Yamaha EMX512SC Powered Mixer Review

Greetings!

I mostly use powered speakers for gigs, as I my QSC K10s and K12s are loud and bulletproof, but for smaller gigs (i.e. karaoke parties) sometimes it is easier to not have to run extension cords to the speakers, so there is still a place in my world for an powered mixer with passive loudspeakers. This is why I am hanging on to my Yamaha EMX512SC mixer. You have certainly seen this same mixer being used by bar bands all over the world.

The EMX512SC is a 12-channel mixer, even though it only has 8 faders. In Yamaha math they count inputs with stereo channels twice, but either way, that is enough for whatever I am going to do with this thing. This mixer has dual 500 watt amps (max at 4 ohms), so it is plenty loud for most small to medium sized shows. It is a nice looking piece with a nubbly plastic case with built in handles, and it measures 18x12x11 inches, and weighs in at under 20 pounds. It is kind of a big box with a beveled edge on the back so it can be tilted up, or there are a couple of included plugs that keep it from tilting back if that is what you prefer. Those plugs always get lost.

The back of the mixer has an IEC power cable socket and a pair of output jacks, which include both ¼-inch and Speakon jacks.

The front side of the EMX512SC is a lot more complicated, but that is because it is chock full of features. The input channels each have a 3-band EQ, and there are 4 for monaural microphone (with phantom power and one-knob compression) or line input, and 4 pairs that can function either as monaural microphone inputs or stereo line inputs (2 with ¼-inch jacks and 2 with RCA jacks). There are also separate 7-band graphic EQs for both the main and monitor power channels.

Another neat feature is the power mode switch which allows the two amps to function in stereo, or as separate mono channels for mains and monitor. And one of my favorite features is the surprisingly useful knob that controls 16 SPX digital effects including reverb, echo, chorus, flanger, and phaser. The effects knob has its own level control and ON/OFF switch.

I run the EMX512SC with my low-tech Yamaha A12 loudspeakers, and this combo is definitely up to the task. This set-up has a warm sound that I never have found with the QSCs, and there are surprisingly good bass and mids for 12-inch speakers. This whole thing gets plenty loud without distorting - I consider Yamaha to be a solid brand, and these speakers meet my expectations every time. BTW, all I use are Yamaha mixers, and they have never let me down.

I believe this model has been discontinued, but if you vcan find one the Yamaha EMX512SC powered mixer sells for around $599 new each from most online sellers, and around $400 used. It sounds good, has good power output and features, and is plenty durable. What more could you ask for?

Mahalo!

Review: Yamaha A12 2-Way Passive Loudspeakers

Howdy!

I mostly use powered speakers for gigs, as I really love my QSC K10s and K12s, but for smaller gigs sometimes it is easier to not have to run extension cords to the speakers, so there is still a place in my world for passive loudspeakers. This is where the Yamaha A12 PA speakers come into my story.

The Yamaha A12s are 2-way passive speakers with a 12-inch woofer and a 1-inch diaphragm titanium high-frequency horn. I have no idea what the cabinets are made of as they are covered with fuzzy black carpet, but at this price point I suspect they are made of MDF. They are relatively light at 35 pounds each, and thy measure 16 x 23 x 13 inches. There is only one handle on these, a recessed unit on the top, so they are not entirely easy to wrestle onto speaker stands.

Spec-wise, they are 8 ohm speakers that are rated at 300W continuous / 500W peak, with a frequency range of 65Hz-20kHz, and a maximum of 125dB. Around back you will find ¼-ich and Speakon jacks, and not much of anything else.

I run the A12s with my old-school 500-watt Yamaha EMX512SC mixer, and they are certainly up to the task. They have a warm sound that I cannot really get with the QSCs, and they provide surprisingly good bass and mids for 12-inch speakers. And, of course they get plenty loud without distorting - I consider Yamaha to be a solid brand, and these speakers meet my expectations every time.

The Yamaha A12 loudspeakers sell for around $230 each from most online sellers, and they are a great deal. They sound good, have good power output, are durable, and will get the job done. Why kick a winner?

Mahalo!

DR Pro DJ Laptop Stand Review

Aloha!

