Mackie DL1608 - 16 Channel Digital Live Sound Mixer with I-Pad control.

Proven Hardware That Sounds Great

    16 Onyx mic preamps
    High-end Cirrus Logic® converters
    Ultra low-noise, high-headroom design
    6 aux sends for monitor mixes
    Master L/R output for mains

Tons of Built-In Processing

    Choice of powerful, touch-sensitive plug-ins
    4-band EQ, gate and compression on inputs
    31-band GEQ and comp/limiter on outputs
    Global reverb and delay

Wireless Mixing

    Seamless wired to wireless mixing
    Tune the room from anywhere
    Get on stage to ring out monitors
    Personal monitor mixing with access control ability
    Use up to 10 wireless devices simultaneously

Total Control from Your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch

    Intuitive Master Fader™ app for all iPad models
    My Fader™ app for quick control from iPhone or iPod touch
    “Grow and Glow” visual feedback
    Preset and snapshot recall
    Record the mix to the iPad for instant sharing
    Integrate music from any app into the mix

Install Friendly Features

    PadLock™ feature locks down iPad for permanent installs
    Industry standard Kensington lock secures mixer
    Compact footprint saves precious workspace
        15.5″ x 11.5″ x 3.9″
        7.9 lbs / 3.6 kg
    30-pin connector version available now and Lightning version coming soon

Frequency for Instruments

Magic Frequencies
Excerpted from The Mixing Engineer's Handbook
by Bobby Owsinski

Editors' Note: The following excerpt from "The Mixing Engineer's Handbook" by engineer Bobby Owsinski discusses how EQ can affect different frequencies in an audio mix. A Tips and Tricks section at the the end features various professional engineers offering their perspective on EQ techniques.

Before we examine some methods of equalizing, it’s important to note the areas of the audio band and what effect they have on what we hear. The audio band can effectively be broken down into six distinct ranges, each one having enormous impact on the total sound.

• Sub-Bass — The very low bass between 16Hz and 60Hz that encompasses sounds that are often felt more than heard, such as thunder in the distance. These frequencies give the music a sense of power even if they occur infrequently. Too much emphasis on this range makes the music sound muddy.

• Bass — The bass between 60Hz and 250Hz contains the fundamental notes of the rhythm section, so EQing this range can change the musical balance, making it fat or thin. Too much boost in this range can make the music sound boomy.

• Low Mids — The midrange between 250Hz and 2000Hz contains the low order harmonics of most musical instruments and can introduce a telephone-like quality to the music if boosted too much. Boosting the 500Hz to 1000Hz octave makes the instruments sound horn-like, while boosting the 1kHz to 2kHz octave makes them sound tinny. Excess output in this range can cause listening fatigue.
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• High Mids — The upper midrange between 2kHz and 4kHz can mask the important speech recognition sounds if boosted, introducing a lisping quality into a voice and making sounds formed with the lips such as “m,” “b” and “v” indistinguishable. Too much boost in this range — especially at 3kHz — can also cause listening fatigue. Dipping the 3kHz range on instrument backgrounds and slightly peaking 3kHz on vocals can make the vocals audible without having to decrease the instrumental level in mixes where the voice would otherwise seem buried.

• Presence — The presence range between 4kHz and 6kHz is responsible for the clarity and definition of voices and instruments. Boosting this range can make the music seem closer to the listener. Reducing the 5kHz content of a mix makes the sound more distant and transparent.

• Brilliance — The 6kHz to 16kHz range controls the brilliance and clarity of sounds. Too much emphasis in this range, however, can produce sibilance on the vocals.

Leo di Gar Kulka — “Equalization - The Highest, Most Sustained Expression of the Recordist’s Heart,” Recording Engineer/Producer, Vol. 3, Number 6, November/December, 1972

For those of you who have an easier time visualizing the audio spectrum in one-octave increments (like those found on a graphic equalizer), here’s an octave look at the same chart.		Easy-To-Remember Golden Rules Of EQ 1. If it sounds muddy, cut some at 250Hz. 2. If it sounds honky, cut some at 500Hz. 3. Cut if you’re trying to make things sound better. 4. Boost if you’re trying to make things sound different. 5. You can’t boost something that’s not there in the first place.
31Hz	Rumble, "chest"
63 Hz	Bottom
125Hz	Boom, thump, warmth
250Hz	Fullness or mud
500Hz	Honk
1KHz	Whack
2KHz	Crunch
4KHz	Edge
8KHz	Sibilance, definition, "ouch!"
16 KHz	Air

Figure 5  -- Frequency for Instruments--

Tricks and Tips
General Tips
Use a narrow Q (bandwidth) when cutting; use wide Q’s when boosting
If you want something to stick out, roll off the bottom; if you want it to blend in, roll off the top

For Snare —

To find the “point” on the snare, boost the upper midrange starting at about +5 or 6dB at 2kHz or so. Open up the bandwidth (if that parameter is available) until you get the snare to jump out, then tighten the bandwidth until you get only the part of the snare sound that you want most. Then fine-tune the frequency until you need the least amount of boost in order to make it jump out of the mix.

