Zoom PS-04 review
The PS-04 is a small (pocket-size) recording studio. You get four actual tracks, plus drum and bass. Each of the four tracks has ten virtual tracks, so you can do "just one more take" on that difficult solo. Also built in, are plenty of Zoom effects. If you've ever owned and loved a Zoom effects pedal, you won't be disappointed.
Now the negative side. Some users have trouble getting familiar with this unit. If you've never used a multitrack home recording unit of any kind, you might consider buying an inexpensive used cassette tape unit to learn on. If you use multitrack recording software on your computer, you will find you know what needs to be done, but may have to take some time reading the manual to figure out which buttons to push.
The recorded sound quality is decent. The sampling rate is 31.250khz, which is lower than CD quality, but not by much. There is no latency (tracks will always be aligned with each other).
My recommendation: For portablilty and capabilities for the price, it's a good unit, but not for the beginner.
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Roland Micro Cube review
I first heard the Roland Micro Cube at a local guitar shop. Very loud, especially for distorted guitar. No lows. See if you can get them to take it out in the parking lot for a demo. Actually quite clean for its intended use. Small. Has a mono version of the Roland chorus.
I got one for the heck of it and to use as a monitor for low power amplified gigs, but it doesn't have the power I need. A 40 watt plug-in amp I had did the trick, although bigger.
I think for solo busking, might be ok. Only one preamp'd input and another aux in for line level input. I'd definitely have them let you demo it outside. For inside, say in an intimate setting, it's more than enough for quiet amplification and louder than a Pignose mini. But again, no lows, so if you're using it for vocals, they will sound like they are coming from a small boombox.
My recommendation: Definitely should demo before you buy, but should not rule out until you do. Don't expect much bass.
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Two Other Portable PA Systems reviews
Some years ago, I bought a Fender Passport Deluxe PD250 Portable PA System for a local business group. I think it is overpriced, but very convenient to move around. Of course, no battery operation is possible. They do offer an optional cordless mic, which the group wanted even though I warned them off. The range on the mic is about ten feet without fuzz. The system came with two corded mics and two speaker stands, which are fine. The group chose this over a similar system with a more standard configuration (separate head and speakers) because it all snapped together in a clamshell configuration. This is not a powerhouse system, but sound is good. Says it's able to be operated off battery power, but that doesn't mean dry cells loaded in a built-in compartment. Bring along your car battery.
More recently, I bought a Kustom KPA 804 for another group. I got it for $150, which was a good price at the time. The stands were extra, but the deal included a mic and cables. With the speakers up on their stands, the included speaker cables were too short to reach, unless you positioned the control head at the center of the stage. This one works well, no battery power, but has clean sound. Not a high powered system by any means, but more than enough for a solo or small group for small venues without a large crowd.
My recommendation: For acoustic gigs, I figure about one to two watts of PA power per audience member, depending on other background noise, which is conservative. For a rock concert, I'd go higher per person.
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Microphone reviews
Here are the microphones in use at my home studio:
Shure SM-58 - an all-purpose stage mic with decent sound for vocal reproduction at live performances. This mic is intended to be used at close range. The directional pattern helps eliminate feedback. The mic is rugged, and will withstand quite a bit of abuse. This is my recommendation for all-purpose stage use. If you want to save some money, read the next paragraph.
Recently, I have been made aware of the ES series mics sold by Speaker Repair in Southern California. These imports are similar enough to be equivalent to the Shure products at one-third the cost. I own the ES-57, the ES equivalent of the Shurs SM-57. This mic has a directional pattern, and is suitable for instruments and amplifiers at live performances. Place it about six inches from the sound source at a 30 to 45 degree angle off center. In my experience, this mic is as rugged as the Shure equivalent.
Although most at home on stage during live performance, the above mics are sometimes used for recording. They will do, but lack a broad and flat frequency response curve you need. For recording, most people use a condenser mic. Condensers come in various sizes and shapes from the tiny modular units to the large studio types used for recording. They vary in price from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars.
Besides overall quality differences, which translate to sound quality differences, the most significant difference is the size of the diaphragm which picks up the sound. Within reason, dollar for dollar, the larger the diaphragm, the better the sound. Put another way, you pay more for similar sound quality the smaller you go.