When I take a laptop to a gig I like to have it closer to eye height, so a laptop stand comes in pretty handy. I recently picked up a DR Pro model DRDJLS1 DJ laptop stand, and I thought I would let you know how it is working out.

The DRDJLS1 is billed as being easily adjustable, and I am not going to argue with this very much. The way that is constructed allows the height to be adjusted from 8 inches to 12 inches, and the width from 9 inches to 11 inches. There is also flexibility in mounting this unit, as it can be set on a table, or mounted to a case with sturdy clamps that are included in the kit. An added bonus is a removable shelf that is a handy place to put accessories, like effect pedals, hard drives, and whatnot. Whatnot.

Assembling this laptop stand was pretty straightforward, as all of the parts were well-organized in the box and the instructions were pretty clear. The only tool that was needed for assembly was a Philips-head screwdriver, and may of the pieced screwed together with plastic knobs. Everything lines up ok, and a lot of extra screws were included. This is obviously a quality piece of equipment, made of heavier steel than other stands I have seen on the market. Of course this means it is heavy, and it comes in at around 5 ½ pounds, which makes it not very fun to cart around.

This bulk makes the DR Pro laptop stand really solid, and I am not worried about it falling apart. I am annoyed by the lack of adjustment for the angles of the laptop stand and the shelf. Also, it does not easily break down. It actually has to be disassembled if you want it easier to stow for your gigs. Although it is well made, there are only a certain number of times you can unscrew things before the threads start to wear out and the plastic knobs start to crack.

So, this stand is not exactly portable, and it is pretty much delegated to my office, where it does a wonderful job of getting my laptop and docking station off of my desk. What I use it for

The DR Pro DJ laptop stand is a pretty good piece of equipment, but its weight, the lack of angle adjustment, and the inability to quickly break it down will relegate this to home use only for me. The marketing of this stand exacerbates this situation, as none of the sellers I found online mention any useful details about the unit, such as its actual dimensions or its weight.

But still, it is really nice for home of office use, and if you are looking for one, it will be worth your time to research the best deal. The list price for the DRDJLS1 is $99.99, making it one of the more expensive stands on the market. But, they sell on Amazon for $$67.97, and I have seen them on sale for as low as $30, which is a pretty darned good deal, as long as you don't need to haul it around on a regular basis

Mahalo!

On Stage Desk DS7200B Microphone Stand Review

Howdy!

I have written about some pretty dull stuff on Rex and the Bass, and this post might be right up there with the worst of them, but I thought I had should say a few words about the On Stage desk microphone stand. Boring as it may be, if you are doing any PA announcing or are running a meeting where you need a desktop microphone, this thing is indispensible.

This stand is available in black or chrome, and is adjustable from 8 ½ to 13-inches tall. It is sturdy with a solid metal 6-inch diameter base so it has plenty of ground-hugging (table-hugging?) weight. The stand unscrews from the base, so it can be knocked down a little smaller for transport, but I usually leave mine assembled.

I have used this one with my Shure Beta SH55 and SM 58 microphones, but usually use it for my iPad holder that I use for DJ gigs. It does not get off balance, and the screw grip for adjusting the height stay rock solid once it is tightened down.

I have also used it for mic-ing speaker cabinets and it is nice that it has a smaller footprint than full-sized boom stands, so it is less likely to get knocked over on crowded stages. One thing for sure is that it provides a professional appearance and makes most any set-up look tidier.

If you do any live sound work, I recommend that you have one or two of these on hand. Most online sellers seem to carry the On Stage DS7200B desk microphone stands at most online everywhere, and the list price is $22.99 with a street price of around $12.95. You really can’t beat this value!

Mahalo!

American DJ O-Clamp 1.5 Review

Hi!

Not everything that I review for Rex and the Bass has to be expensive or high-zoot, but most all of it is very good gear. The American DJ O-Clamp 1.5 is another winner, and it will not drain your life savings to add a few of these to your lighting set-up.

Some folks do not mind using C-clamps to affix lighting elements to their trusses, but I prefer the security of O-clamps that go completely around the truss tubes when heavy stuff is dangling over my head. American DJ sells three different versions of the O-clamp to fit 1-inch, 1.5-inch and 3-inch truss tubing. Actually, they are all 2-inch clamps, but the smaller sizes use plastic inserts to bring them down to the proper diameter. So, I can use my extensive collection of 1.5 O-clamps with either 1.5 or 2-inch trusses.

