Gear I like



Please note, I don't receive any money from endorsements.  These are just things I like and I tend to be vocal about my opinions on such matters.

Folktales puppets  I have a whole blog post (3/11/10) about my puppets so you can search for that if you want to hear more.

Sharp projectors  I tried out numerous projectors at schools before I bought my own.  Sharp was the best.  I really prefer LCD technology over DLP; the rainbow effect drives me nuts.  The colors and brightness of InFocus projectors were HORRIBLE!!  Sometimes you can’t even recognize what’s in the picture!  Epson’s are good, especially the ones with 1800+ lumens.  Dells are good, too.  If you really want to add projection to your presentation, get the brightest projector you can find and deal with the heaviness.  Mine has 4000 lumens (weights about 15 lbs.) and even that can get washed out if there’s sunlight streaming into the room.

Fishman Soloamp You can get ‘em for under $800 on eBay if you look hard!  I’ve owned or at least tried similar portable systems by Fender (not a fan of these), Peavey (better than the Fender), Yamaha (StagePas 300 is a great deal), and Bose.  This one is great for groups up to about 350-400 and is super-portable.  The best balance of sound quality, portability and price, IMHO.  Super-easy to set up and carry!

Bose PAS L1  I still own a Model I for gigs over about 300-400; the sound’s somewhat better and there’s more volume than my Fishman but the total weight is about 80 pounds.  Overkill for most gigs and a pain to lug around so the Fishman is my friend.  I do LOVE the remote mixer that puts the volume right at your side while the speakers are 15′ away.

The Bose Model II is prohibitively expensive for all but the most successful artists; $3,000 with the mixer/effects unit!  I tried the mixer once and was not delighted with it.  Multi-use buttons-yuck.  I want to be able to change things on the fly in a show; just give me a knob or fader please.  It also has a computer chip for a heart so take that into consideration.  I’m sure I could grow to love it after I got used to it but most of the sonic beauty is lost on elementary school audiences.

I tried out the Bose L1 compact for a month.  The sound was eyebrow-lifting but the volume was inadequate and I had significant, high-frequency feedback issues using an OSP ear-worn microphone.  The music store folks tell me I just had the wrong kind of mic so it may just be me but I think the “no-feedback ever!” claims are bogus.  This thing’s only 25 pounds so it could be perfect for someone whose audiences are usually 150 or fewer.

Shure PGX wireless  Great balance of  value, sound quality, and reliability.  I’m not a fan of Sennheiser, personally, but the unit I had back in 2000-2004 has been redesigned and many of the maintenance issues  may have been resolved.  Audio-Technica seems to be the pro-favorite but they’re pricy and I’ve had great luck with my Shures.

OSP HS-01  This is a knock-off of the Countryman mic; about half the cost at $150.  I’ve really liked it for live performance but we did a taping of a live show and found that it was distorting.  I’m a pretty loud guy, what with all my crazy puppet voices and “Aye, Chihuahua’s”

I’ve recently upgraded to the directional Countryman E6 with a lessened sensitivity (I got mine for $349, delivered, here!  A+++ service, too!).  Most of these ear-worn mics are omnidirectional which, apparently, gives a better sound but it creates feedback issues.  I've had it happen to me and I've seen it happen to others but many claim these mics do NOT feed back.

This mic has pretty much solved my feedback problems and is definitely richer than the OSP!  I'm also not having any distortion issues.  GIANT improvement over the old mic so I'm sold on Countryman after a decade of skepticism.  The directional thing was a huge improvement.

I opted for the thicker, 2mm cord thinking that it would be more durable and I'm sure it is.  The problem is, however, that it's heavier and tends to pull the mic off my ear.  It also is WAY too long; it reaches to my FEET if left hanging!  Why so long??  No one's THAT tall!  That extra length is a problem because it snags on things and either breaks or just pulls the mic off while I'm performing.  An extra cord is in my future which is going to run another $60-70.  Always good to have a back-up, right?