 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-10-14 02:13
I have been looking for a portable CD player to use for one hour gigs here and there at luncheons, etc, and have posted this before. I found something that really works well for those of you that might be interested. I wrote to the Musicians Friend and they said to try a "Singing Machine." This works. I used it for the first time today for a luncheon with 200 women. It was in a very large room. I could put in the CDs that I wanted to play. It has two speakers, two microphones, a subwoofer, and plays like a real gem. There were no problems with feedback. It cost the grand price of $99 which certainly fit my budget. Although it didn't come with a carry case, I got a suitcase at the thrift shop for $20 which worked perfectly. I wrapped the machine in "egg crate" foam (Wal Mart, $7.99) and so nothing got scratched. Anyway, thought I would pass this information along to those of you out there who are interested in being "buskars" like me, and don't want to look real chintzy. The Singing Machine was actually made for karoke (sp) singers but works perfectly for me.
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2004-10-16 03:45
Carol, I am very interested in your suggestion but need more information on the Singing Machine. Seems ideal for Rest Home and small church groups. There seem to be several models of it, none of which (that I could find) had two mics attached. The $99 model only showed one. You said two speakers. Enclosed or exterior? Are the speakers powered (if exterior)? If the powers that be bounce this posting will you please reply directly to me at
utron7 @ Yahoo.com
Thanks,
Bob A
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-10-16 22:55
Way to Go, Carol.....won't the guys go with you?
Bob Draznik
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-10-17 01:37
Well Bob Draznik, it isn't that the guys won't go with me, it's that I won't go with the guys. The accordian player who shall remain anonymous would not quit playing at the end of the gig. The gig ends at 9:00. The clean-up crew is clanging dishes, singing, making clean-up sounds. The accordion player plays on. The security guy comes to close up the place. The accordion player plays on, and on, and on. We say we are tired and want to go home. The accordion player says, "If you are so tired, why did you even take this job? If you are so tired, stay home and sleep."
Accordion player has not seen me in a loooooong time (maybe because I've met normal musicians in the Trad Jazz circuit.) and I know that somewhere in California, he is playing and playing and playing long after the crowd has gone home. And nobody is listening, not even me.
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2004-10-21 20:20
Hey guys, don't knock it till you've tried it. Got one, based on Carol's recommendations and it is great. Having a ball in the basement. It has enough power to rattle the walls of a small area. Now frantically looking around for "play along with----" tapes or CD's. Suggestions?
Bob A
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2004-10-21 20:59
Hi Carol,
I too was very interested to read your post - I've been trying for ages to find something with a good sound which is portable and not too expensive.
I'm not a very expereinced player and I need all the help I can get !
I make my own backing tracks using "Power Tracks" by PG Music - it's a great piece of software for creating or editing midi files.
I've had a little search on the net for the Singing Machine you mentioned but like Bob couldn't find the one to which you were referring - can you post more details please ?
Thanks
Sue
:)
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-10-22 01:55
I got this through Musicians Friend on the Internet. The price was right on. If you want a whole lot more information, maybe more than you need, just E-mail me. I will answer you the same day. But it is called the Singing Machine and it was designed for karoeke (sp) singing!
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-10-22 05:53
Bob,
I would caution you to be very careful when using cassettes. There are strong pitch issues when you play one on a different machine than it was recorded on.
If you can play by ear, I suggest buying normal karaoke CD's with songs that are familiar to you. There are several sources, including record stores like Tower and Sam Goody.
If you need sheet music as well, your local music store has play-along books for band and orchestra instruments, but you run the risk of pedestrian arrangements, obviously synthesized accompaniments, and/or an audible count-off or click-off that may seem cheezy to your audience. Oh, and some have the melody being played by something light like a vibraphone so that students can follow it.
Karaoke CD's, if you can figure out the melodies for yourself, usually offer some sort of instrumental introduction rather than a vocal count-off, and by necessity are more likely to have smooth sounding arrangements.
Allen Cole
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2004-10-22 13:55
Thanks Allen, the little 'gnomes' who built this thing included a 'pitch control' to slow or speed up the tape and change the pitch click by click. Don't know how effective it is but it would be a start.
Bob A
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-10-22 14:26
From Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary:
ACCORD, n. Harmony.
ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.
By the way, is it true that accordionists know only two tunes: Lady of Spain and Mexican Hat Dance?
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2004-10-22 16:34
Ken, I don't know about the stomache-steinway folk but you haven't begin to live until you hear me vamp on the Lady of Spain/bass clarinet style!
Bob A
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Author: Todd W.
Date: 2004-10-22 19:08
Ken Shaw wrote:
"By the way, is it true that accordionists know only two tunes: Lady of Spain and Mexican Hat Dance?"
Answer: No, it only sounds that way.
(Sorry, today's Cruel Friday.)
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Author: Mike Blinn
Date: 2004-10-22 20:30
Carol,
Are you using the microphones that come the unit? If so, by what means do you attach them to your horn?
Mike Blinn
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2004-10-22 20:58
Ken Shaw --
In certain parts of the USA, the only two tunes which accordionists know are Lady of Gdansk (all occasion waltz) and Polish Hat Dance (generic polka).
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-10-23 03:37
Yes, I use the microphones that came with it. I tried out my Shure and the mikes that come with the unit are just as good. There are two of them that attach to the main unit. But when I played for the luncheon, I took my mike stand along and just put the unit's mike in there (via a long cord of course). I'm not going to tell you what songs I played because I would be run off the board. I didn't play any polkas however. Ho ho.
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2004-10-23 13:39
Carol,
I reckon that you probably played the type of music at that luncheon as I play all the time as my reason for learning to play was simply so that I could entertain the old folks where I work and they like a good old sing song !
So no polka's for me either !
Sue
:)
PS if I'm off the boards then so be it !!
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2004-10-23 14:16
Hi,
I found the system Carol was recommending and tried to order one.
Sadly I live in the Uk and it can't be shipped here - something to do with manufacturers restrictions :(
Sue
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-23 14:18
Sounds like you had fun - cool! It's always rewarding to play for those who just enjoy whatever you play and not sitting there just waiting for an out of tune note, etc.
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