For Drums—

Dave Pensado: A lot of the music I do has samples in it and that gives the producer the luxury of pretty much getting the sound he wanted from the start. In the old days you always pulled out a little 400 on the kick drum. You always added a little 3 and 6 to the toms. That just doesn’t happen as much any more because when I get the tape, even with live bands, the producer’s already triggered the sound he wanted off the live performance and the drums are closer.

For Bass —

The ratio between the low bass (80–120Hz) and the mid-bass (130Hz–200Hz) is important. Try using two fairly narrow peaking bands, one at 100Hz and another at 140Hz and boost one and cut the other. If the bass is too warm, sometimes reducing the upper band can make it more distinct without removing the deeper fundamentals that live in the 100Hz band. Also, try boosting some of the 1kHz area since this is where a lot of the sound of the Fender bass lives.

For Fatter Guitars —

Boost midrange a lot (9dB or so) and sweep the frequencies until you hear the range where the guitar sounds thick but yet still bright enough to cut through. Now, back the boost down to about +4 or so until the guitar cuts through the mix without being too bright.

Don Smith: I use EQ different from some people. I don’t just use it to brighten or fatten something up; I use it to make an instrument feel better. Like on a guitar, making sure that all the strings on a guitar can be heard. Instead of just brightening up the high strings and adding mud to the low strings, I may look for a certain chord to hear more of the A string. If the D string is missing in a chord, I like to EQ and boost it way up to +8 or +10 and then just dial through the different frequencies until I hear what they’re doing to the guitar. So I’m trying to make things more balanced in the way they lay with other instruments.

For Vocals—

Boost a little at 125Hz to 250Hz to accentuate the voice fundamental and make it more “chesty”-sounding. The 2kHz to 4kHz range accentuates the consonants and makes the vocal seem closer to the listener.

Ed Seay: On a vocal sometimes I think, “Does this vocal need a diet plan? Does he need to lose some flab down there?” Or sometimes, “We need some weight on this guy so let’s add some 300 cycles and make him sound a little more important.”

David Sussman: If I’m recording vocals, I like to roll off quite a bit on the bottom end so the compressor doesn’t start kicking in and bringing up any low end rumble or noise. If I’m EQing a piano or something that’s already been recorded, I sometimes roll off a lot of the bottom so I leave a lot of room for the bass and the kick drum to occupy. A lot of times I don’t need anything under probably 100Hz. I’ll do some rolling off with the filters and then I may take a bell curve and zone in on a couple of other woofy areas on certain instruments.

Dave Pensado: I think of EQ as an effect much the same way you would add chorus or reverb to a particular instrument or vocal. Like, I might have a vocal where I think it’s really EQed nicely and then I’ll add a little more 3k just to get it to bite a little more. Then it just makes me feel like the singer was trying harder and it brings out a little bit of passion in his or her voice. So I tend to be most effective when I do the standard equalizing, then take it to the next level, thinking of it as an effect.
Source: ArtistPro

EON 210P - Portable PA Self-Powered 10” Two-Way system with detachable powered mixer

The EON210P consists of two 10-inch, two-way, powered loudspeakers, one with a detachable powered mixer and the other with a detachable storage compartment, one pair of unshielded speaker cables and a power cord. Capable of reproducing full bandwidth sound at high levels the 210P is comprised of a 250 mm (10 in) woofer, a 37.5 mm (1.5 in) neodymium high frequency compression driver coupled to a 100° H by 60° V waveguide driven by a 300 watt Crown® Class-D power amplifier and integrated mixer.

