The Mini PA System

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I'm part of a cool acoustic duo called goatFISH, it is my self and the awesome artist Sahffi Lynne. What we bring to the stage are: 2 guitars, and 2 djembes (West African hand drums). What we need [especially if its a large and/or outdoor space] are 3 microphones & 2 guitar inputs. 2 of the mics are for our vocals, and the 3rd is for the djembe, which we pass between us, since we swap positions between guitar/vocalist & djembe/vocalist.

By band standards, we are a minimal set up band, Sahffi does have a 4 channel PA System, which works fine for us, but we still have to carry 2 large speakers, the speaker stands, and their cables and all that jazz.
And usually we do if we have too, but I'm all about troubleshooting those troubles :)

Earlier this month we had a show, the venue did NOT provide a PA System, since it was supposed to be an indoor "acoustic" set up, but they encouraged us to bring our own sound if we wanted, just as long as it wasn't going to be too loud. Sahffi's PA System, was NOT an option.
I don't know if you've tried this before, but playing guitar, djembe, AND singing at the same time, without microphones, is pretty pointless, you might as well just be a crazy person talking gibberish, because no one will listen to you. So we needed a way to amplify ourselves just enough to help people distinguish the sounds of all 3 elements.
Which lead me to rigging up what I now call "The Mini PA System".
It consists of 2 main things:
#1- A Micro 4 channel mixer.
#2- An amplifier with 2 inputs.

Here is how it works.
The Micro 4 Channel Mixer
-Using 2 XLR to 1/4 cables, I plug in 2 vocal mics into 2 of the channels, that way each of us has a dedicated vocal channel which we can adjust the volume of.
-The other 2 channels are for our 2 guitars.
-The "Output" of all 4 channels, goes into "Input 1" of the Amplifier.
So this would mean that all vocals & guitars are now amplified through one input, and can be adjusted individually.

The 2 Input Amplifier
-Input 1: is amplifying the signal from the Micro 4 Channel mixer (Vox & Guitars).
-Input 2: the mic for the djembe.
Keep in mind that the Amplifier has individual volume control for each of the inputs, so we now have total control of the volume of all the elements with only 2 main components.

Needless to say I've tested this out in my room, and it worked like a charm.
I tend to favor this kind of set up, especially if its a low profile gig that just needs that little extra push, in order for you to be heard clearly, and without straining your voice.

I hope this was been helpful.
Until Next Time.
Much Love
Mosno Al-Moseeki