The ADJ O-clamp is made of injection-molded plastic with a swing-out bolt that secures the two halves together with a wing nut. Each clamp comes with a standard-thread bolt that fits most lights, and they also include a wing-nut and washer in case your light base is not threaded. As these are plastic the weight limit is 28 pounds for each clamp, so you are not going to be able to mount heavy speakers with these.

For my set-up I use O-clamps to mount all manner of things to my On-Stage lighting truss. This includes Chauvet 4-Bars, pin spots, a mirror bar mount, and (on occasion) small powered speakers. For the 4-Bars I needed to use longer mounting bolts, but I did not have any trouble finding the right size at Lowe’s. It was simple enough to pop the adapter inserts out and replace the bolts, but you have to get small-head bolts so they fit into the slot and allow the inserts to go back into place.

I have seen a few of my fellow internet pundits complaining that these clamps do not fit well, and that they wish the adapter inserts were made of a softer material instead of hard plastic so they can grip the truss better. This has not been my experience. I have always been able to mount my equipment at whatever angle is needed without slipping. Maybe they have different brands of trusses with slicker finishes or slightly smaller diameters tubing. Either way they work fine for me, and if I ever had any problems I would just use a bit of gaffer tape to take up the slack.

Thus far I have experienced no problems with these clamps damaging my truss tubing -- no matter how hard I crank them down they have not caused any scratches, scuffs or dents!

So, the American DJ O-Clamps are pretty much the best thing since canned beer, and as I said earlier, they are not terribly expensive. In fact, they have a list price $7.95 and a street price of $5.95. If you do not need to hang heavy equipment, these are all you will ever need!

Mahalo!

On Stage LS7730 DJ Lighting Stand With Truss Review

Aloha!

As time goes on, most DJs (and some bands) start to add lighting elements to their stage set-up. My lighting has grown from a single Chauvet 4-Bar to two 4-Bars, some pin spots and other effects. When it was requested that I bring a disco ball to a recent school dance I decided it was time to step up to a lighting truss, and I went with the On Stage LS7730.

The LS7730 is just about as cheap as it comes for a truss system. This set includes two tripod base lighting stands with three section shafts and T-bars. The T-bars have mounts to hold four par cans each. There are also two five-foot truss sections that can also accept four par cans each. It can be set up tall, up to a touch over 10 feet and it is rated for 200 pounds (110 for each stand, and 80 for the truss). It should be noted that the manufacturer recommends that only static lights be mounted to this assembly.

When I got my new truss home and took it out of the box, I found that a few of the plastic set screw handles were broken. As there is no packing materials in the box and it came from China, I counted myself lucky and did not return it. God know how much stuff could have been broken or bent…

Looking over the components, it is obviously a budget set-up. It is made of black powder-coated aluminum, and the tubing is very thin. There is not a single weld anywhere on it, and the truss sections are screwed together with plastic connectors. But, when it is all put together it is surprisingly rigid. The American DJ O-clamps work great on this truss as they come with plastic spacers that fit this tubing perfectly.

I was able to figure out how to put it together without the instructions, and it took about 10 minutes to get it together. There is a bit of fiddling needed with the pins as it is tricky to get the holes lined up, but it was not an insurmountable hurdle. Mounting the lights took a bit longer, and it took two people to get it everything where it needed to be. If this thing had cranks it would have been a way easier job as the light could have been attached when it was closer to floor level, but that feature would have doubled the price.

Once it was together it looked really sharp, and as I said, it was sturdy. I mounted the pin spots for the mirror ball to one of the T-bars and to the stands, and it was a neat effect. Tear-down at the end of the event was simple, but I always had to keep in mind that this thing is fragile, and I was super careful when loading it back up into the van. On Stage sells a carry bag (LSB6500, list $85.99/street $45.99) for this system and I will look into it. There are a lot of parts, and it would make load-in quicker if everything was kept together in a single bundle (the total weight is around 40 pounds).

By the way, this would also be a great stand for hanging a projection screen, if you are into that sort of thing.

