Speaker for vocals /at home

DannyOc3an

Hi, since I'm on my way to become a singer, I'm planning to get some gear for singing in my home first. For now, I'm only planning to use backing tracks and use my living room space which is kind of big. On a friends or family gathering, it hosts aproximately 20 people. But most of the time it will only be me alone or with other 3 - 4 other music enthusiast friends.
Certainly I enjoy high fidelity sound, so I'm looking for the best configuration possible within this scenario. My first thought is to get some good quality active bookshelf speakers for music only to play the backing tracks from a PC with a decent soundcard, and get another speaker for vocals only, I think this way the sound will feel more live-like?
With this in mind, what kind of speaker can I use for vocals, considering I want high fidelity and not necessarily big volume. Or what would you recommend? I'm open to any suggestion.
Thanks!

DevonMoore

For a home studio you should really start lite, this is for everything including speakers.....doesnt matter what gear you have, the course and training is what will make you sound amazing.

I only say that so you dont go overboard lol

As for gear I can give you Links to all the gear that I've bought and liked. I just got it all on amazon and cost me under $500 thanks to getting some of them in bundle packs for a full studio (minus the computer)

also you mentioned using the speakers for music only and another for vocals only.....are you putting on shows in your home? because if you just wanting to get the live sound when recording/ mixing you can do this in your DAW easily.

DannyOc3an

Hi @DevonMoore,
Thank you for your response.
Yeah I know that one can easily go overboard with gear and that''s a road that never ends... I'm just trying to get a nice sound for myself and yes, sometimes I have guests who love karaoke singing and to listen to some good music. But as I said, there are never more than 20 people, all family and friends. I could settle for some standard home stereo and an active speaker for the mic, which is what I have right know (old pioneer stereo and a samson express speaker), but I want to step it up a little and see what better options I can find to enjoy a better fidelity, both for our party-karaoke-like nights and for enjoying a crisp sound when I'm by myself. I would love to see some of the gear you liked.
At this time I'm not planning on any studio recording, this gear will be used mainly for some live entertainment

DevonMoore

I see,

Well If your wanting to do like a karaoke night and have it sound like a live show (which is a cool idea) I use https://amzn.to/2RoGYGd these speakers...though I bought them in a bundle with some other gear, these are just the pair of speakers by themselves.

There was another pair by mackie for like $87 but I saw a few reviews of them dying after a year so I went with PreSonus.

Here is an upgrade from those if you want better ones https://amzn.to/2Swo79M A $100 more

Another option would be something like an amp you would use for a real live performance but I dont have a amp so I wouldn't know what to recommended you for that lol

DannyOc3an

Hi @DevonMoore, thank you, I will consider using your recommended monitors eventually if it turns out to be the best option for what I'm trying to do. I want to know if maybe some PA speakers would provide a better result for this karaoke-like setup. But I don't want to go overboard with let's say, something like a QSC K12, or some JBL PA $500+ setup. Those would provide the vocal fidelity I am after but I think may be an overkill for the home use both in power and budget. On the other hand I want to avoid those karaoke all-in-one systems since I don't think they will provide a high fidelity. That's why I'm trying to find a nice combination of music and voice reproduction that can provide as close to a pro live experience at home

DevonMoore

@DannyOc3an anytime, Also yeah I would stay away from those all in one systems.

I want you to think about how you see Dj's set things up....if you want that control to get exactly what you want then get a laptop and have a Daw (digital audio workstation) with a simple audio interface (personus has a good one as well as focusrite) and set it up in the living room.

I think would be you best option and will save you money on trial and error approach to finding that perfect speaker/system that gets that sound.

[Deleted User]

https://www.rockvilleaudio.com/kps10mm2000btr14gsbr50-kar-3/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvKzhBRC1ARIsANEXdgwO1PB_N3cTwPdP3X8qdK_PjSsocbZZ0OgOm-yCsX386Fe9jHW-T38aAqsVEALw_wcB

DannyOc3an

Hi @videoace Thanks!, those look nice... Have you had the chance to test them? I can't find any review yet

[Deleted User]

Not those particular speakers, but I do have a pair of Rockville Powered PA speakers (1000 watts per speaker), and for the money, they fill up a room, and they sound really good.
Not sure about the mics, or other hardware that comes with the one above, but it looked like what you were looking for, and it was relatively cheap so...........