Features :

300 watt High-Performance Powered Speaker System

Ergonomic soft touch top grip for easy handling

10” low-frequency driver with neodymium magnet for low-distortion and light weight

1” throat diameter next generation JBL neodymium compression driver

Efficient Crown® Class-D amplifier technology

100° H x 60° V asymmetrical wave guide for uniform audience coverage

8 channel powered mixer with intuitive interface

On board digital multi-effects

Integrated 36 mm pole mount socket with stabilizing securing screw

Highly designed composite enclosures for durability, lightweight, and acoustic performance

Specifications :

System Power Rating   :   300 Watts (2 X 150 Stereo)

Maximum SPL Output   :   124 dB peak system output (pink noise)

Net Weight of System   :   33 lbs. (19 lbs. for unit with powered mixer, 14 lbs. for unit with storage pod)

System Type   :   Powered mixer with 2 two-way bass-reflex enclosures

Frequency Range (-10 dB)   :   60 Hz - 20 kHz

Frequency Response (±3 dB)   :   75 Hz - 19 kHz

AC input   :   120 - 240 V 50/60 Hz, voltage selector switch sets operational range

Amplifier Design   :   Crown® Class D

Output Connector   :   2 X 1/4” TS (unbalanced) amplifier outputs

Input Connectors   :   8 inputs (4 Mono Mic/Line, 2 X Stereo)

Channels   :   1-4 are XLR / 1/4” jack combo connectors, XLR is a mic level input, 1/4” is a line level input. 5-6, one pair of 1/4” balanced TRS jacks (stereo), and a pair of RCA jacks (stereo). 7-8 is a 3.5 mm stereo jack

Input Impedance   :   Ch 1-4 Combo: XLR 3 K Ohms Balanced Ch 1-4 Combo: TRS 20 K Ohms Balanced Ch 5-6: TRS 25 K Ohms Balanced Ch 5-6: RCA 12 K Ohms Unbalanced Ch 7-8: 3.5 mm 30 K Ohms Unbalanced

Phantom Power   :   30 V

Output Connectors   :   Monitor outputs: one pair of 1/4” balanced TRS jacks (stereo), and a pair of RCA jacks (stereo) Headphone output: one 3.5 mm stereo jack

Signal Indicators Main Output LED Ladder   :   Limit: Red LED indicates limiter active condition Signal: Green LED indicates signal present

Signal Indicators: Ch 1-4   :   Peak LED: Green = signal present, Red = input overload

EQ   :   Individual channel Bass and Treble controls, center detent, +/-6 dB cut and boost

System Limiter   :   On Board DSP Limiting and Tuning

LF Driver   :   1 x JBL 328 H 250 mm (10 in) woofer

HF Driver   :   1 x JBL 2414H-1 37.5 mm (1.5” ) annular polymer diaphragm, neodymium compression driver

Coverage Pattern   :   100º x 60º nominal

Crossover Frequency   :   2 kHz

Crossover Type   :   Passive network, 2nd order filters (-12 dB per octave) for high pass and low pass filters

Enclosure   :   Polypropylene

Suspension/ Mounting   :   36 mm pole socket with stabilizing screw

Handles   :   One on top

Grille   :   Powder coated perforated steel

Shipping Package (HxWxD)   :   21.5” x 26” x 13.75” (546 mm x 660 mm x 349 mm)

Applications :

Live sound reinforcement, speech and vocals, music playback in entertainment, A/V, and institutional venues – especially when ease of use and portability are important factors.

Amplification, mixing, and monitoring for electronic musical instruments.

Everywhere you need to be heard.

- Source (http://www.jblpro.com/)   

STAGEPAS 300 - Portable PA System

Live Sound Has Never Been Easier

This extraordinarily portable PA system has 8 channel (including 4 microphone) inputs and delivers a very respectable 300 watts of high-quality power to the supplied pair of compact speakers.

No matter where your music leads, Yamaha's new STAGEPAS™ 300 Portable PA system has the power and portability to go with you. It has all the power and high-quality sound you need to fill a small performance space, yet it is small and light enough to take wherever it is needed. Combining a built-in powered mixer and PA speakers, it's incredibly easy to use - you can be set up and playing in a matter of minutes! STAGEPAS™ 300 is the perfect road companion, providing powerful, reliable, convenient sound reinforcement for a wide variety of applications. Great sound has never been so portable - and so easy to use. High quality, convenience, and power to go!

Features

STAGEPAS300: On Stage Anywhere, Anytime

STAGEPAS300 is a portable PA system that can be set up to provide high quality live sound anywhere, anytime. Designed primarily for musicians on the move, STAGEPAS™ 300 makes it possible to deliver high-quality live sound in just about any venue or environment with maximum handling ease and minimum hassle.

Speakers, Powered Mixer, and Cables

This all-in-one system provides a pair of passive speakers, a detachable powered mixer, and a pair of speaker cables - everything you need except for your sources. The whole system weighs just 18 kilograms!