The On Stage LS7730 lighting stand with truss has a list price of $367.99, but of course you will not have to pay that much. The MAP on these is $199.99, but they sell all day long for $179.99. If you can handle that this product is just good enough for the job, it really is a pretty good value.

Mahalo!

SKB Gig Rig Rack Case Review

Howdy!

Today we are looking at a product that I thought would be really neat, but unfortunately turned out to be a miserable chunk of crap. This would the SKB Gig Rig.

SKB has sold a ton of the Gig Rig series mixer/rack road cases over the past 15 years, and the Gig Rig (model 1SKB19-R1208) you see here is based on their Mighty Gig Rig (ambitious name, isn’t it?). The idea is to keep all of your rack-mounted equipment and mixer in one compact, easy-to-use unit.

The R1208 Gig Rig has the mixer rails on top, and they are 12U high and mounted at a 7-degree angle. There are also front and rear facing 8U spaces for amps, effects, or whatever. There is enough space in the top rails that stuff that is plugged into the mixer does not have to be unplugged when the lid is put on.

The whole thing is made of molded black plastic, and there are handles on each end for horsing this beast in and out of vans or trucks. The lid and caster portion come off of the main body of the unit and can be stacked together to get this thing to a nice working height.

So what could the problems be with this thing? Let’s see…

1. The plastic is flimsy and the lid is really hard to separate from the body because the whole thing sticks together – to the point where I am afraid something is going to break when I am trying to separate the pieces.

2. The latches are flimsy and break easily. I do not care how good SKB’s support is, because this thing should not have busted a latch before I ever got to use it.

3. It is heavier than hell – 70 pounds of plastic, and that is with nothing in it.

4. It is hard to swallow the idea of spending $500 for a plastic case.

So, the high hopes I had for the Gig Rig were dashed when it came time to actually try to use one. If a product tries to do everything, than chances are good that it won't do any of it well. Live and learn, I guess…

Mahalo!

Numark iDJ App Review

Howdy!

I don’t usually write app reviews, but this is one I have used a bit and I think it might come in handy for the masses. Today we are looking at Numark’s iDJ app, which allows users to create their own DJ-like music mixes on their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch.

Numark has been designing and manufacturing DJ equipment for over thirty years, and is probably the biggest player in the industry. So, while it makes sense that they would introduce a DJ app, it also takes away from their core business. Their accountants must have worked overtime to figure out how many apps they could sell versus how much hardware sales they might lose. A funny puzzler, to be sure.

Numark’s intended audience for this is the mainstream music lover, rather than the professional DJ. This app allows folks to create their own seamless and synchronized playlists, so they can liven up their parties or create inspiring workout mixes.

I can also see iDJ being very useful for bands that want to play a mix before a show or while they are on a break between sets. Just run leads from the mixing board to the 1/8-inch jack into an iPad, hit play and go – what could be easier?.

As with any app, the install was easy and iDJ provides a brief tutorial of the program’s highlights the first time it is started. Each track needs to be loaded into the program from iTunes, which takes a while, but I had troubles with loaded songs. About 24% of the track I wanted to put into iDJ would not load at all. There was no rhyme or reason to why they would not load – I had problems with tracks purchased from iTunes and ones loaded from CD. Very frustrating.

iDJ analyzes each song with Numark’s BPM detection technology, and lists the BPM (beats per minute) for each track. This is gold for disc jockeys so they can match up tracks better, because too big of a variance in BOPM between songs can make for awkward transitions and kill the mood the mix was supposed to create.

The user creates their own playlists by dragging songs in and sequencing them to their preference. If the BPM are too far off between tracks, Tempo Graph will warn that the transitions might be too much. There is the option of having the software shuffle the tracks, but what fun is that?

After the mix order is set, just press the “Mix Now” icon, and the iDJ software will go to work by overlapping and beatmatching the tracks. After this operation is completed, the user can view a bar graph that shows the overlap, and allows the user to change the length of the song transitions, and truncate songs to remove long intros or outros.

Overall, the iDJ app works well, and can provide a useable mix that is a lot smoother than just running a playlist directly from iTunes. There have been a few instances where the app crashed on me, but it always started up immediately afterwards. I give it a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10…

The Numark iDJ app is on sale in the App Store for $1.99, so download a copy today and start messing around with it. You will certainly enjoy it for longer than the cup of coffee you could have bought for the same amount of money.