Small diaphragm condenser mics are more suited for more rugged applications. Limited on-stage use, for example. In general, the larger the diaphragm, the more sensitive the mic. This is why you see the round "spit" screens in front of large condensers in the studio. You can get away with having a dynamic mic such as the SM-58 close to the vocalist's mouth, but if you place a condenser that close, you're going to get a lot of "breath pops".
Another disadvantage of large-diaphragm condenser mics is their relative sensitivity to room noise and vibration. Best used in the studio, they are often seen suspended in a "rubber band basket" attached to the mic stand.
The Behringer C-1 is supposed to be an inexpensive large-diaphragm condenser microphone. Actually, it is inexpensive. At under $50, it beats the SM-58 for price. Plus, it has better sound for recording - a flatter, broader response. So what's the drawback? The sensitivity. It's probably more fragile too, but this hasn't, thankfully, been fully tested! What I did test was its use in general home recording. In side-by-side comparisons, the Behringer C-1 beat the Shure SM-58 for broadness and flatness of response. After listening to recordings of my acoustic guitar made with each, I was of the opinion that the SM-58 "colored" the sound, rather than reproduced it faithfully.
Something else to note: With rare exception, all condensers require phantom power to run their circuits. You'll need a preamp or other device that gives you +48 volts to the correct pin on the XLR connector. Most modern preamps, mixing boards, and even some recording devices have phantom power. It pays to check to be sure.
My recommendation: If you had to buy only one mic, buy the Shure SM-58 or the Speaker Repair equivalent ES-58. If you do home recording and want a second mic for your studio, don't avoid the Behringer C-1, in spite of its low cost, but be sure you have phantom power.
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A.R.T. Tube MP Studio review
I mentioned phantom power above. One way to get it is to buy a preamp with phantom power. Such is the A.R.T. Tube MP Studio. A.R.T. had such rave reviews on their other units, that when the price dropped on this one, I bought it. It works fine and is easy to figure out. It has phantom power.
On the less-than-perfect side, level monitoring is by way of an analog meter of the coil-and-magnet variety. Although this gives it a "retro" look, I believe the meter movement is too slow to indicate rapid rises and falls in input level, so you'll wind up listening for distortion, rather than visually adjusting the levels. There is a peak led light, which changes from green to red when clipping occurs, but it is not as fast to respond as would be a row of led lights.
My recommendation: This is the preamp for you if you are on a budget.
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Older Equipment reviews
I mention these here, because I am familiar with them, and because not everyone buys new gear.
Alesis Multimix 6: Alesis has a good name in mixing boards. This one costs more than a similar Behringer product, but it is very quiet, and it has phantom power. It also has quite a number of built-in effects. Unlike newer units, this one does not have a USB output for the computer. I's srictly analog. Works well for recording and stage use. My recommendation: Unless you can get a really good deal on a used one, save up for USB model.
Yamaha PSR 260: This was bought at Costco for around $150. Many of the sound samples are quite decent. The rhythm section will make you sound like something out of the 70's. The keys are a slight bit narrower than a full-size acoustic piano. It does have touch-sensitive keys, but they are not weighted. Runs on D-cell batteries as well as AC power. Sound output level from the internal speakers will rival a typical boom box. My recommendation: Good if you are on a strict budget, or if you want a fairly inexpensive portable keyboard to take to little gigs. Good for classroom use if you are a teacher.
Tascam 788: These are going for a song these days (no pun intended). You get 6 actual channels, plus two stereo channels, and a master fader. Somewhat complicated to figure out how to use. Capable of 24 or 16 bit recording. Completely self-contained and capable of recording/mixing/mastering a finished product. If yours comes with the CD-788, you can burn your project to a blank disc. If not, there is a line output which you can connect to your computer's sound card line input. Now the negative: There is no way to connect this digitally to your computer, only analog. If you buy the companion CD-788, you can burn tracks to a CD after mastering (only certain blanks will work). My recommendation: If you get this at a bargain-basement price used, go for it, and use it to practice on. If not, save up and go with something more modern, something with a USB connection to your computer.
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RECORDING GEAR
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