student vocal performing group which sings to pre-recorded accompaniments. They were using a "high-end" Bose boom box with the same kind of problems. They were able to find a grant for about $1500 which gave them a great setup with powered PA speakers, mixer. etc. If your US based, there are lots of library resources to find out how to write grant reguests and who may have money for your type of need. Also, you can probably buy the stuff tax free if it's a registered non-profit group, and some local supplier may find it in his interest to offer an additional discount in return for some publicity or sponsor-ship acknowledgement.

That said, when I was equipment shopping for my daugheters group , there is a small Galaxy brand personal monitor which can really push out some sound and has a built-in mike preamp. It's around $300US, which is more than your budget, but one of the cheapest pro grade items I found in this arena.

Good luck!

AndyH · Posts: 1425

I took my unused Altec Lansing 3 piece computer speaker set to her home and tried it out in her living room. Fed from the boombox headphone out, which disconnects the boombox speakers, it was a major improvment. I tried to point out that the computer setup was intended for close-in use, at a computer, and would not translate so well to a larger performance space, but I'm not sure that info was registering.

Anyway, I left it with her, with the understanding that she would find time to try it in a larger space before she actually wants to depend upon it. If she is disappointed, which seems not too improbably to me, I will follow up on some of these other suggestions. Her group does charity work of a sort, such as performing at old folks homes (tht probably isn't PC, hee hee). This is probably more because they get a captive audience than for any other reason, but maybe that would be an in to the grant trail.

jester700 · Posts: 546

A used home receiver & bookshelf speaker pair (using her boombox as source, or a cheap discman) might do the trick. That's about the best I could do.