Peace

Furious_Phil

@DannyOc3an , I use a Fender Passport 500 PA; It folds up like a suitcase and puts out a great live sound!
It has 6-8 channels and an aux-in for your piped in backing tracks.
I use it pretty heavily and it is as tough as it is great sounding!
Also the budget is pretty nice.

https://www.amazon.ca/Fender-Passport-Conference-Musical-Instruments/dp/B00VZ6QJSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546547960&sr=8-1&keywords=fender+passport

highmtn

It would cost a little more, but I would suggest two QSC K-8's. Nice sound, but a very clean P.A. type speaker as well. Little Behringer or Alto mixer and you've got the best of both worlds. If you want to skimp on the Hi-fidelity cost, then get Alto powered Speakers for a lot less than the QSC's.

DannyOc3an

Thank you @Furious_Phil I will check it out it seems like a nice portable and convenient system!

@highmtn I will definitely check those out! Btw... Considering this will be a stationary setup, what are your thoughts on the concept of having a pair of music-centered speakers for music only, and a separate vocal-centered speaker(s) for the mic only (maybe a 3-way), as opposed to having both music and vocals coming out from the same pair of speakers? Maybe it will offer a better combination in terms of fidelity and a live-like experience?

[Deleted User]

@DannyOc3an For a live setting it's best to have everything come from the same pair of speakers. Plus there's no need to complicate your set up more than it needs to be.

It's best to have the speakers to the side, and in front of the mics, or alongside the mics. That way you won't get feedback. If you put speakers in the center behind you, it will go straight to the mics, and you will lose the high fidelity you are seeking.

The basic set up is a mixer (size will depend on your needs), a power amp, and speakers.

You can get a mixer, and powered speakers, or you can buy a powered mixer, and speakers to cut out the extra hardware, and set up. Just don't mix powered speakers with a powered mixer. make sure one or the other is not powered.

I have a nice little set up here with a small 6 channel mixer, and a pair of jbl 80 watt powered speakers. I use it as a stereo mostly to play music, and I use it for my playback when recording.

Peace, Tony

DannyOc3an

Thank you guys!

vedeviatorsum

I can recommend the TC Helicon VoiceSolo FX 150 it can even handle my Bass at full volume with no distortion and has the range so that even a full ranged keyboard is absolutely no problems while it is mostly sized as a small stage monitor it can handle 20 people easily and be heard clearly at 100 feet away in a crowd.

On youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeCOzMGq-2Q

cowolter

Late to the party. But check out this one Electro-Voice. I pick one up cheap recently. Can plug mic right into it and set the gain and go. No need for a mixer if it only for vocals. Can also bring it to gigs when he needs a good stage monitor.///

DannyOc3an

Hi, I just want to update this post if someone is interested in a similar setup for singing at home using some backing tracks (karaoke style) , specially for a medium-large size entertainment space as in my case. Not so suitable for a small space or where neighbors may be an important issue, since this is a mid/high volume setup. This gear may perfectly be used for live presentations as well.

I ended up buying a pair of Alto Trouper speakers (around $200 each) , and placing them in front of the singer, at each side of the Tv/Screen.
Then I'm using a Yamaha MG06x mixer (around $130) which has nice mic preamps and reverb/delay effects.
So, for the music tracks I'm using a PC connected to the stereo line inputs of the mixer, and for vocals the microphone goes to one of the mic inputs. Both outputs are routed to the Alto pa speakers. Im using YouTube karaoke tracks at the moment which are just fine for practice and home entertainment.
You may use a laptop or tablet as well with this setup.

The idea behind getting two speakers is to have stereo, and these Alto Troupers have a very nice sound quality, perfect for vocals. They shine as a pair, as having a single one only isn't as impressive. The Yamaha mixer sounds top quality too, and the MG06x version is just enough for the job with its built-in effects. As for the mic, you may want to check out the Telefunken M80, which isn't the cheapest option for sure but is a nice investment for the future and its looks can be customized at their website. It's a super cardioid. Soundwise I like its flattering high end, it has a nice "condenser-like" quality without being harsh, and almost no proximity effect.
This speakers/mixer combination is an excellent setup for carrying to a small-medium gig if you are into it or planning to do so, maybe you play some instrument besides singing and this will do the job quite impressively. Sure it's not as portable as a single all-in-one solution speaker, but it's nice to have a stereo pair that you can place according to the audience, and having a good mixer in the signal chain really does provide a lot of gain and quality to the sound.