Are you affiliated with a school, church, bar, community center or café that plans to host its first open mic night soon? If so, you might be wondering what components you need to put on a successful open mic event.
Of course, people attending an open mic aren’t necessarily going to expect a high-end, state-of-the-art sound system—after all, part of the fun of an open mic night is that it’s casual and welcomes amateurs to perform.
That being said, you will still want your performers and spectators to enjoy themselves—and that means you need to have a reliable and solid sound system in place before your open mic night begins.
Fortunately, you don’t have to splurge to buy or rent such a system. Just four simple, easy-to-find components will help make your open mic night a success. From your source for lighting and sound equipment in Orange County, CA, here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
- Speakers: Without speakers, nobody will be able to fully hear and enjoy your open mic night performances. If you have a relatively small space, one speaker might be enough. That being said, many PA systems come with a pair of standing speakers, and using two instead of one will give the music a fuller, more enhanced sound. Rather than having music coming out of one specific place, your guests will feel more surrounded by the sound.
- Mixer: A mixer helps ensure that a musician’s guitar will not overpower their singing voice, and vice versa. For a low-key open mic night, two channels might be enough, though full bands will appreciate it if you have more than two. And if you plan to expand your bar’s musical performances in the future, having a multi-channel mixer may be a smart long-term investment.
- Cables: Cables will connect all the different components of your new PA system together. Ask your lighting and sound equipment rental service in Orange County, CA for XLR cables, which will connect the mixer to the speakers. Those XLR cables will also come in handy for connecting the microphones to the mixer, so make sure you have enough of them—it’s always nice to have a few extra cables in the back, in case one breaks or malfunctions. You should also have some cables for electric guitars, keyboards and other electric instruments.
- Microphones: You can’t exactly host an open mic night without a mic! For those starting out with open mic nights, we recommend getting at least two vocal mics, as well as a condenser mic for guitars that will not plug into the speaker or mixer. And make sure you have the right stands, and that you know how to quickly adjust them for height in between acts. Your lighting and sound equipment store in Orange County, CA should be able to teach you how to use them.
Now that you know the basics of what you’ll need to have a fun and successful open mic night, it’s time to start planning your big night! If you have any questions about lighting and sound equipment in Orange County, CA, please get in touch with Larson Lighting & Audio today.