Detachable 8-channel Powered mixer with 150W + 150W Output

The powered mixer is normally stored in the rear of one of the speakers. The STAGEPAS™ powered mixer can be detached (the only tool you need is a coin) for convenient operation. The power amplifier is a class-D* type that delivers a solid 150 watts + 150 watts from a remarkably compact unit. The mixer has a total of eight input channels: four mono microphone/line inputs and two stereo line inputs. In addition to speaker outputs for the supplied speakers, the STAGEPAS™ mixer has line outputs that can be used to connect additional powered speakers for monitoring, or to send the mixer's output to a recording device. * Class-D power amplifiers provide high-efficiency amplification with low power consumption and minimal heat generation, allowing the amplifier to be built into a smaller, lighter, and cooler package.

Two-band EQ and Reverb Built In

Each mixer channel has an easy-to-use two-band equalizer that can help to shape the sound of each channel to achieve the best possible mix. Boost the highs to give a vocal channel more air and clarity, or boost the lows on a guitar channel for more punch. The four mono input channels have reverb on/off switches, and a reverb level control lets you add just the right amount of reverb to bring your sound to life.

For Singers & Instrumentalists

The built-in high-quality reverb is indispensable for great vocal sound, and it can add a lush dimension to the sound of electric-acoustic guitars as well.

For Speech

The STAGEPAS™ mixer has a "speech" mode that optimizes the system settings for maximum clarity with speech. Of course, background music from a CD player or other source can be mixed in with the spoken performance.

For Bands

Multiple microphone inputs make the STAGEPAS™ 300 system a good choice for band rehearsals or performances. MSR100 powered monitors (sold separately) can be added for monitoring.

Optional Mic Stand Adaptor

The optional BMS-10A Mic Stand Adaptor allows the STAGEPAS™ mixer unit to be mounted on a standard straight microphone stand. Mic stand mounting is an ideal way to position the mixer for easy control access while performing.

- Source (http://in.yamaha.com)

STAGEPAS 250M - Portable PA system

STAGEPAS 150M and 250M can function either as an ultra-portable PA system, or as a powerful keyboard amplifier with sound quality and portability that far surpasses any other conventional keyboard amp.


Combining high-performance power and accurate sound reproduction with remarkable versatility in a portable package, Yamaha's STAGEPAS Series Portable PA Systems are fast becoming the standard for musicians and other PA users on the go.These combination mixer/amplifier/speaker systems are exceptionally lightweight, portable and full-featured. Since virtually everything you need is in one, easy-to-use package, you can be set up and playing within a matter of minutes. And when you're done, you can be packed and back on the road again with the same ease and speed. Yet despite the simplicity and compact size, these systems cut no corners in sound quality or versatility, and in fact give you some advanced features not normally found in systems of this class.The series now includes the new single-speaker STAGEPAS 150M and 250M, which can be expanded to a stereo system by simply adding a second speaker. They can also function either as an ultra-portable PA system, or as a powerful keyboard amplifier-with sound quality and portability that far surpasses any other conventional keyboard amp. No matter what system you choose, you have a high-power, highperformance sound system ready for a wide variety of venues and events, both indoors and out.

Ideal for Monitor Speaker Use

The STAGEPAS 250M and 150M are effective as a monitor speaker system (especially for keyboard players, drummers and solo performers), thanks to its fullrange reproduction, convenient mixing controls, and versatile speaker placement.

* For Keyboard Players
Keyboard players needing a simple, yet exceptionally high-quality keyboard amplifier will find ideal solutions in the STAGEPAS 150M and 250M. These compact, highly portable and easy-to-use systems can serve as your main system for small gigs, or as a sub-mixer for direct connection to the main mixer at large events.

* For Guitarists
The STAGEPAS 150M and 250M are excellent systems for guitarists playing in small venues, since they deliver outstanding sound for the house as well as great monitor sound for the player.

-Source (http://in.yamaha.com)

Walkabout - Portable PA System - Studiomaster

The need for compact, portable PA systems has never been greater. Light weight, powerful, easy to set up but above all easy to use systems are compulsory. The Walkabout has perfectly addressed these requirements in a functional yet stylish package.

The Walkabout features a total of 300 Watts of clear audio power, 5 channel mixer (3x mic/line, 1x mic/stereo and 1x stereo), 16 program DSP and 5 band graphic equaliser. Sockets are also provided you record your performance.

It contained in its own carry case and include speaker stands, microphone and all cables. Once packed the Walkabout has a retractable handle and recessed casters making light work when moving.

