Cheapo audio setup for small conference room (with wireless mics?)

September 22, 2010 11:07 AM

I work for a nonprofit that rents out smallish space for other nonprofits to meet in. We have one room that's big enough that soft talkers are sometimes hard to hear in back, and one of those soft talkers has recently asked if I can set up a wireless lavalier mic for her. So I need to solve too problems: the mic system, and the amplification system.

I've experimented with various types of desk-mounted (pzm) microphones amplified via stereo receiver, and it doesn't really work... feedback from the surround sound speakers is too prominent. I have had good luck with a super-cheap little Nady package with a portable amp and wireless hand-held mic-- I set the little amp in one end of the room, and hand the mic to someone on the other end, and it works pretty well-- the poor sound quality is made up for by its simplicity. I figure maybe some sort of cheap PA system, and some Beringer or Nady gear? (Looking to try to spend well under $1000 for the whole setup)

Thanks in advance!

posted by Erroneous to technology (3 answers total)

Please don't buy cheap wireless. You will hate your self if you do in about 2 months when it starts to crap out on you. This and this and a mixer plus a mic stand would set you back about $750 and would be expandable if you needed another mic plus you could plug in a ipod or whatever and play some tunes for the office christmas party. You could probably find all that stuff cheaper with a little searching.
posted by Uncle at 4:56 PM on September 22, 2010

Those are good suggestions... I hadn't thought about those little Behringer mixers. I've used those in the past (for music purposes) and found them surprisingly useful. Thanks.

Any opinions about lavalier mics?
posted by Erroneous at 6:21 AM on September 23, 2010

To follow up, I actually ignored your advice completely... decided that the actual needs of the organization weren't what I was visualizing. Rather than set up a complex system that would cost a lot and never ever ever ever get used, I spent $100 on a little Nady standalone amp & lavalier combo.

However, I'll probably do something much like your recommendation if there's any sign that folks actually need a more sophisticated system.
posted by Erroneous at 2:52 PM on October 4, 2010