Mahalo!

Yamaha MG 102C Mixer

Greetings!

A while back I was looking for a new mixing board to use with my QSC powered PA speakers. I needed something that I would use mostly for DJ situations, and maybe a little band use. The decision to get the Yamaha MG 102C was easy.

My requirements are not exactly over-the-top. I need at least 4 microphone/XLR channels (with switchable phantom power), as well as RCA inputs, speaker out, recording out, and a headphone jack. That is about it, really. No fancy effects or flashing lights.

Well, the MG 102 C has all of that stuff. Some bonuses are a usable compression feature (on two channels), an effects loop, and separate monitor and stereo outputs.

Looking at the specs on this mixer, I have one little gripe. Yamaha calls this a 10-channel mixer, which is technically true, but take a closer look at those inputs and controls. They are counting the 4 stereo inputs as 8 channels, but they are only controlled in pairs. Sounds like six channels to me. It is a cheesy way to market it, but I knew that when I bought it.

So far I have used it for 2 DJ gigs and for the band at my house party. The sound output is clear without added hum or noise. I have not had any problems with it yet, or found that it will not do anything that I ask of it. Sliding faders would have been nice but at this price point, I am happy enough with the knobs.

Oh, and the price point is the best feature, which I have saved for last. The Yamaha MG 102C is incredibly cheap with a list price is $129.99, and a street price of $99.99. Wow!

It also comes with a 1 year limited warranty, and Yamaha customer service is great. If you do not need a powered mixer with a metric ton of channels or effects, this board is a great buy.

Mahalo!

Yamaha STAGEPAS 500 PA System

Everybody needs a PA system, right? Well, almost everybody I know needs one. Today I am writing about the Yamaha STAGEPAS 500 system, which is the PA that I own and am very happy with.

The STAGE PAS 500 system is slick. It includes a pair of passive speakers with a built-in powered mixer. The mixer fits into the back of one of the speakers, and can be easily removed if you want to set it up on a table with the rest of your equipment. The other speaker has a storage compartment in the back so you have a convenient place to store your speaker cables and the power cord for the mixer. By the way, speaker cables are included.

The mixer has two 250-watt class-D power amplifiers with plenty of power for medium-sized room or outdoor gigs. The amplifiers have been reliable thus far, and I have had no problems with overheating or cutting out.

There are 10 input channels: four mono microphone/line inputs (switchable for phantom power) and three stereo line inputs. For output, it has two main speaker jacks, as well as line outputs for additional powered speakers, RCA jacks for recording.

The STAGEPAS 500 mixer has 2-band equalizers for each channel, as well as REVERB switches on channels 1 through 4. A separate REVERB level control adjusts the reverb mix. Channels 1 and 2 have LIMIT/COMP switches. You will need the compression and limiters for those drunken karaoke folks.

The two speakers the system comes with are very rugged. They have 10" woofers and 1" tweeters. The speakers will fit standard 35mm speaker stand tubes.

How well does it work? Pretty darned good, if you’re asking me. I mostly use the STAGEPAS 500 for DJ and karaoke events, and as the bad mother of all garage stereo systems. I have run up to 3 microphones, a dual-deck CD player and my laptop music library through it with no trouble at all. Transporting and setting up the system is a breeze due to its relatively light weight and compact size. I went ahead and sprung for some wall mounts for the speakers to keep them up high and out of my way when they are not in use.

As a bassist, I would not recommend this system to a band that heavily relies on running the bass through the PA at high volume levels. It does not have enough headroom for that. Of course, additional powered speakers can be added to the system if necessary.

The MSRP for the Yamaha STAGEPAS 500 is $1249, and the street price is $899. I found it quite a bit cheaper from a music store that was clearing out all of their Yamaha equipment at blow-out prices.

If you are on more of a budget and don’t need as much presence, the STAGEPAS 300 can be had for a street price of around $600. Of course, it is cheaper so it has fewer channels (8), smaller speakers (8-inch woofers) and less power output (300 watts).

Either way, you cannot go wrong with the STAGEPAS systems. Yamaha has a well-justified reputation for providing reliable products that are an exceptional value.