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What do you need to host an acoustic open mic night?

I work at a small coffee house in Arizona and we want to do an open mic night. What equipment would we need?

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    You'll need a PA system. Probably nothing very large.

    Mixer

    Power Amp (If the mixer isn't powered)

    ---500watts or so should be plenty.

    2 Main Speakers with stands (You don't need subs)

    1 Monitor

    A Couple Mics (I recommend SM58s by Shure)

    2 Mic Stands (Boom Stands are best for guitar players)

    An XLR Cable for each Mic

    A Balanced Speaker Cable for each speaker

    Remember, plug in as the sound travels: Mic --> Mixer --> Power Amp --> Mains/Monitor(s)

    There are some decent powered mixers available at a good price with 10 or 12 channels. If you get a powered mixer (recommended) you should not need an additional power amp unless the "line out" for the monitor(s) is not powered. If your shop is really small you probably don't even need a monitor. Make sure the impedance (Ohms) of the mixer and the speakers are the same.

    That should be plenty of sound for a small coffee house.

    Email me if you have further questions. lowcatmurphy@yahoo.com

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