Equalisation	HI (12kHz), LO (80Hz)
Graphic Equaliser	125Hz, 400Hz, 1kHz, 4kHz, 8kHz
Power	2 x 150W
Speakers	2 way
Connections Channels 1-3: Channel 4/5: Channel 6/7:	Combination XLR mic & TRS jack line XLR mic and stereo line (2) TS jacks Stereo line RCA phono
Record Output	RCA phono
Speaker Outputs	TS jacks
Speaker Input	Single TS jack
Power Requirements Voltage Selector	230V Range 50/60Hz 115V Range 50/60Hz

Source : (http://www.studiomaster.com)

PA monitors Stage Setup - 3D

Stage Setup for Musicians

Balanced Wiring & its Advantages

Professional equipment solves this problem by using two closely-spaced conductors twisted together. Audio is balanced equally on these wires, flowing in a positive direction on one wire while in a negative direction on the other. Equipment looks at the voltage difference between those wires, and ignores everything else. A grounded shield is still used to prevent high-frequency noise, and it might form a hum-gathering antenna -- particularly if there are other ground connections. But since the ground isn't part of the audio path, nobody cares.

A balanced shielded cable.

Most modern circults do not use balanced wiring internally. The internal wires or printed-circuit traces are so short that noise pickup isn't a problem. But they balance the signal before it leaves, and unbalance any incoming ones. This is very easy to do with op amps or transformers. Balanced wires also reject noise that isn't coming from a ground loop. The two conductors are twisted closely together, so any interference radiated into the cable is picked up equally by both. But remember: the equipment is looking for a voltage difference between those wires. Noise is the same on both wires, so the equipment can't hear it.

Another advantage of balanced wiring

If a single-conductor shielded cable acts as an antenna, why doesn't two-conductor balanced wiring act as a double antenna? Answer: it does. Noises from nearby video or computer cables are picked up on each conductor. But remember, a balanced audio input cares only about the voltage difference between the two wires. Interference is radiated equally into each wire. Since the interference is equal on each, there's no voltage difference from it! The balanced input can't even see that the noise is there.
Or to put it into a chart:

Conductor           Audio Signal    Noise     Total on wire
    Black               +1 v          +1 v     +2 v
    White               -1 v          +1 v      0 v

Transmitted difference   2 v
                           Received difference  2 v

This noise-immunity of balanced wiring is why it's also used for high-speed computer networks. Category-5 cable contains four tightly-balanced pairs of wires. In fact, if your balanced input and output circuits are good enough, you can use Cat-5 cable for professional audio wiring! "Star Quad" is four-conductor shielded balanced cable. The four wires form a tighter, more consistent pack than two wires can and can resist even more noise. If you're using Star Quad, you must tie the two pairs of similarly-colored wires together at each end... reducing it effectively to two conductors. Don't try to use it as two balanced pairs for two different signals: this won't give you any noise-reduction benefits at all. 

- ( Source : http://www.dplay.com)

About ground loops

People hum when they don't know the words. Audio circuits hum when they don't know what silence should sound like. The sensitive circuits that boost your camera's audio before it's recorded, or shuttle sound around your editing suite, need a reference they can be sure is zero volts. They compare the input signal to this reference, amplify or proces the difference, and generate an output voltage that's also compared to the reference. Designers designate one point within a piece of equipment (often connected to the chassis or grounding pin of the power plug) and call it "ground": all voltages inside the equipment are measured with respect to it.
That's fine for a single piece of equipment, but when you hook two devices together, both have to agree on the reference. Since the cable shield has to be grounded at least at one end, the usual scheme is to use it to connect the two devices' reference points together. It works in very simple systems.
But remember, that shield is picking up hum from the building wiring. And if the shield is carrying current -- something unavoidable if it's part of the audio path -- it has a slight voltage drop. Both these factors mean that the two devices are going to have slightly different references, and the difference is constantly varying. The input circuit can't tell that this variation isn't part of the signal, so it amplifies it. Again, in a simple NLE with short wires this interference may be tolerable. But in a complex room or studio shoot, it becomes hum and noise.

It's called "60 Hz hum", but it's not just 60 Hz

When power-line frequencies leak into an audio circuit, they generate harmonics. The 60 Hz base signal also hums at 120 Hz, 240 Hz, and up the band. That's why filters don't do a good job removing hum... you have to fix it at the source

Complex setups have other problems as well. If there are multiple ground paths, they combine to make a very efficient loop antenna for the 60 Hz noise. These "ground loops" are almost impossible to predict, since you don't know the internal details of your equipment, and can crop up even in very simple setups... particularly if both pieces of audio equipment also share a ground connection through their power plugs' grounding pins. In a practical video studio, the situation is apt to be far worse: the non-audio cables -- RS-232 and RS-422 control, video wires, and even cable TV -- all have their own grounds. 
- (Source : http://www.dplay.com)